Diet vs exercise

I am wondering if anyone has any advice on beginning resistance training to accomplish just what this gentlemen is referring to? I am doing the diet thing and walking a lot more which is helping me lose weight, but with as much weight as I'm wanting/needing to lose I know resistance training is going to need to come in here at some point and soon.

My understanding has always been 80% diet 20% exercise.

Yup, me too. I exercise less these days but I pay far more attention to my nutrition and the results are impressive.

And that 20% exercise just consists of walking at a moderate pace (good low-impact fat-burning exercise) and some resistance training (for maintaining and adding muscle). No more mad runs or gut-busting bike rides for me ...

I have found a wonderful website called Bodyrock.tv which provides short, but intense and brutal, work-outs. These exercises incorporate weights, as well as use your own body's weight for resistance. I have only been doing these exercises for a few months, but I am stronger than I have ever been. The website is also free! You just need to motivate yourself to do it everyday.

You have to have both IMO. There was a study here in the UK came out recently:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652953/

showing that physical inactivity can contribute to several diseases "Diseases attributable to physical inactivity included ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke, breast cancer, colon/rectum cancer and diabetes mellitus".

It is better to be overweight and active/fit than to be underweight and inactive/unfit - the "skinny fat" phenomenon. Losing weight through diet alone addresses levels of subcutaneous fat, but without exercise, has less impact on visceral fat which develops around the organs and is the more dangerous kind.

I understand the 80/20 or 90/10 principle, and agree what you eat is of utmost importance. But I now honestly truly believe that diet absolutely NEEDS to be paired with exercise or rather movement of some sort. Especially if like me you have at least a 3rd of body weight to lose.
My body fat composition must be pretty disgusting, and while this will change with diet, it will improve more quickly with regular exercise. And not only does exercise improve muscle tone and metabolism, but it releases those endorphins and helps us feel better.
My heart sinks when I hear people say "Ooh I can diet and I don't have to exercise", and I've been guilty of that in the past, time and again. But those people are missing out on the many many benefits of exercise.
This is where i think quotes like "80% diet and 20% exercise" do damage, because it can be interpreted that exercise isn't very important.

Exercise is important to good health but not all that important to weight loss. How much you weigh is only one factor in your overall health and that's the message people need to understand.

And also bacon.

Is there anything it CAN'T do?

I find having a plate of cooked bacon under my nose helps up the push-up intensity.

It's a wonder food

I agree that calorie restriction is best for loosing weight and it can't be done with exercise alone. However, in my experience the weight that you loose with diet alone will be some fat and a lot of muscle.

A little more than a year ago I lost 30 lbs on Weight Watchers with no exercise at all. I did it as part of a weight loss study at Texas A&M University, so they measured all sorts of things during the study including body fat and strength. At the end, after I lost the 30 lbs, my body fat percentage was the same as before and my strength and endurance were both way lower. Basically, I was in the healthy weight range of BMI, but was weak and didn't feel any better even though I was eating better.

Shortly after, I got pregnant and gained 40lbs (baby was born 5/21). This time, I have decided to incorporate exercise into my life and stop making excuses. I work full time and have little kids, so finding the time is hard, but I am making it a priority now. After exercising and eating healthy for the past 6 weeks I have lost all but 8 lbs of the baby weight and feel SO much better. My endurance and strength are up and I really feel like what I'm loosing is mostly fat.

So, for me personally, it's about more than loosing weight. I want to loose fat, keep as much muscle as possible with the ultimate goal of feeling great and being healthy.

Yeah, this isn't new news. You can eat back your exercise in a few bites. Go to a spin class and then head to Starbucks...your whole class could be gone in one low fat pumpkin bread slice. I workout as a living, and if I'm not paying attention to my food I will gain. It's honestly 90% food. Wish it wasn't!!

I am living proof of this.

My exercise regimen is set. On average, 5 Bikram yoga classes per week, 90-120 minutes long plus general moving around, biking, walking the dog, swimming here and there. I am strong, visible muscles.

BUT, lately, with strict tracking I see my calories are about 1800 on average (hurts to say that). I've lost a little but I could do a lot better. I avoid eating back all my exercise calories but I see it's not just about how much exercise I put in.
This is a very timely article for me. Time to stop justifying the binges because of exercise!

Thanks!!!

My understanding has always been 80% diet 20% exercise.

Mine too! Which sucks for me cause I love exercising but I also LOVE food!

There's no substitute, they go hand in hand...

Can't have one without the other. Sure, you might loose weight with a good diet, but then you could end up skinny flabby, versus skinny toned. I like the 80/20 rule (80% diet, 20% exercise), but truthfully for me it's more like 70/30. Good luck with all your weight loss goals everyone! =D

Exercise allows me to eat more but still achieve the same deficit - which keeps me happier! I am also finding that I'm in smaller clothing sizes now than I was at this weight on the way up, so exercise is making me more solid but smaller than I would be otherwise.

I don't hold with exercising every day like some here. 4-5 days a week seems healthier allowing yourself to recover between.

exercise is important too though... if you ever want to be fit....

My understanding has always been 80% diet 20% exercise.

I've always understood this!