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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsExercise doesn't really aid weight loss and sometimes makes it harder, science concludes
If you want to be healthy, you should exercise. But exercising probably isn't going to help you lose weight as much as you think it will.
This slap in the face of our long-held beliefs about health comes from medical science. Vox's Julia Belluz and Javier Zarracina read through more than 50 studies on the topic and have summarized their research in a valuable report.
The core issue is that our "basal metabolic rate" -- the energy that keeps our bodies functioning when at rest -- "accounts for 60 to 80 percent of total energy expenditure."
Writes Vox:
That leaves only 10 to 30 percent for physical activity, of which exercise is only a subset.
The implication here is that while your food intake accounts for 100 percent of the energy that goes into your body, exercise only burns off 10 to 30 percent of it. That's a pretty big discrepancy, and definitely means that erasing all your dietary transgressions at the gym is a lot harder than the peddlers of gym memberships make it seem.
This problem is compounded by the fact that when you exercise more, you tend to eat more. So, in a way, exercising can lead you to gain weight.
For all the details about the science and what it means, check out Belluz and Zarracina's blog, Show Me the Evidence.
To be clear, none of this means you should forgo an exercise routine. Being physically active offers innumerable benefits, from preventing cancer to improving mood. It just might not be a huge help when it comes to weight loss.
...................
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2016/06/exercise_doesnt_really_aid_wei.html#incart_river_home
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madville
(7,413 posts)Been managing some high-stress projects at work, eating 3000-4000 calories a day of catered or restaurant food, 5-6 cups of coffee, and no time to exercise. I'm 5'10" and have dropped from 175 to 164 during that time, I had to poke an extra hole in my favorite belt lol.
whistler162
(11,155 posts)especially yhe GD-2016 forum. You will be as skinny as Twiggy was in no time.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)
Bucky
(54,094 posts)Logical
(22,457 posts)workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)Dump the carbs (sugar) and your ravenous appetite will disappear after a short time.
Logical
(22,457 posts)
EllieBC
(3,052 posts)who were raised hearing fat is evil. Butter bad. Eggs? Enjoy your heart attack. Any meat besides chicken breast? Are you crazy??? But here...eat these fat free cookies, far free salad dressing, all loaded with sugar.
Logical
(22,457 posts)EllieBC
(3,052 posts)Which worked out well for the sugar and corn industry. Not so well for our health.
Gabi Hayes
(28,795 posts)B2G
(9,766 posts)when making sweeping statements, it helps to provide at least one or more examples....preferably that don't come from Brent Bozell or world nut daily
thx
B2G
(9,766 posts)
VOX
(22,976 posts)Vox "news" didn't exist when I changed my DU handle from krazykat back in 2007. I meant to reference vintage Vox amplifiers circa 1965. Now I feel like I'm wearing a sandwich board for mediocrity. 
VOX
(22,976 posts)
bighart
(1,565 posts)and I love it!
VOX
(22,976 posts)In addition to a wealth of tones on their overall "palette." I have three Vox amps...love 'em!
A Vox VT120+ and a Marshall half stack.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)ErikJ
(6,335 posts)
melman
(7,681 posts)I know from personal experience that exercise absolutely does aid in weight loss.
George Eliot
(701 posts)That simple act. I always thought it boosted metabolism. But I know it works.
Avalon Sparks
(2,569 posts)For me exercise kills my appetite for hours, if I do cardio around 6 or 7pm I'm not hungry the rest of the night and I don't eat. Even just a half hour 3 times a week and I'm losing a pound or so a week.... Also it's easier for me to turn down sweets because I don't want to diminish all that effort. So really it's not the actual exercise, but more the way it impacts my appetite and the fact I hate it so much, so, so much....that i just am not even tempted to counter act with junk food indulging while I'm consistently doing it because I'd be so pissed at myself for essentially putting in all that effort and then defeating the purpose.... With this method I basically can eat what I want without feeling like its a diet, and it seems it's the exercise that sets a natural weight loss path in motion without any added effort or restrictions .....
That's me though.... I know others who are super hungry afterwards and eat up all the calories they just burned...lol and although it may keep them from gaining weight, they never lose weight.
