Time maagzine

[I Like Soup]

"In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," says Eric Ravussin, chair in diabetes and metabolism at Louisiana State University and a prominent exercise researcher. Many recent studies have found that exercise isn't as important in helping people lose weight as you hear so regularly in gym advertisements or on shows like The Biggest Loser — or, for that matter, from magazines like this one.

 

The basic problem is that while it's true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.

 

Well, at least we know you don't have to exercise since it is a waste of time.

 

Just what Americans (2/3 of Americans are either obese or overweight) need to hear...

[I Like Soup]

Oops, here is the link...

[SheikYerbuti]

:draggingexercisebiketothecurb:

[untateve]

If one wants to lose weight, one must change one's diet. About two years ago, my wife decided she wanted to lose 15 pounds. She did not go on a diet. She simply changed what she ate for lunch and minimized late night snacking. She makes herself some type of salad for lunch each day. Over a year's time, she lost about 17 pounds and she has maintained this for the last year.

[moneymakers]

Time magazine.

must.put.obama.on.cover

[loaf]

I like soup's soup

[detlef]

Odd, the single biggest common element of every time I've ever successfully lost weight (or rather gotten in good shape) has been how active I've been. And typically, like the article implies, when I work out a bunch, I each a bunch. Of course, I don't gorge on crap. Dieting alone is useless. Your metabolic rate reduces and, even if you manage to lose weight, you just get skinnier, not more fit.

 

If your goal is to actually look and feel better (which should be the goal), not simply register a lower number on the scale, nothing beats working out. Muscles eat calories even when you sleep. More muscles, more calories burned all day long, more fat lost. It's pretty simple. More importantly, if you incorporate exercise into your life, it's not the end of the world if you pig out once in a while, because your body is going through it. If you're simply relying on diet, it can take a while to get back on track.

 

I love it when an article comes out and explains that something that has always been 100% effective for me is actually not effective at all.

 

My sister, who has had a weight problem her entire life, lives for this sort of crap info. She'd always tell me the latest short cut to losing weight. Oh really? You're fat, I'm not. Why are you telling me how not to be fat?

[Caveman_Nick]

calories in versus calories out is a very simple way to look at weight loss/gain. Exercise increases calories out. Time lost it's credibility with me long ago, anyways.

[wiegie]

says Steven Gortmaker, who heads Harvard's Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity.... Gortmaker, who has studied childhood obesity, is even suspicious of the playgrounds at fast-food restaurants. "Why would they build those?" he asks. "I know it sounds kind of like conspiracy theory, but you have to think, if a kid plays five minutes and burns 50 calories, he might then go inside and consume 500 calories or even 1,000."

uh, hello, dumbass: the playgrounds exist for the parents, not for the kids. (I'm beginning to understand why some of you think academics have no clue about the real world.)

 

As for the article itself, I think it mostly makes sense.

[I Like Soup]

uh, hello, dumbass: the playgrounds exist for the parents, not for the kids. (I'm beginning to understand why some of you think academics have no clue about the real world.)

 

As for the article itself, I think it mostly makes sense.

Well, I also think the playgrounds are a smart move by McDonald's. Kids enjoy going to McDonald's...boom...lifelong loyalty...get 'em while they are young.

[Ursa Majoris]

calories in versus calories out is a very simple way to look at weight loss/gain. Exercise increases calories out.

Pretty much sums it up. At heart, most things are quite simple. People complicate them in order to make money out them.

[bushwacked]

Kind of weird how I've lost 15 lbs over the last couple months with a ton of exercising. Of course I've been pretty hardcore on the diet just for the most recent couple of weeks, but still.......

Edited August 23, 2009 by bushwacked

[BeeR]

Pretty much sums it up. At heart, most things are quite simple. People complicate them in order to make money out them.

...or to make themselves sound smarter than most about a topic (often while ironically doing just the opposite).

 

"In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," says Eric Ravussin,

In general, Eric Ravussin is an idiot.

 

"Experts"

[McBoog]

I have lost 35 pounds in four months by diet change alone. I will start swimming soon, but AM worried increased activity will make me hungrier.

 

I think age has a factor in this. When I was in my 20s, I could "run off" 10 lbs in a couple weeks and still eat like a horse. Not so anymore.

[gbpfan1231]

I started to run this summer and have kept at it. I probably run about 12-15 miles per week. I have noticed that I have lost some weight but not a ton of pounds. I have noticed that I am craving food more. I am actually craving dessert type food more than usual. Things like muffins/Ice Cream that sort of stuff. I do try to stay away but I do cave once in a while.

 

I also have to add that I feel much healthier and much better and don't think I would feel as good if it was just diet alone and no exercise.

Edited August 23, 2009 by gbpfan1231

[detlef]

calories in versus calories out is a very simple way to look at weight loss/gain. Exercise increases calories out. Time lost it's credibility with me long ago, anyways.

 

 

Pretty much sums it up. At heart, most things are quite simple. People complicate them in order to make money out them.

While obviously it comes down to calories in v calories out, what gets lost is what workouts lead to a body shape that burns more calories even when you're resting. That's where people lose sight of what's going on and why people who just do aerobic exercise are often disappointed with their results. They may burn as many or more calories as someone who does high intensity or weight bearing exercise while they're working out, but they have built calorie-burning lean muscle.

