move less and eat less

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  • ashielauren
    ashielauren Posts: 17
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    I like working out daily just to stay active and it improves my mood, but I'm wondering if taking a rest day weekly would improve my fitness or at least help me lose a little body fat. I do a mix of strength training, cardio and yoga so I don't get burned out and I always hear the benefits of taking rest days but I always worry that I'll lose strength or gain weight if I don't workout every day so I keep doing that. I don't really NEED to lose weight as I'm at the low end of a healthy BMI for my height but I'd like to lose a little fat and gain muscle back which is why I workout so often.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Your lack of context, sources and well general arrogance makes me just want to post this...

    zNCsg1Y.jpg
  • ThriceBlessed
    ThriceBlessed Posts: 499 Member
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    Hmmm... I exercise a lot, I eat a decent amount, and in 30 weeks I've lost close to 60 pounds. Surely I must be missing something?
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Your lack of context, sources and well general arrogance makes me just want to post this...

    zNCsg1Y.jpg

    :drinker:
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    It has taken me a year to figure out, and I'd be a jerk if I didn't share.

    Trying to lose weight? Working out more than 3 times a week? There is your problem.


    Take a look around at posts from people "doing everything right and not losing". What do almost all of them have in common? Crazy exercise regimen.


    Losing weight is a destructive process. By definition. While you are tearing down the body you have now, don't think of training as anything but a way to reduce the damage from this process. Eat less, move less. Find a distraction that isn't going to prolong your weight loss. Working out is not a good one!

    I have never understood why so many people here advocate extreme amounts of exercise, so they can eat extreme amounts of food. I just read this morning that someone proudly posted that he/she ate 3 large pizzas in one sitting ( apart from 4 liters of softdrinks, a whole container of ice cream and various other things ). I wonder on which planet this is even remotely worth bragging about .....I wonder what those people do if they maybe have an accident, or an illness that keeps them from exercising for an indefinite period of time, because it is not easy to switch from 3500 to 2000 calories from one day to the next.
    I think exercising is a very good and necessary thing to maintain health and fitness, but exercising so people can eat more......just don't quite get it.
  • zayase
    zayase Posts: 7 Member
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    It has taken me a year to figure out, and I'd be a jerk if I didn't share.

    Trying to lose weight? Working out more than 3 times a week? There is your problem.


    Take a look around at posts from people "doing everything right and not losing". What do almost all of them have in common? Crazy exercise regimen.


    Losing weight is a destructive process. By definition. While you are tearing down the body you have now, don't think of training as anything but a way to reduce the damage from this process. Eat less, move less. Find a distraction that isn't going to prolong your weight loss. Working out is not a good one!

    I have never understood why so many people here advocate extreme amounts of exercise, so they can eat extreme amounts of food. I just read this morning that someone proudly posted that he/she ate 3 large pizzas in one sitting ( apart from 4 liters of softdrinks, a whole container of ice cream and various other things ). I wonder on which planet this is even remotely worth bragging about .....I wonder what those people do if they maybe have an accident, or an illness that keeps them from exercising for an indefinite period of time, because it is not easy to switch from 3500 to 2000 calories from one day to the next.
    I think exercising is a very good and necessary thing to maintain health and fitness, but exercising so people can eat more......just don't quite get it.

    Never understood that either. I know that when I first began losing weight I dropped about 12 pounds with no exercise at all. In fact, all I did was watch what I consumed on a daily basis. I even ate pizza and take out! I started going to the gym thinking I would lose weight even faster, but I lost it at the same rate and at times slower than if I hadn't gone at all. Don't get me wrong, I go to the gym still, but it's more for the way it makes me feel.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
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    How about some reputable sources and information as opposed to just personal preference and anecdotal evidence...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/what-defines-cardio-in-terms-of-too-much-qa.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/too-much-cardio-followup.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
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    I like working out daily just to stay active and it improves my mood, but I'm wondering if taking a rest day weekly would improve my fitness or at least help me lose a little body fat. I do a mix of strength training, cardio and yoga so I don't get burned out and I always hear the benefits of taking rest days but I always worry that I'll lose strength or gain weight if I don't workout every day so I keep doing that. I don't really NEED to lose weight as I'm at the low end of a healthy BMI for my height but I'd like to lose a little fat and gain muscle back which is why I workout so often.