However I hate, hate, hate to exercise, as I mentioned, so when I want to lose I stick to about 30 carbs a day and I lose about two pounds a week, or really about 8-10 pounds a month, however there is no going on a week and off a week, I have to stick to it faithfully each month, no cheating period...
Again that's just me....I prefer the low carb way, because I hate to exercise so much. I also realize that if I implemented both weight would fall off...lol. I've done it a few times....but when it comes off that fast I gain it back fast.
I always gain it back....from my understanding almost everyone does. Yo yo ....some months or stretches of months I'm on board and others it's a free for all. It took me years to realize what works best for me, but even knowing that still have my phases of fuk it all mindset. I don't beat myself up over it, it is what it is....
adigal
(7,581 posts)Twelve years ago, I quit smoking and gained 40 pounds at my worst. At that weight I trained for, and completed, an Olympic Distance triathlon. (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 10k run.) my training was long, slow distance and I lost zero pounds. Two years ago, I trained for a 10 mile run and was running 3 times a week, with my long run 8 to 10 miles. I did lose about 10 pounds, but put it right back on when I stopped the long run.
The way to lose weight? Restrict carbs. I'm down 20 pounds in 2 months on the Ideal Protein diet and I KNOW if I want to keep it off, I can't eat pasta and bread at dinner, French fries at lunch, prepackaged foods, etc. I need to watch my carbs. I'm 54 and female - and I can't eat the way I did at 25. I despaired of ever losing the weight, but something got disgusted in me, and I'm sticking with it this time,
I'm going to France next week, and plan to eat my croissants, but also eat clean and green. This way of eating makes me feel so much better!!!
gollygee
(22,336 posts)You have to eat well. But, like the story said, you can get other health benefits. Also, I find after I've exercised I am motivated to make better food choices.
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)I saw this utube of this couple that are fruitarians and they are acrobats. Looks good.
VOX
(22,976 posts)This may be in part psychological...say you've worked out hard for an hour, really hit it on all cylinders. Later on, you're more inclined to, say, skip dessert -- as in, "I just busted my ass at the gym, and I'm not going to flush all that effort down the drain over one slice of pie."
Silver_Witch
(1,820 posts)VOX
(22,976 posts)Taller people have a higher BMR. Thus, a 6'5" man can create a calorie deficit and not feel too deprived. A 5'2" woman, however, does not have as high a "ceiling" with her BMR...and most any calorie deficit will be felt.
Exercise alone might knock out 5-7 lbs. if you keep eating as before. Exercise & portion control will bring good results, however.
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)It's physics.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Cardio exercise burns about 200 calories in 30 minutes which is about 1 glazed donut and the vast majority of people aren't even going to do that much. You will burn about 2,000 calories per day just laying on the couch.
So the calories in, calories out thing is much easier on the calories in side. To make a significant difference on the calories out side you have to do a shitload of exercise.
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)If you just drink water and lower your food intake you will certainly lose weight.
One thing that I did really poorly when losing weight was to lower my caloric intake with food but I still drank iced tea with a cup or two of sugar. Working out I wound up drinking two gallons a day. I didn't even factor it in to my calculations and turns out sugar is a nightmare for fat storage, causing you to immediately burn the sugar while storing what's left as fat.
It's what I get for being a southern boy. But I still drink sweet tea, only it uses a pinch of raw sucralose instead of two cups of sugar.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)I went to a restaurant in Maine last year and the servers looked at me like I was nuts when I told them I wanted unsweet tea. Evidently you can't get it without sugar in the whole state or something.
EllieBC
(3,052 posts)Iced tea is always sweetened here. I hate it.
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)But everyone in my household loves it sweet, and I admit, I can down a glass of super iced sweetened tea in no time. So I switched to sucralose. I find it indistinguishable from sugar after adapting to it for a bit (it tastes slightly chemically if you ever get the Pepsi One or whatever, but I literally and am not exaggerating here, cannot tell at this point and yes I did a blind taste test of my own making with my brother mixing up the tea I made). After about 30 years of a half of cup of sugar or more a day, I have been sugar free for 4-5 years. And weight moderation has been trivial.
I can almost eat anything I want without gaining weight.
adigal
(7,581 posts)I'm really, really enjoying them!!!
