'Exercise doesn't matter for weight loss'

kieran9810
kieran9810 Posts: 83 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I see a lot of people saying that diet is more important than exercise for weight loss, but why? If I'm on a stationary bike for 30 minutes I burn between 250-300 calories, so over 7 days that's between 1750-2100 calories burned by exercise, which combined with a calorie controlled diet, wouldn't that mean I would be losing an extra 1/2lb a week? (Theoretically)
«13

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.
  • maasha81
    maasha81 Posts: 733 Member
    Yes, just need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight which can be done by diet alone. Exercise does have numerous benefits - mood improves, better defined body and great for overall health.
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.
  • paulawatkins1974
    paulawatkins1974 Posts: 720 Member
    You're right! Calorie deficit it is. Exercising can help you be in a deficit.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.

    people say a lot of things on here! :laugh:
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    And the 250-300 calories burned in thirty minutes can be undone in a matter of SECONDS depending on food choices. The meme is, "You can't out-exercise a bad diet", and it's true.

    Burger King Whopper meal with medium soda and fries takes all of ten minutes to eat and over two HOURS of riding at your numbers to burn off.
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.

    I've never seen this claim.
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
    I'm very poor at strictly controlling my diet - I'm a foodie, love to cook, have a busy social life, and frankly feel that life is too short to eat things I don't actively enjoy or relish, simply because they're lower in calories than the foods I enjoy - I eat lots of red meat, full-fat dairy, fruit & vegetables, ice-cream, the occasional cookie or cake, and beautiful freshly-baked bread, when I want it. Thus, for me, exercise is critical to weight loss, because it creates that essential deficit. Exercise also tones up the jiggly bits, and helps my metabolism, so it handles food better - double win!

    Everyone finds their own way in this - what works for one may not work for another - if it's easy for you to create a deficit through food, go for it. If not, find another way of making it work.
  • musicalmotivation
    musicalmotivation Posts: 2 Member
    Technically no, but exercising is what makes you less jiggly!
    Plus, you get to eat more.
    Can't beat that!
    :wink:
  • kieran9810
    kieran9810 Posts: 83 Member
    Yeah I mean, I'm at a deficit and I'm good at sticking to it, but I wanna aim for 2lbs a week so I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio a day and hoping this will help? I eat good food, I have cut a lot of sweets and chocolate out my diet and now eat a lot of fruit and most meals are either meat or fish (or something along those lines)
  • alexuh
    alexuh Posts: 108 Member
    True. S'alllll about the deficit. Me, I just exercise so I can eat more. :bigsmile:
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    Exercise matters to be "fit" and I have found exercise to be very beneficial to my overall wellness. But I do believe that it starts with the right type and amount of calories I eat daily. I have lost weight on WW and reached goal twice, but never followed thru with enough activity ... this last go around I started in December 2012 I have kept the weight off and I believe it is because I have made sure I get my steps in and added more yoga and barre3.

    It is true, people who are inactive do lose weight by monitoring what they eat to lose weight. But being healthy is different from losing weight.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.

    I've never seen this claim.

    ...but it's so much easier to set up a strawman and claim all those people say "exercise is useless for weight loss". :huh:
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    Yeah I mean, I'm at a deficit and I'm good at sticking to it, but I wanna aim for 2lbs a week so I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio a day and hoping this will help? I eat good food, I have cut a lot of sweets and chocolate out my diet and now eat a lot of fruit and most meals are either meat or fish (or something along those lines)

    You only have just over 30 lbs to lose, 2 lbs a week is a bit aggressive. Why the hurry? Take your time losing and you're more likely to keep it off.
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.

    I've never seen this claim.

    ...but it's so much easier to set up a strawman and claim all those people say "exercise is useless for weight loss". :huh:

    Funnily enough I don't have a clipboard when I'm on here so that I can note down who says what. I have a life.

    Next time I see it I'll be sure to let you know.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I have always kept the two separate in my approach.... All I need is a deficit to lose the weight through diet alone, I exercise for the fitness and overall health benefits and I fuel my body for those workouts that I demand of my body to do... This has never been a sprint, I knew going into this that changes had to be made that I could sustain for the rest of my life, so slow and steady always wins the race for me.... Best of Luck
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.

    I've never seen this claim.

    ...but it's so much easier to set up a strawman and claim all those people say "exercise is useless for weight loss". :huh:

    Funnily enough I don't have a clipboard when I'm on here so that I can note down who says what. I have a life.

    Next time I see it I'll be sure to let you know.
    Or maybe.....just maybe, you're remembering wrong? Or nah?
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.

