To exercise or not to exercise

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kaseymei
kaseymei Posts: 164
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have a dilema.... I find that when I have exercised while dieting in the past that my weight loss was extremely slow compared to just dieting alone. I know that exercise is important not only for weighloss, but other health benefits. However, I feel I need to get some weight off first and then incorporate an exercise plan. Does anyone else have this issue?
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Replies

  • mormadu1
    mormadu1 Posts: 11
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    You might not be eating enough for your exercise. My progress is slow as well, but I notice nothing comes off no matter how much I diet, I need movement. Any movement is good, walking, dancing, mopping the floor...anything. For years I've had very bad low back pain and have gone to chiropractors and pain management to deal with it. But never got any real relief (as in without meds). Since I started exercising, I have more energy to get stuff done, back pain is starting to alleviate and my mood is even better...just ask the hubs. Its just starts with small steps.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
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    to excercise
  • rubyautumn4
    rubyautumn4 Posts: 818 Member
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    Excercise! Make sure you're eating enough calories - healthy calories - to help fuel your body.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    So I have a dilema.... I find that when I have exercised while dieting in the past that my weight loss was extremely slow compared to just dieting alone. I know that exercise is important not only for weighloss, but other health benefits. However, I feel I need to get some weight off first and then incorporate an exercise plan. Does anyone else have this issue?

    Do you want weight off, no matter what it may be, or fat off?

    If just weight, cut off a leg or arm.

    If fat, realize as you have proved to yourself already, you make the deficit bigger by exercising, and you actually are counter-productive.

    So eat more when you exercise, and except the fact that many aspects of body improvement from exercise do NOT mean weight loss.
    But the diet and decent deficit will still be resulting in FAT loss.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    EXERCISE!!!!!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,238 Member
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    Exercise. No question, you should exercise. The reasons have been given. Make sure you eat enough as exercise burns more calories and then you need to eat them as your body will not respond well to a huge calorie deficit. Also read this http://tinyurl.com/cs9gg5w to see the difference exercise can make, especially lifting weights.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    Exercise does burn although you can't burn off eating too much. You are right that eating less is what makes you lose fat.

    You need both: eat less and move more.

    You need weight training to keep your lean body mass. Losing fat but not having any muscle is just plain ugly. You don't have to have as many muscles as I do but you need some tone.
  • YogaNikki
    YogaNikki Posts: 284 Member
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    Exercise!! And adjust your calories to make sure you're getting enough fuel :) I was slow to start with the weight dropping off, so I incorporated weight training. Not only am I starting to cut in a good, girly way, I'm seeing the scale move again :) Best of luck!!
  • LesleeBeAlive
    LesleeBeAlive Posts: 504
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    Exercise and eat back your calories! Then you will see results. Or check your BMR and eat up to that and eat back your exercise calories. You are probably not eating enough.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    EXERCISE .... gets my vote. Here's why

    1. When I stop "dieting" and want to maintain my new weight. The "new" smaller me will require fewer calories. I can eat less forever, or I can exercise (& eat those calories back) ... this gives me a little "cushion"

    2. I want to lose FAT, not muscle. Working out while losing weight helps me keep existing muscle mass.

    3. Exercise makes me feel good about myself, it boosts my mood, and helps me sleep better.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    EXERCISE .... gets my vote. Here's why

    1. When I stop "dieting" and want to maintain my new weight. The "new" smaller me will require fewer calories. I can eat less forever, or I can exercise (& eat those calories back) ... this gives me a little "cushion"

    2. I want to lose FAT, not muscle. Working out while losing weight helps me keep existing muscle mass.

    3. Exercise makes me feel good about myself, it boosts my mood, and helps me sleep better.

    This ^^^ Plus, I'd rather be fit and strong than skinny
  • NewChristina
    NewChristina Posts: 250 Member
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    The scale is not a good indicator of fat loss.

    You may be like me- when you exercise, you hold water and the scale stays the same or even goes up a bit. Stop exercising and the scale moves down again.

    But I know from experience that it's the combination of a good diet, low sodium, and exercise that I am getting fat loss (inches lost). A couple of times I've lost a pants size without the scale moving hardly at all.
  • mleonards
    mleonards Posts: 52 Member
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    Exercise. No question, you should exercise. The reasons have been given. Make sure you eat enough as exercise burns more calories and then you need to eat them as your body will not respond well to a huge calorie deficit. Also read this http://tinyurl.com/cs9gg5w to see the difference exercise can make, especially lifting weights.

    This!:)
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
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    So I have a dilema.... I find that when I have exercised while dieting in the past that my weight loss was extremely slow compared to just dieting alone. I know that exercise is important not only for weighloss, but other health benefits. However, I feel I need to get some weight off first and then incorporate an exercise plan. Does anyone else have this issue?

    Do you want weight off, no matter what it may be, or fat off?

    If just weight, cut off a leg or arm.

    If fat, realize as you have proved to yourself already, you make the deficit bigger by exercising, and you actually are counter-productive.

    So eat more when you exercise, and except the fact that many aspects of body improvement from exercise do NOT mean weight loss.
    But the diet and decent deficit will still be resulting in FAT loss.

    This!
    Exercise.
  • CentralCaliCycling
    CentralCaliCycling Posts: 453 Member
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    There is only one answer as long as you can move - exercise is life.
  • bblich02
    bblich02 Posts: 57
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    So I have a dilema.... I find that when I have exercised while dieting in the past that my weight loss was extremely slow compared to just dieting alone. I know that exercise is important not only for weighloss, but other health benefits. However, I feel I need to get some weight off first and then incorporate an exercise plan. Does anyone else have this issue?

    exercise and nutrition go hand in hand girl! you don't have to go extreme, just baby steps! i have my tips at ifiloseweight.com

    hope this helps!
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
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    EXERSICE! :drinker:
  • olong
    olong Posts: 255 Member
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    Here's what works best for me... on days I exercise, I make certain I eat my protein grams back (which is different than eatting my calories back). On days I don't/can't exercise, I work on my calories, while, once again, focusing on eatting my protein grams. I have protein set at 30% of calories.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Muscle is heavier than fat and when you don't exercise while dieting you lose more muscle than when you do exericse. So, you lose more weight, but not more fat.

    If you are overweight, losing weight is great for your health. But exercise has health benefits beyond weight loss.

    Exercise!!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Exercise!!! and Fuel your body for that exercise!! :drinker:

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