"Why You Should Stop Exercising to Lose Weight"
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ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »Rubbish in my opinion. Making a blanket statement on human beings in general is never accurate. Some people's only motivation to exercise is to burn the extra calories so they will lose weight and still be able to eat more than some tiny calorie amount. Some people start out only doing it for that reason but come to enjoy it and stick with it because it brings them joy, relaxation, stress relief etc.... For people who do not enjoy their chosen exercise? Those people may not stick to it long term no matter WHY the began to start with. The key is to find an exercise you ENJOY. Be it walking, dancing, cycling, skating, trampoline jumping, swimming, mountain climbing, running, etc... If you don't like it your initial motivation most likely will not be enough to keep you at it.
Exactly. The main motivators are as different as people themselves, and there are degrees of priority. Of course I want the better health and mental benefits, but to the largest degree my exercise is motivated by calories and there is nothing wrong with that, just like there is nothing wrong with exercising to look good or for the community aspect of some forms of exercise. No one has the right to dictate what my main goal behind exercising should be.2 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »andrea4736 wrote: »The amount of people who think exercise is the only way to lose weight is actually pretty scary.
No, people that think exercise is ONLY useful for losing weight. That's what the title is implying as I read it. Two different things. Even you and I are interpreting it differently. I seriously don't know anyone that thinks that. See how screwy the wording is? You could also read it as "Stop exercising....to lose weight". So stop exercising and you'll lose. So much wrong with that title, LOL!
But title does not say that. You are inferring things that aren't really there. Granted it's a headline and the purpose of a headline is to draw readers in, but it's a pretty far stretch to say it suggests you'll lose weight if you stop exercising.
Just out of curiosity, what headline would give an article advising that we not use *only* exercise as a means to lose weight?
The fact that I read it differently than you do (see what I added above), is exactly why it is clickbait.
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I admit, I clicked on the article because I was actually wondering this morning if I do a better job staying within my calorie allowance when I don't get any exercise in for the day.
But for those hesitant to read it, it was actually quite reasonable. I liked the point that people who start exercising for the purpose of losing weight and being healthier *down the road* are not likely to stick with it. For most people, those factors aren't a big enough motivator to stick with it over time. So it encourages a shift in mindset to finding an activity that you enjoy *now* and focusing on the immediate benefits... energy boost, better sleep, etc. I started exercising with a focus on weight loss. But when my weight loss slowed down and I started struggling to maintain a calorie deficit, I kept with the exercise because I had discovered it was helping me so much with my mood & fitness, regardless of my size. I started to crave the mental boost. I wish more people who start on MFP could tap into that for themselves. I haven't given up on my long-term weight loss goals, but I know when I'm ready to buckle down again, it will strictly be an issue of sticking to my calorie deficit, not exercise.
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What a idiotic article. People who start exercising thinking they're going to lose weight with that alone (and then don't) are pretty common because let's face it it doesn't take long to out eat 45 minutes of Cardio but to not offer advise about calories and energy requirements is stupid. What the article should have said is Exercise is good; You don't HAVE to; Here's Why0
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More strawmen than a Wizard of Oz convention.
I find that these articles tend to be written by people who lurch from cliche to cliche. They overpromised the benefits of exercise in the past and, when that hyperbole didn't work out, are swinging the other way so that they can appear "cutting edge".
You see the exact same thing in the "steady-state cardio vs HIIT" discussions.
Exercise has several demonstrable benefits for LONG TERM weight loss--none of which are ever mentioned in these articles.
1. Contributes to a calorie deficit.
2. Conserves lean mass.
3. "High energy flux"--the idea that a 500 cal deficit achieved via calorie restriction and exercise is more effective than same deficit achieved via calorie restriction alone (no it doesn't violate CICO--high energy flux increases TDEE) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27169833
4. Makes it easier to maintain weight loss long term (compensates for long-term adaptive thermogenesis that occurs with larger weight loss).
5. Improves self-esteem and self-efficacy which can contribute to better adherence.
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fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »andrea4736 wrote: »It's the way it's worded. It doesn't say you should stop exercising IN ORDER to lose weight. It's saying you shouldn't view exercise solely as a means of weight loss.
Obviously they worded it that way intentionally, to get people's curiosity up. Who views exercise solely as a means of weight loss? It's intentionally misleading, and that is why it is clickbait.