    ETA that's not to say that I don't agree a deficit is all that is required, but I think exercise plays an important part in that deficit.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    Losing weight is about eating less calories than you burn. You burn calories just by living. Adding exercise to your daily living burns even more calories and is good for your over all health.
    How you do this is a personal choice. Do what works for you and give you results you are happy with.
  • jbse26
    jbse26 Posts: 39 Member
    In Britain, the NHS recommends that people who want to lose a kilo a week do it half through food (500 calories a day deficit ) and half through exercise (600 cals a day deficit) because of the additional health benefits that creating a deficit through exercise brings, although you could still lose a kg a week from a deficit of c1100 calories just through diet alone. Cutting through diet and exercise might be easier to comply with for some people, it is for me as it leaves more food :wink: !
  • kessler4130
    kessler4130 Posts: 150 Member
    You can lose weight with diet alone, if you want to look like a melted popsickle but body recomposition can only happen through weight training.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    I always felt that if you look at the actual time needed to burn 3500 cals....I would never do it. You mentioned being on an elliptical for 3 hours a week to lose 1/2 lb....that for me just doesn't sound like an easy way to lose weight. I workout and exercise for other reasons (burning calories is a bonus)

    I just googled a site that said (for my age/height/weight) I would have to walk for 380 minutes to lose 1 lb. So it comes down to six hours of walking vs eating 500 cals less a day. For me.....it is just easier to eat less (since I was eating way too much anyway). People that are desperately needing to lose weight, and are not in great shape to begin with would have a very difficult time exercising 3 hours a week.

    If you like using the elliptical, keep doing it. It works. Be in deficit, no matter how it's accomplished, will get you where you need to go. Sounds like you are doing both, which is fantastic. You will see results. I would recommend adding some weight training and you will have all three components working for you which really turbo charges your results.

    Good luck
  • sofiachohdary
    sofiachohdary Posts: 74
    Quite honestly, I prefer to eat anything I want (within caloric reason) without worrying too much, and make sure I get all my fuel and nutritional needs for the day, and just burn the fat off with exercise, instead of sitting all day and starving myself. And I have tried both ways, with exercise I stick more to the plan and works better for me.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    Between May 1, 2006 and May 1, 2007 I lost 50lbs by following Weight Watchers. I NEVER exercised. Not even a brisk walk. So with that being said, would I recommend it? No. If I could go back and tell my younger self to exercise or something, I would. I'd rather be fit. But yeah, exercise isn't required to lose weight.
  • smetka01
    smetka01 Posts: 99 Member
    True. S'alllll about the deficit. Me, I just exercise so I can eat more. :bigsmile:

    I have to admit - me too :blushing:
  • njmark72
    njmark72 Posts: 99 Member
    Exercising can speed up your weight loss by creating a bigger calorie deficit. If your body needs 2000 cals a day to maintain its weight and you eat 1500 cals per day and exercise burns 500 cals per day you will lose twice as much weight than you would had you not exercised.

    This is approximate obviously depending on a number of factors including health and metabolism swings.

    Good Luck!
    Mark
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    I see a lot of people saying that diet is more important than exercise for weight loss, but why? If I'm on a stationary bike for 30 minutes I burn between 250-300 calories, so over 7 days that's between 1750-2100 calories burned by exercise, which combined with a calorie controlled diet, wouldn't that mean I would be losing an extra 1/2lb a week? (Theoretically)

    The answer is in your question. "Combined with a calorie-controlled diet." That's what they're talking about when they say diet is more important than exercise. If you exercise without controlling your calories, then you could actually wind up going backwards by eating back those exercise calories and possibly more. So, in that regard, you're already doing the diet piece of that puzzle.

    You can lose weight controlling your diet while not doing a single bit of exercise. However, it's very difficult to lose weight adding exercise without controlling your diet. Obviously the combination is the best recipe for weight loss.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    I exercise so i can eat more and lose weight comfortably. Also I feel like I am "living maintenance" because of this attitude.

    On the other hand:

    "you can't out run poor dietary choices on a consistent basis"
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    correct, but you dont HAVE to exercise, you just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Agreed. But some people on MFP do say a lot that exercise is nothing to do with weight loss, which is taking it a step further.

    I've never seen this claim.

    ...but it's so much easier to set up a strawman and claim all those people say "exercise is useless for weight loss". :huh:

    Funnily enough I don't have a clipboard when I'm on here so that I can note down who says what. I have a life.

    Next time I see it I'll be sure to let you know.

    Ok, sure. "some people on MFP do say a lot" should be easy to find. Dontchathink?
    Sorry, it's just not claimed "a lot".

    From "exercise isn't necessary" to "doesn't matter" is a spacious leap.
  • spally2
    spally2 Posts: 22
    I must admit to exercising in order to eat more, but have to admit that by trying to be more aware of what I am eating and trying to be in deficit (I do have my off days and weeks) I am now starting to see the weight coming off and my clothes fitting me better.

Categories