This is worrying me.

agdeierl · February 2011

Has anyone else read this article all the way through? http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-4,00.html Thoughts?

mccorml · February 2011

exercise is essential it releases endorphins but i would say exercise is only about maybe 25% not even that probably the rest is due to good sleep habits and diet being about 75 to 90% percent of it my afterworkout is a protein shake and i enjoy that but you just need to make sure you calorie count everything my old protein powder was 400 calories if i used a cup of milk it was 500 i switched to something thats 170 that way im not starving myself and i dont eat back all my exercise calories if any..

MelleyJ · February 2011

I understand why some people feel complacent. This is part of the reason I don't agree with MFP allowing users to "eat back" exercise calories. You train yourself to work out so that you can eat more, which shouldn't be how it is. You should consume x number of calories per day, whether you exercise or not. If you exercise, you will lose weight. If you don't, you will maintain, or possibly gain depending on the allotment of calories.
I personally think this article shows that it's all how you look at food and exercise. I look at food and think "gosh, do you know how long it would take me to work that off" and avoid the food. I don't want to view exercise is a way for me to have that food. I also don't deprive my body of the food altogether. If I want it, I only have a small portion. I cut it in half and split it with my hubby if I really feel that I want it.
I think exercise is essential for the body. I don't think I could sustain insanity type workouts if I was trying to maintain my weight, but I think it's excellent for weight loss. But, I don't think about doing insanity so that I can have McDonalds (gross) for dinner, or have an extra dessert if I do the workout. I know that once I reach my goal, I can exercise at a moderate intensity or a lighter intensity doing something I enjoy more to sustain my exercise and weight instead of having to do insanity to stay thin.
It's about having your mind in the right place, I believe. Just my 2 cents!

seasonalvoodoo · February 2011

I read all the way through and just the way the article is written seems pretty ridiculous to me.

Of course if you work out 30 minutes and then eat a Big Mac, fries, and drink a coke you are not going to do much to actually lose any weight. It's also true that you can lose weight without exercise...but that leads to muscle loss.

The article read as though researchers are convinced that people who work out are extremely lazy in other respects...and, if that is the case, then it may not help the obesity problem. If you work out for 30 minutes and then lie in bed the rest of the day then it won't be too helpful (of course, it's better than nothing).

I try to work out as much as I can but I also take the stairs, walk around the neighborhood, and do other things that I do not count as "exercise" and I do not reward a work out with fast food!

In short, I disagree with the article. While it may have merit and I am sure the statistics back up the data...the truth is that you can spout statistics all you want, but that doesn't mean that they are actually "statistically significant" In which case, they are just spouting some numbers based on what could be a small sample size or there could be confounding variables in the studies they are citing.

Wait, that wasn't short at all...I'm rambling! Anyway...you may not need to exercise to lose weight, but I believe you need to do *some* exercising to be healthy.

becky4bears · February 2011

I think it's a load of crap. Exercise is absolutely not making us fat. Our society has certainly changed, we are no longer mostly farmers, hunters and gatherers who spend all day doing moderate exercise to live.

"Some research has found that the obese already "exercise" more than most of the rest of us."
I say bull****. When is the last time you have seen a clinically obese person running a marathon...seriously!!
I would LOVE to see this "research"..notice that they didn't cite any specific research or give access to that research. We know nothing about the sample size, length of the study, etc.

Anyone can write an article and try to make it sound legit with "research". Unfortunately, not all research is done in an ethical fashion and not all research results are accurate. There has been WAY to much research to support the opposite of what this person claims.

I am an RN and I read articles weekly on health, diet, exercise etc from reputable nursing and medical journals. Therefore, in my personal and professional opinion, this article is bogus.

monsmusic · February 2011

I don't think it needs to be worrying. The only thing they could come up with as to why this might be true is that we have a different mindset about how we live the rest of the day if we've exercised our half hour. As an example...last week, I threw a pizza party for some of my students. I planned ahead so that I could eat 2 pieces of pizza and a bread stick. The pizza was so good, though, that I ate a third piece, thinking that I could go home and walk it off on the treadmill. I did...but it took me over an hour and a half. We think that because we worked out for 1/2 hour, we have license to eat what we want and be lazy the rest of the day. If you are actually tracking your calories, what you burn and what you eat, that shouldn't be a problem. I don't think we shoud stop exercising, I just think we need to be more realistic about how many calories we are burning and how many we are eating.

EDesq · February 2011

We have been saying that on this site for a looong time. Maybe you have not read some of those posts. Diet (what you eat) is 90% of wt. loss/gain/or maintenance, exercise is 10%. So what you choose to focus on is up to you, but give me the 90% every time. As I said a few days ago, "we" choose to go all out on an "exercise routine" or get a "trainer"... but that is easy compared to focusing on what we eat. What all these "trainers" DVD's and the "Fat loser's TV Shows" don't tell us is that if you don't EAT yourself to wt loss, exercise alone will NEVER do it. It is more glamorous to focus on the workout routines because they make us "feel" like we are doing something, we may even see a little definition but believe me to get toned all you need is a floor mat and great eating plan.

