Exercise doesn't help you lose weight...say what?
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Although this is digging much deeper than the original question the debate depends on whether you are considering this in the short term or long term. There are several "experts" who demean exercise as part of weight loss as they consider this unsustainable, but in reviewing the habits of those who have lost 30lbs and kept this off over at least a year 90% report daily exercise of 60mins.
In the short term it is easier to create a deficit through diet, but hardly sustainable in the long term. We are designed to eat. Those who include multiple options to maintain are going to be more successful than those only considering one option.0 -
I've lost 146 pounds so far not doing any exercise. My knees are bone on bone and I can't do much.0
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hockey7fan wrote: »I've lost 146 pounds so far not doing any exercise. My knees are bone on bone and I can't do much.
Congratulations: that's amazing! You can almost certainly use a recumbent bike, or even a regular bike, stationary or otherwise; swim; and do other water exercise. It will help you keep up with that beautiful son of yours, as he grows and becomes more active! It will help you keep the weight off. (It will help you maintain muscle mass; burn more calories; stay mobile, and sharp as you age; lower your risk of diabetes; and keep your heart and brain healthy). I've had a broken bone in my knee for the past 3 months, and I've been able to bike enough not only to stay in shape, but to improve my fitness from where I was.
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Diet to lose weight, exercise to be sexy af.1
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Or is it because he didn't burn enough calories? Had he burned more, he would not have gained. It's science (and math).I am sorry you had all the medical issues, and congratulations on overcoming them. You gained weight because you took in too many calories. Had you eaten less, you would not have gained. It's science. You did not have to exercise to lose weight.
Yin & yang, baby, yin & yang.
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I stick with my daily calories. I exercise every day but do not eat back burnt calories. I lose weight as I am calorie deficient in my diet. I add to this by burning calories, also develop healthier heart, lungs n muscles at the same time. Exercise stimulates feel good chemicals so I feel energetic and happier. Win, win!0
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ReeseG4350 wrote: »On the flip side, however, if you simply do not eat as much, it could conceivably cause you to GAIN weight. If the body is not getting enough calories/nourishment, it will begin to slow down its internal processes - your metabolism. Thus, making it more difficult to lose weight. As the body slows, it also begins to horde the nutrients and calories is does take in. This is a holdover from our cave man ancestors. It is a part of the feast or famine mechanism. When times are poor (less food/nutrients/calories) the body will hold onto what meager nutrients it takes in to sustain it until there is more food. Thankfully, the human body knows more than its occupant. Otherwise the species would never have survived.
No. If you eat at a deficit over time, it can cause metabolic adaptation, and there are a variety of factors that play into how much this happens (for example, there's been a study that suggests it is worse with Biggest Loser contestants than bariatric surgery patients, despite the greater exercise of the former, likely because of the extreme deficits). However, you do not GAIN weight by eating less and your body does not HORDE fat. That's the starvation mode myth and if you think about it it makes no sense (and obviously is false in practice, as people who are actually starving, well, continue losing weight.)Furthermore, the higher percentage of fat you have, the harder your body will have to work to get rid of it. Whereas, the higher percentage of muscle you have, the easier it will be to burn fat - i.e. calories.
Overstated. There's a slight increase in metabolic rate as muscle increases, but typically you can drop fat much faster (and maintain a higher deficit with no ill effects) when you have more fat as a percentage of the total. Also, of course, it's unlikely people will be increasing muscle while in a deficit anyway. Trying to maintain the muscle you have is certainly worth it, IMO, of course (although some seem not to care and that's their business).
Also, IME, it's easier to lose more rapidly (which for me at the moment would mean 1 lb/week) if you exercise less (meaning intense exercise), although keeping the general activity level up is helpful. That's because I find it difficult to maintain much of a deficit while training hard. (I didn't when I had more to lose, but I probably also didn't exercise as intensely.)
Anyway, for me the slower loss with training gains is worth it -- I think exercise is really important for fitness, of course, as well as to make weight loss easier on average -- but I just think you are exaggerating things.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
IMO, how important one side is vs. the other is just personal preference or individual psychology.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
IMO, how important one side is vs. the other is just personal preference or individual psychology.
How so? I can understand personal preference determining which you choose to alter for weight loss, but I can't see how it has any bearing on importance.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
IMO, how important one side is vs. the other is just personal preference or individual psychology.
How so? I can understand personal preference determining which you choose to alter for weight loss, but I can't see how it has any bearing on importance.
For a particular person, it may be easier/more helpful to focus on activity more, on eating more (er, more on eating less, that is) ;-), or a perfect mix. That's all I was saying. Easier/more helpful=more important for that person. You seem to be reading something in that wasn't intended.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
IMO, how important one side is vs. the other is just personal preference or individual psychology.
How so? I can understand personal preference determining which you choose to alter for weight loss, but I can't see how it has any bearing on importance.
For a particular person, it may be easier/more helpful to focus on activity more, on eating more (er, more on eating less, that is) ;-), or a perfect mix. That's all I was saying. Easier/more helpful=more important for that person. You seem to be reading something in that wasn't intended.
