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I think most of my success is due to exercise. Anyone else?

ohheyy125
ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
edited January 6 in Fitness and Exercise
They say it's about 80% diet and 20% exercise, but for me I feel like it's opposite. I was 140lbs and my goal is 125lbs I'm currently at 131lbs. It all started to come off once I got a gym membership and became active for the first time in my entire life.

Don't get me wrong, now I log EVERYTHING I eat in my food diary, and my diet has improved, but not dramatically. The biggest change in my weight loss journey is my activity level. Diet wise I reduced the calories in my coffee, I eat WG over white now, less bagels and fried stuff (but not cut out completely), more fruits & veggies, log the amounts I'm eating and I always stay in my 1300 calorie/day budget. But nothing MAJOR has changed. (I also try not to eat the exercise calories back).

I guess for me I was just lacking fitness. The 10lbs just came off, and everything is more toned and tight. Dropped a pant size (from 8 to a 6, now aiming for 4). I do mostly cardio and just a bit or strength training 4-5 days a week for 45mins to an hour.

Anyone else??

Replies

  • jessifreehugs
    jessifreehugs Posts: 81 Member
    I'm exactly the same way. I can eat my exact calories every day and I won't lose a pound. Add in 30 min of exercise 4-5 times per week, and the pounds drop off. I'm guessing it's the combo of the two, but who knows?
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Indirectly. I am a miserable b1tch if I eat less than 1600 calories a day for any extended period time. In order to eat that much and lose weight, I must "earn" calories through exercise. I generally feel happier when I exercise, and exercise is what sparked my "journey", but I'd consider diet and exercise both significant components of my weight loss.
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    Just to be the first one to say it, 100% of your success is from operating at a calorie deficit.

    That said,
    It's a heck of a lot easier to be at a calorie deficit with exercise involved.
    Exercise motivates me to eat right because otherwise it starts to feel like wasted effort.
    Muscle burns calories 24/7.
  • wigglypeaches
    wigglypeaches Posts: 146 Member
    Yes. And I'm not just talking about weight loss. A lot of my personal and physical successes over the past couple of years can be attributed directly or indirectly to regular exercise - and a lot of my dietary changes have become a function of the activities I love.

    Edit: I also want to point out that not everyone's goals revolve around loss. For goals set around muscle or performance, exercise is (obviously) crucial.
  • corys8646
    corys8646 Posts: 41 Member
    I think it's mostly diet for me, but the exercise gives me something to equate food to. Knowing how hard I worked to burn those 300 calories makes me think about what I eat.

    Exercise for me today is almost more about my mental health than my physical health..kinda weird how that's changed.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    Just to be the first one to say it, 100% of your success is from operating at a calorie deficit.

    That said,
    It's a heck of a lot easier to be at a calorie deficit with exercise involved.
    Exercise motivates me to eat right because otherwise it starts to feel like wasted effort.
    Muscle burns calories 24/7.

    Good point, I guess since my diet wasn't too out of control but I was maintaining, the exercise really put me in that deficit, therefore I don't have to change my eating much but still losing. I think before I may have been eating around 1500cals/day (give or take, I wasn't actually tracking. I guess some days I would eat 1000, other days 1800..)

    So before, I was eating 10,500 cal/week no exercise
    Now eating 9,100 cal/week and burning 1200-1400/week.

    Definitely makes sense..!
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Exercise for me today is almost more about my mental health than my physical health..kinda weird how that's changed.

    Ditto-exercise is very much the driving force behind my mental health.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    Exercise for me today is almost more about my mental health than my physical health..kinda weird how that's changed.

    I feel the same way. I go when I'm bumming about something, or if I don't go for a few days I feel terrible about myself. Can't believe it either. I was so anti-fitness before.
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
    I'd still be awesome with a crummy exercise program and a great diet.

    So diet for me. But I was succesful in eating a LOT and proper exercise when I was younger...so I'm still borrowing. Also why strength training is "money in the bank" for later in life (I love muscle memory).
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    10% exercise, 90% green coffee bean extract
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    10% exercise, 90% green coffee bean extract

    You forgot raspberry ketones!
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    10% exercise, 90% green coffee bean extract

    You forgot raspberry ketones!

    I don't know what any of this is!!! =/
  • WrenStory
    WrenStory Posts: 103
    Weight/fat loss... If you're referring to motivation then, yes... I can see how exercise can be a catalyst. Scientifically, well... I agree about the cal deficit.

    Body composition... I think it's a combination of diet & exercise.
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