Counting calories vs Exercise

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  • spartangod
    spartangod Posts: 14
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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!
  • brad81684
    brad81684 Posts: 27
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    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

    I make those cookies, but then I eat them to save all of you!!
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    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.

    Yep. If you aren't tracking, it's easy to get into the mindset that you worked out, so you can eat *insert nommy treat here* ,and end up not making progress.

    However, in addition to the great health gains that I've gotten through exercise, it helps me keep my deficit. Without exercise calories my daily calorie goal is not one that I would be able to adhere to in the long term.
  • fast_eddie_72
    fast_eddie_72 Posts: 719 Member
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    I'd say diet 75% workouts 25%.

    Kinda seems to be it for me too. I take the "exercise calories" with a big grain of salt unless it's a BIG work out (like a 5 or more mile run). I was eating back some of my exercise calories and not losing anything. Cut my intake way down this week and looks like I'll be down three lbs! Diet seems to make the needle more for me more than exercise. Not to say the exercise doesn't help or have mountains of other benefits.
  • brad81684
    brad81684 Posts: 27
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    80% diet 20% exercise. You don't need to exercise to lose weight, however you do need to exercise to stay healthy. There's a difference between making your goal weight through pure calorie cutting and doing it through diet and exercise.
  • emhunter
    emhunter Posts: 1,212 Member
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    Ate clean for 6 or 7 months straight. Most days my calories were 1200-1500 and was stuffed from all the veggies and no carbs...now I'm on a serious plateau. Exercise is the only thing that seems to be pulling me back out. I hope you find your answers. Best of luck!
  • DownsizingAaron
    DownsizingAaron Posts: 127 Member
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    For me, working out is easy to do but keeping my diet in check has been hard. Long term strength training will build muscle that will burn calories for you 24x7x365 so that can help a lot. Regular cardio will add some muscle.

    Many people seem to say that diet is by far the biggest contributor to weight loss and from my experience I'd agree.
  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
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    I only want to add that I am now exercising because I suddenly wanted to.
    I have been calorie restricting and losing successfully.
    The exercise is like I have found a joy I had lost or never had.
    But it does increase my appetite and I eat more if I am ravenous.
    Happily I love logging in to MFP and keeping track - I really enjoy it.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
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    Before I discovered MFP I tried to lose weight just through exercise.

    I would stop putting on weight, so there was some benefit from exercising for weight control.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,526 Member
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    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:
    Weight loss is ENTIRELY dependent on calorie deficit. You can lose weight without exercise, but you can't if you meet or exceed your TDEE.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Fitastic14
    Fitastic14 Posts: 30
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    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:

    Hey! IMO...diet is more important...like 80% to exercise's 20%. Working out makes me feel wonderful - love it - but essentially the amount of food you consume is the bigger factor.

    =)

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