80% Diet - 20% Excersize
 

Hi Everyone,

I read this topic on some other sites.
Most people seem to agree that its harder to burn he calories then just take fewer calories in, and excersize is for toning the body.

Whats your opninion and experience?

I agree with that statement completely. Though I might edit it to 90% and 10% for my body. For me to burn 500 calories exercising it takes close to 2 hours on the treadmill or elliptical. It is a lot easier for me to cut 500-1000 cals per day than to workout everyday even for 1 hr let alone 2.

I still do work out 4-5 days a week for 30-45 min of cardio and typically twice a week strength training. It gives me a nice boost to the calories but I do it for my health and for toning.

Most people would disagree, but it’s more 50-50 for me. If I didn’t exercise, I wouldn’t burn enough to eat the amount of food I want; the amount of food that keeps me sane, while still losing weight.

I could lower my calories to 1200, not exercise at all and lose weight - but I would be miserable 24/7.

I definitely think the 80% diet 20% exercise is a good ratio for losing weight.

It is easier to create a 500 calorie deficit by eating less than it is by exercising more. Many people, myself included, over-estimate how many calories we actually burn while exercising. Those exercise machines at the gym? That estimated calories burned is a myth (and one I think they won't try to fix...after all, if the machine tells you that you burned 700 calories, and you go eat a 700 calorie cheeseburger, you're eating more calories than you really burned, which keeps them in business cause you'll keep coming back to use the machine). I walked close to 3 miles yesterday (measured by a pedometer), and only burned a little over 200 calories.

Exercise will help create a bigger deficit, plus also help tone muscle to give you a better looking body (and muscle burns more calories than fat in a rested state). But it's harder to get that bigger deficit to lose weight by exercise alone.

After losing the weight and reaching maintenance, however, I feel like exercise is one of the more important steps to keeping that weight off. Staying active helps keep us focused on our health, gives us a cushion of calories that we can use to indulge every once in a while, etc.

This is all my opinion/experience, of course :) I have watched a few documentaries, and read a few articles that talk about the same things. One of my favorites is part two of The Weight of the Nation (the "episode" is named choices, which I linked in case you're interested). to me, the information makes sense. I'm sure there are others out there who may disagree or who have other viewpoints and experiences, but this one works for me :)

Exercise is great for toning the body and also for keeping us healthy in 'invisible' ways... joints, blood pressure, heart and brain health, stress management & mental health, and probably thousands of other benefits we're not privy to.

Exercise is also great for injury prevention; as I understand it, fit and flexible bodies are less likely to sustain injury, and are probably more likely to bounce back from certain injuries faster than their sedentary and out-of-shape counterparts.

In terms of weight loss, I am inclined to give more credence to a diet deficit than calorie burning through exercise, if for no other reason than measuring diet calories seems more accurate than estimating calories burned through exercise.

However, in my opinion you get the most bang for your buck with weight loss when you combine 5 key factors:

1. Diet
2. Exercise
3. Hydration
4. Sleep
5. Stress management (including social life, recreation, sex, etc.)

For losing weight it is definitely true. The first 35 pounds I lost were 100% diet and 0% exercise, mainly because I am lazy.

However I realized that even 35 pounds lighter (and now 40) I was still out of shape. My main goal for losing weight was to get fit so my 100% diet regime wasn't going to cut it.

Since I've added in exercise- 4 months, I've barely lost 5 pounds, however I am in much better shape than I was in. And at the moment that's a trade off I'll take.

"Weight loss is done in the kitchen, fitness is done in your sneakers."

Someone around here once said that "abs are made in the kitchen" and I truly believe that. I'm fully cognizant that the only way I can lose weight is by being mindful of my diet. However, exercise makes me feel good, it makes me feel strong, it makes me feel healthy, and it makes me feel motivated to continue a good diet. Without it I don't feel like I'm losing weight at all.

I'm short so I'm the opposite. Still count calories but don't have enough base calories to make a significant reduction in calories to make a big difference in weight loss. Guaranteed 90% of my weight loss was exercise and additional mindful movements throughout the day.

I think this is totally true. Exercise can easily put people in a mental state that they can eat what they want. You go on the elliptical for a half hour and do some abs and your burn, what...300 calories? Even though it feels like you've done enough exercise to earn yourself a big, juicy desert, you haven't necessarily. However, I totally think exercise is mega important! It raises your metabolism, helps you burn more calories as you develop more muscle, and improves your health in the long run. Just remember to keep things in check!

Just because we exercise doesn't mean we eat all the food we want. As indicated above I've lost almost all my weight by exercise. I keep my calories in range though 1200 to 1500 max. Would say my highest calorie count in the past year was 1800. But that's not really a diet that would be normal eating for me.

Yeah I think that excercise puts me in a place where I feel I deserve more calories and I dont feel I was losing as much weight as I should be for working out so hard and it would make me angry for all the effort I put in.

Anyway that was before my gym membership expired, I have a good routine these days though. I eat 1000-1400 calories a day, varying throughout the week, weekends can be quite different...a few more I guess!
Depending on how indulgent I am.
For exercise, I just walk my dog for an hour and I try to do it everyday.