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    Point of exercise?

    Posts: 491 Member
    edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
    Whilst I obviously know all the benefits of exercise, I am not sure of the point of it if you are then going to eat back the calories! Surely one may as well not bother doing any (other than for the fitness benefits such as toning, general health etc)?

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    Replies

    • Posts: 1,861 Member
      Besides the health benefits...

      I exercise so I can eat more.
      I exercise so I can eat cake.
      I exercise so I can drink beer.
      I exercise so I can eat ice cream.

      Seriously. Life without ice cream is a waste.
    • Posts: 491 Member
      I love your reply and that's the only reason that I do exercise- so I can eat more. But some days I'm not actually hungry so I'm wondering whether I should bother exercising. Possibly not....sounds great!!!
    • Posts: 350
      Besides the health benefits...

      I exercise so I can eat more.
      I exercise so I can eat cake.
      I exercise so I can drink beer.
      I exercise so I can eat ice cream.

      Seriously. Life without ice cream is a waste.

      What she said;) I'd like to be able to eat more, and also help my body get more muscle/less fat at the same time.
    • Posts: 1,984 Member
      I exercise so I can stay married! Apparently I can be quite irritatable when I miss a workout.:smile:
    • Posts: 9,248 Member
      Besides the health benefits...

      I exercise so I can eat more.
      I exercise so I can eat cake.
      I exercise so I can drink beer.
      I exercise so I can eat ice cream.

      Seriously. Life without ice cream is a waste.

      +1
    • Posts: 2,215 Member
      Ummm, because it makes you feel better.
    • Posts: 14,517 Member
      For me it's not just to eat more, although I do like that aspect :wink:

      I exercise to help keep existing muscle mass ..... I'm over 50 and can't afford to lose any muscle. Exercise also helps me sleep better too.
    • Posts: 491 Member
      I take all your comments on board, thank you for taking the time to reply. However, they all indicate that people exercise for a variety of reasons BUT one doesn't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. Am I right in thinking this? If I have a lazy day with no exercise and am still within my calorie allowance then the lack of exercise shouldn't affect my weight loss that day?
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      Besides the health benefits...

      I exercise so I can eat more.
      I exercise so I can eat cake.
      I exercise so I can drink beer.
      I exercise so I can eat ice cream.

      Seriously. Life without ice cream is a waste.

      Love it, minus the beer. Mmmm....kahlua and cream!
    • Posts: 185 Member
      show previous quotes

      Love it, minus the beer. Mmmm....kahlua and cream!

      Great, now I want Kahlua and Cream.... Guess I'll go jogging. : (
    • Posts: 2,382
      I exercise to get medals around my neck :bigsmile:
    • Posts: 1,421 Member
      Well, if you ask your body to do work, your body usually appreciates fuel.
    • Posts: 1,090 Member
      I take all your comments on board, thank you for taking the time to reply. However, they all indicate that people exercise for a variety of reasons BUT one doesn't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. Am I right in thinking this? If I have a lazy day with no exercise and am still within my calorie allowance then the lack of exercise shouldn't affect my weight loss that day?

      It wo'nt negatively impact you if you miss a workout one day and stay within a good calorie range to either maintain or lose. Just be cautious of NEVER exercising. It you stop exercising all together and continue with a caloric deficit you will eventually begin to lose muscle.
    • Posts: 395 Member
      Besides the health benefits...

      I exercise so I can eat more.
      I exercise so I can eat cake.
      I exercise so I can drink beer.
      I exercise so I can eat ice cream.

      Seriously. Life without ice cream is a waste.

      this ^^^ :happy:
    • Posts: 3,265 Member
      show previous quotes

      Great, now I want Kahlua and Cream.... Guess I'll go jogging. : (

      Kahlua and skim milk is good too LOL
    • Posts: 902 Member
      I take all your comments on board, thank you for taking the time to reply. However, they all indicate that people exercise for a variety of reasons BUT one doesn't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. Am I right in thinking this? If I have a lazy day with no exercise and am still within my calorie allowance then the lack of exercise shouldn't affect my weight loss that day?

