Is the key to weight loss exercise or eating less?
Written by admin on September 8, 2009 – 10:50 am -Jim and I read this Time article at about the same time:
Why exercise won’t make you thin
(A friend on Facebook pointed me to it.) The article suggests that exercise has comparatively little to do with weight loss. What does make the difference is simply eating less. The calorie-burning effect of exercise is marginalized or negated by a few things:
- Replacing 10 pounds of fat with muscle only results in an extra 40 calories per day burned.
- Exercising doesn’t burn as many calories as you might think.
- People tend to eat more than they should after exercise, and there are a number of reason why they do.
The article does not state that exercise is unimportant. There are other health benefits to exercise, such as enhanced cognitive ability and cardiovascular health.
Just don’t expect to get skinny without eating less, too.
Related Posts -
One ounce at a time Someone passed on a copy of Fred Brooks' software classic The Mythical Man-Month to me. The introductory page to the chapter on progress tracking has this question and answer: Question: How does a large software project get to be one year late? Answer: One day at a time. Small slippages...... - Got a perfect score on Wii Fit Soccer Ball Heading I just about scared the collar off of one of my dogs when I yelled "YEEEAAAHHHHH!" at the top of my lungs, though. Five hundred fifty-five points on beginner level. The advanced level is still eating me for lunch. I cracked 300 points once and most of my other tries......
- My biggest health or fitness vice Nickel at Fit36 tagged me to post on my biggest health or fitness vice. I just plurked on this: I love beer, but beer doesn't love me back. Beer might have some health benefits but for the most part it's empty calories, and any health benefits I might have gotten......
- It's my own fault that I'm fat A report issued this past Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America's Health blamed a bunch of things for the rising obesity rate in thirty-seven states, including: Federal, state, and local governments School cafeteria meal planners Long commutes Longer work hours Exclusion of obesity treatment from......
Related Websites -
What is "Natural Weight Loss" Exactly? Do you understand the concept of natural weight loss? If you want to promote successful, long term and permanent weight loss, then you need to employ natural weight loss efforts rather than turning to other methods for losing the extra weight. Natural weight loss is weight loss facilitated by eating...... -
Why Wait for That "Ideal" Weight? One of my goals has been to eat for health and not solely for looks. I must have forgotten this important goal because the other day I was being too critical of the way my body looked - a little bit of tummy pooch; thighs not exactly rock solid. I'm...... -
Review: 5 Day Fit Weight Loss DVD 5 day Fit Weight loss is a new DVD from Gaiam that provides 5 different 30 minute fat burning workouts, offering you variety to your exercise regime. The DVD introduces you to Budokon, yoga, dance, walking and cardiosculpting led by fitness experts who provide challenging workouts to help you tone...... - Weekend Reads: the General Motors vs. Government Motors Edition Several broken promises and a few billion dollars later, it appears that General Motors (aka - Government Motors) will finally file for bankruptcy. Instead of going the way of the Dodo Bird, GM will continue to hang around like a gangrenous limb. [Email and RSS Readers please click to article......
Posted in Cardio, Eating Right | 1 Comment »
By Max on Nov 9, 2009 | Reply
I read the article, and I believe its conclusions entirely. I know very, very few people who lost weight only by doing more exercise, a number of people who lost it by dieting and a surprisingly high number of people who did not lose weight after changing lifestyles and doing more exercise.
In my mind, the key factor here is that exercise does not burn a lot of calories. Let’s say a 200 pound person does 30 minutes of exercise does 30 minutes of moderate exercise on a stationary bike. He would burn 318 calories. Had he been sitting and doing some light office work, he would have burned 68 calories. He managed to burn 250 calories more than otherwise.
The problem is, a Snickers bar has 271 calories.
So there are two ways to reduce your calorie count by 250 calories a day: a 30-minute cycling routine and not eating the Snickers bar (I know there are more, but I am simplifying). Which is easier to do? Which is more realistic in the long run? Cutting back on food is probably more effective than doing more exercise.
There is one thing I will criticize in the article, though: “Replacing 10 pounds of fat with muscle only results in an extra 40 calories per day burned.”
The fine print here is very important: this is only true if one does not move the muscles. Muscle burns a lot more calories than fat when the muscle is at work. And this, I think, is the key to the weight loss in people that exercise: in my experience, people that lose wight tend to be those who increased muscle mass.
In your experience, does this sound about right?