Why is weight loss and fitness always talked about as if they are interchangeable?
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My mother in law is tiny, soft and squishy. She is not fit, but she does only weigh 117 pounds. She was much fitter when she worked out, walked, and weighed 135.0
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walker1world wrote: »There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
Sure, I could lose weight with no exercise. I have done that. Lots of people do.
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more. So my current weight loss is the result of a combination of eating slightly less and exercising more.
I read this a long time ago and it just hit me what you said. I was having a discussion with someone else and they said something similar and It took me awhile to figure out where I had heard this before.
If your whole point of loosing weight is to exercise more then what happens if you can't exercise? Don't get me wrong I think fitness is a great thing but healthy and fitness is totally independent of each other. There are alot of fit people who aren't healthy. You hear about them all the time you know the marathon runner who has heart disease. Case in point Wilt Chamberlain died of a heart attack only a few days after completing a marathon. He was one of our premier athletes most of his life and always strived to be fit or in shape.
I have learned that using terms like fitness, healthy and weight loss interchangeablly leeds people think they are doing one when they are doing the other.walker1world wrote: »There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
Sure, I could lose weight with no exercise. I have done that. Lots of people do.
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more. So my current weight loss is the result of a combination of eating slightly less and exercising more.
You can be fit and still be unhealthy. How many times have you heard of the man that runs marathons that has the heart attack.
When wilt chamberlain died he has ran a marathon the day before.
If you are obese and you lose weight there are a lot of medications doctors usually take you off.
So I try not to link the 2 activities.walker1world wrote: »There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
Sure, I could lose weight with no exercise. I have done that. Lots of people do.
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more. So my current weight loss is the result of a combination of eating slightly less and exercising more.
Thank you
I feel like I've been part of a conversation without knowing it.
However, I will address a couple points ...
If your whole point of loosing weight is to exercise more then what happens if you can't exercise?
If I could never exercise again? Then I will have to be put onto anti-depressants.
I have gone through 2 times in my life where I couldn't exercise because of injury, in the first instance, and illness, in the second instance. Sad, sad times. But I fought to get back into it and did both times.
You can be fit and still be unhealthy.
I didn't say anything about fit = healthy
What I did say was:
There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
...
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more.
If I had no desire to exercise more, I would have likely remained the weight I was ... just a bit overweight. Without my exercise goals, I wouldn't have bothered going through the whole weightloss thing. I could do everything else in my life just fine at my heavier weight ... but I couldn't do the cycling I wanted to do. I lost weight so I could cycle more, and since I have lost the weight I have successfully accomplished a number of cycling goals.
Mission accomplished.
(Sorry, I have no idea who Wilt Chamberlain is.)0 -
walker1world wrote: »There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
Sure, I could lose weight with no exercise. I have done that. Lots of people do.
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more. So my current weight loss is the result of a combination of eating slightly less and exercising more.
I read this a long time ago and it just hit me what you said. I was having a discussion with someone else and they said something similar and It took me awhile to figure out where I had heard this before.
If your whole point of loosing weight is to exercise more then what happens if you can't exercise? Don't get me wrong I think fitness is a great thing but healthy and fitness is totally independent of each other. There are alot of fit people who aren't healthy. You hear about them all the time you know the marathon runner who has heart disease. Case in point Wilt Chamberlain died of a heart attack only a few days after completing a marathon. He was one of our premier athletes most of his life and always strived to be fit or in shape.
I have learned that using terms like fitness, healthy and weight loss interchangeablly leeds people think they are doing one when they are doing the other.walker1world wrote: »There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
Sure, I could lose weight with no exercise. I have done that. Lots of people do.
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more. So my current weight loss is the result of a combination of eating slightly less and exercising more.
You can be fit and still be unhealthy. How many times have you heard of the man that runs marathons that has the heart attack.
When wilt chamberlain died he has ran a marathon the day before.
If you are obese and you lose weight there are a lot of medications doctors usually take you off.
So I try not to link the 2 activities.walker1world wrote: »There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
Sure, I could lose weight with no exercise. I have done that. Lots of people do.
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more. So my current weight loss is the result of a combination of eating slightly less and exercising more.
Thank you
I feel like I've been part of a conversation without knowing it.
However, I will address a couple points ...
If your whole point of loosing weight is to exercise more then what happens if you can't exercise?
If I could never exercise again? Then I will have to be put onto anti-depressants.
I have gone through 2 times in my life where I couldn't exercise because of injury, in the first instance, and illness, in the second instance. Sad, sad times. But I fought to get back into it and did both times.
You can be fit and still be unhealthy.
I didn't say anything about fit = healthy
What I did say was:
There would be no point me losing weight if fitness wasn't going to be a part of it.
...
But the main reason I'm losing weight is so that I can exercise more.
