Podcast: The Exercise Myth for Weight Loss

You can’t outrun a bad diet. This episode features audio from:
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[anthonycastagnola]

A very simplified example of support: if you burn off 300 calories in 1 hour, and if 2 lbs of vegetables also equals 300 calories, then it goes that 1 hour of exercise will burn off 2 lbs of vegetables. If you replace the veggies with 2 lbs of pastries (I'm thinking BLACK FOREST CAKE) totaling 3, 000 calories, then it could cost 10 times as much exercise to burn off in comparison. I'm down 23 lbs over the past year by reminding myself of this example and following the Doctor's Daily Dozen!

[CarrotCake]

One of the best lessons I learned in school was Sensitivity Analysis. This is a great example! Weight loss is more sensitive to what we eat than how much we exercise.

[rebeccaw]

A healthy diet gets you to a healthy weight/BMI but exercise is what gives you a good fit shape.

[Bifler]

"Excersise for your health and kitchen for your weight"

[notrueflagshere]

Of course it's diet. That's good news because it is far easier to eat fewer calories than it is to run them off.

[dou]

This reasoning is true up to a point, I did a cycling trip in italy riding 140Kms a day, though I was feasting on pizza, pasta and gelato plus some good wine I lost 5Kgs in 10days. 140Kms means 7-8Hours on the bike as Tuscany is anything but flat. Long distance cycling will make you lose weight, no question

[Bob-]

Important and powerful information! So many people have worked so hard on weight loss and wasted so many good years in the process... :(

[energyandjoy]

Would be great to know this information for weight training vs cardio, as the former builds muscles, bones, and our metabolism (many other benefits as well!). And we do need cardio/movement no matter if our aim is to lose weight or not. And as someone else mentioned, the best goal would be to gain muscle, which in the process will lose body fat (you want to lose pounds of fat, not muscle!), and also prevent osteopenia/osteoporosis and sarcopenia (muscle loss as we age, which happens if you don't do weight training of some sort). Thanks!

[chiyerano]

I would say that a good diet and good sleep and hydration are much more important than exercise alone for weight loss.

[MarkusGebhard]

they should print on the packaging of processed foods how many minutes someone with average weight would need to run in order to burn the calories that are in the food. Just reading the caloreis per 100g is too abstract for most people.

[zfm]

I'd like to know how much protein is actually necessary to build/maintain muscle mass. It seems important to keep protein to a minimum for longevity and to avoid promoting cancer, but it's not clear how much we need. Primates & other animals get huge eating nothing but plants, and some believe that plant-based diets enable muscles to be fed with nutrients better than those also consuming animal products. I get most of mine from lentils although I've pea protein powder that I can add to a smoothie.

[dudleyhardial]

Why argue about diet v exercise, do both. You can't outrun a bad diet, but a good diet and exercise will do it. I do at least two hours a day walking with a weighted vest with 15 minutes HIIT each day. I eat a vegetarian diet but stay away from ultra processed and flour products. I am 65 with Rheumatoid arthritis and shoulder impingement, so if I can do it, then any one can.

[anfinsons]

I contest the premise. While the argument presented is logical. There is a mental aspect that has nothing to do with how many calories are burned while being active. When I work out, my whole outlook for the day is changed. I have more will power, I certainly don’t eat while working out and I anecdotally eat fewer calories prior to avoid discomfort while working out, I also afterwards do not want to immediately following it want to destroy my hard work by eating unhealthily. The natural drugs released in my brain give me a euphoria that replaces alternatives like alcohol and food, and drugs. It is true not eating 200 calories is easier than working off 200 calories. But I argue it is easier to avoid these 200 when I am currently active in my life.

[sorel]

I know this isnt how everyone thinks but i honestly think if you keep yourself a bit active and hopefully enjoy what you do for that and you eat a varied diet without tons of processed stuff then i really dont care what size people are. I think theres good evidence that some people appear larger or weigh more and can still be healthy.

[davidwalton]

Running for an hour or so 3-4 times a week is the only way I have ever successfully lost weight. As long as I rehydrate properly directly after the run and just eat normally. As a middle aged, borderline obese, ex smoker (vaper now) it took a few weeks to get to the stage where I could run that much, with intermittent walking to get my heart rate back down if needed, and plenty of stretching afterwards. Just take it really really slow at first and you'll be surprised how quickly your body adapts. It's a lot more fun than calorie counting, much easier, and great for your mental health too.

[NaomiMunro]

What do yall think about Normotim for weight loss??

[starvin-marvin-the-martian]

I'd argue with the definition of "active". "Active" people I know exercise 4-5 times per week running or cycling. For someone my size, riding hard for an hour can burn 1, 000 calories.

Anecdotal of course, but when I was riding for an hour every day after work I could eat pretty much anything I wanted and lose weight.

[zfm]

What should we mean by 'weight' and 'exercise' though? We lose a lot of excess fat at first because we weigh more, then gradually lose less fat as we start to weigh less and less. That's why people get frustrated that they can't lose those last few pounds and feel tired all the time trying to do so (slowed metabolism), and start to look flabby & weak because they're losing muscle and retaining fat. The only (healthy) solution seems to be resistance training, or wearing weights while doing aerobic exercise maybe. One day they'll probably find a way to prevent muscle loss, which supposedly evolved to keep us efficient (i.e. big muscles aren't efficient so get rid if not used). Hibernating animals don't suffer the equivalent muscle loss so it's not inevitable. I realise these studies can't take all this into account, but it's worth realising that.

[Anthony-czfe]

Impressed Jack lalanne lived in great health and energy till 96. Much better than loved vegan and keto promoters who died in 70s.

[ashy]

Be mildly or moderately active during the day (by walking 10-20 min as part of your commute to work, by doing some yoga during lunch break, by taking the stairs, by doing house chores daily, by going for a chill walk in the evening...).
And don't snack. Eat normal food when you're hungry (mindfully).

This worked for me more than calorie restriction with forcing to eat frequent but small meals (as a nutritional advisor suggested). And hitting aerobic classes 2-3 times a week didn't do the trick either...
Or doing HIIT workouts at home... that, actually, made me break down more muscle than not doing anything (and it dialed my appetite up like crazy)...

Short term, but intense physical activity is stressful for our body. But we are not made to sit around all day, either. And we are not meant to eat constantly the entire day, but our body freaks out from every sign of food shortage, too. Especially for women...

Yet again, balance is the key...

Of course, it is easier to day this than doing it. We are wired to feel eating comforting and snacks are shoved into our face everywhere...