Have you heard this...?

rybo

I thought about this some more, and I think you have to consider a person's individual body metabolism into this equation. And that may be the highest factor of all.
Any thoughts?

lotusfromthemud

Just last night, my spin instructor said 70%/30%. This is the ratio I hear most often. I think if you're trying to be super ripped, the proportions change.

Especially when you get to the last ten (or so) pounds, what you eat is really important. It's "diet" in terms of what you're eating, not how much...the right balance (which is different for everyone) of carbs, proteins and fats. 400 calories of cookies just simply doesn't look the same to your body as 400 calories of lean protein and veggies. IMHO, the old "calories in/calories out" proposition doesn't work if all the "calories in" are crummy food.

My trainer told me once "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but six packs are made in the kitchen." For the record, I would be more than satisfied with some sort of two pack. At the beginning, I was really in the "eat whatever you want, and then burn it off" camp. Not the best way to go. I think it leads to a disordered relationship with food/exercise, and in the long run won't get you to an ultimate goal.

I exercise because I like the shape it gives my body, I am completely addicted to exercise endorphins, and because I would go crazy and steal cheerios from a baby if I had to exist on the calories my body needs to maintain weight if I was sedentary.

bellinachuchina

Totally agree!

I have friends that think they can eat crap, and work it off later, NOT! Nutrition first, then use exercise as a tool to tone you and increase metabolism.

jmathews

Here is a post I wrote on my MFP Blog back in January about this subject.

"I worked out today, so I can eat that."

The above statement is something I had been telling myself for years. For the most part I have always been pretty active. Mt Biking, swimming, golf, weight lifting.

Because of that I would justify my bad eating habits with the statement above. I worked out, rode, swam, today so it's ok for me to slam a 44 oz of Mt dew and polish off 20 chicken wings.

It wasn't until I started this process last January that I began to realize the error of my ways..besides feeling like crap, looking like crap, and buying larger clothing. A trainer on another fitness website made the statement "You can't out excersise a bad diet". I began to understand. However, it was until I started logging at MFP that the situation was really illustrated to me. If you put it in numbers it becomes very obvious. A 44oz of Mt Dew, depending on the ice, runs between 600 and 500 calories... just on a drink.

That's 2.5 miles of running for me, an hour and a half of walking, or an hour of strenuous swimming. Mix in the wings I mentioned above, you're looking at 4600 calories in just one meal. I'm not even going to contemplate what I'd have to do to break even on that. The math just isn't on anyones side.

Last week was kind of a free-for-all week nutritionally. However, that thought entered my mind. And it annoyed/scared me. That's the mentality that got me in this situation in the first place....never again. The new mentality is You can't out excersise a bad diet.

I like to excersise, it's my favorite part of the whole fitness process. For every 4 times I visit the Fitness forum, I visit the Nutrition forum once. You get the point.

There are a lot new people on MFP with NYR trying to get their lives in order. If they're like me they have limited resouces in both time, money and energy.

Spend your time, money, and energy on the nutrition side of this process. You just don't decide to eat healthy one day and you immediatly know what to eat and buy. Granted there are some obvious things you can do. It's a never ending process. In order to maintain long term success you need to spend some time researching foods, and recepies. You need to find meals that you honestly enjoy eating. That way you don't feel deprived, and you're less likely to fall off the wagon.

Don't feel overwhelmed. Change one meal, one drink at a time. Get comfortable with your change, and then find something else you can change.

However you do it, just remember: Eating THAT is what got you here.

Well said...agree 100%!!!

July24Lioness

I would disagree...I don't diet, although I watch portion control. I have had much success just working out & using Chalean Extreme. BUT I think it all depends on the person. Not everyone can just work out only.

I think for some of us, when we use the term "diet" we mean portion control... for me I don't use "diet" to mean a crazy restriction of calories or restrictions on specifically what I can eat... I just use it to mean that I try and generally eat healthier food choices in reasonable portions.

Excellent point. For me diet just means the food I eat.

You are correct in saying that. Technically speaking the dictionary meaning of the word Diet is the food and drink we consume.

The meaning has been twisted and turned to mean otherwise...............

lina1131

I have heard this and I believe in it 100%!

kiffypooh

I think it depends on the person and where they are in their journey. In 2000 I joined Weight Watcher and lost 50 lbs without exercising once by just changing what I ate and the portions. Last October I lost 30 lbs training for a half marathon and eating pretty much what I wanted, within moderation. I didn't go over board but walking (I walked the 1/2, not ran) 20+ miles a week allowed me to eat and not track what I was eating.
I agree with the people that say exercising helps one make better food choices. When I work out I'm in touch with my body and I want to feed it clean, healthy food. When I'm not working out I don't think much about it and tend to choose unhealthy or really processed foods. I will say, that eating healthy and working out makes me feel better then either way I've done it. I also find a 50/50 makes me realistic about what I burn. I've walked for an hour and reasoned with myself that I could eat a cheese burger, fries and get some ice cream or something like that because of it, but really? I burned 600 calories, not even close enough to make up for what I was going to eat.

bethinagain

For weight loss, I'd say it's 90 (diet)-10 (exercise). For overall health and well-being, I think it's 50-50.

I agree 100%

mrsdtall

I think I agree with you on this. When I am actually exercising, I am much more careful about what I eat. It's almost as if I feel like I am working too hard to mess it up by eating what I am not supposed to. I just have to stay focused and keep doing both.