Also, keep in mind that this is a business, BIG Business! Selling equipment, apparel, DVD's, Personal Trainers...Just eat right and stay active. Frankly, that article should not disappoint, knowledge empowers! We are all out of wack in the USA about what is Healthy, our physical needs and so on. Actually with normal restraint, our own body will tell us what it needs, but we are bombed all day long with so many negative messages that we don't even hear it when it cries out>>>You are killing me with all this bad food and excessive exercise routines!

seasonalvoodoo · February 2011

I would LOVE to see this "research"..notice that they didn't cite any specific research or give access to that research. We know nothing about the sample size, length of the study, etc.

Anyone can write an article and try to make it sound legit with "research". Unfortunately, not all research is done in an ethical fashion and not all research results are accurate. There has been WAY to much research to support the opposite of what this person claims.

Agreed! Anyone can spout out some statistics, but where's all the data to back it up and how were these studies conducted?? Completely bogus!

AnaNotBanana · February 2011

I don't think you need to worry. I'm only 4 paragraphs into the article and it says that in 2008 57% of people reported they exercised but obesity is becoming a nationwide epidemic. They don't even mention the idea of people lying. It's been proven that people lie on surveys to make themselves look better. If they looked at the actual number of people working out at the gym it would be different.

jimtaki · February 2011

I've always been told that diet makes up 80% of any weight loss program.

I heard of a case study where a doctor took people who lived significantly different life styles and tracked their digestive system. As an example, there was a truck driver who was significantly overweight and it took well 30 hours to digest his meals.

He took this same group of people and placed them on a "Gorilla" diet for 2 weeks. Meaning they could only eat their individual daily caloric allowance in the form of what a gorilla would eat- Ie. fresh fruits, vegitables, grains, etc. It turned out that it was so much food that the participants were unable to finish all the food that was provided to them on a daily basis simply from the fact that they were full.

At the end of the 2 week period, each participant had lost an average of 20 or more pounds. There was participant that was on cholesterol and BP medication that simply did not need it any more. the truck driver not only lost weight, but his digetive tract returned to normal. This was all as a result as a change of diet and nothing else.

Working out helps in other areas- Building muscle, increased cardio-fitness, stress relief, confidence, etc. I believe our bodies were made to be active as opposed to the contrary. Most of all, It allows us to have that guiltless scoop of ice cream every now and then.

shardown · February 2011

I think the study is bogus. I tend to eat healthier after a workout because I don't usually crave for junk (unless its that TOM). It's common sense. If you workout and then eat things like Maccas or other similar fast food, YOU'RE NOT DOING YOURSELVES ANY FAVOUR! Personally, I love working out and while I'm not 100% food clean, I try my best and have been able to lose close to 12lbs in the one month I've been sticking to my calorie intake and exercise.

It's all common sense, people. If you don't work out, sure you'll be able to lose weight but you'll still be flabby and unfit. I'd rather be both slimmer and fit!

NoAdditives · February 2011

I didn't read the whole thing, but I think the implication is ridiculous. If you have no self control or eat junk after a workout, of course you're going to gain weight. But that does not mean that exercise will make you gain. And there is nothing wrong with eating your exercise calories. I've been eating all of mine (or as many are as physically possible) since i started here and I've lost 1-2 pounds a week for the last three months. It's not so much about how much you eat as it is about what you eat. If you use up your exercise calories with a protein shake and some vegetables it's going to help you recover faster and will make you healthier. If you use up your exercise calories with a cheeseburger it's not going to be beneficial.

agdeierl · February 2011

I'm certainly not thinking of stopping exercise, so don't worry.

I stay within my calorie range and eat healthy most of the time, but I admit that exercising does make me feel better about the occasional celebratory meal (for special occasions). For instance, Sunday was my friend's birthday. I had two pieces of normal veggie pizza (no whole wheat or thin crust, blah blah blah), and I usually don't eat stuff like that, but I thought, it's okay because I'm exercising a lot now and I eat well the majority of the time. This article made me worry that it's not okay. I know if I ate nothing but extra lean meat, veggies, and fiber-rich grains, I would lose weight faster and easier, but at least for me, that's not possible. I can't maintain a life with no foods outside of that spectrum...or I guess it would be more honest to say I won't. I don't believe in that much rigidity in anything. Anyway, people on this site keep saying you're supposed to be eating back your exercise calories, and now this article has me wondering if that's the best thing to do...I really hope it is! I know one other poster on here said she doesn't agree with eating them back. I eat most of them back but I usually leave a 100-200 cal cushion. Luckily, I actually find my appetite curbed rather than stimulated like the article says after exercise...though that may change once I work up to more strenuous exercise.

AnaNotBanana · February 2011

I probably should have read through this before I commented but the one other thing about this article that bothers me is that there is a quote from one of the researchers where he says that the stories he hears are "anecdotally amongst, like, my wife's friends". So you ask your wife what her friends are doing and call it research?

This is worrying me.

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