Is exercising and eating more better than just eating less?

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  • v_snowdrop
    v_snowdrop Posts: 59
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    So is there any point in me exercising if I'm eating less calories than I should be anyway? Ignoring things such as increasing muscle and stamina, if I'm only interested in getting thinner, does exercising have any advantage over just eating less?

    Well if you really don't care about anything but the number on the scale then no, there is no point in exercising. Weight loss comes from restricting calories...

    Just don't expect anyone here to support that approach, lol
  • amoffatt
    amoffatt Posts: 674 Member
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    Eating less= weight loss. Looking good naked= exercise.

    This is what I want!. I have been skinny and fat, but in the end it is how I feel. I look at myself naked the most and not happy.:sad: I hate myself and the way I look and to be happy with me, I exercise. Plus, a bonus it makes me feel better, have more energy and strength.
  • shivaslives
    shivaslives Posts: 279 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies! I am still interested in toning and such so I'll probably stick with the gym, my main problem is eating back all the calories in healthy foods. I can just pour chocolate down my throat to get the calories back, but I feel that isn't the best solution...

    That's definitely not the way to get the calories back. If you aren't hungry don't eat. But you also may want to look at more nutrient and calorie rich foods to give you the fuel you'll need. I supplement with protein bars. Also, spread the food out; eat 5 smaller meals a day.

    Regarding eating back your exercise calories, I only lost 90 lbs last year doing that. I personally found better results keeping my daily calorie deficit consistent.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    When people say "skinny fat" it implies that you are just as unhealthy even though you are thinner than you were when you were overweight. This means you can still have the same health problems - blocked arteries, high blood pressure, risk of heart disease and stroke.

    Exercising helps, in accordance with healthy eating habits, to reduce the chances of heart disease and other health problems.

    So, you "not giving a rats butt" if you're skinny fat seems really ignorant to me. If you care to still have health problems because you "just want to be skinny" then by all means. No one said anything about looking good in a bikini. Excercise isn't as much about "looks" as it is about HEALTH.

    I'm sorry but I did not say I was unhealthy. I am not. I have perfect blood, low cholesterol and a healthy heart rate/ pulse. I have regular medical exams and since I have never been 'morbidly obese' I don't have and have never had 'health problems'. I don't eat crap, I don't have emotional eating problems and I move around a lot in my life. Not everyone has the same goals and not everyone who is overweight has health issues.

    What IS 'really ignorant' is the sanctimonious reply. MY health, MY life, MY body is none of YOUR business.
  • LizL217
    LizL217 Posts: 217 Member
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    Exercise is great, it will help keep you motivated during this journey because you'll be getting stronger, feeling better, and maintaining lean muscle mass.

    Things to keep in mind in terms of calculating how much to "eat back":
    - MFP often overestimates calories burned. A heart rate monitor will give you a more accurate reading, but otherwise just build in some extra cushion.
    - Make sure you're getting enough protein, particularly on days when you're exercising. Milk or a hard-boiled egg makes a good post-workout snack so that you can send a little protein to your muscles to help them rebuild.
    - Everyone is different - some people eat back all of the calories they burn, some eat back none, some half, etc. Trial and error will really be the only way to figure out what works for you. But make sure you diligently follow one approach for at least a few weeks, tracking everything, before you decide if it's working or not.
  • v_snowdrop
    v_snowdrop Posts: 59
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    What IS 'really ignorant' is the sanctimonious reply. MY health, MY life, MY body is none of YOUR business.

    tell her girl!
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    What IS 'really ignorant' is the sanctimonious reply. MY health, MY life, MY body is none of YOUR business.

    If you put a question re your health, body, life on an open internet chat board, it becomes anybody's business......
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies! I am still interested in toning and such so I'll probably stick with the gym, my main problem is eating back all the calories in healthy foods. I can just pour chocolate down my throat to get the calories back, but I feel that isn't the best solution...
    You don't HAVE to eat back your exercise calories. I don't eat mine back because I'm not hungry.

    That said, since I'm close to my goal, I have been increasing my calorie intake toward maintenance. I still don't eat back my exercise calories, but I do eat more calories per day and it probably evens out since I am typically burning more through exercise than I did when I started.

    ^That's not advice and I'm not suggesting that what works for me will work for you. I'm just saying that if what is keeping you from exercising is an inability to eat back your exercise calories in a healthy manner, then you don't have to eat them.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies! I am still interested in toning and such so I'll probably stick with the gym, my main problem is eating back all the calories in healthy foods. I can just pour chocolate down my throat to get the calories back, but I feel that isn't the best solution...

    On days when you are short calories look for calorie dense options. A small handful of nuts or a tablespoon of peanut butter ..... (both are a source of good fats).

    Add a little olive oil to your veggies ..... avacado is also high calorie & nutritious.
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
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    When people say "skinny fat" it implies that you are just as unhealthy even though you are thinner than you were when you were overweight. This means you can still have the same health problems - blocked arteries, high blood pressure, risk of heart disease and stroke.

