Many commenters have noted they cut calories and failed to lose weight. I believe that is due to two very common errors in calorie counting: underestimating what you eat and overestimating your caloric needs.
A tablespoon of ranch dressing is 120 calories, but unless you actually measure it out with an actual tablespoon, it's easy to put on more. In general, weight of a food is more accurate than volume or package size. Food in a cup of cereal will vary widely; 200g will not. Your roll says it's 100 calories but the manufacturer made the batch uneven and each has 50 calories more. Or maybe you don't log that mini candy bar you ate this morning or a handful of almonds.
And every little bit of underestimating will add up. If you underestimate by just 200 calories a day, you will slow your weight loss by a bit over 1/3 a pound per week. That will absolutely mask any potential weight loss.
Also, the typical 2,000 calorie diet is appropriate for very few people. Older people, females, people with PCOS, etc. are all using less than day per day. In order for calorie counting to work, you need to eat less than what YOU need to function.
A tablespoon of ranch dressing is 120 calories, but unless you actually measure it out with an actual tablespoon, it's easy to put on more. In general, weight of a food is more accurate than volume or package size. Food in a cup of cereal will vary widely; 200g will not. Your roll says it's 100 calories but the manufacturer made the batch uneven and each has 50 calories more. Or maybe you don't log that mini candy bar you ate this morning or a handful of almonds.
And every little bit of underestimating will add up. If you underestimate by just 200 calories a day, you will slow your weight loss by a bit over 1/3 a pound per week. That will absolutely mask any potential weight loss.
Also, the typical 2,000 calorie diet is appropriate for very few people. Older people, females, people with PCOS, etc. are all using less than day per day. In order for calorie counting to work, you need to eat less than what YOU need to function.
82
This is the most basic of medical truths, but control freak fitness-fanatic bosses and the huge gym industry really don't want you to know it. Neither do the middle and high school gym teachers who want to put PE on equal footing with the academic subjects. Unfortunately, said bosses and 'teachers' really don't care about your health - they want to make sure you're under their thumb all your waking hours, so they're telling you to keep working out your muscles. What they DON'T want you doing is working out your mind on anything other than work or school itself. And one of the things they don't want you learning is just how many free countries, over the years, have pushed people to work out - even punishing failure to do so - and remained free. (Hint: How many blizzards do they typically get each year in my neck of the woods?)
17
What I've noticed since gaining weight, (my continuing battle with antidepressants) is that sugary, fatty, and carbohydrate rich foods are indeed addictive. The more you eat, the more you want and it's hard to break the cycle. I've also found that for me eating a little of the bad stuff doesn't work, it's better to eliminate it completely. It's also interesting that if you are able to "quit" you're body gets used to and craves better food. It really is more like being a drug addict than people would like to think.
153
When did I snap off the TV for good? When I heard it's funny to make fun of fat people. I thought kindergarten was over but apparently not.
I have spent a life watching my weight (we nearly perished at school at 9 in France), and I made up for it big time at 11 in Ireland, a wonderful summer on chocolate and cake where my mother fainted when picking me up at the airport in Spain. Angry letters exchanged, asking for my dad for an explanation.
A disgrace! Don't feed her, she would shout at picnics with her friends and my peers. All to say, 'Fat' was a capital crime in her eyes, and finally a few decades later, I heard her say 'you don't eat enough'. Tosh.
We eat too much. Enough to turn one off food. Walking in New York, it is Restaurant Row and everywhere one turns, there is a new diner, a yoghurt place, and the display at the supermarket is overwhelming.
Maybe food has become an obsession to fill an empty void in our lives? Waiting in a car outside a convenience store, I saw a young overweight boy, his overweight parents and I realized that everyone was overweight in sight. What is happening?
Exercise? Give me a horse to ride and maybe I'll get a bicycle when living in the country. Maybe I'll take Chance, a happy rescue dog for a daily walk, although he is much stronger and fit than me. Maybe I'll stand up from the computer every so often and see if I can touch the floor.
'Let's Move' is going in the right direction and Food for the Soul is good too.
I have spent a life watching my weight (we nearly perished at school at 9 in France), and I made up for it big time at 11 in Ireland, a wonderful summer on chocolate and cake where my mother fainted when picking me up at the airport in Spain. Angry letters exchanged, asking for my dad for an explanation.
A disgrace! Don't feed her, she would shout at picnics with her friends and my peers. All to say, 'Fat' was a capital crime in her eyes, and finally a few decades later, I heard her say 'you don't eat enough'. Tosh.
We eat too much. Enough to turn one off food. Walking in New York, it is Restaurant Row and everywhere one turns, there is a new diner, a yoghurt place, and the display at the supermarket is overwhelming.
Maybe food has become an obsession to fill an empty void in our lives? Waiting in a car outside a convenience store, I saw a young overweight boy, his overweight parents and I realized that everyone was overweight in sight. What is happening?
Exercise? Give me a horse to ride and maybe I'll get a bicycle when living in the country. Maybe I'll take Chance, a happy rescue dog for a daily walk, although he is much stronger and fit than me. Maybe I'll stand up from the computer every so often and see if I can touch the floor.
'Let's Move' is going in the right direction and Food for the Soul is good too.
25
See article in today's NYT, stating that mothers' of obese kids don't think their kids are obese.
Obese kids will become obese adults.
Obese kids will become obese adults.
43
The hardest thing about dieting is what to eat when hunger pangs arise. Wish there were some quick fix. Sometimes, chips and bad snacky things (more convenient to access than a nourishing bowl of oatmeal) are the only foods that make me feel fully satiated and the pounds creep on.
17
Actually this is a bit miss leading. Muscles are metabolic engines. The more you have the higher your resting metabolism will be. So lift and lift! Eat to fuel muscle growth. Also when you is almost important as what you eat as long as you're getting your macros. Stick to an 8 hour eating window and this will do wonders for your metabolism.
44
I believe this. I exercise all the time but I also love to eat so I can't lose any weight. I wish exercise was enough to keep the weight off because I am one of those rare people who absolutely loves to exercise (seriously there is nothing else that makes me feel better then exercise) but it is not, otherwise I would not be overweight. I love food, growing it, cooking it and eating it!
30
I agree that reducing calories is more important to weight loss than exercise is. However, being modestly active all day makes it much easier to keep weight off than being sedentary and cutting calories do.
I was a pharmaceutical sales rep for a decade and was easily able to stay 10 pounds lighter than I am now. Many drug reps are slender: It's not because we're naturally thin--it's because we walk two to three miles a day (I wore a pedometer to work for a week to measure) and stand for a few hours a day.
Not only does moving around all day burn more calories than sitting does, it also prevents you from getting bored and snacking (and there is no refrigerator around for easy access).
If we want to decrease obesity, we would need to reduce the amount of sedentary work that we do, but that is unlikely to happen in a world of knowledge work.
I was a pharmaceutical sales rep for a decade and was easily able to stay 10 pounds lighter than I am now. Many drug reps are slender: It's not because we're naturally thin--it's because we walk two to three miles a day (I wore a pedometer to work for a week to measure) and stand for a few hours a day.
Not only does moving around all day burn more calories than sitting does, it also prevents you from getting bored and snacking (and there is no refrigerator around for easy access).
If we want to decrease obesity, we would need to reduce the amount of sedentary work that we do, but that is unlikely to happen in a world of knowledge work.
52
The Veteran's Healthcare has a program called MOVE. I have been through the program and have lost about 45 pounds. The emphasis is on taking in less calories than the dieter uses. Pretty simple. They do encourage exercise but most of the program deals with eating less. There is no magic food or combination, just lower caloric intake. They do teach how to read labels, what foods have less calories. Fiber takes longer to digest and helps curb hunger.
37
Everyone needs to see Fed Up on Netflix. Sugar is toxic. Counting calories in and calories out is basically worthless.
20
After a minor cardiac scare in 2002, I joined a gym and exercised a lot (mostly cardio but also strengthening) for 2 years. My heart rhythm straightened out, but I didn't lose a single pound. Then I went on a diet and lost 95 pounds in about 7 months. When people would ask me how I did it, I would explain, and they would always say (in direct contradiction of what I had just told them 5 seconds ago) "oh, it was all that exercise." After awhile I quit mentioning the exercise and just told people I'd gone on a diet. That was what had done it, anyway.
81
The degree of misinformation, rationalization, scientific ignorance displayed in so many of the comments displayed is astounding. No wonder Americans are so obese, suffer from such a high incidence of diabetes and heart disease. Everyone wants a free lunch, no pun intended. It doesn't exist. You can't defy physics and thermodynamics. Where were that fat concentration camp survivors?
