Losing Weight is 80% Diet- BS
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SarahSmilesCA
Posts: 261 Member
I keep reading that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise and I just have to say that it just does not hold true for me, and never has.
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
The bottom line is I can not lose weight unless I exercise, so for me the role of exercise is SO much bigger than 20% and I have a feeling I am not the only one.
Even now, the hardest days for me are my rest days. On my rest days it is a battle to stay within my calorie goals...
I don't think it is just a mental thing, I think the big picture is so much more than just diet (or exercise for that matter)
When I exercise I am not hungry, except for right after the work out. I am motivated and I am disciplined when I exercise. My hormones are more in check when I exercise and emotional eating is NOT an issue on my exercise days...it is on my rest days...I even fast longer on my rest days to get a handle on my eating...UGH
Is it just because I am bored...no I don't think so. I feel on my rest days like I am fighting chemistry and a whole lot more.
Yep I know it is all about the calorie deficit...but in reality for me it really is not...4-2 does not always equal 2 unless I add some cardio and lifting to it...
How about you? Is it all about diet for you?
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
The bottom line is I can not lose weight unless I exercise, so for me the role of exercise is SO much bigger than 20% and I have a feeling I am not the only one.
Even now, the hardest days for me are my rest days. On my rest days it is a battle to stay within my calorie goals...
I don't think it is just a mental thing, I think the big picture is so much more than just diet (or exercise for that matter)
When I exercise I am not hungry, except for right after the work out. I am motivated and I am disciplined when I exercise. My hormones are more in check when I exercise and emotional eating is NOT an issue on my exercise days...it is on my rest days...I even fast longer on my rest days to get a handle on my eating...UGH
Is it just because I am bored...no I don't think so. I feel on my rest days like I am fighting chemistry and a whole lot more.
Yep I know it is all about the calorie deficit...but in reality for me it really is not...4-2 does not always equal 2 unless I add some cardio and lifting to it...
How about you? Is it all about diet for you?
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Replies
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For me, it IS mostly about diet.
I used to exercise my brains out, but because I wasn't eating properly, the scale hardly budged. Also, when I was eating properly yet not using a food scale and measuring everything meticulously, I was still not losing weight like I was expecting because I was overeating and not really knowing it.
I find that it is easier to lose weight and reach a goal with intense exercise, but I have also found that as long as I am eating a calorie deficit from my TDEE, I don't "need" to workout like I do. But, since exercise raises my TDEE and I love food, I would much prefer to exercise so I can eat more food.
I lose body fat while eating a proper diet and measuring my food meticulously with a food scale. I lose fat faster and end up looking awesome when I add weight training to the mix. I do cardio purely for fun as I would hate to "have to" do cardio. Without cardio kickboxing or dancing, I wouldn't do it at all. But, I wouldn't need to anyway to lose fat. It's mostly diet anyway.0 -
I lost 15kg JUST from dieting, the only exercise i do is my job which is stocking shelves after study. I've put 6kg back on doing the exact same things because i changed my eating back to bad foods.
Remember it's not only what you're eating but how big your portions are and what times you eat etc. I'm not saying everyones the same but i don't know why you'd be putting on weight unless you have a bad motabolism or your daily activities are very very minimal
And my target is 1200-1500 calories a day usually 1300 ish on average. I only just started counting again but 1200 has always been my target when i lost the 150 -
OP.. oh OP... if anything, it's 100% about the diet.0
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i am the same way for me its more like 50-50 i have insulin resistance pcos and hashimoto the only way i see the lbs move is when i move low cals and not exercising i wont shift a lbs0
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I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
You're eating below your BMR? No real surprise your weight loss has slowed/stopped.0 -
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
Surely this is why you could be gaining?
a little too low!
I Think for me, about 70-30 towards food I lost all my weight with food choices, now adding in some exercise dailyx 0 -
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
Surely this is why you could be gaining? a little too low!
I Think for me, about 70-30 towards food I lost all my weight with food choices, now adding in some exercise dailyx
You wont gain weight from eating too little! ! If that were the case annorexic people and starving africans would be fat.
Its not good for you to eat too little, but it won't make you gain. I've lost a stone since January on 1200 and it never slowed down and I was never overweight to start with.
If someone is gaining eating 1200cals a day, more than likely they are underestimating their calories or over estimating exercise calories.0 -
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
Surely this is why you could be gaining? a little too low!
I Think for me, about 70-30 towards food I lost all my weight with food choices, now adding in some exercise dailyx
You wont gain weight from eating too little! ! If that were the case annorexic people and starving africans would be fat.
Its not good for you to eat too little, but it won't make you gain. I've lost a stone since January on 1200 and it never slowed down and I was never overweight to start with.
If someone is gaining eating 1200cals a day, more than likely they are underestimating their calories or over estimating exercise calories.
Ive gained on too little And i logged obsessively too x I wont go into more detail as i dont like posting on forums usually 0 -
See my ticker below? That is 99% diet. Although people are different and what works for some might not work for others, the basic principle remains: You lose weight if you eat less calories than you burn. Exercise helps in allowing you to eat more so you don't feel like you starve yourself, and in the case of stength training, it will help to tone and tighten up flab, but again - burn more calories than you eat, and you will lose weight. I am walking talking proof. :-)0
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Nope, not BS.