My husband ex wife who is 80lbs over weight and a type 2 diabetic said to me she doesn't want to be slim a size 14(uk) she just wants to be healthy that's why she goes to the gym by car 10 minute walk from her house
She thinks and teaches her daughters you can eat what you like you'll be okay as long as you exercise!!!
My stepdaughter is 10 in clothes aged 14 and was concerned her mum was giving her too much food her mum stayed don't worry you've been in the paddling pool you can eat it !
We've tried to gently explain to the little girl you can't burn off burger chips cake chocolate by 1 hour doing basic easy gym activity but she's listening to her mum.
My friend eats high calories foods and drinks quiet a lot alcohol but thinks going to the gym is why she's gaining weight as muscle 12lbs gain in 3 months I do try say it's not the gym
People seem to think cico is rubbish but I suppose if they live eating high calories foods drinking lots alcohol that 3 hours a week at the gym is less painful for them than giving up food they love but I can't see why they don't admit they're weight gain is simple to many calories in not out ?1 -
All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out. The first time I lost weight I did not track calories or focus on diet. I did increase my activity though by a lot while not changing my diet so I lost just over 80lb in a year with the deficit created through working out alone. Unfortunately most people tend to reward their workouts with extra food when they aren't tracking diet as well.
Side note - I did start gaining back when my job changed altering my activity level because I hadn't learned to monitor my intake so now I do noth for long term success.2 -
All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out. The first time I lost weight I did not track calories or focus on diet. I did increase my activity though by a lot while not changing my diet so I lost just over 80lb in a year with the deficit created through working out alone. Unfortunately most people tend to reward their workouts with extra food when they aren't tracking diet as well.
Side note - I did start gaining back when my job changed altering my activity level because I hadn't learned to monitor my intake so now I do noth for long term success.
Yup. Definitely possible.1 -
I think it's an interesting topic from sociological and psychological aspects. Societally, vanity and aesthetics are emphasized so much but yet they're often disconnected from fitness, health, and general well-being. Obviously, there is a place for the former but as consequence of the latter, not the inverse. The more valuable piece to pen would be titled something along the lines of, "Hey you! You're Trying to Lose Weight Wrong" and fix this disconnect. Rather than simply acknowledge that exercise isn't a necessity, demonstrating that a healthy physique is the consequence of proper fitness and nutrition would be more productive. On the flip side, I recently read a different piece that referenced findings that as obesity has risen, the percentage of individuals trying to lose weight has declined. That author references the familiarity of others being overweight as the culprit for this phenomena, though I think this thinking of being able to out-workout an unhealthy diet also has to be considered as a cause.0
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All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out.
Of course you can. But for most, creating a deficit of 500 calories/day through purposeful exercise alone would not only be impractical, but could be unsafe or put that person at a high risk of injury. And the point of the article seemed to be that it can create a negative attitude towards exercise that hinders people from sticking with it long term. I think most would agree creating a deficit through a mix of diet & exercise is preferable, but if a person relies too heavily on exercise, or isn't consistent, it can easily lead to discouragement.
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All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out.
Of course you can. But for most, creating a deficit of 500 calories/day through purposeful exercise alone would not only be impractical, but could be unsafe or put that person at a high risk of injury. And the point of the article seemed to be that it can create a negative attitude towards exercise that hinders people from sticking with it long term. I think most would agree creating a deficit through a mix of diet & exercise is preferable, but if a person relies too heavily on exercise, or isn't consistent, it can easily lead to discouragement.
It depends on the person I think. For me I do both now but still focus more energy on maintaining my activity. I will just always be the type who would rather work out 1-2hours a day and eat more. I find creating a deficit without working out near impossible because I have to cut my calories so low that I'm hungry all the time and I get bored so I end up wanting to snack more. I do have to work out to maintain my weight. I know that isn't the case for everyone but I also know I am not the only person like that who needs to do it.
The only universal is the deficit. How it is created or maintained will depend on the individual.
I have also found the more active I am the more I crave foods with higher nutritional value that my body can use which is a huge incentive. When I am inactive or limiting my activity to dog walks I tend to crave pastries and ice cream. When I get home from an hour long lifitng session I want a piece of fruit or handful of nuts.