13
Physics is true, but it doesn't tell us what is cause and what is effect in a biological system, whether a process will be conscious or unconscious, or whether a caloric deficit will be taken out of fat tissue or muscle tissue. Under true starvation conditions, muscle is broken down first while fat tissue is conserved.
11
Simple fact; a sedentary, flaccid individual needs a pitifully small amount of food. A person who exercises vigorously (not just gardening or walking) and eats healthy foods can eat a lot and still maintain a healthy weight. Forget about this obsessive analysis of the best diet or the best exercise. Get off your behind and do things and quit eating junk!
62
Sources please?
8
The Biggest Loser is your family's favorite show? Despite everything else you have written, I cannot get past that first line. As a mental health professional who treats eating disorders (23 deaths a day, 30 million sufferers in the US), I am appalled that anyone supports a show that demeans others, shames obesity and sends a message that losing weight is a competition, a game! http://proud2bme.org/content/biggest-loser-contestant-kai-hibbard-speaks...
60
I've never seen the Biggest Loser. But ostensibly, the participants SIGN UP for it because they haven't been able to lose weight any other way.
11
To focus on just one aspect of the benefits of exercise is a mistake. Bone and muscle strengthening, cardiovascular improvement, mental well being, better sleep and improved daytime thinking and alertness are just a few things that improve with exercise. Don't use this article as an excuse to not exercise.
57
totally agree with you !
7
If "The Biggest Loser" didn't focus on exercise -- I've never seen it, but I am pretty sure it's the kind of boring moderately active exercise that I've done every day for decades -- no one would watch it. It's not very interesting to watch people NOT eating. There's nothing to see.
13
This article assumes weight loss is a goal by itself. A more important question for me is whether you can be healthy if you're a vigorous exerciser, but still overweight.
20
I'm a person who has struggled with achieving significant weight lost after years of neglect, so I possess no medical knowledge beyond what I've experienced, been told by doctors, or read. Having said that, this article makes more sense to me and mirrors my own background with dieting, healthy eating, and exercise than any other I have read for the past half decade.
19
Weight loss is often presented as some sort of alchemy: that there is a secret or a miracle to it, with the most recent iteration being that diets don't work. Diets actually can work. I wasn't happy with the weight I couldn't seem to lose after my second child was born. It didn't help that this was at the height of the eat-bagels-and-sugar-free-cookies craze. I lost the weight when I read about Carnie Wilson's gastric bypass. The fact that a young woman who had publicly struggled with her weight was able to lose quite a lot of it when her consumption was structurally limited by the surgery made me consider that it's not any secret combination of food, but less of it. I had a light breakfast, and made myself wait until after 2 pm for a combined late lunch/early dinner of pretty much whatever I wanted as long as it contained a healthy-ish protein (chicken tacos were a favorite), and lost 25 pounds. It was a bit of a revelation. Still, for me, moderate daily exercise continues to be critical to the food choices that have kept off those 25 to 30 pounds for almost 15 years, and through another pregnancy. If I don't walk briskly every day (usually up a hill), I am more likely to make unthinking and poor food choices to boost my mood and energy. Exercise makes me feel strong and happier in my skin than when I don't move. This wellbeing affects my whole outlook, and what I eat.
61
This is the exact opposite of what was being proclaimed by medics just a month ago. Pardon me if I am sick of all the so-called advice. I never eat more than 1200 calories in 24 hours. Many days I eat less. I have been dieting assiduously for over 12 months; I am quite active -- more than the recommended 150 minutes per week. How much weight have I lost in over 12 months of very modest eating? Perhaps as much as 6 pounds. When will the medical experts finally say the actual truth: there's still a lot you don't actually understand about how different people process food & store or burn fat. Maybe it's the bioflora in the gut. Maybe it's the thyroid. Or the pituitary. Or the adrenals. Or the liver. Or the kidneys. Or all the antibiotics you have ever taken. Or the life traumas. When a person is hungry enough to feel dizzy, nauseous many times in 1 day; when the wrong food makes one vomit a couple of liters of bile, it's a pretty safe bet the problem is not that the person is eating too many calories, "stuffing her face" or "lacking in discipline."
44
"I am quite active -- more than the recommended 150 minutes per week". That is most definitely not quite active, and do you exercise vigorously (it's fun)?
2
Short of a serious metabolic disorder, 1200 calories a day, plus moderate exercise, should be helping you lose weight and more than six pounds a year at that. This implies you are not eating 1200 calories a day. it is very easy to underestimate what you are eating. Many of us will skip snacks or not count food we eat while out very well. It is also better to evaluate food calories using a scale instead of just portion size. There can be great differences in weight among pieces of bread, for example, and it becomes harder to track your calories when you can't trust the food you're eating. I would recommend looking at some weight loss forums and being encouraged to start counting.
13
You will lose if you eat 1000 calories a day and if you eat the right foods, you won't be physically hungry (lots of protein and salad; very few carbs).
If a person is dizzy from hunger on 1200 calories a day, that's mental hunger. A human adult who isn't pregnant can do just fine on 1,000 calories a day.
The biggest problem with eating 1,000 calories a day is the boredom; we don't realize how much we all use food to entertain and distract and comfort and nurture ourselves psychologically.
If a person is dizzy from hunger on 1200 calories a day, that's mental hunger. A human adult who isn't pregnant can do just fine on 1,000 calories a day.
The biggest problem with eating 1,000 calories a day is the boredom; we don't realize how much we all use food to entertain and distract and comfort and nurture ourselves psychologically.
12
Bravo, bravo. Have fought it all my life. Never lose weight unless I eat 1000 calories a day until I reach my goal. No starches, no sugar, no fats, no alcohol.
Period. Exercise is only good for my heart, not my backside!
Period. Exercise is only good for my heart, not my backside!
14
Fats and fat-soluble vitamins are essential nutrients.
11
Sorry. When I visit the Rec Center near my workplace, I see many people using the facility but very, very few people exercising vigorously.
4
I went from 206 to 176 pounds using a commercial meal replacement program. Exercise helped me on the way down and helped me on the way ahead. The benefit of an exercise plan, a plan, not a hope, is that it gives one a sense of discipline you can draw from in order to remain eating rightly. Exercise minutes used compensate for calories consumed. More of both.
Sodas are out and so are pizzas, which combined would ruin your weight hopes in just one sitting.
I found this advice in the net: "In order to MAINTAIN your ideal weight, you must eat your weight X15. Women need a bit more. You get down to your ideal weight of, for example, 120, you would have to eat 120X15=1800 calories per day, assuming you're doing a normal amount of exercise. The more exercise, the more you can eat, but be your own advisor. There are a lot of body mass advise calculations out there.
Sodas are out and so are pizzas, which combined would ruin your weight hopes in just one sitting.
I found this advice in the net: "In order to MAINTAIN your ideal weight, you must eat your weight X15. Women need a bit more. You get down to your ideal weight of, for example, 120, you would have to eat 120X15=1800 calories per day, assuming you're doing a normal amount of exercise. The more exercise, the more you can eat, but be your own advisor. There are a lot of body mass advise calculations out there.
6
I can't believe the comments who believe the 'calories in/calories out' myth. That's an industrial age equation based on a metaphor, the human body is like a furnace. But it isn't! Weight gain is chemical: rise in blood sugar results in release of insulin results in packing sugar molecules into cells where they become what we call fat but are made entirely of sugars. It's the hormone insulin that causes it. Eat fat? It doesn't turn into fat. Eat a thousand calories of fat, it still doesn't turn into fat. Exercise doesn't affect the release of those trapped sugar-fat cells, only the absence of insulin in the blood stream will free them. But exercise does knock the 'shine' off cells, a kind of shell. a little slime that makes it harder for fat cells to get out. So exercise is good, just not proportionate with weight loss. To lose weight, you have to lose the sugars. Eat all the fat and protein you like. It won't hurt your heart, the US government itself only a couple of months back announced it had been the promoter of 'bad science' to say that fat is responsible for the cholesterol in our bloodstreams that causes heart disease. Only 11% of blood fat is dietary. insignificant compared to cellular sources. Eat fat, don't be hungry, exercise for fun, lose the sugars.
80
And I can't believe that you think you know more than the combined scientific community, to say nothing of the second law of thermodynamics.
6
Actually what Janet of Chicago wrote IS what the scientific community is saying about metabolism and weight.
It is taking decades to overcome old-fashioned notions like "calories in, calories out", because big food businesses need to keep Americans ignorant of the real implications of food.
It is taking decades to overcome old-fashioned notions like "calories in, calories out", because big food businesses need to keep Americans ignorant of the real implications of food.
