Exercise is wasting our time???

nitrogen_widget

I think cardio is a waste of time for the most part but lifting is definitely important.

I used to agree with this statement but i've hit that point where the fat loss is SLOOOOWWWWW with just lifting unless I do some cardio a few days a week.
Even if I eat back my cals (as best as I can figure) I still seem to drop the fat quicker.

Hendrix7

Intense exercise has other benefits other than the calorie burn you get from it, people seem to forget that.

here is the full text if anyone wants to read it (I haven't)

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0040503

CorvusCorax77

Exercise is an INEFFICIENT method of weight loss. Simply because the amount of time and energy that it takes to burn some calories is nothing compared to how easy it is to eat those calories back.

Run for an hour, you have maybe 2 slices of pizza burned.

Actually, 20 minutes = 1 slice of cheese pizza. I had this worked out to a fine art

a778c466

I saw that article on yahoo yesterday. There will be another in about a week stating the exact opposite.

ApexLeader

we know exercise helps you burn more calories than you would just sitting around, and we know it has some benefit to how many calories we burn while at rest as well. that's all you need to know.

shoneybabes

If you enjoy exercise do it. Nothing can stop you from doing what you enjoy. At the end of the day it is a piece of paper. It has little consequence to you physically and emotionally.

likitisplit

I guess it depends if you are interested in weight loss or fat loss....

Biggipooh

I am only losing weight with weightlifting, not with cardio. Cardio is kind of a waste of time, but I still like it for the fun (Skating etc.)

4_Lisa

It's true, I am losing at the same rate as some who don't workout, the difference though is that by me working out regularily and doing hard workouts, is that I am building lean muscle. I think that in the long run, my habits and workout will allow for long term change not just to lose weight. You don't need to workout to lose weight, but I believe to maintain there needs to be some sort of healthy lifestyle change. Most who lose weight without exercise will eventually go back to old eating habits and gain most of it back... I however will build muscle and healthy habits... and maintain long term

lithezebra

Can you provide a link to the study? Even if there is some truth to it, at some point you'll be maintaining your weight, and you'll be healthier, happier, and have more brain cells, because you exercise. It's not just for weight loss.

If you've already lost weight, you're already working at maintaining a weight loss, even if you still have further to go to reach your goal.

FrnkLft

Give us the link...

This is bs, don't be worried. Just think about it. If you ate 2,000 calories a day to maintain... and then you didn't change your diet but started exercising... you wouldn't loose weight?

Either the "test subjects" weren't watching their diet or their bodies weren't working properly.

Also about exercise lowering our metabolism... that's like saying running slows our heartrate...

CorvusCorax77

This isn't a study - it's an advertisement. Always consider the source.

http://www.hollandclinic.com/About-the-Medical-Weight-Loss-Program-at-Holland-Clinic/exercise-weight-loss/exercise-may-not-improve-weight-loss

Not only is it an advertisement, the citation it gives for "exercise lowers metabolism" doesn't actually say that exercise lowers metabolism. it says that there is evidence that our bodies aim to maintain a steady daily energy expenditure. And i think it's based on comparing westerners to a group of people in Tanzania. I would have a lot of questions before I would take this as some evidence that exercise doesn't work.

And....uh... exercise and diet are what you need. Not just one. Not just the other. That's my two cents.

funhouse77

if the goal is to look good/toned/fit and be healthy then u have to exercise... but if you just want a low bodyweight then i would agree being dormant and eating less is a better option if overall bodyweight is the goal.

i think there is some truth to what you said such as doing exercise can lower metabolism if doing extra amounts of cardiovascular activity and creating a deficit then u can lower metabolism that way

This ^^

The article has just twisted it. Bascially, eating at an extreme deficit, with no exercise, will result in fast weight loss, but not only fat loss, muscle as well.

A fast metabolism is not necessarily a healthy one.

lizziebeth1028

Another study came out suggesting that exercise is ONLY effective for people maintaining weight. It isn't beneficial for people trying to LOSE weight:

"Very simply, it appears that exercise lowers metabolism, and it does so to such a degree that it almost exactly compensates for calories burned during exercise. In other words, if you burn 400 calories doing an exercise, your metabolism slows so that you burn 400 calories less."

"I meet very few overweight people who feel that exercise has ever helped them lose much or any weight. This includes people that have taken up very light exercise, but also includes many people who have hired personal trainers, and worked at great intensity for a long time. Indeed when one consults the scientific literature, there is very little evidence to support the notion that exercise is a terribly effective means of weight loss".

This article also no way implies that building muscle revs up our metabolism. I am really upset by all of this. I exercise because it makes me feel good. The article also suggests that people that work out lose at the same rate as someone "sitting and doing suduko puzzles".

With that being said, why do we have trainers like Bob Harper, Shaun T, Jillian Michaels etc. telling is to move? I know there are numerous health benefits to exercise, but seriously? Telling me you won't lose weight by working out?

