Losing Weight is 80% Diet- BS
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 -
Almost all of the weight I have lost so far has been due to changing my eating habits, healthier choices, logging everything I eat and the biggest part of it was portion control for me. I haven't really cut anything out of my diet, but I am now aware of what a serving size is. My family finds the measuring cups on the table at dinner funny but it's working for me and I'm sticking with it.
I'm exercising now to strengthen and tone, not really lose weight.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.
Screw the doctor, if you gain mass by putting less energy into your body than it expends, you need to see a physicist. He or she will be most likely willing to share some of the Nobel prize money with you after explaining this new exception to the laws of thermodynamics.
Also, world hunger problem SOLVED! All they need to do is eat less! Who knew? We can now help out in disaster stricken regions by simply signing everyone up for MFP.
Seriously, I don't understand why it is so common for people to assume the problem must be an exception to basic natural laws, rather than, just maybe, a mistake somehow resulting in incorrect predictions.
To the OP, weight loss is 100% diet.0 -
hmmm0
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Indeed.Screw the doctor, if you gain mass by putting less energy into your body than it expends, you need to see a physicist. He or she will be most likely willing to share some of the Nobel prize money with you after explaining this new exception to the laws of thermodynamics.
If you are putting weight on in the long term with 1200 calories, 'CICO' still applies.
Either you are eating more calories than you believe you are (and with some products containing a lot more than stated, not hard), or your body is expending less energy than you think it is.0 -
See my ticker below? This is around 90% from calorie deficit. I rarely exercise simply because I am lazy. I should for good health yes,and toning, but just for weight loss, I am doing ok without it.0
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For me, personally, it's 100% diet. Eating is for weight management, and exercise is for fitness, fun and stress-reduction. I have always been active - running, hiking, backpacking, strength training, etc. Doing those things didn't do a thing for my weight. Eating fewer calories is what did the job.
In fact, when training for my first marathon I remember being amazed when I gained weight over time. It's because I was NOT tracking my food, but I sure was over-eating it in response to my increased appetite from training. After I realized my mistake, I've been able to both lose and/or maintain weight while training simply by tracking my calories. It's different for everyone though, so do what works for you. :flowerforyou:0 -
95 to 100 percent diet for me. I gained 100 pounds with a lot of exercise and a high calorie diet. Now I have lost 152 pounds from my highest weight with lower calories and 15 to 30 minutes per day exercise.0
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Weight loss is undoubtedly 80-100% diet. You just aren't trying hard enough.0
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When i exercised without watching my diet I didn't gain or lose any weight at all so exercise didn't work. When I watched how much I ate (rather than what) the pounds started to melt away.0
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http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/losing-body-fat-and-cutting-without-losing-muscle.html
read that article as it tells you a little bit about the body and metabolism etc and how it works for example if you eat too little then your body will go into starvation mode and try to store any fat from your food so it can survive thus maybe a little weight gain. I constantly read about eating 6 small meals a day as opposed to 3 normal meals as the best way to speed up metabolism is to eat little and often to stop your body starving. One example I read on this was if you think of your body as a fire and food as fuel. If you throw a massive log on a fire and leave it then it will smother it and eventually go out but if you throw on small bits of wood often then the fire will burn better, faster and hotter. I am no expert but this is my opinion0
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