19
@Janet Camp:
It is thermodynamically consistent to say that insulin governs fat storage, and then appetite is regulated up or down based on usage or storage of fat. Thermodynamics is true, but it does not tell us what is cause and what is effect in a biological system.
It is thermodynamically consistent to say that insulin governs fat storage, and then appetite is regulated up or down based on usage or storage of fat. Thermodynamics is true, but it does not tell us what is cause and what is effect in a biological system.
3
The research supports that for weight loss, diet trumps exercise. You simply cannot "out-exercise" poor diet. However, for weight maintenance, exercise trumps diet. If you want to avoid weight regain after losing weight, you must get regular, fairly vigorous physical activity. When you lose weight, even if it's mostly fat, you simply burn fewer calories at your new weight. For most people, it's nearly impossible to stay at that new weight without exercise. However, you won't get there in the first place unless you focus on diet.
28
I think you've nailed it here...at least going by my own experience. I was able to keep my weight in the zone I wanted to be in after retiring. Then, this past February, I went on an extended cross country drive for 2 months and let go of my normal exercise routine. (Nothing crazy: jog - not run - 14 miles a week or so, pushups, squats, stretching most days.) I did not overeat, but I began gaining weight beyond where I want to be. Currently, my average weight is about 4 pounds over what I want it to be. I am getting back to my exercise program, but It's taking some time to pull it all back together.
5
You simply cannot "out-exercise" poor diet.
Really? When I ate 6,000 plus calories a day as a competitive athlete (plenty of donuts), why did I have such low body fat?
Really? When I ate 6,000 plus calories a day as a competitive athlete (plenty of donuts), why did I have such low body fat?
7
Spot on for the role of exercise, but not so sharp on the eating front.
It is not about how much you eat, it is all about what you eat.
Exercise for overall body and brain health. Eat right for overall body and brain health too, AND to keep the weight you have been 'designed' for.
It is not about how much you eat, it is all about what you eat.
Exercise for overall body and brain health. Eat right for overall body and brain health too, AND to keep the weight you have been 'designed' for.
8
Thank you, Paulo Franke, and now that I know that it is not how much one eats but all about what one eats, you have inspired me to polish off my large stash of walnuts before I go to sleep. Tomorrow I will challenge my brain health too, and take game test exercises on the computer to enhance my memory and flexible skills.
This would seem to fall under the "obvious" category. As in "obviously", exercise loses the weight you've already gained. "Obviously", it is close to impossible to work off all weight. Therefore, the best option is not to gain the weight in the first place - i.e., eat less.
4
yep - my standard saying - 'you can swallow in seconds more calories than you can burn off in hours at the gym'.
but hey - unconscious consumption may relate back to Freud's toddler oral fixation stage - and be attached to childhood feelings of love or comfort in times of stress
leading to the vicious circle - feel bad about being fat - so eat to feel better - then feel worse about being fatter - oops.
but hey - unconscious consumption may relate back to Freud's toddler oral fixation stage - and be attached to childhood feelings of love or comfort in times of stress
leading to the vicious circle - feel bad about being fat - so eat to feel better - then feel worse about being fatter - oops.
7
The thought of having to exercise is abhorrent to most americans . There is a significant minority that can be found in the road runners clubs the us master swimming clubs and the bikers clubs who without any prompting from anyone train regularly on life timebases and ignore diets and weight concerns
2
nature bestowed upon me what i truly believe is/was a D grade body..flimsy,flabby ,shameful. i was the worst athlete in my high school and i absolutely dreaded taking my shirt off for any reason. through years of trial and error i have become convinced that the paleo diet along with vigorous weightlifting are the basis for a rather effortless lifestyle of energy and good looks. at 60 i know i look and feel better than most 40 year olds,and that is with the D grade body to work with
10
Good for you. You figured out what most of the commenters here are struggling mightily to avoid recognizing.
We eat more than necessary so we can eat more than necessary.
I see overweight people eating large plate of NY fries with gravy, poutine and I can only shake my head. I feel so grateful I eat well and am not overweight. It must be a terrible viscious cycle when you're obese.
2
If you are a woman and you hit the age of, say, 45 - everything you thought you knew about weight loss goes out the window. Eat less, exercise more - it just doesn't matter. Hormonal changes change everything.
49
For me the weight is the same, but my shape has changed.
2
I enter into evidence the following story of a 77 year old woman who weight lifted herself into incredible shape.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5037892
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5037892
Okay, so, I'm getting ready to run a 10k. How many beers should I drink?
9
ever heard of dialectics? exercise reduces the desire to eat---they only work together, although I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of spending time preparing food. we all need a moment to relax and think about what we are doing each and every day.
1
Calorie deficit for weight loss....exercise for health and fitness. There are no bad foods...sugar, carbs, fats they are all energy and required for living. I have lost 60lbs over the last 2 years consuming less...that's it. I exercise for health and fitness. The weight loss lowered my cholesterol...but the exercise helps with my depression...no bouts of it for 2 years...nothing. I have quit smoking to exercise more...now I am a runner. Weight loss is great but not "glamorous" it really is just eating less...
7
Sugar and carbs are useful nutrients, but they are not essential nutrients/required to stay alive.
1
while it is true that your body can make glucose from fats and proteins, it is necessary for sugar to exist in your body. The alternative is going into ketosis and eventually eating your own muscle until you die.
Why are newspapers always trying to make generalized pronouncements about what works and what doesn't?
Just more of one thing or another isn't a reliable predictor of success.
It depends on what kind of exercise you do.
It depends on what kind of foods you eat.
Just more of one thing or another isn't a reliable predictor of success.
It depends on what kind of exercise you do.
It depends on what kind of foods you eat.
8
Dr. Carroll's advice also applies to have a so-called "six-pack" for abs. You could exercise 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you still won't have a six-pack unless you reduce your calorie consumption. The only way to do that is to eat less.
3
Calories in, calories out. Eat everything in moderation and EXERCISE. To me, overweight is defined by the way my pants fit not what shows up on the scale. Obviously, make adjustments when medical problems are noted.
2
Totally agree. Walking an hour a day for several months after my car died accomplished nothing. New car + skipping or grazing dinner = 10 pound weight loss, so far.
2
Smoking was my magic bullet for keeping weight off.
Alas, it had much in common with an actual bullet.
Alas, it had much in common with an actual bullet.
37
I appreciate this article, but assuming it is true, the most important question is what to eat. The popularity of the Paleo and other carb and/or grain-limiting diets makes me wonder whether the science supports the contention that it's not just calories in vs. calories out. Do the type of calories matter (due to insulin resistance or something else)?
As big a problem as weight is in this country, it's mind-boggling to think that consumers are probably getting the best information possible on weight loss from mainstream doctors and media because of financial conflicts of interest. As we move farther into Wild West-like unregulated Capitalism we can start studying the effects: obesity and ill health due to corrupted health information is one of them.
As big a problem as weight is in this country, it's mind-boggling to think that consumers are probably getting the best information possible on weight loss from mainstream doctors and media because of financial conflicts of interest. As we move farther into Wild West-like unregulated Capitalism we can start studying the effects: obesity and ill health due to corrupted health information is one of them.
4
This article puts its fingers at another of our great myths so dearly believed by our culture. I have never believed exercise reduces (much) weight. I have always believed exercise is good for the heart, lungs, etc. etc. But, as pointed out here, by far the greatest factor in obesity is overeating. And there is again a simple culprit in overeating in which scientifically trained dietitians are often a party: Our eating habits today are plagued by too much of almost everything at too cheap a price. Much food is prepared, so fish or chicken no longer have bones in them vegetables and potatoes are so well prepared it does not take much effort at all to prepare them. There are far too many luscious apples and other fruit and vegetables available at dirt-cheap prices that any simple person is overwhelmed. People overeat in everything, not only sugars and fats. They simply overeat period. Hold up those photos taken of concentration inmates in the spring of 1945 and ask yourself: How did they get so thin? Simple: They were starved. They did not eat. So a general rule should be: Eat less. The second rule should be: Eat more simply, more beans, potatoes, but most of all more good healthy, self-baked bread baked not with that highly refined wheat that is available cheaply everywhere, but with barley, whole wheat, rolled oats etc. . You should try to stay away from meats as much as possible. Most important is the simple rule: Live to work, no to to eat. Eating should be boring
6
When I ate a lot of bread, including home-baked with whole grains, I was fat, sick, and pre-diabetic. When I stopped eating bread, and ate more quality meats, seafoods, and healthy fats, I lost weight because I simply felt less hungry, and ate less without trying to eat less. For me, the bready/starchy diet was stimulating both appetite and fat storage. When I switched to a more Atkins/paleo/primal diet, my appetite regulation improved and my fat stores were finally unlocked.
