Counting calories vs Exercise

sugoober
sugoober Posts: 11 Member
in Getting Started
Hi there! I need some advice. I've been working out (Zumba, strength training, dance, step aerobics) for a while now. The weight loss was very slow and I attribute that to the fact that I was not counting calories. My question is this; Is diet or exercise more important? I understand the basics of weight loss. I'm just curious if its a 50/50 thing or if diet is more 80, exercise 20? TYIA!:smile:
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Replies

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Doubt you could put a formula on it, but they definitely complement each other. Unless you're working out for hours at a time, it takes very little extra food intake to cancel out the calories burned during exercise. OTOH, if you don't work out while running a calorie deficit, you'll get muscle wastage and often your body will downshift its calorie burn to adapt to the lower intake.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    I'd say diet 75% workouts 25%.
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
    I would say loosing weight is more about diet than exercise. However, being healthy involves both 50/50. Does that make sense? You have to reduce your caloric intake in order to loose weight which does not have to include exercise. Exercise makes your body stronger, including your heart, which makes you healthier.
  • shirleygirl910
    shirleygirl910 Posts: 503 Member
    You say you are not counting calories, but are you logging your food and checking portion sizes? Sometimes it's amazing how much we are eating when we feel like we are starving ourselves. Portion size is very decieving sometimes.

    Exercise is great. It has helped me in the maintenance phase, but I still have to watch my portions and calories. If I cut out exercise I don't think I would survive. I would end up putting the weight back on....and we are not going there again!!
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Most people naturally eat more as they exercise more, unless they are tracking. So if you try to lose with exercise alone, most people will fall short.
  • Ziggy_999
    Ziggy_999 Posts: 1
    I go to a bootcamp 3x a week - the certified personal trainer that runs it told me that diet/nutrition is about 80% of the weight loss equation, exercise about 20%. Definitely try to log the calories you are eating, and remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so no loss on the scale doesn't mean you're not making progress!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Both are important but if you are trying to lose weight I would suggest tracking your calories. As others have posted some of the numbers will surprise you and I have found that by tracking I make better choices. Personally I would say it's about 70% diet and 30% exercise for weight loss but for a healthy lifestyle both are equally important. Do what works for you but if you track your food I am sure you will be surprised.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    I go to a bootcamp 3x a week - the certified personal trainer that runs it told me that diet/nutrition is about 80% of the weight loss equation, exercise about 20%. Definitely try to log the calories you are eating, and remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so no loss on the scale doesn't mean you're not making progress!

    k - there you have it :smile:
  • Karen_LM
    Karen_LM Posts: 61 Member
    In the short term, diet alone works better than exercise alone. In the long term BOTH are necessary.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Diet for weight control, exercise for fitness...

    My maintenance calories with a light active lifestyle with NO exercise is roughly 2,350 calories. This means that to lose roughly 1 lb per week I would have to eat 1,850 calories 2,350 - 1,850 = 500 calorie deficit) with zero exercise.

    My average maintenance calories with exercise are between 2700 - 2800 calories...so to lose that same 1 Lb per week I could now eat 2,200 or 2,300 calories per day because I've increased my level of activity with exercise and still have a 500 calorie deficit...plus I'm improving my fitness and overall health and preserving muscle mass.

    Trying to create a calorie deficit with exercise is extremely inefficient...you will miss workout...you will have days where you couldn't/don't go as hard and don't burn as much, etc. It is very easy to control 500 calories less in consumption than it is output.

    Again...diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    Diet is most important. It doesn't matter how much you exercise if you eat more than what you're burning, IME.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    It's like 99/1.

    Calories rule the whole process. Exercise, in terms of weight loss, is primarily just another way to create a calorie deficit. You can undo a zumba workout with a single large cookie, so managing calories is the most important by a huge margin.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    It's all in what you make of it. You can lose weight with ZERO exercise if you count calories correctly. Many people here have done just that. A good mix of both is what I recommend.
  • shells22
    shells22 Posts: 56 Member
    I would day nutrition takes the lead and excercise helps the body nourish the food as fuel and keeps the mind/hormones balanced so you don't feel crazy. This reminder helped me when I was craving processed crap and each and every day it got easier and now I don't crave certain things. Hope this helped!
  • BreatheAshley
    BreatheAshley Posts: 130 Member
    Diet is more important than exercise sadly.

    70% Diet and 30% Exercise.
  • Guitarjon
    Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
    Depends what your goals are. I know plenty of low weight people who are unfit. By unfit I mean they couldn't run for a substantial amount of time etc. I'm pretty large but I'm fit as a fiddle in terms of sports.