Losing weight is a calorie deficit - plain as.0 -
I'd say it was split evenly between mindset & diet, with a bit on the side for exercise... in my case that's how it is.0
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Mostly nutrition for me too.
My exercise is walking, I love doing it but I don't kid myself on how much energy it burns.
Mindset too, yeh LadyPakal, an often overlooked ingredient ... Get the attitude right and all else should follow.0 -
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
Surely this is why you could be gaining? a little too low!
I Think for me, about 70-30 towards food I lost all my weight with food choices, now adding in some exercise dailyx
You wont gain weight from eating too little! ! If that were the case annorexic people and starving africans would be fat.
Its not good for you to eat too little, but it won't make you gain. I've lost a stone since January on 1200 and it never slowed down and I was never overweight to start with.
If someone is gaining eating 1200cals a day, more than likely they are underestimating their calories or over estimating exercise calories.
Ive gained on too little And i logged obsessively too x I wont go into more detail as i dont like posting on forums usually
If you gain FAT and not water weight on eating at 1200 you need to see a doctor. I'm not saying it's right for everyone, it's definitely not, but nobody should gain on eating less.0 -
Nope, not BS.
Losing weight is a calorie deficit - plain as.
THIS. You eat less, you lose weight, I'm guessing you under estimate your cals, my daughter eats more than 1200. You're eating less than your BMR but you put on weight? how?0 -
If BMR was calculated using one of the online tools, it is possible it's incorrect. Maybe her true BMR is actually lower than she thinks.0
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I keep reading that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise and I just have to say that it just does not hold true for me, and never has.
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
The bottom line is I can not lose weight unless I exercise, so for me the role of exercise is SO much bigger than 20% and I have a feeling I am not the only one.
Even now, the hardest days for me are my rest days. On my rest days it is a battle to stay within my calorie goals...
I don't think it is just a mental thing, I think the big picture is so much more than just diet (or exercise for that matter)
When I exercise I am not hungry, except for right after the work out. I am motivated and I am disciplined when I exercise. My hormones are more in check when I exercise and emotional eating is NOT an issue on my exercise days...it is on my rest days...I even fast longer on my rest days to get a handle on my eating...UGH
Is it just because I am bored...no I don't think so. I feel on my rest days like I am fighting chemistry and a whole lot more.
Yep I know it is all about the calorie deficit...but in reality for me it really is not...4-2 does not always equal 2 unless I add some cardio and lifting to it...
How about you? Is it all about diet for you?
All cardio does, is increase the calories out part of the "Calories in - Calories out" equation.
It's all about the deficit.
Lifting on the other hand is a whole different matter.0 -
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
Surely this is why you could be gaining? a little too low!
I Think for me, about 70-30 towards food I lost all my weight with food choices, now adding in some exercise dailyx
You wont gain weight from eating too little! ! If that were the case annorexic people and starving africans would be fat.
Its not good for you to eat too little, but it won't make you gain. I've lost a stone since January on 1200 and it never slowed down and I was never overweight to start with.
If someone is gaining eating 1200cals a day, more than likely they are underestimating their calories or over estimating exercise calories.
Ive gained on too little And i logged obsessively too x I wont go into more detail as i dont like posting on forums usually
If you gain FAT and not water weight on eating at 1200 you need to see a doctor. I'm not saying it's right for everyone, it's definitely not, but nobody should gain on eating less.
Yeah everyone is different, it must be remembered. but its other factors too, like making you eat MORE because of starving (more crap, easy food), and i didnt say anything about fat gain, just gained in general My metabolism was slowed right down to a point where food wasnt being processed properly, hence a gain. 0 -
I keep reading that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise and I just have to say that it just does not hold true for me, and never has.
I can eat 1200 calories and GAIN weight if I am not exercising..even though I am well below my BMR at 1200 calories.
(ie I could NOT lose weight on nutrisystem)
The bottom line is I can not lose weight unless I exercise, so for me the role of exercise is SO much bigger than 20% and I have a feeling I am not the only one.
Even now, the hardest days for me are my rest days. On my rest days it is a battle to stay within my calorie goals...
I don't think it is just a mental thing, I think the big picture is so much more than just diet (or exercise for that matter)
When I exercise I am not hungry, except for right after the work out. I am motivated and I am disciplined when I exercise. My hormones are more in check when I exercise and emotional eating is NOT an issue on my exercise days...it is on my rest days...I even fast longer on my rest days to get a handle on my eating...UGH
Is it just because I am bored...no I don't think so. I feel on my rest days like I am fighting chemistry and a whole lot more.
Yep I know it is all about the calorie deficit...but in reality for me it really is not...4-2 does not always equal 2 unless I add some cardio and lifting to it...
How about you? Is it all about diet for you?
Same for me. I can eat what I want as long as I exercise.
If I don't exercise, I only maintain in my calorie range.0 -
It's 90% diet for me.
If I keep my diet tight then I can get away with two short but high quality weights sessions per week, drop weight fine and look good.
If my diet becomes sloppy then I struggle to lose weight even with multiple exercise sessions per week. In addition exercise makes me hungrier making it far more likely I will over eat.0 -
What is this "exercise" of which you speak ?
Eating less food in general and less carbs in particular worked for me to the tune of over 60 lbs0
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