3
Just a quick note to please be careful to avoid logical errors like this: "From 2001 to 2009, the percentage of people who were sufficiently physically active increased. But so did the percentage of Americans who were obese. The former did not prevent the latter." What if, for argument's sake, it turns out that those who increased their exercise by and large would not have become obese anyway, and those at greatest risk for obesity were generally unlikely to shift to sufficient exercise? In that case, the connection between exercise and obesity would not be tested by the data comparison. I understand that the quoted statement was perhaps meant to loosely illustrate the point, but it did have an air of logical authority about it. I just want to encourage this column to promote careful scientific reasoning in the interpretation of data. Rare on the internet these days - and therefore vital! Many thanks!
15
Exercise more, eat more, spend more.
This message brought to you by your local Chamber of Commerce.
This message brought to you by your local Chamber of Commerce.
12
I encourage the Mr. Carroll to reach out to me. I lost 140 pounds between the ages of 16-19, this was a direct result of a drastic increase in exercise, as well as gradually improving my eating habits. I am 27 now, and maintain a healthy and fit weight of 190-195 pounds.
These "magic bullet" articles are a great read, and credit to Mr. Carroll for citing multiple meta-analyses. However, I firmly believe there is NO SAME APPROACH FOR EVERY PERSON. For me it was a lengthy battle of trial and error. In fact, with my increase in physical activity, which involved organized sports and weight lifting for 2-3 hours daily for about 5 years, my caloric intake tremendously increased. With that in mind, I am careful not to recommend this approach to others--but it worked for me.
Yes, eating less will lead to weight loss. Yes, exercise typically burns fewer calories than people think. But I have maintained a significant increase in both calories in and exercise out, and I have never been fitter. It's dangerous to tell people exercise has not shown any significant effect on weight loss. How could these studies control for the hundreds of variables in individuals' lives? Not just age, sex, socioeconomic status, but how about sleep patterns, stress levels, life changes, type of exercise, frequency and duration, alcohol intake, the list goes on.
Trial and error--it's not easy.
These "magic bullet" articles are a great read, and credit to Mr. Carroll for citing multiple meta-analyses. However, I firmly believe there is NO SAME APPROACH FOR EVERY PERSON. For me it was a lengthy battle of trial and error. In fact, with my increase in physical activity, which involved organized sports and weight lifting for 2-3 hours daily for about 5 years, my caloric intake tremendously increased. With that in mind, I am careful not to recommend this approach to others--but it worked for me.
Yes, eating less will lead to weight loss. Yes, exercise typically burns fewer calories than people think. But I have maintained a significant increase in both calories in and exercise out, and I have never been fitter. It's dangerous to tell people exercise has not shown any significant effect on weight loss. How could these studies control for the hundreds of variables in individuals' lives? Not just age, sex, socioeconomic status, but how about sleep patterns, stress levels, life changes, type of exercise, frequency and duration, alcohol intake, the list goes on.
Trial and error--it's not easy.
34
Great comments Gregory A.
I agree that regarding weight loss and weight management it is a trial and error approach. As one who works out vigoursly 5-6 days a week. I am something's dumb-found at how my body does not react; i.e., I have been actually gaining weight.
But I am working with different levels of caloric intake and compositions to determine what will help me achieve my goals.
Still the author brings up good points also.
#ProjectHealthySexyStrongForLife
I agree that regarding weight loss and weight management it is a trial and error approach. As one who works out vigoursly 5-6 days a week. I am something's dumb-found at how my body does not react; i.e., I have been actually gaining weight.
But I am working with different levels of caloric intake and compositions to determine what will help me achieve my goals.
Still the author brings up good points also.
#ProjectHealthySexyStrongForLife
Thanks, Andrew. Don't be discouraged. I kept the exercise up no matter what during my years of weight loss. After a while, the excellent eating habits followed easily as my enjoyment for exercise increased. To ensure a good workout (or tennis match or basketball game in my case), I needed to eat better, and I did.
Keep it up.
Keep it up.
1
As an old friend of mine said, for a person who wants to lose weight, the most important exercise is to push away from the dinner table.
22
I lost 30 lbs. last year by losing 2 ozs. a day by eating less. It worked. And anyone can lose 2 ozs. a day. I did not change my life style which is mostly sitting or lying down. I just watched the scale each morning looking for those 2 ozs. It took about 7 months.
17
Most of the comments denying the main thesis of this article seem to ignore a well known fact. The main "medical" treatments for obesity work by curtailing food intake. Pill basically served to cut appetite. Surgery is designed to shrink the stomach so that it is difficult to eat as much, Why undergo major and possibly life-threatening surgery when you can achieve the same result without it?
Diets which claim to be painless are worthless. The stomach is a smooth-muscle organ which can stretch or shrink. If you use a high bulk diet to avoid discomfort, at the end your stomach is the size it was when you began and you will feel hungry if you eat less.
If you eat less, and this means bulk as well as calories, You will be uncomfortable for at least several weeks but then your stomach will have shrunk and if you try to eat as you did before you will feel unwell.
(I know because I did this 50 years ago.)
As a final note, matter is not formed of nothing. excess weight means more calories were consumed than burnt. Consider the pictures of survivors of starvation (concentration camps, famines, etc.). None of them ever seem to exhibit the miraculous feat of having produced fat out of nothing.
Diets which claim to be painless are worthless. The stomach is a smooth-muscle organ which can stretch or shrink. If you use a high bulk diet to avoid discomfort, at the end your stomach is the size it was when you began and you will feel hungry if you eat less.
If you eat less, and this means bulk as well as calories, You will be uncomfortable for at least several weeks but then your stomach will have shrunk and if you try to eat as you did before you will feel unwell.
(I know because I did this 50 years ago.)
As a final note, matter is not formed of nothing. excess weight means more calories were consumed than burnt. Consider the pictures of survivors of starvation (concentration camps, famines, etc.). None of them ever seem to exhibit the miraculous feat of having produced fat out of nothing.
10
Why do so many of the commenters want to complicate.
They agree with the article then trot out their favorite bit of magical thinking.
Weight Loss occurs when calories out are greater than calories in
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie - it is a unit of energy that can be defined INDEPENDENTLY of the food involved - there are no MAGIC calories from particular food types.
You don't burn calories by being fit except when you are exercising - there are no magical exercise genes pumping weights and running laps while you watch the news.
They agree with the article then trot out their favorite bit of magical thinking.
Weight Loss occurs when calories out are greater than calories in
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie - it is a unit of energy that can be defined INDEPENDENTLY of the food involved - there are no MAGIC calories from particular food types.
You don't burn calories by being fit except when you are exercising - there are no magical exercise genes pumping weights and running laps while you watch the news.
6
A calorie of protein takes more energy to digest and absorb than a calorie of fat or carbohydrate.
Whoops! That was easy.
Different types of foods have different effects on the body, including effects on hunger/satiety, metabolic rate, and fat storage, all independent of calories.
Whoops! That was easy.
Different types of foods have different effects on the body, including effects on hunger/satiety, metabolic rate, and fat storage, all independent of calories.
6
"Exercise is widely regarded as one of the most valuable components of behavior that can influence body weight and therefore help in the prevention and management of obesity. Indeed, long-term controlled trials show a clear dose-related effect of exercise on body weight. However, there is a suspicion, particularly fueled by media reports, that exercise serves to increase hunger and drive up food intake thereby nullifying the energy expended through activity. Not everyone performing regular exercise will lose weight and several investigations have demonstrated a huge individual variability in the response to exercise regimes. What accounts for this heterogeneous response? […] there is evidence that exercise will influence […] the drive to eat through the modulation of hunger and adjustments in postprandial satiety via an interaction with food composition. The specific actions of exercise on each physiological component will vary in strength from person to person and with the intensity and duration of exercise. Therefore, individual responses to exercise will be highly variable and difficult to predict."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25614205
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25614205
4
SteveRR: a calorie is NOT a calorie: scientific studies have shown that some individuals can gain a pound of fat on as little as 1600 calories while others require over 5000 calories of excess intake. Everyone is different. And calories from different types of food ARE different: carbohydrates are absorbed and burned much more efficiently than protein.
4
Outstanding Arron & on target. I have exercised 6 times a week in a gym, for over 20 years now. It wasn't until I cut all desserts, sugar-filled snacks, simple carbs that I dropped 40 lbs within 10 months, all the while exercising. I could not get that 40 lbs off even with intense cardio during those workouts. You will NEVER outrun for fork, period.