    Exercising helps, in accordance with healthy eating habits, to reduce the chances of heart disease and other health problems.

    So, you "not giving a rats butt" if you're skinny fat seems really ignorant to me. If you care to still have health problems because you "just want to be skinny" then by all means. No one said anything about looking good in a bikini. Excercise isn't as much about "looks" as it is about HEALTH.

    I'm sorry but I did not say I was unhealthy. I am not. I have perfect blood, low cholesterol and a healthy heart rate/ pulse. I have regular medical exams and since I have never been 'morbidly obese' I don't have and have never had 'health problems'. I don't eat crap, I don't have emotional eating problems and I move around a lot in my life. Not everyone has the same goals and not everyone who is overweight has health issues.

    What IS 'really ignorant' is the sanctimonious reply. MY health, MY life, MY body is none of YOUR business.
    I'm confused. You're in perfect health, have never had health issues or problems, you eat well, you move around a lot, you don't eat emotionally. How did you end up overweight in the first place? Furthermore, if your health is perfect and your partner loves the way you look and you don't care about the way you look, then why are you trying to lose weight? If it's not for health (the best and most important reason) and it's not for appearance (the most common reason) then what's it for?
  • NJL13500
    NJL13500 Posts: 433 Member
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  • Katbody10
    Katbody10 Posts: 369 Member
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    I'm just interested if you do exercise or not?? I'm exercising but very little and was just curious if substantial weight loss can happen without exercise. Thanks =)

    Of course it is possible to lose weight without exercising. Given that you eat less calories than you're burning anyway on any normal day for yourself.

    The difference between exercising and not is simply -- you'll lose the weight faster - especially if you don't eat back the calories you burned doing that exercise.

    Now .. from a healthy stand point - exercising is a good habit (even if minimal exercise such as walking) to get into because once you lose the weight .. you want to keep it off.

    Also - muscle burns your calories where as fat just stores it. Exercising will shrink those fat cells, muscles will increase your metabolism. This does not mean you have to become some kind of body builder.. you just want your muscles to be in good shape and lean (not covered in fat) to keep your metabolism up.

    This site is designed hopefully for those that are making permanent lifestyle changes .. even in tiny baby steps. Not exercising is simply not good for anyone in the long term. It helps control age and weight related issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, flexibility .. your mind can benefit as well from healthy eating and exercise.

    If you don't want to exercise - that's your choice. You'll take longer to reach your goal .. it will be more difficult to maintain your goal without exercise. But it's not impossible .. you only risk yo-yoing up and down the scale if you truly think dieting alone is all that it will take.

    Best of luck to you and your goals! :flowerforyou:
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    For all those giving the advice "don't eat if you aren't hungry", that is only wise if the person's leptin concentration levels are reasonably within baseline levels. Your calorie intake should be based on energy expenditure, not solely on hunger signals.

    As for as exercise, it should be included because it increases the quality of life as we age. I don't want to depend on someone else to get me off the toilet because I lack the leg strength to stand up.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Losing weight has taught me the meaning of a phrase I hate - 'skinny fat'.

    You want to maintain that muscle because it maintains your metabolism, keeps you burning more calories and looking better. A while back someone posted two pictures of themselves at the same weight. In one they looked okay, the other fabulous. The difference was exercise and muscle.

    I don't worry if I don't eat back all my exercise calories, but I don't worry if I do either. Let's face it, it's easy to add calories. A piece of toast with butter and orange juice is 500 calories. Tell me you can't eat that.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    This was not my post, I was just giving my input because the OP indicated that they were not really interested in exercise.
    I'm confused. You're in perfect health, have never had health issues or problems, you eat well, you move around a lot, you don't eat emotionally. How did you end up overweight in the first place? Furthermore, if your health is perfect and your partner loves the way you look and you don't care about the way you look, then why are you trying to lose weight? If it's not for health (the best and most important reason) and it's not for appearance (the most common reason) then what's it for?

    I am overweight because I am an awesome cook and I love good food. I love cooking for my family and enjoying food with them. Obviously I don't move around ENOUGH to offset the creamy Parmesan Carbonara pasta and buttered seafood sauces that I make.

    Not all overweight people have food 'issues'. It is entirely possible to be overweight just from eating food, not "fast food", not chocolate bars or chip binges or soda. I just cook with a lot of high calorie ingredients, full fat cheeses, butters, cream etc... My family is Italian, we EAT.

    Please point out where I said that I "didn't care about my looks". This is not what I said..I said I didn't care if I was "skinny fat" - pretty huge difference between not caring and just not caring if I'm a little 'squishy' I care a great deal about looking good, but my idea of looking good is obviously not going to be the same as yours. I am not here to look good for anyone but myself. I have been at my goal weight and have been very happy with it, why should I now change my 'ideal' appearance to suit someone else's image of what I 'should' look like?

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