which plays bigger role? Food or exercise?

KayteeB07
KayteeB07 Posts: 341
in Health and Weight Loss
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?
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Replies

  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
    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
    KayteeB07 Posts: 341
    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
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    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
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
    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. :3
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    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
    carolmcgov Posts: 175 Member
    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
    MissMormie Posts: 359 Member
    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
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    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
    Bama56 Posts: 101 Member
    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
    SuperSnoopy Posts: 3,459 Member
    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
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    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
    BikerGirlElaine Posts: 1,631 Member
    80% food, 20% workouts.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    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
    denezy Posts: 573 Member
    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
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    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
    airen123 Posts: 149
    You can't out-exercise your fork. Fitness is 80% diet, exercise is the rest.
  • GODfidence
    GODfidence Posts: 249 Member
    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
    Tristaan Posts: 125 Member
    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
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    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
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
    I think it depends on the person. For me, It's definitely been mostly food. Maybe 75/25? ish
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    For weight loss, food.
  • emyjeter
    emyjeter Posts: 75 Member
    It appears the majority have spoken. My own results would have to agree. I have worked out hard so far this week, however my eating has been horendous. I have gained 3+ pounds since Sunday. UGH!
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    The only exception I see to this is say a person is eating at maintenance but is overweight. Suddenly they start doing 1 hour work outs 6.7 days a week burning 500 calories per workout but continue to eat at maintenance They are going to start losing weight right? They will have to adjust their maintenance calories once they start losing weight but it is inevitable that they will start losing since they are creating a deficit.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Food, unless you exercise all day log. I mean, if you are training for the Olympics, maybe exercise.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    It may depend on where you are and what your goals are.

    I've seen pics of women who only do diet and they look scrawny when they get done compared to other women who weigh more, but have the same body fat, only they are filled up with attractive lean muscle with that extra weight (they aren't body builders, but fit looking).

    I'd rather look "fit" than "skinny" so both roles are equally important to me. Not to mention, at 1200-1500 calories, earning those extra snacks is pretty good motivation to workout. LOL
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    I'd say it's 70% diet, 30% exercising. You can't out-exercise a bad diet.

    I saw this the other day. Your comment reminded me of it....

    942886_10152749890565063_2087179398_n.jpg

    sorry if its too big, not sure how to make it smaller
  • oh_em_gee
    oh_em_gee Posts: 887 Member
    For me, food.
  • Microfiber
    Microfiber Posts: 956 Member


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

    Food :wink:
  • drchimpanzee
    drchimpanzee Posts: 892 Member
    The battle with fat is won in the kitchen. You could easily out eat any progress you make exercising. You can also lose weight by changing your diet without exercising one single minute. How healthy you'll be is a whole other issue of course.
  • turkeyhunter60
    turkeyhunter60 Posts: 319 Member
    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.
    I agree with this, 'cause I've done it all. As my trainer syas, it's all about portions. Enjoy, just don't go nuts!

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