If I had no desire to exercise more, I would have likely remained the weight I was ... just a bit overweight. Without my exercise goals, I wouldn't have bothered going through the whole weightloss thing. I could do everything else in my life just fine at my heavier weight ... but I couldn't do the cycling I wanted to do. I lost weight so I could cycle more, and since I have lost the weight I have successfully accomplished a number of cycling goals. Mission accomplished.
(Sorry, I have no idea who Wilt Chamberlain is.)
This is me as well, if I couldn't exercise anymore I would have to be put down. LOL
Being you are from New Zealand? of course you don't know who he is.
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queenliz99 wrote: »
This is me as well, if I couldn't exercise anymore I would have to be put down. LOL
Being you are from New Zealand? of course you don't know who he is.
I'm Canadian-Australian ... a Canadian who moved to Australia 7 years ago, and just recently became an Australian citizen.
The name sounds vaguely familiar, but if someone had randomly come up to me and asked who he was, I would have guessed "author".
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When I lost weight about 5 years ago it was because I lost it through running (which incidentally I hated every second!) so when I stopped the weight came back.
It wasn't until I learned about calories through MFP logging that I now have the tools to manage my weight. Now I exercise through extra activity and strength training and love it and can eat more!
So your theory OP in my case is totally correct.0 -
hamstertango wrote: »When I lost weight about 5 years ago it was because I lost it through running (which incidentally I hated every second!) so when I stopped the weight came back.
It wasn't until I learned about calories through MFP logging that I now have the tools to manage my weight. Now I exercise through extra activity and strength training and love it and can eat more!
So your theory OP in my case is totally correct.
It is always great when people can find an easy way to mange there weight. For 25% of America counting calories is a great way of maintaining weight. For people with insulin resistance it may not be enough.0 -
hamstertango wrote: »When I lost weight about 5 years ago it was because I lost it through running (which incidentally I hated every second!) so when I stopped the weight came back.
It wasn't until I learned about calories through MFP logging that I now have the tools to manage my weight. Now I exercise through extra activity and strength training and love it and can eat more!
So your theory OP in my case is totally correct.
My son keeps telling me that I would lose weight if I took up running.0 -
queenliz99 wrote: »
This is me as well, if I couldn't exercise anymore I would have to be put down. LOL
Being you are from New Zealand? of course you don't know who he is.
I'm Canadian-Australian ... a Canadian who moved to Australia 7 years ago, and just recently became an Australian citizen.
The name sounds vaguely familiar, but if someone had randomly come up to me and asked who he was, I would have guessed "author".
Lol, he is the only person to ever score 100 points in a NBA game. I understand why people around the world might not know him.0 -
walker1world wrote: »hamstertango wrote: »When I lost weight about 5 years ago it was because I lost it through running (which incidentally I hated every second!) so when I stopped the weight came back.
It wasn't until I learned about calories through MFP logging that I now have the tools to manage my weight. Now I exercise through extra activity and strength training and love it and can eat more!
So your theory OP in my case is totally correct.
It is always great when people can find an easy way to mange there weight. For 25% of America counting calories is a great way of maintaining weight.
-->>For people with insulin resistance it may not be enough.
I agree! Then it is a whole different ballgame.0 -
Weight loss and fitness are usually used together to complement each other. While you can lose weight by diet alone you really should be focusing on fat loss not how much weight you lose. Exercise with diet helps you to build muscle and get rid of the fat. Focus on the type of weight you lose not the amount. If you build muscle you probably will not seem to be losing weight but you are losing fat. Do not focus on your weight but how you feel and look after exercising and dieting together.2
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I never could understand why someone wouldn't want to exercise as part of their weightloss.
1. Exercising creates a calories deficit which causes weight loss
2. Exercising makes You fit. Losing weight just from a diet doesn't make You fit. You could lose 200 lbs and if you never conditioned yourself to run a mile, you are going to struggle just the same on that mile whether you're 400 or 100 lbs
3. Exercising is a studied fact that promotes a healthy heart1 -
queenliz99 wrote: »
This is me as well, if I couldn't exercise anymore I would have to be put down. LOL
Being you are from New Zealand? of course you don't know who he is.
I'm Canadian-Australian ... a Canadian who moved to Australia 7 years ago, and just recently became an Australian citizen.
The name sounds vaguely familiar, but if someone had randomly come up to me and asked who he was, I would have guessed "author".
I guessed politician.
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Annahbananas wrote: »I never could understand why someone wouldn't want to exercise as part of their weightloss.
1. Exercising creates a calories deficit which causes weight loss
2. Exercising makes You fit. Losing weight just from a diet doesn't make You fit. You could lose 200 lbs and if you never conditioned yourself to run a mile, you are going to struggle just the same on that mile whether you're 400 or 100 lbs
3. Exercising is a studied fact that promotes a healthy heart
But what if you don't want to run a mile? #DevilsAdvocate
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Annahbananas wrote: »I never could understand why someone wouldn't want to exercise as part of their weightloss.