      Yes, you can still lose weight without exercising. It's better for your heart & metabolism if you include both nutrition & exercise though.
    • Posts: 260 Member
      exercising burns fat, typically
      it builds muscle, which also burns fat faster
      it strengthens your heart
      it helps with your energy level

      I exercise to feel good, eat more

      moving and being active is really good for you.

      if you simply eat a calorie deficit with no exercise, you will lose muscle along with fat
      basically not burning as much actual fat.

      you will reach your weight goal but lose a lot of strength, toning, and generally feel low energy.
    • Posts: 1,067 Member
      Exercise helps remove the fat mixed in with your muscle, so exercise makes your muscles leaner and better at burning fat.
    • Posts: 1,923 Member
      No, you don't have to exercise to lose weight. I lost my first 25 of 35 by just watching what went in my pie whole. But, progress slowed down and I really wanted to just be done with it so I added in cardio (walking) at first then some light weights and saw changes in my body that just diet woudn't have done.
    • Posts: 341
      I exercise so I can stay married! Apparently I can be quite irritatable when I miss a workout.:smile:

      Good one.

      I exercise for mental health reasons! :smile:
    • Posts: 3,330 Member
      I take all your comments on board, thank you for taking the time to reply. However, they all indicate that people exercise for a variety of reasons BUT one doesn't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. Am I right in thinking this? If I have a lazy day with no exercise and am still within my calorie allowance then the lack of exercise shouldn't affect my weight loss that day?

      Correct. If you eat within your calories, you can lose weight without exercising. In fact, that is how MFP is set up. That is why I like MFP because sometimes life gets in the way and I miss a workout. Injury, trips, emergencies, or any sort of thing can get in the way. So, I like to know my calories in case I can't get that workout in.

      That said, exercise is important to overall improved health.
    • Posts: 21,219 Member
      I exercise to build some guns to go with my little black dress.
    • Posts: 9,248 Member
      I take all your comments on board, thank you for taking the time to reply. However, they all indicate that people exercise for a variety of reasons BUT one doesn't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. Am I right in thinking this? If I have a lazy day with no exercise and am still within my calorie allowance then the lack of exercise shouldn't affect my weight loss that day?

      Lots of people have successfully lost weigh through calorie restriction alone in fact there are quite a number of articles around that suggest that exercise, in and of itself, has a fairly small impact on weight loss. Typically people who exercise more will, naturally, be hungrier and eat back a significant portion of their exercise calories, it's the other health improvements arising from exercise that are the real benefit and, if you're lifting weights and increasing lean muscle mass you have the added bump in BMR as muscle is more metabolically "expensive" than fat.
    • Posts: 74 Member
      I try not to eat back all exercise calories. When I do - I don't lose. :( I try to only eat back 1/2. That way I'm still keeping a caloric deficit.
    • Posts: 89 Member
      I exercise so I can stay married! Apparently I can be quite irritatable when I miss a workout.:smile:


      same with me. one day of missing a workout and my boyfriend does not want to have to deal with me....
    • Posts: 1,090 Member
      Exercise helps remove the fat mixed in with your muscle, so exercise makes your muscles leaner and better at burning fat.

      Not sure if you just said that in an odd way but... fat isnt' "mixed in" to muscle...
    • Posts: 97
      I think some people seem to lose better with exercise, some not.

      for me, a half hour brisk walk each day seems to do wonders in controlling my appetite. But last year when I was regularly running 4 miles 5 days a week, I hit the mother of all weight loss plateaus. I started getting ravenous, too.

      So at the moment I'm trying an experiment where I walk every day (about 30mins - 1 hour) and do 3 sessions of HIIT each week. It's a shame because I love the running.

      You definitely have to try it out and see what works for you.
    • Posts: 751 Member
      I take all your comments on board, thank you for taking the time to reply. However, they all indicate that people exercise for a variety of reasons BUT one doesn't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. Am I right in thinking this? If I have a lazy day with no exercise and am still within my calorie allowance then the lack of exercise shouldn't affect my weight loss that day?

      No you do not have to exercise in order to lose weight. Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is the main component. However, exercising is an added benefit to this process.

      Think about it this way: Is it easier to walk uphill carrying a 20 pound backpack or without it? Simple answer: Without it. You will still make it there, but at a slower pace than without regular exercise.
    • Posts: 245 Member
      i watch what i eat to lose weight and look good with my clothes ON

      i exercise so that i look good with my clothes OFF :laugh:
    • Posts: 414 Member
      You will lose weight if calories in < calories out, but exercise builds muscle and having more muscle means that you will burn more calories when you aren't doing anything.
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