which plays bigger role? Food or exercise?

KayteeB07

Before anyone jumps on me i know that they both play a huge part in losing weight and getting fit and toned.

However, im interested in which plays the bigger part, exercise or food.

Im not a 100% clean eater, i try to eat clean as much as possible but its not possible being a single mum, a business student and working part time haha.

I fit in around 1hrs of exercise a day, although i am looking to fit in some more. More strength training as apposed to cardio

So yeah back to the original question, what percentage would you say food and exercise play in getting a great body?

drop_it_like_a_squat

I'd say it's 70% diet, 30% exercising. You can't out-exercise a bad diet.

However, you should make sure to pay attention to both of them. 1 hours of exersice a day is fine, no need to over do it. Strength training to keep your LBM, some cardio/HIIT and you're save.

Do you have any health conditions? If not, there is absolutely no reason to eat a 100% "clean". Clean means you're only eating fresh, completeley unprocessed foods. Just try to eat healthy and you'll be fine.

KayteeB07

thankyou!

no i dont have any medical conditions so im glad to hear you say i dont need a completely clean diet to get this weight off haha.

Lyadeia

I don't want to put exact percentages on them, but I do feel that diet is more important than exercise when it comes to fat loss. To lose fat, you need to have a calorie deficit, and if you put more emphasis on your exercise than your diet, then you will most likely have to exercise A LOT more than just 1 hour a day (meaning, since we tend to eat way more than we think anyway, if you don't pay close attention to it, it can really get out of hand! If your TDEE is 2200 and you are eating 2800, then you already have to exercise off 600 calories just to maintain, so you'd need to burn off probably twice that amount, or about 2 hours a day, to lose weight).

I'd rather eat a sensible moderate deficit and not have to kill myself in the gym on a daily basis. When I lift weights, I am trying to gain strength and retain lean mass anyway, not burn calories. And since I don't enjoy much cardio, I would rather keep it at twice a week like I currently do than have this need to do it 7 days a week to make up for a bad diet.

Edited to add that by a "bad" diet, I mean one that is too high in calories preventing weight loss. I do not demonize ANY foods and lose fat consistently eating those "evil" carbs and fats that way too many people are scared of for no good reason (except those with medical conditions or allergies of which I am not talking about).

drop_it_like_a_squat

And since I don't enjoy much cardio, I would rather keep it at twice a week like I currently do than have this need to do it 7 days a week to make up for a bad diet.

Ugh, same. It's killing, right? I do 20-30 minutes of HIIT twice a week and I already have a hard time.

Edited to add that by a "bad" diet, I mean one that is too high in calories preventing weight loss. I do not demonize ANY foods and lose fat consistently eating those "evil" carbs and fats that way too many people are scared of for no good reason (except those with medical conditions or allergies of which I am not talking about).

That's what I'm talking about, OP. As long as my eating habits don't get out of hand (in terms of processed sugar, "bad fats" and such) I preach IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros). I like having my occasional treats of chocolate and stuff.

MsPudding

There's been numerous studies on this and the answer is that food is the single biggest factor. No matter how much you exercise, if you're putting more in your mouth than you need you'll gain fat.

Exercise is good for toning muscle, cardiovascular (and overall) fitness and it can up your basal metabolic rate a little.

(Now before a pedant comes along...yes, if you had the time to dedicate *hours* a day to intense exercise you'd lose weight because you'd be burning a crap-load...but for the average person who perhaps as an hour a day spare, exercise alone isn't going to do it.)

carolmcgov

This is just on my own experience, I started working out last year about 5 days a week, my diet remained the same and I didn't lose a pound, I think I even gained a few. I then downloaded MFP in January of this year and now I have my calorie goals and eat within them everyday and also work out. I have lost a stone and am now at my goal weight of 8stone (im 5ft5). So for me food is what makes the bigger difference, as it is easier to create a calorie deficit in your diet than it is to make the same one with exercise.
Don't get me wrong though exercise is important too, especially weight training it really changes the look of your body, but for weight loss alone I think food is more important.