14
I went on the "no sugar" diet about 2 year ago. I still drink wine. I eat a lot of fruit and nuts. But no cookies, jam, sugar drinks, etc. It was hard at first. I eat a lot of food. I was a pretty normal weight to begin with (5'10", 165lbs.). Now, I do not worry about gaining weight at all as long as there is "no sugar".
4
Most over weight people live to eat rather than eating to live. They eat processed foods and ignore raw fruits and vegetables, nuts. Wholesome raw foods that are not diminished by cooking is the healthiest way to stay in shape with or without running, going to the gym or all these nonsense diets we see being sold everywhere. But people eat for comfort. Some comfort: being overweight!
The article makes a clear point about people thinking mistakenly that they can run off all the trash they eat. But as far as getting the govt. to tell people to eat less and cut out all the animal products........good luck. There is an enormous lobby in Washington that makes billions off of fat people and promoting a bad diet.
The article makes a clear point about people thinking mistakenly that they can run off all the trash they eat. But as far as getting the govt. to tell people to eat less and cut out all the animal products........good luck. There is an enormous lobby in Washington that makes billions off of fat people and promoting a bad diet.
7
What an excellent article. The Biggest Loser is simply Hollywood hype based on little science, it is the worst kind of weight loss. Most of these people gain the weight back. Exercise has proven to be a complete failure when it comes to weight loss.
In the 1980's the exercise craze began, leading to countless overpriced gym memberships. The obesity crisis must be clearly placed on food manufacturers.
The food changed from natural to cheap imitation food, this has spurred the obesity epidemic. Diet beats exercise every time, this was proven by the Swedish.
http://desperateloseweight.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-remove-belly-fat-...
In the 1980's the exercise craze began, leading to countless overpriced gym memberships. The obesity crisis must be clearly placed on food manufacturers.
The food changed from natural to cheap imitation food, this has spurred the obesity epidemic. Diet beats exercise every time, this was proven by the Swedish.
http://desperateloseweight.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-remove-belly-fat-...
2
Eating "less" is only part of the picture. When your diet consists mostly of processed food, your natural signals of hunger and satiety are not accurate. This results in overeating, as this type of food has an addictive quality to it. It is actually designed to get people to eat more. When a diet consists of whole, simple foods---not refined carbohydrates, thickeners, flavor enhancers, and other chemicals---it becomes easier to regulate a proper amount of food. Exercise fits into an overall healthy lifestyle. The mindset that sees exercise as a way to "burn calories" and eating as "counting calories" is problematic and not sustainable.
http://weightlosswestchesterny.com/index.html#.VX9D2zfyDzI
http://weightlosswestchesterny.com/index.html#.VX9D2zfyDzI
9
I totally agree with bk. Eat organic food, with a big emphasis on vegetables and fruit. A varied and balanced diet of unrefined carbohydrates, fish, eggs, olive oil, grains, nuts, with a bit of dairy and meat. Save sugar for once in a while delicious non processed desserts (cake or pastry). Enjoy delicious and healthy home made meals (yes it is possible) and avoid all processed food (poison to your body). Not only will you lose weight, but you'll regain your energy.
4
These articles on weight loss versus dieting ping pong back and forth like a tennis match locked at match point. After a while the back and forth seems silly. We know the underlying problem and its answer, but we rather have a fancy for this consumer culture which promotes unhealthy practices with regards to both movement and food.
Let's face it. Our culture promotes a sedentary privileged lifestyle. We don't eat, we treat. One policy shift that would be helpful in reversing unhealthy, unsustainable trends---trends that include a lot more than obesity rates---is early childhood education that focuses primarily on physical intelligence: eating well, promoting sensory integration through authentic work, moving not medicating to sooth, and schooling children on active postures for learning. We will have less anxiety, healthier outlooks, and harmonized systems tuned to pick up facts and social cues. The only trouble is we will spend much, much less.
Let's face it. Our culture promotes a sedentary privileged lifestyle. We don't eat, we treat. One policy shift that would be helpful in reversing unhealthy, unsustainable trends---trends that include a lot more than obesity rates---is early childhood education that focuses primarily on physical intelligence: eating well, promoting sensory integration through authentic work, moving not medicating to sooth, and schooling children on active postures for learning. We will have less anxiety, healthier outlooks, and harmonized systems tuned to pick up facts and social cues. The only trouble is we will spend much, much less.
7
While exercise may not lead to a huge weight loss, it does two very important things beyond what was mentioned in the article: it builds muscle, which burns more calories than fat does and it has a positive effect on self-image, both of which are important for obese people trying to lose weight.
The issue isn't which food to give up, though obviously empty calorie foods like sugary sodas, cookies, cakes, and buttery breads like croissants are best eaten sparingly if at all.
The issue is how to sustain weight loss after the weight is lost. Anyone can lose 20 pounds, but not everyone can keep it off. Exercise can help by burning extra calories, building muscle and keeping one away from food for a little while.
The issue isn't which food to give up, though obviously empty calorie foods like sugary sodas, cookies, cakes, and buttery breads like croissants are best eaten sparingly if at all.
The issue is how to sustain weight loss after the weight is lost. Anyone can lose 20 pounds, but not everyone can keep it off. Exercise can help by burning extra calories, building muscle and keeping one away from food for a little while.
12
Not to mention: you can lose weight, but if you don't exercise, you'll still look flabby. It's exercise that tones and defines your muscles. Looking in the mirror and starting to see that in your belly is a huge lift.
Another big problem today concerning obesity is the overly- processed foods which play havoc for your digestive system especially those trans fats in chips etc. If people did what they liked naturally: walking, tennis, golfing, skiing, ice-skating, etc. they would be exercising and enjoying their life and not make it sound like a prison sentence of tread mill, etc. People should be concerned about their health as many people primarily die from heart disease. Not eating "junk foods" should be common sense but I guess it isn't by the size of many people.
1
Wait, what?!
I can just give up the sugary sodas and I'll lose weight?
Is that all it takes?!!?!?!?
My cousin gave up beer for Lent and lost 8 lbs. I never drank beer to begin with, so giving it up gave me no weight loss. Have had one or two soda's in the past year, a ginger ale to quell the occasional nausea -- it's not a diet staple. So cutting it out has had zero measurable effects.
What does make the difference, for me, is exercise -- and a particular type: weight training. If I lift weights, I remain slim & toned. If I ease back into only endless cardio, I get a thick midsection and spongy, floofy arms.
The conclusion I draw from my sample size of exactly one is that any discussion of diet versus exercise that doesn't account for different types of exercise is a load of hooey. A 30 minute walk or jog is really no where near the same as 30 minutes of pumping iron. No. Where. Near.
I can just give up the sugary sodas and I'll lose weight?
Is that all it takes?!!?!?!?
My cousin gave up beer for Lent and lost 8 lbs. I never drank beer to begin with, so giving it up gave me no weight loss. Have had one or two soda's in the past year, a ginger ale to quell the occasional nausea -- it's not a diet staple. So cutting it out has had zero measurable effects.
What does make the difference, for me, is exercise -- and a particular type: weight training. If I lift weights, I remain slim & toned. If I ease back into only endless cardio, I get a thick midsection and spongy, floofy arms.
The conclusion I draw from my sample size of exactly one is that any discussion of diet versus exercise that doesn't account for different types of exercise is a load of hooey. A 30 minute walk or jog is really no where near the same as 30 minutes of pumping iron. No. Where. Near.
11
That is interesting. I am not an expert about this (nowhere near), but in a recent Olympics I noticed that many of the female runners had a kind of barrel shape with spindly arms and legs. The swimmers were more shapely.
1
Yeah. It's hard to cut out two sixteen-ounce sodas a day when you don't drink soda.
1
Muscle tone depends on muscle use. If you use your muscles less, you will lose tone. It has nothing to do with weight loss.
Why does the author contrast eating less and exercise to lose weight. The issue is to lose fat and minimize inflammation. Resistance exercise on an empty stomach causes muscle to burn fat. Burn the fat and weight loss may not ensue, but a more appealing body does appear. Put quality protein into the gut after workout and skip all forms of junk food for 12 months and energy levels will increase. The issue is, 'what to eat and when to eat.'
4
It's been my experience. Calorie, portion size, quality of food, lower fat = weight loss. That's actually easy to do as long as I follow a strict regimen that also includes keeping a food log documenting quantity and calories. Exercise never really figures into my weight loss. I think it helps the metabolism burn a little faster, but generally I'm hungry after a workout and also have to fight the urge to "reward" myself with food (a calorie-packed sandwich versus a salad). I exercise for mental clarity, to hopefully keep my cardiovascular system in better shape, and to keep my body stronger and more limber. Exercise for weight loss? No.