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)Just be careful to watch for the sugar intake.
Logical
(22,457 posts)joshcryer
(62,287 posts)It you live on one double cheeseburger and a diet coke every day. But it's still a matter of physics.
Avalon Sparks
(2,569 posts)Too many other factors, it's not that simple for everyone.
My own personal experience through periods of diligent tracking is I can eat limitless amounts of calories, which for me can equal 4000 plus a day as long as I stick with a low carb/ high fat plan. Lots of calories in fat heavy food.... Sticking to that plan faithfully drops about 8 to 10 pounds off a month.
On a high carb low fat diet, anything over about 1200 calories I'm gaining, to lose I've got to stick to less then 1,000 calories a day, faithfully....and the weight loss is about 5 pounds a month.
I know this is antidotal, but there are many others on low carb forums that report the exact same findings. I also know I tracked every bite and calorie diligently. I got to one point on low carb where I tried to get as high of calorie count as possible while staying under 30 carbs just to see how high I could go....never reached a point where I stopped losing, no matter how many calories I ate.
Everyone is different..... Over a hundred carbs a day for me has me gaining weight, no matter how low of calories I've eaten. It's because I make too much insulin to prevent those carbs from raising my blood sugar too high....and too much insulin will sabatage any effort at weight loss, and turn just about everything you eat to stored fat.
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)Gram for gram fat is probably more satiating (fulfilling) than pure sugars (which by definition are fat free). But if there's any damn (processed) sugar in your diet at all, period, you're defeating the purpose. Cut sugar out completely and utterly (unless in fruits as a snack) and fill yourself with fiber vegetables, you will be guaranteed to lose.
Here's my suggestion because I'm fixing to pass out: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Live-Amazing-Nutrient-Rich-Sustained/dp/031612091X
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)Reward themselves for it with a big venti latte with whipped cream and chocolate shavings that has huge amounts of sugar and calories
Or maybe chug a big Gatorade (sugar water) and wipe out the hard work they just got done doing.
It takes something like an hour of running to burn off one coke so its far better not to drink it in the first place.
JI7
(89,289 posts)this includes those that may seem healthy like fruit smoothies.
it's probably better to just have a small scoop or regular ice cream than many of those drinks.
Wounded Bear
(58,783 posts)Muscle tissue is denser and weighs more than fat does, volume being equal. 
But yeah, excercise is a good thing regardless of it's effect on overall body weight. Muscle tissue is, mostly, healthier than fat tissue.
Still In Wisconsin
(4,450 posts)I usually GAIN a couple of pounds when I get into race shape.
JI7
(89,289 posts)in the sense of going to a gym regularly.
if people can just move more and eat better that could help.
Still In Wisconsin
(4,450 posts)Americans get way, way too many.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Regular cardio does a lot of very good things like increasing stamina and lowering blood pressure.
JI7
(89,289 posts)or does it have to be more intense ?
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)You can do that with just about any strenuous physical activity, including walking.
The more out of shape you are, the less effort is required to reach the cardio zone because your resting heart beat will already be higher than if you were in shape.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Target-Heart-Rates_UCM_434341_Article.jsp
frankieallen
(583 posts)Excercise alone will not cause you too lose weight.
Duh!
Wow, fascinating observation.
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)I used to watch his 10 yrs ago occasionally then when I caught him last year on TV he looked bloated and red faced (high blood pressure?).
So I tweeted him this in a more tactful way and he tweeted me back angrily saying he runs 10 miles a day and his face was red from being in the sun all the time.
So I tweeted him back saying that runners sometimes drop dead from heart attack while running.
I think too many people think they can run and eat as much or anything they want as long as they burn the calories running or whatever.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)When I run for exercise, I lose weight in droves. When I swim, I don't lose weight. Running heats up the body more, causes more sweating, making you thirsty. That suppresses hunger and if you fill up on zero calorie drinks like me, you lose weight.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)If you do a shitload of cardio, it actually takes some degree of effort to make sure you eat enough just to maintain your weight.
During the Tour de France, athletes tend to lose weight despite eating tens of thousands of calories per day.
mythology
(9,527 posts)Obviously if you eat a high percentage of junk food, when you burn a bunch of calories exercising, you are going to replenish those burned calories with more junk food. It also doesn't help that people generally overestimate how many calories exercise burns and how many they eat.