Fair enough. Sounds like we are saying the same thing.0 -
bcalvanese wrote: »bcalvanese wrote: »It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.
No, eating too many calories over decades is what made you gain weight. Exercise might have helped you create a calorie deficit, but the calorie deficit is what made you lose the weight.
Double no, going from being at a very good fitness level to a very poor fitness level, and exercising to absolutely no exercise after a car accident and decades of sitting on my butt due to a career change is what made me gain the weight. I never changed my diet at all.
How could you possibly know what caused me to gain weight?
Because there is only one way to gain weight. CICO.
McCindy is right. I sat on my butt for the last week because of sore feet, stayed in a calorie deficit for the week, weighed myself today and I am down 3 lbs. Sitting on my butt and CICO is working for me!! lol0 -
My personal view is that both exercise and diet are important. I started of just losing weight via diet. I then found that I couldn't sustain the deficit so started exercising but I am glad I did because the danger with prolonged diet based deficit is muscle loss and a loss of bone density. In other words, exercise to try to maintain a bit of muscle mass and a nicer shape0
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Sitting on your butt is part of CO. Exercise is part of CO.bcalvanese wrote: »bcalvanese wrote: »It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.
No, eating too many calories over decades is what made you gain weight. Exercise might have helped you create a calorie deficit, but the calorie deficit is what made you lose the weight.
Double no, going from being at a very good fitness level to a very poor fitness level, and exercising to absolutely no exercise after a car accident and decades of sitting on my butt due to a career change is what made me gain the weight. I never changed my diet at all.
How could you possibly know what caused me to gain weight?
Because there is only one way to gain weight. CICO.
McCindy is right. I sat on my butt for the last week because of sore feet, stayed in a calorie deficit for the week, weighed myself today and I am down 3 lbs. Sitting on my butt and CICO is working for me!! lol
All weight matters are part of CICO. People gain weight with CICO. They maintain with CICO.
CICO is not a weight loss strategy. It's just the very basic concept that calories are related to weight.
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Sitting on your butt is part of CO. Exercise is part of CO.bcalvanese wrote: »bcalvanese wrote: »It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.
No, eating too many calories over decades is what made you gain weight. Exercise might have helped you create a calorie deficit, but the calorie deficit is what made you lose the weight.
Double no, going from being at a very good fitness level to a very poor fitness level, and exercising to absolutely no exercise after a car accident and decades of sitting on my butt due to a career change is what made me gain the weight. I never changed my diet at all.
How could you possibly know what caused me to gain weight?
Because there is only one way to gain weight. CICO.
McCindy is right. I sat on my butt for the last week because of sore feet, stayed in a calorie deficit for the week, weighed myself today and I am down 3 lbs. Sitting on my butt and CICO is working for me!! lol
All weight matters are part of CICO. People gain weight with CICO. They maintain with CICO.
CICO is not a weight loss strategy. It's just the very basic concept that calories are related to weight.
Did I word it wrong for you? I was in a calorie deficit for the week and did not exercise. Better? wow...lol0 -
Sitting on your butt is part of CO. Exercise is part of CO.bcalvanese wrote: »bcalvanese wrote: »It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.
No, eating too many calories over decades is what made you gain weight. Exercise might have helped you create a calorie deficit, but the calorie deficit is what made you lose the weight.
Double no, going from being at a very good fitness level to a very poor fitness level, and exercising to absolutely no exercise after a car accident and decades of sitting on my butt due to a career change is what made me gain the weight. I never changed my diet at all.
How could you possibly know what caused me to gain weight?
Because there is only one way to gain weight. CICO.
McCindy is right. I sat on my butt for the last week because of sore feet, stayed in a calorie deficit for the week, weighed myself today and I am down 3 lbs. Sitting on my butt and CICO is working for me!! lol
All weight matters are part of CICO. People gain weight with CICO. They maintain with CICO.
CICO is not a weight loss strategy. It's just the very basic concept that calories are related to weight.
Did I word it wrong for you? I was in a calorie deficit for the week and did not exercise. Better? wow...lol
I believe the point was that saying exercise isn't important to weight loss because you didn't do it is like saying eating less isn't important because someone else didn't eat less and created a deficit through activity.
What you don't do doesn't necessarily equal "not helpful" in a general sense.0 -
What? LOL!
It's not about what happens to the calories. It's about exercise being 100% not necessary to lose weight. If it were necessary, then people who can't exercise would never lose weight.
If I want to lose weight, I need to eat less food. If already exercise, which makes my TDEE higher, then I still need to eat less not exercise more.
If I want to lose weight, I need to eat less food. If I don't exercise, which makes my TDEE lower, I just need to eat less food, not start exercising.0 -
Or is it because he didn't burn enough calories? Had he burned more, he would not have gained. It's science (and math).I am sorry you had all the medical issues, and congratulations on overcoming them. You gained weight because you took in too many calories. Had you eaten less, you would not have gained. It's science. You did not have to exercise to lose weight.
Yin & yang, baby, yin & yang.
Did you get a chance to read his whole scenerio? He was struggling with medical issues and did not exercise for quite some time. In that situation, if you don't want to gain weght, you eat less.0
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