Why is weight loss and fitness always talked about as if they are interchangeable?
Replies
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I'll throw in my 2 cents and add that the term fitness lacks a clear definition. What are the exact parameters of fitness? does it include bodyfat% or do you have to beable to accomplish a particular thing? what is fitness exactly.1
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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.
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.
You can be the picture of health and still suddenly die of something you had no say in. That's just the way it goes sometimes. All your weight etc. does is alter your risk, it is never 0, ever.4 -
stevencloser wrote: »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.
You can be the picture of health and still suddenly die of something you had no say in. That's just the way it goes sometimes. All your weight etc. does is alter your risk, it is never 0, ever.
I feel what you are saying but being fit a dieing of a heart attack is nonsensical. If you are fit but you have low dense chlorestorol floating around in your blood then you maybe focusing on the wrong thing if living is what matters.0 -
scottburger104 wrote: »I'll throw in my 2 cents and add that the term fitness lacks a clear definition. What are the exact parameters of fitness? does it include bodyfat% or do you have to beable to accomplish a particular thing? what is fitness exactly.
Good question,
One definition is The condition of being fit, suitable or appropriate.
Fit means in shape physically.
I take from this that if you can do activities without killing your self you are fit. A few years ago the Boston marathon doubled the amount of people that completed the race that bmi put them over weight. Those people are fit but they still are over weight.1 -
walker1world wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »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.
You can be the picture of health and still suddenly die of something you had no say in. That's just the way it goes sometimes. All your weight etc. does is alter your risk, it is never 0, ever.
I feel what you are saying but being fit a dieing of a heart attack is nonsensical. If you are fit but you have low dense chlorestorol floating around in your blood then you maybe focusing on the wrong thing if living is what matters.
Most of the athletes that dropped dead have an undetected heart defect that is a ticking time bomb. It has nothing to do with if they are fit or not8 -
walker1world wrote: »scottburger104 wrote: »I'll throw in my 2 cents and add that the term fitness lacks a clear definition. What are the exact parameters of fitness? does it include bodyfat% or do you have to beable to accomplish a particular thing? what is fitness exactly.
Good question,
One definition is The condition of being fit, suitable or appropriate.
Fit means in shape physically.
I take from this that if you can do activities without killing your self you are fit. A few years ago the Boston marathon doubled the amount of people that completed the race that bmi put them over weight. Those people are fit but they still are over weight.
This is a very good question that probably varies from person to person depending on their age, health, and physical limitations. Someone who is in pain or has injuries may see being "fit" as the ability to accomplish everyday tasks without help. Someone who has a sedentary job may want to be able to climb stairs without panting. Or someone who is already conditioned to exercise may want to be more "fit " so that they can climb a mountain or run a marathon. So maybe fitness is relative?2 -
walker1world wrote: »I feel what you are saying but being fit a dieing of a heart attack is nonsensical. If you are fit but you have low dense chlorestorol floating around in your blood then you maybe focusing on the wrong thing if living is what matters.
So, if you have any predisposition toward heart disease, you should give up on the pursuit of fitness? Bizarre theory. Not every heart attack is caused by an overabundance of LDL...
After reading this whole thread, I'm still not quite sure what the message is that you want to send. I think the problem lies in your premise that many posters on MFP equate being at a healthy weight with being fit, which I have not observed. Then somehow it seems like that segued into the idea that there is no sense in pursuing fitness if it will not lead to immortality.
Personally, I strongly advocate for a balanced approach - fitness and a healthy weight are both desirable goals and should be pursued jointly to achieve one's personal optimal level of health.
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walker1world wrote: »I feel what you are saying but being fit a dieing of a heart attack is nonsensical. If you are fit but you have low dense chlorestorol floating around in your blood then you maybe focusing on the wrong thing if living is what matters.
...After reading this whole thread, I'm still not quite sure what the message is that you want to send. I think the problem lies in your premise that many posters on MFP equate being at a healthy weight with being fit, which I have not observed....
Personally, I strongly advocate for a balanced approach - fitness and a healthy weight are both desirable goals and should be pursued jointly to achieve one's personal optimal level of health.
Right. I want to be healthy, fit and trim. I can lose weight first without exercise and try to recomp later. Another option would be to exercise simultaneously while I'm calorie counting to preserve lean body mass. Or I could put off losing weight for a bit, maintain current weight and start working out first and then tackle cutting and losing weight later. They are all options.0 -
Linebackers are overweight and very fit.. They have body fat for a reason.. You can be overweight and healthy and you can be overweight and fit.
Lost in translation? Am I missing something..
I read somewhere the other day that choosing to do your running very early morning upon getting out bed increases your risk for heart attack or stroke. It is the timing of the day you choose to exercise. I found this alarming and it really is true.. this does not mean you are not fit.
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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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