[Beach Patrol]

I've exercised on/off since school days. Recess in grade school, the PE class from 6th-12th grades, then I discovered weight lifting in college, got heavily into swimming since I was a lifeguard, and hiking since my at-the-time boyfriend did a lot of that.

I think exercise definitely CAN create a type of calorie deficit, but I still say you cannot out-exercise bad eating habits. After all, I was a very chubby kid until I reached age 12, and I played outside all the time... riding my bike, climbing trees, etc. So obviously all that "physical activity" didn't prevent me from being chubby little me.

But during college, weight lifting, swimming, going out to the clubs & dancing every weekend for hours - and I ate like CRAP (like college students often do!) with all the Taco Bell & fast food & mac & cheese & Chef Boy-R-D ravioli... still, 115-120 lb and quite healthy, TYVM.

During my mid 20's/early 30's is when I really started gaining weight & yo-yo dieting. I could exercise (walking or gym/weight lifting) and lose 5 or so pounds, but it was dieting that took off the most weight. And even when I continued exercising, if I started binge-eating again (which I did, time & time again) then I gained weight.

For some people, exercise is key. They cannot lose weight without it. For others, exercise is not key, they can diet & lose weight & be peachy keen with that.

I personally think it's best to USE DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS and EXERCISE FOR FITNESS. Also - quite personally! - I do a weight lifting routine about 2x a week that is only 20 minutes. That's because I incorporate two exercises in one, such as doing squats while simultaneously doing arm curls, so it takes me less time to complete but I still get upper & lower body benefits.

During this crazy*** hot summer (& living in the extreme south) I enjoy a good swim, usually 30-45 minutes, sometimes an hour, depends on my mood (& whether or not there's a storm going on, LOL). I do not walk. It's just too damn hot FOR ME. When the weather is more agreeable, I do walk. And bike. But 3x a week is about all I care for. I'm not trying to win any contests here, not trying to be "Miss Exercise, USA" Just trying to feel my best, look my best, be "MY" best. Not anyone else's best.

Health benefits? You betcha! - my joints are moving better, I'm able to go up/down the stairs multiple times without breathing hard, and I can lift many things that some women claim they need a man for!

We're all here for support... advice... ideas... suggestions... shoulders.

And some people need to get off their soap box thinking "their way is the only way to do it right." And that's all I have to say about that.

[ChickieChicks]

I realize any energy output will burn calories, but FOR ME, it works to not "count" my excercise. It's more important to me that I just plain do it....whatever it is. Lots of excercise variety, as much as possible without feeling crazed about it.

Cut food calories to lose weight. Excercise to lose inches. I TOTALLY believe in this, b/c by excercising, I fit into a smaller size now than I ever did before at this weight! You can weigh more and be thinner.

[FitGirlyGirl]

It is a very personal thing. Right now I am working out at some pretty intense levels (I do weights 3 times a week, zumba for at least 3 hours each week, I occasionally add in some other cardio, and am also currently doing P90X). I am not doing it to lose weight, I am doing it to be strong. Do I think it helps me lose weight? Yes. I do not think I would lose much, if anything, if I did not work out at all. That comes from a combination of things for me. I am good at not eating back the calories I burn. I burn A LOT of calories (I used to wear a body bugg and I know that on a really sedentary day, like sick in bed days, I burned around 1900, and I burned over 4,000 on some of my workout days). Exercising helps keep my mood up and helps to motivate me to eat properly. If I just spent 2 hours at the gym there is no way in the world I am going to eat a large greasy pizza. One good choice leads to another.

Yes, there are days that I spend 3 hours working out. Do I think that is an addiction? No, not in my case, but I do think that it can happen. Do I think that someone else's efforts are somehow less than mine if they spend 20 minutes or less each day? No! When I first started a 10 minute walk was a big deal for me. I would hate to see someone with no serious reason to not be able to workout whose final goal was something like 10 minutes, but if 10 minutes is where they are now then it is still better than none. They will never get to their final goals if they don't do what they can when they can. To tell them that their efforts are meaningless just because they do not fit someone else's ideal is both seriously wrong and disgustingly cruel.

[HappilyMe]

There are definitely benefits to exercising, even just when it's just for 5 minutes a day. I think it also matters what you are doing during those short workouts.

Yes, you can burn 100 calories while doing cardio and reverse that burn with a small snack. You can also burn 100 calories by weight training but no snack is going to instantly reverse the good you've done during the workout such as enhancing muscle tone, strength and endurance, increasing metabolic efficiency and replacing fat with muscle.
This is probably why when you enter a gym its easy to tell who does mostly cardio and who is lifting weights or completing toning exercises.

Originally Posted by ChickieChicks

Cut food calories to lose weight. Exercise to lose inches.I TOTALLY believe in this, b/c by exercising, I fit into a smaller size now than I ever did before at this weight! You can weigh more and be thinner.

So true! This summer I decided to construct my workouts with 80% strength training and 20% cardio. I am down several sizes however, I've gained 8-9lbs! I now care less about the scale and more about how I look and feel. I've had more success focusing on effective workouts than I've had with any diet-related plan.

The main thing is everyone's body is different so also I think it's a little ignorant to say that someone can only lose weight or get into shape by doing xyz. For me, I strength train (only for 15-30 minutes, 4-5 days a week btw) so I can have more freedom with my food choices. That might work for some and might not work for others. It's all individual!