Diet vs Exercise

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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I would do the following

    Get intake in order because there might be times you can't exercise
    Find an exercise you like and do it.
    Find an exercise you love and do it.
    eat back those exercise calories to fuel your next workout
    learn about macros for health and fitness
    learn about lifting and resistance training and it's benefits and if you want to start doing it.


  • fanceegirl75
    fanceegirl75 Posts: 620 Member
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    My focus right now is diet. I am getting back on track after falling hard off my program last year from losing 50 lbs 5 years ago. I've got to get back to eating the right foods and logging here. I also try to get in some workouts but it is definitely not my focus.
  • queenofpuppies
    queenofpuppies Posts: 189 Member
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    for the sweets in the evening, try to plan your meals so you have some calories left for a little bowl of ice-cream or some Greek yogurt with fruit in the evening. You don't have to give up sweets, just count calories and do it accurately. Mostly, just stick to it! Exercise is cool because it means you can eat a little more but it isn't going to be the thing that really shows on the scale.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,906 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I feel better and sleep better when I exercise. (I'm also more productive at work.) This helps me stay in a calorie deficit, and lose weight.

    I started slowly April 2015 - just walking. Then came gardening season. By summer I was swimming. In the fall I started lifting weights again, and went back to walking. I walked throughout the winter, no matter what the temperature. (I'm in Massachusetts.)

    I have a moderate amount of sweets every evening after dinner.
  • orviske
    orviske Posts: 14 Member
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    I have been consciously on this going on three weeks. Nutrition is the biggest concern to me. I have come to realize that in my mid thirties, I can't just have what I want. My teeth are crumbling because I am not getting proper nutrition.

    I'd say really FOCUS on your nutrition, and see if you can't just go for a walk for 30 minutes, 3x a week. Start there. Make it a habit. Ease yourself into it. Before you know it you wont' feel right unless you've done your regimen. If I miss my walk in the morning its like my brain can't really work right.

    As for sweet cravings, consider adding more green leafy foods to your diet. Many people with sweet cravings are actually nutrient deficient.....usually magnesium.

    If you keep good track of your calories, you can "budget" for a sweet treat as others have said. Depriving yourself isn't going to keep you going. Moderation is key.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
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    While you don't need to exercise to lose weight, I still think doing some during your journey is better for overall health.
    I dove right into exercise because to me it wasn't about the weight I was losing. My goal was, and still is, to be more fit. I didn't have a lot to lose (45lbs) but I was extremely unfit. I'm getting there.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
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    You 100% can but it will likely be at the expense of muscle mass. If you have a sedentary job i would definitely at least recommend walking and light resistance/body weight training.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Diet for weight management; exercise for fitness.

    Exercise is not necessary to lose weight...though I wouldn't recommend it as your calorie targets are going to be that of a little birdie and you're likely to lose more muscle mass...and diet alone is not going to be enough to truly be "healthy" if you're a sedentary person...if you're otherwise a sedentary person, regular exercise is basically a requirement for good health.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
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    I am closing in on a 100lb loss since October 2015, accomplished entirely through counting calories and fixing my food portions. I have mobility issues that I hope to get addressed soon, but to this point, there is very little in terms of actual exercise that I can do. I can still walk, and I swim now, but other than living a day to day life, my losses have been entirely down to what I put on my plate.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    For the sweets: eat fruit! It helps me a lot. Just be careful, it has calories just like anything else. Pineapple and bananas are my daily snack, frozen grapes are great too
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    cross2bear wrote: »
    I am closing in on a 100lb loss since October 2015, accomplished entirely through counting calories and fixing my food portions. I have mobility issues that I hope to get addressed soon, but to this point, there is very little in terms of actual exercise that I can do. I can still walk, and I swim now, but other than living a day to day life, my losses have been entirely down to what I put on my plate.

    and this is why it's important to get the "diet" done right

    what if you can't exercise either because of time, where you are or god forbid you physically can't..

    I lost weight relying on exercise before then yup...gained it back because I didn't fix the diet part.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    My goal is long term health so I place equal importance on diet and exercise.
  • baleighbee
    baleighbee Posts: 27 Member
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    My diet is not perfect by any means, but I have definitely lost 10+ pounds since watching what I eat. Personally, my success comes from counting everything that I put into my mouth and walking my dogs almost every night after dinner. It is a win-win!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,885 Member
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    Inzie2016 wrote: »
    I was wondering how many of you focus more on better eating then exercising?

    ...

    One thing I struggle the most with is sweets in the evening..anyone have tips on curbing those cravings? I have also latest tried to get myself walking more too.

    I'm probably at about 60/40 diet/exercise.

    And as for sweets in the evening, I eat some low cal yogurt and often have a cookie. Check out your local grocery store for options that aren't high in calories. :)

  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    edited July 2016
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    If you start out weight training and just eating at or slightly under maintenance, you can build muscle which will up your "metabolism" and make your diet easier later...if I were starting out that might be my first move.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
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    Inzie2016 wrote: »
    Hi everyone! So I stared using MFP a couple weeks ago and had a little bit of a rough start. I was wondering how many of you focus more on better eating then exercising? I am trying to get my diet under control and in a better place before I start working out more because I know I tend to give up when I try to make a lot of changes all at once. I still have days where I go a little off and I havent really lost any weight except for 2 lbs since and that gets me down a bit but I am trying to not let that scale get me down. One thing I struggle the most with is sweets in the evening..anyone have tips on curbing those cravings? I have also latest tried to get myself walking more too.

    Do you want to just lose weight?

    Or do you want to be fit and healthy?

    Getting to a good fitness level and eating a well balanced nutritious diet will allow you to easily maintain a healthy body weight.

    Or you could just be on a diet forever.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    When i first started i lost all of my weight with 0 exercise, i averaged 2500-3500 steps a day :flushed: Now all i do is walk, lots and lots of walking. These days i am finding it easier to create a deficit through exercise rather than reducing my calories.

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