2
The article seems mostly an essay on exercise not working. Not much evidence is offered that calorie restriction does work.
The problem, I'm afraid, is that neither, nor both together, is all that effective. More research is needed, but it appears that carbohydrate restriction offers the most hope. I would also like to see a lot more research on 'gut flora'--it's impact on weight (fat) management, and what our chemical environment has done to it.
And, while exercise may not be much of a tool for weight loss, it works well for weight redistribution. So if guys want a bulging chest instead of a bulging gut, and if women want shapely thighs (muscle weighs more than fat) etc., they should get outside and do something.
The problem, I'm afraid, is that neither, nor both together, is all that effective. More research is needed, but it appears that carbohydrate restriction offers the most hope. I would also like to see a lot more research on 'gut flora'--it's impact on weight (fat) management, and what our chemical environment has done to it.
And, while exercise may not be much of a tool for weight loss, it works well for weight redistribution. So if guys want a bulging chest instead of a bulging gut, and if women want shapely thighs (muscle weighs more than fat) etc., they should get outside and do something.
8
Which corporations and industries make money if we eat less? No one! That's why gym memberships, home gym equipment, gatorade, nutritional supplements, and Biggest Loser tv shows (which have advertisements for all of the above) flourish in our society. Not to mention all the food sold everywhere these days (shopping malls, hardware stores, car washes etc) - a generation ago the only place to eat was at home!
7
It's amazing at how certain the article and the comments are: and how overweight we all are. If the truth is so easy to ascertain, why is every recitation of it different the others?
3
Nobody ever said weight loss was rocket science. Weight loss is much harder.The blessing today? Food and fitness applications that really help you see what -- and how much--you're eating. There's no denying the facts. But you can try.
1
I think all that needed to be written below the provocative title in the article was one word... DUH...
3
What a shock! For every calorie in there needs to be a calorie out or it remains to fatten the consumer. Put in fewer calories, enjoy less fat.
2
Americans have been bamboozled by innumerable 'special diets' for years. Actually, it's very simple to lose weight - just be careful what you eat, and eat less. If you have doubts, simply look at the hours required to eradicate the carbs associated with various foods - that will convince you to watch what you eat and eat less very quickly.
Eat an apple in the A.M. --> less room for fries at lunch. Popcorn, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables from time to time at dinner - and you're well on the way to controlling your weight without exercising. (Do aerobic exercising as well - great for your heart, etc.)
Eat an apple in the A.M. --> less room for fries at lunch. Popcorn, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables from time to time at dinner - and you're well on the way to controlling your weight without exercising. (Do aerobic exercising as well - great for your heart, etc.)
3
EAt normally, meaning what your body needs. Move around some. I refuse to run like a rat in a cage so I can eat 1000calorie fast food sandwiches. I have always had caloric needs of about 1200 to 1400 calories a day, and I can live with it, so long as I mostly stay out of restaurants. The rest of you could do the same if you wanted, though I can understand the temptation to stuff huge amounts of food down while hanging out with friends. Compensate the next day, then. You will feel better, trust me.
2
I've been maintaining an 80 pound weight loss for almost 30 years, and I surely know it's about the food and not the exercise. But exercise has helped me enormously to stay on track. Mentally it reinforces a healthy routine, even perhaps a little obsessively. At this point I'm older and basically just walk a few miles each day. But I know consciously and unconsciously doing this helps me stay food sober. I don't think if those you haven't been obese understand the degree to which overeating to the point of obesity is an addiction like any other and notoriously difficult to control. I also meditate and do a million other things to stay healthy mentally and physically. And to anyone having trouble losing and/or maintaining weight loss: I've come to believe some form of the Paleo diet or a low-isn carb/high fat diet is the way to go. No sugar or grains. Plenty of healthy fats and vegetables. An normal amount of animal protein - with the skin!
8
"Breathing not actually necessary, scientists find in groundbreaking 30-second study"...this latest crop of articles downplaying exercise drives me crazy, in the way they use six-month studies to advise people how to build habits over decades. While I appreciate this author's disclaimer that exercise has other benefits, that point is still grossly understated. Even regarding "weight" (as distinct from fitness, health, physical attractiveness in ones own eyes or others, or any of the exercise-dependent things people normally have in mind when they say "weight") the relationship between exercise habits and weight over the course of a lifetime does not appear to be sufficiently examined. Using that current science to downplay exercise seems premature.
6
Yes, eating less is more important than exercise. But the key determinant of how much I eat is exercise. When I'm exercising my appetite is controlled in several ways, with the bottom line that I just don't want as much food. I want good food not junk, and not an excessive amount. The weight loss comes not directly from the X-many calories expended in the exercise session, but from the sense of wellness and harmony that I don't have in a non-exercising phase. I eat less because I feel good about myself.
9
This article advises - to lose weight - eat LESS food, and eat "healthful", home-cooked meals. But, what are "healthful" foods?
I am not a vegetarian. I eat some meat and dairy products. After years of trying, I finally lost excess weight by really eating more vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates, like - beans, whole grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes. These foods make my stomach feel full, without excess calories. And I greatly limit foods that are high in additives and relatively "empty" of healthy calories processed, fatty, sugary and salty.
I recommend writings by physicians - Dean Ornish, Joel Fuhrman, John McDougall, and Caldwell Esselstyn. - See -
- Article - "High Nutrient Density" - drfuhrman.com
Emphasis is on eating plentiful amounts of plant foods which are high in micronutrients (non-caloric food factors) - vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytochemicals (plant chemicals)
See the Nutritarian pyramid and ANDI food score
- Wikipedia - "List of phytochemicals in food"
- Article - "Just A Little More About Starch And The Starch Solution" -drmcdougall.com
Includes many foods in good chart -
- "McDougall's Classification of Common Foods" -
- Starches (grains, legumes, starchy vegetables)
- Green, yellow and orange (non-starchy vegetables)
- Fruits
In the 1970's, Dr. McDougall worked in Hawaii with many 1st generation Asian immigrants, who ate mostly vegetables, rice and fruits, and who remained slim and healthy into old age.
I am not a vegetarian. I eat some meat and dairy products. After years of trying, I finally lost excess weight by really eating more vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates, like - beans, whole grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes. These foods make my stomach feel full, without excess calories. And I greatly limit foods that are high in additives and relatively "empty" of healthy calories processed, fatty, sugary and salty.
I recommend writings by physicians - Dean Ornish, Joel Fuhrman, John McDougall, and Caldwell Esselstyn. - See -
- Article - "High Nutrient Density" - drfuhrman.com
Emphasis is on eating plentiful amounts of plant foods which are high in micronutrients (non-caloric food factors) - vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytochemicals (plant chemicals)
See the Nutritarian pyramid and ANDI food score
- Wikipedia - "List of phytochemicals in food"
- Article - "Just A Little More About Starch And The Starch Solution" -drmcdougall.com
Includes many foods in good chart -
- "McDougall's Classification of Common Foods" -
- Starches (grains, legumes, starchy vegetables)
- Green, yellow and orange (non-starchy vegetables)
- Fruits
In the 1970's, Dr. McDougall worked in Hawaii with many 1st generation Asian immigrants, who ate mostly vegetables, rice and fruits, and who remained slim and healthy into old age.
4
Everything in this article is true. At the age of 53, I lost 20lbs bringing myself down to 120 @ 5'3". It took a year at about 1lb a month. Over that year, I gradually increased the amount I exercise, adding strength and conditioning to cardio. I was helped by an app that logged food and exercise as I worked toward my goal.
Over the year, gradually I changed the way I ate, eliminating empty calories and adding protein, fruits and vegetables. I rarely eat any processed food now. The benefit of allowing myself time to reach my goal has been that my eating habits are stabilized and I don't feel that I'm dieting. Rather, I have developed an alternate roster of foods. I quit white sugar which surprising makes fruit taste so much sweeter.
I ran my first marathon last year. The one benefit to exercise that's too often overlooked is that a rigorous workout program complements a clean diet. When you plan to run 10 miles in the morning, you have to prepare the day before with adequate hydration and eating food that can be turned into energy. Exercise recovery also drives toward goal-driven eating.
Over the year, gradually I changed the way I ate, eliminating empty calories and adding protein, fruits and vegetables. I rarely eat any processed food now. The benefit of allowing myself time to reach my goal has been that my eating habits are stabilized and I don't feel that I'm dieting. Rather, I have developed an alternate roster of foods. I quit white sugar which surprising makes fruit taste so much sweeter.