 

So, the simple part is, eat less, be more active, you should lose weight. The more complicated part comes in when someone plateaus before they've reached their goal. Or, in my case, where their very livelihood doesn't mesh well with a very restrictive diet.

[Caveman_Nick]

While obviously it comes down to calories in v calories out, what gets lost is what workouts lead to a body shape that burns more calories even when you're resting. That's where people lose sight of what's going on and why people who just do aerobic exercise are often disappointed with their results. They may burn as many or more calories as someone who does high intensity or weight bearing exercise while they're working out, but they have built calorie-burning lean muscle.

 

So, the simple part is, eat less, be more active, you should lose weight. The more complicated part comes in when someone plateaus before they've reached their goal. Or, in my case, where their very livelihood doesn't mesh well with a very restrictive diet.

 

My post wasn't intended to be exclusionary to these concepts. It was merely to show in the simplest terms how the point of "exercise doesn't help people lose weight" is stupid.

[Ursa Majoris]

It was merely to show in the simplest terms how the point of "exercise doesn't help people lose weight" is stupid.

And that was what I was backing up. From my own experience, I lost 55 lbs in four months during kids soccer season as I was very active refereeing as well as eating less (and more sensibly). Forced inactivity over the last two years put 30 of those lbs back and even though I'm on the exact same eating regimen as before, the drop in activity is making it incredibly difficult to drop the pounds.

[Jackass]

Here's an idea. How 'bout exercising and eating well.

[Rovers]

Geeze..... sure, if you burn more calories, your body will want more input. That hardly means that excersize won't help.

 

When you excersize, eat more protein. When you eat, eat complex carbs, less refined flour and more whole grain stuff like breads, far less simple carbs (like pasta), no refined sugars at all and less fat. More veggies and fruits, combinined with excersize is what works.

 

Simply put, change the way you eat, what you eat, and get some excersize. That is what I did.... I was up to a 40" waist, was always tending towards being over weight my whole life (as is my entire family) and I wear a 33 inseam now, and with a whole lot, I mean a whole lot of excersize, can now eat pretty much whatever I want, but always eat a balanced diet.... that way, if I down a pint of Hagen-Daz on occassion, I gain no weight. It isn't a life sentence....

 

Sure, your appetite will increase if you start to excersize, just fill the void with healtheir intake. That means NO fast food joints, ever. Don't drown a healthy salad with half a bottle of ranch dressing. Skip the croutons. Be sensible. Or be fat.

[SheikYerbuti]

I did a 20 mile bike ride this morning, read this article, then went straight to Wendy's for lunch. . . .and supersized the fries.

 

I kid you not.

[Avernus]

I make sure I eat well even though I am thin.....and it's not to avoid getting fat as I try to put some pounds on...

 

the focus is staying healthy as there is so much crap food around you that it is almost sickening...

 

I refuse to eat fast food, any products with high fructose corn syrup, anything with aspartame, no ice cream, barely any milk unless it is mixed as an ingredient....I have added more wheat into my diet and I am eating a lot more fruits, vegetables and chicken...

 

red meat is cancerous and it mutates the passages on the way out....I try to have as little of that as possible because I used to eat red meat 4 days a week, if not more and I'm trying to cut down on pork....

 

lots of water...especially to balance out the occasional liquor consumption as well as orange juice and even a smoothie blended with mangosteen as the juice....and grinded up flax seeds which I pretty much add to either pancakes or french toast every morning....

 

not to mention working out at times....

[millerx]

I make sure I eat well even though I am thin.....and it's not to avoid getting fat as I try to put some pounds on...

 

the focus is staying healthy as there is so much crap food around you that it is almost sickening...

 

I refuse to eat fast food, any products with high fructose corn syrup, anything with aspartame, no ice cream, barely any milk unless it is mixed as an ingredient....I have added more wheat into my diet and I am eating a lot more fruits, vegetables and chicken...

 

red meat is cancerous and it mutates the passages on the way out....I try to have as little of that as possible because I used to eat red meat 4 days a week, if not more and I'm trying to cut down on pork....

 

lots of water...especially to balance out the occasional liquor consumption as well as orange juice and even a smoothie blended with mangosteen as the juice....and grinded up flax seeds which I pretty much add to either pancakes or french toast every morning....

 

not to mention working out at times....

showoff.

[Ursa Majoris]

I make sure I eat well even though I am thin.....and it's not to avoid getting fat as I try to put some pounds on...

 

the focus is staying healthy as there is so much crap food around you that it is almost sickening...

 

I refuse to eat fast food, any products with high fructose corn syrup, anything with aspartame, no ice cream, barely any milk unless it is mixed as an ingredient....I have added more wheat into my diet and I am eating a lot more fruits, vegetables and chicken...

 

red meat is cancerous and it mutates the passages on the way out....I try to have as little of that as possible because I used to eat red meat 4 days a week, if not more and I'm trying to cut down on pork....

 

lots of water...especially to balance out the occasional liquor consumption as well as orange juice and even a smoothie blended with mangosteen as the juice....and grinded up flax seeds which I pretty much add to either pancakes or french toast every morning....

 

not to mention working out at times....

Have fun starving to death.

[Chavez]

calories in versus calories out is a very simple way to look at weight loss/gain. Exercise increases calories out.

You should write a book...oh, wait, that's all there is to it.