I suspect that if you did that same study but controlled for diet, you would find that people who exercised and ate a healthier diet would lose more weight than those who exercised and ate a less healthy diet.
flvegan
(64,426 posts)Fuck off.
flvegan
(64,426 posts)Links are cheap. Buy in. Keep in mind that what you just supported with you links was that exercise doesn't aid weight loss.
Go.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)It's generally morons who ignore science, btw. Not the other way around.
MFM008
(19,836 posts)And try to stay moving at least 30 minutes a day
. Nothing strenuous it givese panic attacks.
nolabels
(13,133 posts)Okay, thinking about it again, maybe some of that extra fat would look good in few places 
Yavin4
(35,455 posts)If it's mostly cardio, you will lose weight if you maintain a low carb/no sugar diet.
eShirl
(18,509 posts)Build Muscle
Your body constantly burns calories, even when you're doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily. That small difference can add up over time. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-boost-your-metabolism
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Running has been my passion for years, along with other sports.
I've never been fat, but when sidelined with an injury (not running related), I always put on a few pounds.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)There are dozens of them that span decades which tell the same story. This is not something that should come as a big surprise to anyone. The reason it does is because the general public has been led to believe exercise is the panacea to weight loss, when the reality is that diet has a much bigger influence.
They aren't talking about people who are of a normal weight who cease exercise and pack on pounds. They are talking about people who are obese and are trying to lose weight. Many of these people will actually gain weight or see no benefit after starting exercise because they are compensating by reducing other activities and/or increasing their caloric intake. This has been proven by numerous animal and people studies. This isn't something to help lazy people feel better. It's valuable information those who want to lose weight need to be aware.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)But I know overweight people who love to cite studies like this. Exercise is imperative to health.
Our bodies were meant for movement.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)A sedentary lifestyle leads to all sorts of health problems. Even if someone is overweight and they aren't losing weight, staying active is still very important.
lindysalsagal
(20,793 posts)Calories in calories out isn't true: I lose weight eating bacon and cheese, which is 1000's of calories. Also, hormones effect weight loss more than calories.
But if I start on wheat or sugar, look out: I can never get enough! I'm a wheat/sugar holic. I'm happier if I never go near them.
bullwinkle428
(20,631 posts)laying on the couch watching Netflix strikes me as incredibly irresponsible. 
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH...I know there's a disclaimer at the end, but lots of people will take away the "LAZINESS RULZ" message.
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)"Science concludes"? Science is a tool, not an agent. It's like saying, "C major follows A minor, guitar concludes."
MillennialDem
(2,367 posts)tors / word of mouth about gross calories burned.
Example: If you're 200 pounds (half this if you're 100 pounds, multiply it be 1.5 if you're 300 pounds) you only burn about 120 NET calories per mile that you run and only about 60 NET calories per mile that you walk, but you GROSS burn 151 calories either way.
What this means is the 151 calories only represents the total burned, but you would have burned calories lying in bed not moving. The 120 and 60 calories are what you burned over lying in bed not moving. It gets even worse because sitting at the computer or watching TV drops the net calories even lower.
Not to say exercise is bad for you and that you shouldn't do it (you absolutely should. it's better to be slightly overweight and exercise than it is to be normal weight and not exercise). It gets even worse when people think their job helps them burn calories. Unless you're a lumberjack or something else crazy, it really doesn't. For example, someone who sits at a computer all day, gets up and runs 5 miles burns more calories than someone who works a typical construction job for 8 hours then doesn't exercise.
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)The rest is used by the body for resting metabolic maintenance. But I would add that increasing muscle mass does increase the metabolic rate a bit to raise calories burned while at rest.
Writes Vox:
That leaves only 10 to 30 percent for physical activity, of which exercise is only a subset.
The implication here is that while your food intake accounts for 100 percent of the energy that goes into your body, exercise only burns off 10 to 30 percent of it. That's a pretty big discrepancy, and definitely means that erasing all your dietary transgressions at the gym is a lot harder than the peddlers of gym memberships make it seem.