I ran my first marathon last year. The one benefit to exercise that's too often overlooked is that a rigorous workout program complements a clean diet. When you plan to run 10 miles in the morning, you have to prepare the day before with adequate hydration and eating food that can be turned into energy. Exercise recovery also drives toward goal-driven eating.
6
In my experience, both are important but I agree that diet (caloric intake) is the most important. I've found two things to be true for me:
1) The caloric model of calorie intake to calories expended is inviolable. If you're in excess position, you'll put on weight and if you're in deficit position, you'll lose weight.
2) We tend to eat much more than we need and, most unfortunately, it takes a period of time to "retrain" your stomach. However, after about 6+ months, I found that I feel full on a significantly smaller portions. Interestingly, I also lost my cravings for sugar, dessert etc.
Currently, I'm probably in the best shape of my life. Blood pressure and cholesterol counts which were once rapidly rising and to the point of requiring medication are now at similar levels (as is my weight) to college days.
There's nothing easy about dropping weight but what I found is once you make it past a certain point, there's no sense of deprivation--I derive the same amount of enjoyment...just from a much smaller amount of food (and I"m still very much a gourmet).
Less truly is more in my experience.
1) The caloric model of calorie intake to calories expended is inviolable. If you're in excess position, you'll put on weight and if you're in deficit position, you'll lose weight.
2) We tend to eat much more than we need and, most unfortunately, it takes a period of time to "retrain" your stomach. However, after about 6+ months, I found that I feel full on a significantly smaller portions. Interestingly, I also lost my cravings for sugar, dessert etc.
Currently, I'm probably in the best shape of my life. Blood pressure and cholesterol counts which were once rapidly rising and to the point of requiring medication are now at similar levels (as is my weight) to college days.
There's nothing easy about dropping weight but what I found is once you make it past a certain point, there's no sense of deprivation--I derive the same amount of enjoyment...just from a much smaller amount of food (and I"m still very much a gourmet).
Less truly is more in my experience.
5
Hunger/satiety, metabolic rate, calories expended through exercise, fat storage, and blood sugar balance are all moving targets. The physics may be "inviolable," but the biology is messy and has hundreds of inter-dependent variables, which affect calories in, calories out, and storage.
4
What the author says is true. I just spent a month in Barcelona and Paris. I was on my feet all the time, walking for hours and hours on end each day. I also practiced 40 minutes of Ashtanga yoga five to six times a week. But as I walked around these cities, I would stop for pastries. Every morning I woke up, I would have an almond croissant. And in the evenings I feasted on tapas, crepes, and lots of wine. Not my normal fair, but I ate what was easy and accessible. When I came home and stepped on the scale, I had added six pounds to my normally petite frame. Losing that weight at my age (over 50) has been no easy job, let me tell you. I've been fasting two days a week in my struggle to lose only a pound a week. That is 3,500 calories worth of food. No fun.
9
In evaluating advice on health, measure the results in terms of whether or not health is improved. Losing weight without exercise is unlikely to improve one's health. Exercise without losing weight is likely to improve one's health. The ideal is an appropriate combination of the two, where enough exercise to support fitness--particularly cardiac fitness--consumes enough calories to exceed the calories consumed. But this focus on weight which discounts the value of exercise is wrong.
3
It's about time! it seems so obvious, yet Americans want to hear anything but that they should eat less. It's clear that we eat more and more every year. I can't believe the "buffet" restaurants. Out of control, Americans!
5
Obesity is one of the best markers of social class. Perhaps you know overweight upper middle class folks. I don;t know many. People eat healthy for, exercise (with personal trainers), do yoga, etc.
Go to a business hotel and the exercise room is full at 5:00 AM in the morning.
The elephant in the room is that weight is one of the best indicators of inequality. And a great means of social control.
Go to a business hotel and the exercise room is full at 5:00 AM in the morning.
The elephant in the room is that weight is one of the best indicators of inequality. And a great means of social control.
12
It's a regional thing. Upper Midwest, South, you'll find plenty of multi-degreed professionals who're overweight and obese.
7
The Biggest Loser emphasizes exercise because video is a visual medium. Abstaining from food and eating smaller portions is not visually interesting.
6
All well and good, but some people have compromised metabolic rates. Building a body that long term will burn more calories a day makes a lot of sense.
4
Someone elle has probably said the following already, but the real benefits of exercising is how it makes you take pleasure in how you feel, how it improves your sense of self and reinforces your determination to feel better.
Sitting around not eating is not very rewarding. Combining a healthy reduced calorie diet with exercise lets you feel in real time what a difference feeling fit and respecting your body can do to enhance your sense of well-being.
I really don't understand why you would need to give one precedence over the other when obviously the best choice is to try to do both!
Sitting around not eating is not very rewarding. Combining a healthy reduced calorie diet with exercise lets you feel in real time what a difference feeling fit and respecting your body can do to enhance your sense of well-being.
I really don't understand why you would need to give one precedence over the other when obviously the best choice is to try to do both!
11
Eat everything you've always eaten, just half. Works like a charm.
12
It's time to tax the "volume discount" (eg. "supersize your fries!!") and outlaw the all-you-can-eat buffet. They are killing Americans!
2
I went once with friends to an all-you-can-eat restaurant. I took my regular, middlin' portion and did not go back for more.
Lack of any modicum of self control is killing Americans -- in more ways than this. The restaurant? Just a symptom.
Plus, once you've seen a patron sneeze on the buffet, you never really want the experience again.
Lack of any modicum of self control is killing Americans -- in more ways than this. The restaurant? Just a symptom.
Plus, once you've seen a patron sneeze on the buffet, you never really want the experience again.
1
B - I agree with you -- it's all about self-control. I too, used to blame fat people for their lack of self-control. But since I had kids and began watching their TV programs and TV ads with them, I've come to understand how difficult it can be for kids to exercise their (yet-non-existent) self-control. By the time they are old enough to have a modicum of self-control, many of them are already overweight and fighting an uphill battle.
I am just saying that someone should be paying for the long-term cost of obesity, and that someone should be the companies that profited from those volume-discount marketing tactics.
I am just saying that someone should be paying for the long-term cost of obesity, and that someone should be the companies that profited from those volume-discount marketing tactics.
1
Dieting is all in the mind. Take away the temptation, the bread, the late-night food commercials, and the pounds slide off.
I learned the hard way that exercise is a complete waste of time IF -- and I stress IF -- you down a "sports" drink afterwards. How silly I was to buy into the Gatorade hype. I see (chubby) school kids running around the block clutching sports drinks as if they are at risk of self-immolation.
I learned the hard way that exercise is a complete waste of time IF -- and I stress IF -- you down a "sports" drink afterwards. How silly I was to buy into the Gatorade hype. I see (chubby) school kids running around the block clutching sports drinks as if they are at risk of self-immolation.
9
Recent laws requiring some categories of restaurants to post calorie counts have changed my restaurant behavior for the better. While the food and restaurant industries oppose these laws, to me they are a no-brainer: people deserve to know as much as possible about the food they are consuming, and, for the chain restaurants affected by such laws, the cost of posting is minimal to nonexistent.
For years, my daughter and I have dined occasionally at a California Pizza Kitchen franchise near her, each of us always ordering the same dish – – a version of chicken piccata. After the restaurant began posting caloric values, my daughter and I realized that each of us was consuming almost an entire day's worth of calories on one plate! From that point on, we began to split one dish, and we have not been the hungrier for it.
For years, my daughter and I have dined occasionally at a California Pizza Kitchen franchise near her, each of us always ordering the same dish – – a version of chicken piccata. After the restaurant began posting caloric values, my daughter and I realized that each of us was consuming almost an entire day's worth of calories on one plate! From that point on, we began to split one dish, and we have not been the hungrier for it.
13
I don't think excercise is less important than diet. Excercise can make you leaner and fitter without losing weight. But Mr. Caroll is quite correct that it doesn't play as important a role in weight loss than consumingless calories.
BMI wrongly assumes that I'm overweight when I'm physically fit and healthy.
I regularly use free weights, calisthenics, a total gym and a bicycle to stay fit. I keep a chart and rotate excercises on different days and use a bike with a pannier instead of my car whenever I can.
BMI assumes that your physical excercise consists of walking, typing and pushing a shopping cart and I guess in most cases that may be true, which is unfortunate. It's also unfortunate that a lot of people who would benefit from articles like this one probably don't read them.
BMI wrongly assumes that I'm overweight when I'm physically fit and healthy.
I regularly use free weights, calisthenics, a total gym and a bicycle to stay fit. I keep a chart and rotate excercises on different days and use a bike with a pannier instead of my car whenever I can.