    You could benefit from increasing the length and intensity of one of your workouts, especially strength training, and then adding a rest day. You can do the same amount of work (or more, if you want to gain muscle) in fewer days and give your body the chance to rest. You may find if you do this that you'll have more energy for your workouts, especially if you make your rest night a night you do some activity you enjoy.
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    How about some reputable sources and information as opposed to just personal preference and anecdotal evidence...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/what-defines-cardio-in-terms-of-too-much-qa.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/too-much-cardio-followup.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html


    I was wondering when someone would step in with those. Thanks. iPhone here.


    Lots if attacks on my delivery. Probably valid. But my message is truth and my profile is public. Sorry for the lack of diary entries later, I've been eating meat, sweet potatoes, and beer mostly, and running pretty steep deficits. I'll log again when I change course and bulk.

    As for not citing, I figure pointing out the psychological funny business is enough for the ones who need to hear this. This is stuff I've been reading all along but for some reason refused to believe. This thread is about that, not convincing a bunch of people about basic science that is often cited as it is.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    I lost around 50lbs without doing any exercise at all. For me it was too overwhelming to learn how to lose weight (for the first time in my life) and also figure out the whole exercise thing (also for the first time in my life). So I decided to focus on diet/calorie deficit. And it worked great for me doing it this way. I lost the weight and improved my health (including getting my glucose number back down into the normal range), and then as I transitioned into maintenance I started walking and my exercise routine has progressed from there. If I had to do it all over I would do the same thing again :)
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    I lost around 50lbs without doing any exercise at all. For me it was too overwhelming to learn how to lose weight (for the first time in my life) and also figure out the whole exercise thing (also for the first time in my life). So I decided to focus on diet/calorie deficit. And it worked great for me doing it this way. I lost the weight and improved my health (including getting my glucose number back down into the normal range), and then as I transitioned into maintenance I started walking and my exercise routine has progressed from there. If I had to do it all over I would do the same thing again :)

    Clearly focusing on doing one thing at a time, which is called "specificity", is a really good concept to have when you want I create any adaptation.

    Wish I were as smart a you! Took me forever to realize this.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    You are confusing two aspects though.

    Building mass muscle, (which we actually aren't designed to do), vs losing fat.

    The two CAN happen simultaneously.

    But as someone else said, there's a reason lifters look like lifters (unnaturally overmuscled, with bizarre disparity in size to function), and runners and swimmers look like they do (lean build, functional muscle development).

    But going from nothing, to watching your caloric intake, and doing 30 mins of cardio a day, WILL burn fat, WILL build lean muscle, and WILL result in weight loss, as long as there are no underlying medical conditions (thyroid imbalance that sets an extremely low metabolism, etc).

    And it WILL burn/build them faster than doing it 2x/wk.

    lolwut?
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    All approaches out there work for some not others...I think OP was just bring up a possibility for those who seem stuck to consider...however, I do agree making a blanket statement or at least sounding like a blanket statement only delivers more disagreement...

    I totally get it and actually have seen people doing this: like swimming 80 laps + 4miles running every day but without losing one single once. But once they back off a bit, the weight comes off...if they lose muscle or fat, I don't really know...

    Overtraining is some hot topic these days. I don't know for sure if I have truly experienced overtraining but I definitely felt burned out...very badly.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    How about some reputable sources and information as opposed to just personal preference and anecdotal evidence...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/what-defines-cardio-in-terms-of-too-much-qa.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/too-much-cardio-followup.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html

    There you go, trying to bring some context into the thread...it's kinda important :happy:
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    A lot of speculative and nonsense science spewed at the body re-composition web site.