    To loose body fat you need to be on a calorie deficit. You can do this without exercise. To be healthier- lungs, heart etc and gain more calories you need to exercise.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Hi there! I need some advice. I've been working out (Zumba, strength training, dance, step aerobics) for a while now. The weight loss was very slow and I attribute that to the fact that I was not counting calories. My question is this; Is diet or exercise more important? I understand the basics of weight loss. I'm just curious if its a 50/50 thing or if diet is more 80, exercise 20? TYIA!:smile:
    I've been working out (Zumba, strength training, dance, step aerobics) for a while now. The weight loss was very slow and I attribute that to the fact that I was not counting calories. My question is this; Is diet or exercise more important? I understand the basics of weight loss.
    The weight loss was very slow and I attribute that to the fact that I was not counting calories. My question is this; Is diet or exercise more important?
    The weight loss was very slow and I attribute that to the fact that I was not counting calories.

    There is your answer.
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    You lose weight by eating at a caloric deficit.

    You look good nekkid by working out.
  • bc2ct
    bc2ct Posts: 222 Member
    Unless you are a high performance athlete, diet is probably more important. The thing is that exercise in any amount will kickstart a metabolic response and make you hungry... unless you are working out an enormous amount (and I mean burning 1000+kcal per day or spending more than an hour doing high intensity exercise) you really have to watch your diet carefully or you may end up eating a larger amount in excess with exercise than without.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    What they ^ said.

    Calories in vs Calories out for weight loss.

    So you can do it by diet alone. You DO need to keep a track of both sets of calories really, so you know you're eating the right amount for your desired results.
  • spartangod
    spartangod Posts: 14
    Calories are king. Just make sure to get all the nutrition and vitamins you need by eating fruits and veggies while you diet. Like someone said, 1 monster cookie is all it takes to make that 50 minute high intensity cardio vanish.
  • ruby_red_rose
    ruby_red_rose Posts: 321 Member
    Someone once told me this, and I completely agree: "you can't out-exercise a poor diet, but you can out-diet poor exercise habits".
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Calories are king. Just make sure to get all the nutrition and vitamins you need by eating fruits and veggies while you diet. Like someone said, 1 monster cookie is all it takes to make that 50 minute high intensity cardio vanish.
    So, errr, just out of interest... where would I be able to find one of these 7-800 calorie cookies?

    :D
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    weight loss is 100% calorie deficit, whether that is by cutting calories or increasing your exercise is entirely up to you

    But how do you know what your deficit is unless you are weighing and logging everything?
  • SuperCrsa
    SuperCrsa Posts: 790 Member
    Calories are everything.

    I can lose weight with ZERO exercise while counting calories.
    I like to exercise, and I like to have more calories to eat when I exercise.
  • littlekitty3
    littlekitty3 Posts: 265 Member
    Mostly diet.
    You can workout and get results from that, but the rest of the day you could mess up. Also what you put in your body is what you get out. Say 100 calories of potato chips vs 100 calories of apple. Apple is gonna do you more justice with more vitamins, fiber, ect. While the potato chips are gonna give you saturated fat and processed preservatives and flavoring which the body doesn't need.
  • Camera_BagintheUK
    Camera_BagintheUK Posts: 707 Member
    I've lost 3 stone almost exclusively by counting calories and eating at a deficit. I don't have a regular fitness regime - but I do keep active with things like gardening (heavy work like digging, sawing branches etc) and long walks at speed or in the hills. If I do something substantial and out of the normal routine - like half and hour or more digging or walking into town and back - I log it.

    It's the calorie deficit that takes the weight off. A sensible, healthy calorie deficit, one that provides your body with the nutrients and energy it needs to do whatever you're doing.

    Exercise just means you eat more and maintain the deficit (I use extra calories for treats sometimes - have a couple of glasses of wine or some cake after a day digging the garden, that kind of thing).

    And of course, and more importantly, exercise keeps you fit and healthy, tones muscles, supports your heart, supports good mental health.
  • angelamangus1
    angelamangus1 Posts: 164 Member
    Diet is key to losing weight. Eating at a deficit allows someone to lose weight. Exercise helps build strength and endurance.

    I go by the rule 80% diet and 20% exercise. I eat at a deficit, eat to nourish & fuel my body. I exercise to build strength, tone, build endurance, and to relieve stress ( I long for my run days, because they truly help relieve my stress).

    Now you can create a deficit through your diet (this is what I do) or eat at maintenance and create a deficit through exercise. You have to find what works best for you.

    Edited because of spell check errors!! Darn it!
  • jeeplovin
    jeeplovin Posts: 96 Member
    Someone once told me this, and I completely agree: "you can't out-exercise a poor diet, but you can out-diet poor exercise habits".

    THIS!!
  • sugoober
    sugoober Posts: 11 Member
    Yes, I am now steadfastly counting calories and logging in. It makes SUCH a huge difference! Just being accountable for what I put in my mouth has really helped. Thanks for your comment!

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