And I do agree that doing both is ideal.1 -
The title is obviously meant to be misleading clickbait. No, you won't lose weight if you eat five Cinnabons and then workout for twenty minutes. But you'll gain slightly less weight than if you ate five Cinnabons and didn't work out at all.
I will say that often times the person writing the article and the person writing the headline are two different people, so the author is not necessarily to blame.2 -
"You and your health professionals might be alarmed by the idea that what you've always been told – that exercise is an important way to lose weight – sets most of us up to fail most of the time."
Nope. My doctor has always said that diet was the most important factor in weight loss.0 -
Eat less calories than you burn to lose weight.
How you choose to get there is up to each of us.
The source is a pretty reputable publication, not The National Enquirer.
No one can deny that being a normal weight is a lot healthier than being overweight.
Being physically active is important for overall health, but not necessary for weight loss, and for some, becoming a normal weight may lead to exercising, when you can move about more easily.0 -
i didn't click the link, but ive always said diet is more important than exercise. I exercise every day. some days more than others, but it's a commitment I make to myself.0
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All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out.
Of course you can. But for most, creating a deficit of 500 calories/day through purposeful exercise alone would not only be impractical, but could be unsafe or put that person at a high risk of injury. And the point of the article seemed to be that it can create a negative attitude towards exercise that hinders people from sticking with it long term. I think most would agree creating a deficit through a mix of diet & exercise is preferable, but if a person relies too heavily on exercise, or isn't consistent, it can easily lead to discouragement.
It depends on the person I think. For me I do both now but still focus more energy on maintaining my activity. I will just always be the type who would rather work out 1-2hours a day and eat more. I find creating a deficit without working out near impossible because I have to cut my calories so low that I'm hungry all the time and I get bored so I end up wanting to snack more. I do have to work out to maintain my weight. I know that isn't the case for everyone but I also know I am not the only person like that who needs to do it.
The only universal is the deficit. How it is created or maintained will depend on the individual.
I have also found the more active I am the more I crave foods with higher nutritional value that my body can use which is a huge incentive. When I am inactive or limiting my activity to dog walks I tend to crave pastries and ice cream. When I get home from an hour long lifitng session I want a piece of fruit or handful of nuts.
And I do agree that doing both is ideal.
But you're doing both and consciously controlling for caloric intake. The more realistic "average Joe/Jane" scenario is that they chronically overeat, have gained weight and think "Whelp, I better start working out to get rid of these extra pounds". So they go run, walk, bike, do an aerobics class or whatever, burn a couple hundred calories a few times a week, but still aren't creating a caloric deficit due to their overeating. Or maybe the exercise makes them even hungrier and they (consciously or unconsciously) increase their intake while thinking that it's okay because they're exercising now. That's where the saying "you can't out-train a bad diet" comes from.
For a person who understands CICO and applies it correctly, exercise can help increase the deficit and/or give you more calories to eat in a day while maintaining your deficit. For a person who doesn't, they may as well be throwing darts at a dartboard from a moving platform while blindfolded.4 -
I know for me when I first started back in July 2016 at my highest weight, I could not have a sustained daily deficit by exercise alone. In fact I had to take rest days between 30 min walks.
By taking it slow and not pushing myself hard I was able to see progress which in turn I gained confidence. Now I can hike elevations 2-3 miles regularly. As a side point I'm just coming off a diet break my trend in weight loss over the last 30 days is .07 - goal weight reachable in 2035 at this rate lol! And this is walking/hiking and eating at a slight deficit.
Several years ago I pushed myself doing the couch to 5k (again not daily sustained deficit through exercise) and I fractured my tibia. I gave up on exercise until last July.
I absolutely think exercise is not only important for health but for gaining confidence and having a better mental outlook.
But for some including me, there's no way I could have created enough of a deficit to see any results in less than several months with exercise alone. And most including experts agree that seeing results pretty quickly helps keep people motivated.
Tl;dr - hard to create a sustainable daily deficit by exercise alone especially for very outta shape folks like me:) but exercise is important!0 -
trigden1991 wrote: »I refuse to even click the link. Click bait or stupidity
I thought it was a good article about exercise motivation.
I completely agree with the article. I exercise because I enjoy what I do and the benefits transfer over to my daily life. All the extra calories are just a bonus. If I were only exercising for the calories many a workout would get skipped.3 -
All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out.