LOL....sounds like a crock of **** to me! And even if some small portion of it was true - I don't exercise to lose weight, I exercise because -

I like to
It makes me feel good
It's great for heart, lungs, muscles, bones, posture, blood pressure...the health benefits are many!
gives you confidence
it challenges me
it give me energy

I don't need a study to tell me if I should feel good about exercise or not!

SlvrBluGoddess

This isn't a study - it's an advertisement. Always consider the source.

http://www.hollandclinic.com/About-the-Medical-Weight-Loss-Program-at-Holland-Clinic/exercise-weight-loss/exercise-may-not-improve-weight-loss

Looks like the ad is referencing an opinion article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/opinion/sunday/debunking-the-hunter-gatherer-workout.html :huh:

metacognition

Well, I've lost 50 lbs and exercise is an extremely important part of the final look. I wouldn't have a strong and sleek body without it. Cardio doesn't produce those shape changes, but it keeps my heart healthy.

They've totally ignored the benefits of weight training.

Someone who loses 100 pounds while doing nothing is going to look like a smaller, blubbery version of their former selves. Someone lifting weights is going to preserve lean tissue and although the scale may say the same, they get to look harder and eat more every day .

I eat 1600 calories a day to lose weight, for instance. If I didn't do any activity, that number would be a painful 1200 calories per day - just to maintain.

Also, it's known that changing your workout every couple of months keeps the body guessing and adapting. HIIT does this as well - higher calorie burns as your body struggles to adapt to the much faster, intense bursts of activity.

How is my body going to adapt to zero calorie burn from sprints, anyway? Especially if I'm moving around all day? That violates the laws of thermodynamics.

michelejoann

Another study came out suggesting that exercise is ONLY effective for people maintaining weight. It isn't beneficial for people trying to LOSE weight:

"Very simply, it appears that exercise lowers metabolism, and it does so to such a degree that it almost exactly compensates for calories burned during exercise. In other words, if you burn 400 calories doing an exercise, your metabolism slows so that you burn 400 calories less."

"I meet very few overweight people who feel that exercise has ever helped them lose much or any weight. This includes people that have taken up very light exercise, but also includes many people who have hired personal trainers, and worked at great intensity for a long time. Indeed when one consults the scientific literature, there is very little evidence to support the notion that exercise is a terribly effective means of weight loss".

This article also no way implies that building muscle revs up our metabolism. I am really upset by all of this. I exercise because it makes me feel good. The article also suggests that people that work out lose at the same rate as someone "sitting and doing suduko puzzles".

With that being said, why do we have trainers like Bob Harper, Shaun T, Jillian Michaels etc. telling is to move? I know there are numerous health benefits to exercise, but seriously? Telling me you won't lose weight by working out?

Who did this study? While it is true that the caloric intake is the main key to weight management (I won't say loss, because there are people out there looking to maintain or even gain), you still need cardio to use those calories that you put in. Sure, a person COULD lose weight by doing little to no exercise. People who have large amounts of weight to lose, starting out, will lose rapidly simply by reducing their caloric intake. Maybe they can't do hardcore cardio due to physical limitations, but adding it in will help in their mood and perhaps in their motivation. Truth be told, I have some ROCKIN' leg muscles due to my time on the elliptical. They are quite solid and I am proud. I'm in a bit of a plateau right now and losing weight much slower than before, but the exercise keeps me sane, and in turn, motivated to keep going.

People SHOULD exercise more. It may not directly impact losing fat, but it helps with the mental aspect of it all, at least for me. I feel more energized after a good burn.

michelejoann

Well, I've lost 50 lbs and exercise is an extremely important part of the final look. I wouldn't have a strong and sleek body without it. Cardio doesn't produce those shape changes, but it keeps my heart healthy.

They've totally ignored the benefits of weight training.

Someone who loses 100 pounds while doing nothing is going to look like a smaller, blubbery version of their former selves. Someone lifting weights is going to preserve lean tissue and although the scale may say the same, they get to look harder and eat more every day .

I eat 1600 calories a day to lose weight, for instance. If I didn't do any activity, that number would be a painful 1200 calories per day - just to maintain.

Also, it's known that changing your workout every couple of months keeps the body guessing and adapting. HIIT does this as well - higher calorie burns as your body struggles to adapt to the much faster, intense bursts of activity.

How is my body going to adapt to zero calorie burn from sprints, anyway? Especially if I'm moving around all day? That violates the laws of thermodynamics.

Amen. I am in a study right now, and this is totally true.

Spiritwarrior3000

People burn calories when walking so they must of done some exercise and the metabolism should speed up when exercising because of the afterburn effect. I'm a science student and my teachers are always promoting exercise. You dont need to workout to lose weight but working out helps work your muscles even cardio works your muscles but at a lower intensity than strength training.

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

michelejoann

hahahahahaha. oh lord. tomorrow air will make us fat.

diet is def the most important but to put on muscle? def excercise. and muscle is what will make you look good

Air DOES make us fat. Dr. Oz said so.

^lol