    "Welcome to Bodyrecomposition, the home of Lyle McDonald. "

    And McDonald is......?

    lol....if you have to ask.....
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    SCIENCE tells us that activating a muscle group once a week is what prevents the muscle loss.

    I think this is heavily context dependent, but do you have a resource on the above?

    This appears to have been missed. Interested myself.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    How about some reputable sources and information as opposed to just personal preference and anecdotal evidence...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/what-defines-cardio-in-terms-of-too-much-qa.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/too-much-cardio-followup.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html


    I was wondering when someone would step in with those. Thanks. iPhone here.


    Lots if attacks on my delivery. Probably valid. But my message is truth and my profile is public. Sorry for the lack of diary entries later, I've been eating meat, sweet potatoes, and beer mostly, and running pretty steep deficits. I'll log again when I change course and bulk.

    As for not citing, I figure pointing out the psychological funny business is enough for the ones who need to hear this. This is stuff I've been reading all along but for some reason refused to believe. This thread is about that, not convincing a bunch of people about basic science that is often cited as it is.

    Ya know...people really don't like to be told what to do, especially coming from just a "random" guy on the internet...however, I felt if you were just "sharing your personal experience" instead of speaking with a tone of authority, the outcome might have been very different. :) All in all, I get your point without feeling offended. So here you go, it was not a complete failure on delivery. :flowerforyou:
  • Amandainportland
    Amandainportland Posts: 3 Member
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    I somewhat agree. There is a point when cutting calories is going to help you loose more than adding workout calorie burn. It is a kind of plateau your body will go thru. Especially if you do not have the energy burner of muscle to back it. Your body is smart and will try to survive and if it sees you trying to weaken it with a ton of exercise it is going to fight back do what it can to maintain itself.

    There was an article that Mathew Maconaghey did about loosing the 40+ pounds for Dallas Buyers Club. He said that it came to a point where all the cardio in the would would not help him loose. He had to drop his intake to succeed. I cant believe I am using Mathew Maconaghey as a reference but I did!

    Keep on going!
    Amanda
  • Ctrum69
    Ctrum69 Posts: 308 Member
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    How about some reputable sources and information as opposed to just personal preference and anecdotal evidence...

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/what-defines-cardio-in-terms-of-too-much-qa.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/too-much-cardio-followup.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-2.html

    There you go, trying to bring some context into the thread...it's kinda important :happy:

    Just based on the first link alone, I'm fully willing to file this guys "information site" into the junk category.

    Oh, look, a case study one ONE runner. That proves everything!

    A case study I can't even read, because it's a pay-for-subscription journal that's publishing it.

    Hogwash, codswoddle, and a snake oil guru to boot.

    If what he's saying works for you, great.

    I'll base my regimen on actual science that has been seen, studied, and recorded for years. Not a single case study cited by someone who clearly doesn't understand the difference between anecdote and data.
  • Ctrum69
    Ctrum69 Posts: 308 Member
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    I somewhat agree. There is a point when cutting calories is going to help you loose more than adding workout calorie burn. It is a kind of plateau your body will go thru. Especially if you do not have the energy burner of muscle to back it. Your body is smart and will try to survive and if it sees you trying to weaken it with a ton of exercise it is going to fight back do what it can to maintain itself.

    There was an article that Mathew Maconaghey did about loosing the 40+ pounds for Dallas Buyers Club. He said that it came to a point where all the cardio in the would would not help him loose. He had to drop his intake to succeed. I cant believe I am using Mathew Maconaghey as a reference but I did!

    Keep on going!
    Amanda

    Cardio has plenty of benefits aside from just weight loss. That's why people do it.

    Not only that, but at a cardio state your muscles continue to burn for a while even after you stop exercising. The numbers being bandied about might work for someone who is right at the edge of their ideal weight/intake.

    But you take someone who is 400 lbs and is going from a zero activity level, and tell me 30 mins of cardio a day + a restricted calorie diet isn't going to help with weight loss.
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