Point of exercise?

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24

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  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,280 Member
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    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.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I exercise to build some guns to go with my little black dress.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    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.
  • huizenm
    huizenm Posts: 74 Member
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    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.
  • laurenk08
    laurenk08 Posts: 89 Member
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    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....
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    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...
  • selfishshellfish
    selfishshellfish Posts: 97
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    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.
  • Emancipated_Tai
    Emancipated_Tai Posts: 756 Member
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    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.
  • kris4chloe
    kris4chloe Posts: 245 Member
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    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:
  • amyhoss
    amyhoss Posts: 414 Member
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    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.
  • Grandysl
    Grandysl Posts: 189
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    Becasue the Army tells me to!!!!!!
  • LauraSmyth28
    LauraSmyth28 Posts: 399 Member
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    I exercise for my mental health too, I feel ready to come off my anti-depressants soon and this is all down to regular exercise.
    It just helps with my sleep and my mood so so much. If I have a rest day I always feel sluggish and snap at my fiance more.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    If I go into my exercise calories, it is usually by 50 or 100, sometimes (such as today) I have not eaten any of them back - there is 547 for them there, for the taking, sitting in my diary, I'll leave them because I am not hungry.

    Regarding the point of exercise, I do running because I enjoy it and it keeps me fit. If I only did running to lose weight, I would stop once I had reached my goal - that is a downward spiral.
  • IAmFranciscoB
    IAmFranciscoB Posts: 125
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    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?

    You don't have to exercise to lose weight and well balanced diet will do just that. I know plenty of people who just don't have the time to work out so they diet PROPERLY.

    Exercising makes everything easier day to day. Walking around at work, doing errands, and just living in general. You will notice how much more energy you have when you add in regular exercise.
  • jjelizalde
    jjelizalde Posts: 377 Member
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    Burns fat, tones the skin, makes you feel great!
  • sassydebbie67
    sassydebbie67 Posts: 76
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    I exercise so I can stay married! Apparently I can be quite irritatable when I miss a workout.:smile:

    Lol:laugh: I guess thats also why i workout...
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
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    There is a point where you can't exercise enough to eat whatever you want. If you over exercise (doing chronic amounts of cardio), your appetite will eventually catch up and you will overeat.

    I limit my cardio to 45 mins/day most days...otherwise I end up binging. I had a nasty experience in the past over-exercising and becoming bulimic, but eventually balanced things out.

    You can't out exercise a bad diet or even a good diet with bad/high portions
  • drmryder
    drmryder Posts: 181 Member
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    Do you have to exercise to lose weight, technically no you do not. You will lose faster if you exercise. Your body will be in better shape if you exercise. Weight loss without some form of moving of your muscle will cause the weight to be lost from your muscles first and then your fat with the possible results being a skinny, flabby shape. Exercise will point your body to the fat first.

    As for eating your exercise calories. The base that is listed is basically what you need to live on. If you exercise, you need to eat at least some of that back. Now the calories that is listed, I'm sure wasn't anything like what you ate before getting on the road to health.

    I think every person is a ltitle different in the way their bodies react to calorie deficeit. Eat under your calorie mark and if you start to feel tired and sluggish, then add to the calorie count. Do not go over the max amount. Play with the numbers for awhile and find your happy place. I was undereating my calories and lost maybe 5 pounds. I started eating all the calories allotted to me and I lost weight faster without feeling tired. Weight Watchers teachs the same thing.
  • FitnessDynasty
    FitnessDynasty Posts: 62
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    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!!!

    When you exercise you increase your metabolism to help burn off those unwanted pounds and to tone those muscles. Doing a low weight-high repetition work out will help keep your metabolism up and burning (that is what I'm doing right now). Even though there are those days you don't want to eat (I'm having one of those today) still even 20 minutes of exercise will help keep your metabolism going.
  • sa11yjane
    sa11yjane Posts: 491 Member
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    I do exercise every day by doing at least 30 mins on my bike and I also try to do a 30-60 min walk at least 4 days a week but sometimes feel panicky if I genuinely can't fit in the walk which is why I posted my comment. Thank you so much for all your comments x

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