Of course you can. But for most, creating a deficit of 500 calories/day through purposeful exercise alone would not only be impractical, but could be unsafe or put that person at a high risk of injury. And the point of the article seemed to be that it can create a negative attitude towards exercise that hinders people from sticking with it long term. I think most would agree creating a deficit through a mix of diet & exercise is preferable, but if a person relies too heavily on exercise, or isn't consistent, it can easily lead to discouragement.
It depends on the person I think. For me I do both now but still focus more energy on maintaining my activity. I will just always be the type who would rather work out 1-2hours a day and eat more. I find creating a deficit without working out near impossible because I have to cut my calories so low that I'm hungry all the time and I get bored so I end up wanting to snack more. I do have to work out to maintain my weight. I know that isn't the case for everyone but I also know I am not the only person like that who needs to do it.
The only universal is the deficit. How it is created or maintained will depend on the individual.
I have also found the more active I am the more I crave foods with higher nutritional value that my body can use which is a huge incentive. When I am inactive or limiting my activity to dog walks I tend to crave pastries and ice cream. When I get home from an hour long lifitng session I want a piece of fruit or handful of nuts.
And I do agree that doing both is ideal.
Worth noting that you are obviously quite fit and tuned in to your body's needs. I think the original article was more geared towards a beginner that maybe doesn't fully understand the interplay between diet & exercise. This is why we see countless posts in the forums saying, "I'm working out every day and not losing weight- why should I bother?" I do agree it's an individual thing, but I think many feel like they can't be successful without some major exercise plan. But I do always encourage exercise so people can get a taste of how much better it can make them *feel*.1 -
I track my food to lose weight, but for me exercise is required for my mental health. I have adult ADHD and let me tell you, some days it feels like there is a motor tied to my *kitten* and I cannot sit still to save my life. It also causes insomnia. Running and pounding on a big bag are the two things that effectively release enough energy to allow me to focus, and also tire me out enough to help me sleep. I don't always enjoy it, but when I don't exercise I get REALLY fidgety and crabby.
With that said, exercise alone never helped me lose weight. Eating with calorie deficit is the only thing that knocks the pounds off. I know a TON of people who think exercise is the only way to lose weight, but those people are also in severe denial about how much they eat. You should have seen my ex-husbands face when I told him how long he would have to run to burn off his nightly row of Oreos (as in he would eat an entire row of the package every night).1 -
The article was horribly written. It was vague and didn't go into any real detail of what it was saying. Great example of clickbait. It really didn't even have a point.0
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jennybearlv wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »I refuse to even click the link. Click bait or stupidity
I thought it was a good article about exercise motivation.
I completely agree with the article. I exercise because I enjoy what I do and the benefits transfer over to my daily life. All the extra calories are just a bonus. If I were only exercising for the calories many a workout would get skipped.
Exactly.
This was already touched on, but while the title is click-bait, the meaning actually is "Why You Should Stop *Exercising to Lose Weight*", not "Why You Should *Stop Exercising to Lose Weight*". It's not supposed to be a weight loss plan, it's about how we mentally approach exercise affects our long-term health goals, including weight loss.1 -
All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out.
Of course you can. But for most, creating a deficit of 500 calories/day through purposeful exercise alone would not only be impractical, but could be unsafe or put that person at a high risk of injury. And the point of the article seemed to be that it can create a negative attitude towards exercise that hinders people from sticking with it long term. I think most would agree creating a deficit through a mix of diet & exercise is preferable, but if a person relies too heavily on exercise, or isn't consistent, it can easily lead to discouragement.
I got almost 400 calories from snowshoeing today. (If that sounds high to you, you are either much smaller than me or have never been snowshoeing )
I will easily break 500 calories if I do some yoga as well.
I often break 500 if I do something active at lunch and something after work.1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out.
Of course you can. But for most, creating a deficit of 500 calories/day through purposeful exercise alone would not only be impractical, but could be unsafe or put that person at a high risk of injury. And the point of the article seemed to be that it can create a negative attitude towards exercise that hinders people from sticking with it long term. I think most would agree creating a deficit through a mix of diet & exercise is preferable, but if a person relies too heavily on exercise, or isn't consistent, it can easily lead to discouragement.