MissMormie

You cannot out exercise your food.

A nice warm pancake breakfast with egg on toast. 800 cals?
A lunch of ceasar salad with a lot of dressing and some bread on the side? another 800-1000 cals
A dinner of a pizza hut pizza Chicken Supreme 12" is about 2200 cals.
drinking with this 1,5l of coca cola add another 700


So without adding a bag of crisps (200 gr, 1000 cals) there's people who easily eat about 4500 calories in a day. Say they need 2400. That's 2100 too many. Or about 3 hours of running. Now if you add some candy and crisps and maybe a bigmac late at night because you're hungry.. Well, you get the picture. If you do not watch what you eat you can exercise all you want and it will not help you.

majope

I totally get that it's the calories that matter, so food is the number one issue for most people. However, it's being able to eat the exercise calories that keeps me sane and able to stick to a calorie deficit. If I can't stick to a deficit, I can't lose weight. And I'm much fuller and happier if I eat 2200 calories than if I eat 1700, even if the net is exactly the same.

Bama56

I second the 70% diet / 30% exercise. Eating the right foods and eating throughout the day plays a vital role in metabolism. Exercise won't do much if you are consuming processed foods and sugar on a regular basis.

SuperSnoopy

I lost about 35 lbs a couple of years ago and it was 90% cardio and 10% change in diet. It worked well for me and still does. I enjoy my food but I enjoy the hard cardio workouts I do a lot more.

kdiamond

To lose weight, diet is absolutely key.

To maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle and maintain weight, exercise is absolutely key.

For the most part diet is 80%, exercise is 20% of it but I believe *mentally speaking* exercise plays a bigger part than that.

I don't like my body without exercise, I just look skinny and flabby. I prefer a body trained with weights (for me). I look healthier and better in a bikini.

BikerGirlElaine

80% food, 20% workouts.

Danny_Boy13

IMO from personal experience on this I would say that Food plays a bigger role. You can get strong and lose some with exercise and a half *kitten* diet plan but to get the results you are looking for the diet plan will get you there. I trained 6 days a week (I do inline speed skating and I would do HIT 3 days a week from practice and hit the gym 3 days of the week). I looked so so....a little better then the average Joe. So what I did was keep the same working habits but really got my diet where it needed to be for my goal (which was to be lean and mean) and I took it to the next level.

denezy

I agree with the 80% diet, and 20% exercise.


i have always worked out and gained 30 lbs still active and in the gym 5 days a week. I have lost that weight now completely with diet.

rybo

It depends.
If you eat "X" calories a day and it is a surplus for your body that has caused an ever so slight weight gain over the years, then suddenly you start working out while eating the same "X" calories, but now you expend more and are in a deficit. You will lose weight.
In this case the exercise "makes all the difference"

Now, if you take those "X" calories, and just eat less so that you are in a deficit, and dont work out then it's food that has made all the difference.

The BIG thing to always be aware of is that exercising does NOT give you a license to turn your eating into a free for all.

airen123

You can't out-exercise your fork. Fitness is 80% diet, exercise is the rest.

GODfidence

Diet 100%.
You can lose weight without exercise, you CAN'T lose
Weight without a calories deficit.
I love cardio though,so I'm not hatin exercise.

Tristaan

I think it's got to be food. When I am eating right I feel much more energy, which translates into more exercise for me.

csuhar

I always say food because you're pretty much always going to be eating, even if you're not exercising. A broken leg may keep you out of the gym and a thunderstorm may keep you off the running trails, but your stomach is still going to growl.

Plus, it's usually easier to adjust the food part of the equation to compensate for decreased or increased physical activity. It's not as easy to try and add in additional exercise during the day to compensate for higher caloric intake.

VorJoshigan

I think it depends on the person. For me, It's definitely been mostly food. Maybe 75/25? ish