1. Exercising creates a calories deficit which causes weight loss
2. Exercising makes You fit. Losing weight just from a diet doesn't make You fit. You could lose 200 lbs and if you never conditioned yourself to run a mile, you are going to struggle just the same on that mile whether you're 400 or 100 lbs
3. Exercising is a studied fact that promotes a healthy heart
But what if you don't want to run a mile? #DevilsAdvocate
There are other exercising other than running
The point is you don't get fit from weightloss alone
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Annahbananas wrote: »Annahbananas wrote: »I never could understand why someone wouldn't want to exercise as part of their weightloss.
1. Exercising creates a calories deficit which causes weight loss
2. Exercising makes You fit. Losing weight just from a diet doesn't make You fit. You could lose 200 lbs and if you never conditioned yourself to run a mile, you are going to struggle just the same on that mile whether you're 400 or 100 lbs
3. Exercising is a studied fact that promotes a healthy heart
But what if you don't want to run a mile? #DevilsAdvocate
There are other exercising other than running
The point is you don't get fit from weightloss alone
It's kind of what I'm saying, though. Not everyone has fitness related goals or inclinations.1 -
Weight loss and fitness are usually used together to complement each other. While you can lose weight by diet alone you really should be focusing on fat loss not how much weight you lose. Exercise with diet helps you to build muscle and get rid of the fat. Focus on the type of weight you lose not the amount. If you build muscle you probably will not seem to be losing weight but you are losing fat. Do not focus on your weight but how you feel and look after exercising and dieting together.
I think your observation was great. Thanks for a sensible angle. The main reason I asked the question is because this link drives us to the calories in calories out thought process when it comes to "why we get fat" that is a book by Gary Taubes.
Yes it is true that some people can play the calories count game and stay at a reasonable weight but are they healthy?
On the flip side you can be over weight and have no health markers that indicate disease.
The human body has a system for storing fat. Exercise or the lack there of is a small part of it.0 -
walker1world wrote: »Weight loss and fitness are usually used together to complement each other. While you can lose weight by diet alone you really should be focusing on fat loss not how much weight you lose. Exercise with diet helps you to build muscle and get rid of the fat. Focus on the type of weight you lose not the amount. If you build muscle you probably will not seem to be losing weight but you are losing fat. Do not focus on your weight but how you feel and look after exercising and dieting together.
I think your observation was great. Thanks for a sensible angle. The main reason I asked the question is because this link drives us to the calories in calories out thought process when it comes to "why we get fat" that is a book by Gary Taubes.
Yes it is true that some people can play the calories count game and stay at a reasonable weight but are they healthy?
On the flip side you can be over weight and have no health markers that indicate disease.
The human body has a system for storing fat. Exercise or the lack there of is a small part of it.
Honestly, Taubes' book is barely worth the paper it's printed on.
CICO (Calories In-Calories Out) is a simple statement of how the laws of thermodynamics apply to your body. You eat food, break it down into it's basic chemical components (amino acids, carbohydrates, fats). It's chemical fuel that gets oxidized as needed for energy. Excess fuel is stored in various ways, including fat. A shortage a fuel will lead to various tissues, including fat, being broken down to metabolize for energy.
Calorie counting is only a method of insuring your CI is in the range you need to meet your goals (losing weight, maintaining, or gaining weight). Exercise stimulates your body to build muscle, improve your cardiovascular efficiency, and burns excess fuel.
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walker1world wrote: »Weight loss and fitness are usually used together to complement each other. While you can lose weight by diet alone you really should be focusing on fat loss not how much weight you lose. Exercise with diet helps you to build muscle and get rid of the fat. Focus on the type of weight you lose not the amount. If you build muscle you probably will not seem to be losing weight but you are losing fat. Do not focus on your weight but how you feel and look after exercising and dieting together.
I think your observation was great. Thanks for a sensible angle. The main reason I asked the question is because this link drives us to the calories in calories out thought process when it comes to "why we get fat" that is a book by Gary Taubes.
Yes it is true that some people can play the calories count game and stay at a reasonable weight but are they healthy?
On the flip side you can be over weight and have no health markers that indicate disease.
The human body has a system for storing fat. Exercise or the lack there of is a small part of it.
Honestly, Taubes' book is barely worth the paper it's printed on.
CICO (Calories In-Calories Out) is a simple statement of how the laws of thermodynamics apply to your body. You eat food, break it down into it's basic chemical components (amino acids, carbohydrates, fats). It's chemical fuel that gets oxidized as needed for energy. Excess fuel is stored in various ways, including fat. A shortage a fuel will lead to various tissues, including fat, being broken down to metabolize for energy.
Calorie counting is only a method of insuring your CI is in the range you need to meet your goals (losing weight, maintaining, or gaining weight). Exercise stimulates your body to build muscle, improve your cardiovascular efficiency, and burns excess fuel.
Beat me to it. Taubes is one of the worst tinfoil hat crackpots out there. He's a junk scientist who cherry-picks research to match his whacky ideas. His garbage has been shot down over and over by researchers who actually know what they're doing and don't share his agenda.3
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