What is more important: nutrition or fitness?

Just out of curiosity I want to know what you think is more important to focus on when starting a weight loss journey...

Good nutrition and diet?

Or fitness: strength training and cardio?

Replies

  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    nutrition and diet for weight loss. You can workout all you want but if there is no deficit then you will not lose
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    You will never lose a single pound if you eat too much. End of story.

    Cardio helps weight loss. Weight lifting helps weight loss. But you cannot ever lose weight without eating a calorie deficit.
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  • 30ismyyear
    30ismyyear Posts: 145 Member
    To lose weight you need a calorie deficit. You can get that by eating less, exercising more or a combo of both. The best way of course is a combo because not only will you lose weight you'll get fit and toned and feel better physically.

    Now if you're wanting to make a change at a time, I'd suggest doing whichever you think you'll be most successful at to begin.
  • ntdrive
    ntdrive Posts: 105 Member
    My personal experience is nutrition and diet is more important as a focus for weight loss. However, strength training and cardio are vitally important. I've tried weight loss with a 90% focus on strength training and cardio with good results. I felt like it was 2 steps forward and 1 backward. Remember you have to burn 3500 calories to loss 1 lb. For optimum results apply both nutrition/diet and exercise.
  • BeachPirate371
    BeachPirate371 Posts: 5 Member
    A quote from pinterest: Fitness is 100% dedication to diet and the gym. That being said... you cannot out 'lift' or out 'work' or run, or whatever, a crappy diet. Therefore, you need to have a great diet (by diet i mean, just your daily food intake, not a crazy diet like atkins, or some other fad), have a great diet in conjunction with working out - some cardio, but also resistence training.
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  • kat2475
    kat2475 Posts: 159 Member
    Definitely nutrition. You have to give your body fuel so you can work out.
  • artickb22
    artickb22 Posts: 411 Member
    nutrition
  • Nutrition definitely. Sure some people still feel great regardless of what they eat but for me, if i eat crap food, i feel like crap and don't feel like exercising.
  • droneofvelvet
    droneofvelvet Posts: 290 Member
    Going against the grain to say fitness. Work out a lot and try to eat only fast food. Your body will let you know what it needs eventually.
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
    nutrition
  • Both are important to accomplish but nutrition is 70% of weight loss and 30% exercise
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    To lose weight- Food.
    To lose fat- it's a team effort
    And cardio and strength is also a team effort.

    Bottom line, do it all.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Nutrition. I lost about my first 15-20lbs without exercise.
  • symonspatrick
    symonspatrick Posts: 213 Member
    Good nutrition will only help you to lose weight if you are eating less calories than your body needs. Physical fitness is important but not required to lose weight. So what you eat and drink is the most important thing for weight loss.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Really, both of these aspects serve different but important functions in the process. Which is more important the board or the nail? Without the nail, the board don't stay in place and without the board, there is nothing to nail to.

    Honestly, in the beginning nutrition is key BUT the exercise really helps the process along and can relieve the nutritional deficit element. In the beginning an obese person can lose by diet alone... but as one progresses, the total picture needs to be put into place. Best wishes on your journey.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Just out of curiosity I want to know what you think is more important to focus on when starting a weight loss journey...

    Good nutrition and diet?

    Or fitness: strength training and cardio?
    Speaking purely in terms of weight loss - nutrition, no question. You can't out-train a bad diet.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I don't think there's a right or wrong answer here. Whatever gets you started.

    Edit: actually, strike that. Since you specifically said "weight loss journey", then I would say diet/nutrition is key.
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
    I agree that both are important but I would say nutrition is most important for weight loss. Get that right and you should have so much build up energy you will find yourself moving more without thinking about it.

    So many people think they can get away will losing weight by eating less but not eating healthier, you can but not in the long run!
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
    Weight loss, I would say nutrition. For all around health; both are very important; no one more than the other.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I agree that both are important but I would say nutrition is most important for weight loss. Get that right and you should have so much build up energy you will find yourself moving more without thinking about it.

    So many people think they can get away will losing weight by eating less but not eating healthier, you can but not in the long run!

    I got down to 10% body fat at about 153 lbs, from 30% at 210 lbs, by eating what most people will consider "unhealthy" food. :)
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    Just out of curiosity I want to know what you think is more important to focus on when starting a weight loss journey...

    Good nutrition and diet?

    Or fitness: strength training and cardio?

    Of those two options diet and nutrition are the most important to weight-loss. As others have said, you can't out-train a bad diet.

    That being said I personally think that the #1 most important thing to sustained weightloss is compliance. It doesn't matter if you eat perfectly or train perfectly if you only stick at it for 3 weeks... or 5 days out of the week. So for me training is equally important because that's what keeps me motivated to keep going, to persevere on those weeks when you just know you're not going to lose weight.
  • wllwsmmr
    wllwsmmr Posts: 391 Member
    Like everyone else said, hands down nutrition. But that is if you are committed and disciplined with your diet.

    For me I struggle with staying within my caloric goal at times due to binge eating problems, and struggle with my macros because I can stay fat free but overload on carbs almost always... Hence I need exercise to stay motivated because I'm always discouraged by my eating. It gives me something to focus on and feel better about myself and not give up. I also find adequate exercising (not excessively) curbs my appetite so yeah!
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
    I would have to say nutrition but I have never had much luck with weight loss if I didn;t diet and workout together.
  • daybehavior
    daybehavior Posts: 1,319 Member
    Weight loss formula IMO

    85% nutrition - if you dont put it in you, it never has to come out.

    10% exercise - great catalyst for weight loss, keeps you healthy and motivated to eat right.

    5% luck - at the end of the day the body is gonna whatever the **** it feels like. You could do all the right things the whole week and end up losing nothing or even gaining. If you're lucky you will lose consistently every week, if not you'll have wildly variable numbers week to week (like me), but in the end it all averages out.