I got almost 400 calories from snowshoeing today. (If that sounds high to you, you are either much smaller than me or have never been snowshoeing )
I will easily break 500 calories if I do some yoga as well.
I often break 500 if I do something active at lunch and something after work.
When I was 233 and starting out exercising there's no way I could sustain a daily deficit of 400-500 on exercise alone:(0 -
I hate exercising to me it is boring. I see no benefit as in instant gratification. I finally had a doctor tell me in a nice way that the only way was CICO to lose weight. She didn't push killing myself with exercise and didn't give me pills. She gave me a calorie starting point and a diet plan. I could see the plan it was a visual. I got back onto MFP and started tracking my food. WOW I was way over on calories. I finally got my calories down to what would be my maintenance level and I lost 10 pounds in one month. I am now very close to the calorie level she set for me and I am more active. As the bits come off, I feel more like moving. I track my walking at work and I track cleaning things like the house, the car or the yard. Found out over the winter shoveling burns a lot of calories. It sure helped with the holidays and all the food. I have finally accepted that I don't have to do something I hate, which is exercise, to lose weight. I can still have food, real food, and lose weight. It has been a long and painful discovery for me. I don't lose weight exercising just to exercise for movement. I lose weight and keep it off keeping a realistic calorie level.
Glad you found a method that is working for you! You sound the same way about "exercise" as I do about group exercise classes at the gym. I have no interest in them - I want to get my cardio outside, and have no need for companionship. I lasted 10 minutes in a spinning class in 2004 and other than a yoga class or two, have't attended another group exercise class.
Do correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that you are laboring under the misconception that exercise only occurs in a gym? I find shoveling snow a lot more tiring than lifting weights. I get cardio outside the gym and just belong for the weights.
Last winter I walked every non-rainy day at lunch and went to an ice skating rink on some rainy days. This winter I'm trying to do the same but was less dedicated about it until I stole my mother's snow shoes for days when my trails are covered by snow.
I guess my point is if you are burning more calories than being sedentary, you are exercising, whether it is while getting extra steps at work, shoveling snow, or doing something at the gym.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, this is truth and I don't think anyone on this site will dispute it. That said (and I know some will argue this) you can create that deficit through working out.
Of course you can. But for most, creating a deficit of 500 calories/day through purposeful exercise alone would not only be impractical, but could be unsafe or put that person at a high risk of injury. And the point of the article seemed to be that it can create a negative attitude towards exercise that hinders people from sticking with it long term. I think most would agree creating a deficit through a mix of diet & exercise is preferable, but if a person relies too heavily on exercise, or isn't consistent, it can easily lead to discouragement.
I got almost 400 calories from snowshoeing today. (If that sounds high to you, you are either much smaller than me or have never been snowshoeing )
I will easily break 500 calories if I do some yoga as well.
I often break 500 if I do something active at lunch and something after work.
That's wonderful.
But you overlooked an important part of my statement- "for most". And in fairness, I would actually modify that further- "for many beginning a weight loss program". Plus, while many of us here on MFP realize you don't need to run on a treadmill or take a class to get exercise, some new ones do labor under this impression and think it's either the couch or the gym with no in-between.
You actually bear out the point of the article pretty well- finding something you enjoy and is practical for you can help you achieve your long-term health goals.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »andrea4736 wrote: »The amount of people who think exercise is the only way to lose weight is actually pretty scary.
No, people that think exercise is ONLY useful for losing weight. That's what the title is implying as I read it. Two different things. Even you and I are interpreting it differently. I seriously don't know anyone that thinks that. See how screwy the wording is? You could also read it as "Stop exercising....to lose weight". So stop exercising and you'll lose. So much wrong with that title, LOL!
But title does not say that. You are inferring things that aren't really there. Granted it's a headline and the purpose of a headline is to draw readers in, but it's a pretty far stretch to say it suggests you'll lose weight if you stop exercising.
Just out of curiosity, what headline would give an article advising that we not use exercise as a means to lose weight?
"Don't Exercise for Weight Loss"
And the actual title ("Why You Should Stop Exercising to Lose Weight") is ambiguous -- "to" often means "in order to" in that construction ("Why You Should Stop Eating Carbs to Lose Weight").0 -
Exercise creates a nice deficit, without it i would seriously struggle!1
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