Whats the point of exercise when trying to lose weight?

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  • Klmom123
    Klmom123 Posts: 91 Member
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    To eat more. I love when those calories get added to my daily allowance lol
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    It started because I wanted a cushion in case my measuring was inaccurate. (Not so much what I eat at home. But if I go to a restaurant that's not in the database, I'm really just guessing at the calories. Is the pizza at Slice N Bites closer in calories to that of Pizza Hut, Papa John's, or Dominos? And close still isn't exact. I'll err on the side of high-average, but... still a guess. If I also take a 20 minute walk, that's 95 more calories to play with.) Over time, I got used to exercising, I'm liking the way it makes me feel, and as I've lost weight and my daily calorie allotment has shrunk, I find I need those exercise calories to feel full. (And now I'm typically exercising about 300-400 calories worth/day.)
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Can't even believe you're asking the question. I've worked out regularly for 30 some years. Why??
    Yardwork, lifting heavy *kitten* whenever I need to without injury, stress-busting, improved balance so I don't fall on my @ss when I get old, heart health, and so on and so on...

    Kind of a no-brainer.
  • tgcake
    tgcake Posts: 59 Member
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    Health.

    I'm losing weight to better my health, and I exercise/am more active to increase my fitness, and better my health. They go hand in hand, in my opinion.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    A few of the many points:

    1) It can help create the caloric deficit and/or give you more calories in your daily allowance (depending on how you look at it and what you do with those calories you burn during exercise).

    2) Helps preserve lean body mass/muscle, so you lose more fat than muscle. Which helps with body composition/aesthetics, so you don't arrive at your goal weight looking like a smaller, saggier version of your former overweight self.

    3) Improves your cardiovascular fitness and overall health (many diseases are correlated with inactivity).

    4) Many people find it improves their mental health/sense of well-being, helps relieve stress/anxiety, etc.

    5) Helps preserve bone density, improve balance/agility (increasingly important as you age), strength to perform everyday tasks.

    Nailed it, as usual!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    Because one of these days I will hit the perfect score on Wii Fit Plus advanced step aerobics 100% of the time. MARK MY WORDS!!!

    I really regret selling my Wii.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    Because one of these days I will hit the perfect score on Wii Fit Plus advanced step aerobics 100% of the time. MARK MY WORDS!!!

    I really regret selling my Wii.

    Everyone and their uncle is selling them in Facebook Marketplace! I'm a hoarder so I never sell anything.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    I got a step riser for the balance board on Amazon and use dumbells. I sweat buckets.
  • shayemimi
    shayemimi Posts: 203 Member
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    I LOVE my Wii Fit Plus! I haven't really used the step aerobics tho! Gonna have to start!!
  • shayemimi
    shayemimi Posts: 203 Member
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    Oh- and to answer the op- Exercise burns calories...calories in need to be less than calories out...exercise makes it easier. Also you look and feel better.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited March 2017
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    shayemimi wrote: »
    I LOVE my Wii Fit Plus! I haven't really used the step aerobics tho! Gonna have to start!!

    Once I got the hang of it on the board ny itself it wasn't really a challenge. I had to make my own enhancements (as noted) to make it worthwhile.

    This is the riser I got, but I didn't pay that much for it https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00509TLP6/ref=pd_aw_sim_63_of_12?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NWDFCB3A86BN0X2M9A58

    Ok I'm gonna stop before the thread derails too much.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Don't confuse what is possible with what is best. Yes, it is possible to lose weight without exercise, but that doesn't mean that you should lose weight without exercise. You actually get more health benefits from exercise than you do from losing weight. Most people would be better off if they would start exercising and then lose weight to improve their performance rather than starting weight loss and then adding exercise to increase their calorie burn.
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
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    The point of exercising is so that I don't subject myself to eating very little food like 1200 calories. I can eat a lot more if I move more, and exercise speeds up my weight loss.

    Plus, being able to eat more while still losing weight also limits the need to obsess about every last gram of food. You can be more flexible and don't even have to count as carefully because you have a bigger allowance to work with. Makes it easy to lose and maintain by just eyeballing what I eat.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,840 Member
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    Ashleyjt_ wrote: »
    I heard you don't need to exercise when trying to lose weight but whats the point? Is it just to build muscle?

    1. To make losing weight easier and more enjoyable.
    2. To give me more calories to eat each day.
    3. To increase strength and endurance.
    4. To help me work toward my goals.
    5. To improve my health.
    6. Because if I don't exercise, I'm grouchy and restless and hard to live with.
    7. Because I can't imagine not exercising.
    8. Because I can!

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    To feel less deprived and still lose, for me.

    If I'm sedentary, I burn 1500 calories a day. I'd have to eat 1250 calories to lose 1/2 lb a week - NEVER gonna happen.

    If I'm active, I can eat 2200 and still lose. It's really a no brainer for me.
  • Keapix
    Keapix Posts: 92 Member
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    For me, it's because it makes me feel better - more energised - and I can earn extra calories.
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
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    Better muscle tone means better metabolism and less flappity flaps when you're skinny again.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    To lose like I want, MFP will give me 1550 cals per day. I don't like eating that few calories so I add 500 through exercise so I can eat more and still lose like I want.

    Yes, it is better for me and all that, but I just like eating 2000 cals.

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