BMI assumes that your physical excercise consists of walking, typing and pushing a shopping cart and I guess in most cases that may be true, which is unfortunate. It's also unfortunate that a lot of people who would benefit from articles like this one probably don't read them.
6
The article seems to overlook the concept of "set points" in our metabolism: the idea that a sustained program of exercise can cause a long-term elevation in your body's ability to burn calories. I have never had a serious weight problem but I was a slightly chubby child and, as an adult, could easily gain weight; eating sweets on a regular basis -- even just a candy-bar a day -- would cause weight gain. In my late 20's I began a regimen of running 2-3 miles every other day merely to help me concentrate better during boring or difficult graduate classes. After several months, I discovered that I actually had to increase my food intake to keep up my normal weight. After a year of running, I was able to eat close to 10,000 Calories a day without gaining weight (my weight then was 110 pounds) -- I ate ice cream and rich cake desserts several times a day, along with 3 big meals. If I stopped running for even 3-4 weeks, my elevated metabolism remained but if I stopped for several months, then I slowly reverted to my prior metabolism. Now in middle age, I can't eat whatever I want, even if I run regularly. However, running twice a week, combined with a diet high in seafood and vegetable protein and with no red meat or chicken, has enabled me to get down to my former weight, and I can still have cake and cookies (although no more than once a day).
2
The reason the article doesn't mention it is because it is fiction.
You burn calories when you are working - there is no magic internal combustion that kicks in when you are resting - other than the normal caloric consumption of the body keeping you alive.
The part of the article that was powerful is that he rejected all of the magical thinking like this.
You burn calories when you are working - there is no magic internal combustion that kicks in when you are resting - other than the normal caloric consumption of the body keeping you alive.
The part of the article that was powerful is that he rejected all of the magical thinking like this.
@SteveRR:
The calories burned through resting metabolism are by far larger than the calories burned through exercise. And neither rate is constant.
The calories burned through resting metabolism are by far larger than the calories burned through exercise. And neither rate is constant.
All of you who can lose weight by dieting -- more power to you. I can't; dieting makes me ill. I don't need the mental fog and fatigue that comes from calorie restrictions. I've gained 5 pounds in the last year, and I'd rather carry these 5 pounds then find myself unable to carry on a simple conversation, or unable to judge if it's safe to make a left turn, because my brain keeps fogging out.
2
What happens as we age is that many of us gain a few pounds a year, never noticeable short term, then after ten years!!! So my BMI got to overweight and i decided it was silly, I am the one in control. After a week or so dieting moderately I adjusted to eating differently, and now, back in the approved weight range, I find things like shoulder and back pains are gone, my stomach is upset less and I am just more comfortable in general. It takes a mental sdjustment but there can be a payoff.
Hi HT: Please please have your vitamin B12 level checked with a blood test. Your symptoms sound a lot like a B12 deficiency - and dieting may indeed be lowering your level further, especially if you are decreasing meat consumption. It's a simple blood test - and a deficiency has a cheap cure with non-prescription vitamin supplements. [Disclaimer: I'm not doctor, just middle-aged, and undiagnosed B12 deficiency seems to be an increasingly common experience in this age group, accompanied by "foggy thinking" symptoms very similar to what you are describing.]
1
"Weight loss" is a shorthand that isn't always helpful. People want to be fit, strong, and healthy. Being merely light is a pretty pathetic goal.
For some medically obese people, the transformation to fit, strong and healthy might actually involve an increase in weight as fat is replaced by muscle.
People with weight & fitness problems need to switch off the TV and both (a) get active, and (b) consciously and proactively manage their diet. It's not particularly helpful to argue that either of these changes is more important than the other. Both are necessary for a fit, strong and healthy life.
For some medically obese people, the transformation to fit, strong and healthy might actually involve an increase in weight as fat is replaced by muscle.
People with weight & fitness problems need to switch off the TV and both (a) get active, and (b) consciously and proactively manage their diet. It's not particularly helpful to argue that either of these changes is more important than the other. Both are necessary for a fit, strong and healthy life.
4
In our politically correct world, it is offensive to say that people are overweight because they ate too much due to overindulgence, lack of self-control, and food addiction. Reddit recently banned all fat-shaming discussion since it was seen as harassment. The War on Obesity is an uphill battle.
5
Reddit banned that discussion because it was hideous people trying their best to hurt others, not to help anyone lose weight. Get your facts straight.
3
To say that overeating leads to weight gain is true in an obvious sense, but it's like saying a restaurant is full because more people came in than left. It does nothing to explain _why_ somebody is overeating, or why the rate of overeating has changed on a population level.
Where HAVE all the "normal weight" people gone? I can't say that I know too many. I recently helped in cleaning out my mum's home after she passed away. My sisters and I spent a considerable amount of time looking through boxes of old photographs. They were photos of my mum at summer camp, of her father ( a teacher) with his enormous classes of 40 children or more, of our relatives dating back to the 1930's, her wedding photos and photos of her classes which she taught in the 1950's and into the 1970's. In all the photos the subjects were of normal weight, what we might call "thin" these days. We might even call them "skinny" or "scrawny". In my mother's day, one did not go to the gym or run on a treadmill. She walked or rode her bicycle to school but did not exercise excessively. I can only draw the conclusion that she and her contemporaries ate much less than we do now.
I recently took my normal weight 17 year old daughter in to have her prom dress fitted for the final time. The dress was a size 0 and had to be taken in
quite a bit. The staff at the dress shop were amazed and had to gather around and comment on how "tiny" my daughter was, and that the smallest dress they could find was too big. Apparently, " normal weight" is not that normal anymore. (I am suspicious that what is labelled a size 0 now was probably a size 6 when my mother was a teenager. Not only are we much larger now we are also much more vain!).
I recently took my normal weight 17 year old daughter in to have her prom dress fitted for the final time. The dress was a size 0 and had to be taken in
quite a bit. The staff at the dress shop were amazed and had to gather around and comment on how "tiny" my daughter was, and that the smallest dress they could find was too big. Apparently, " normal weight" is not that normal anymore. (I am suspicious that what is labelled a size 0 now was probably a size 6 when my mother was a teenager. Not only are we much larger now we are also much more vain!).
38
The level of defensiveness in this comment section is wild. The article is talking about actual energy balance and what is needed to tip the scale and the replies are so obviously written on a pure emotional level. Cut carbs, go vegan, I've never seen a fat marathon runner.......all responses based on emotion. I would love to be able to revisit this article in 5 years and ask every person replying that way, where are they in their journey.
1
I'm sorry but a size 0 is not anything close to normal for an adult.
4
Agree about the defensiveness/excuses in the comments. You've also never seen an overweight person in parts of the world subject to famine, no matter a person's metabolism
2
I've just spent more than an hour reading over this Comments Section, and, I have to say, this article has the Times readership to function as a community in a wonderfully positive way. So often discussions of food issues, much like those of religion or educational policy – – not to mention politics! – – divide people immediately into angry camps, each proclaiming an absolutist position without openness to considering other perspectives. In this case, however, I am impressed by the open-minded and nonjudgmental tone of most comments, as well as the time many commenters have taken to generously share strategies that have worked for them. While the article itself was certainly worthwhile, in this case I think I took even more away from Comments Section.
11
We actually all know this and always have but refuse to acknowledge it because eating addictively is the biggest substance abuse problem there is. Weight loss sites are full of "free" snack foods so we can munch all day without consequences. We decide we can't eat bread so we eat tons of wraps, can't eat wraps so we eat tons of rice cakes. Carbs are bad so we eat tons of meat, meat is bad so we eat tons of pasta. Restaurants serve portions for three, Cosco sells muffins and croissants by the dozen. We eat in the car, on the train, while walking down the street. Nobody could exercise enough to overcome all those calories. WE'RE FAT BECAUSE WE EAT TOO MUCH. We are food junkies.
56
That was the best comment in the whole section
Going thru menopause caused me weight gain. I was always thin, now slightly overweight. I don't eat that much and do exercise weekly. You might be fat because you eat too much but don't assume one size fits all...
2
This is a tautology, it's like saying "the winning team is the team who scored more points." All of this begs the question of _why_ we are eating too much. In other words, why would a person be hungry for more calories than his/her body? And why has this changed on a population level?
2
I would add to this that the quality of the food you eat is very important too. I've kept my weight off not so much by eating like a bird but from eating real (unprocessed) food as much as possible
9
A wise man once said; Don't eat till your stomach's full but eat such that you can go by with your life.
3
I've read various account on how un-realistic and torturous The Biggest Loser. Not only this, but a week in TV is not the same as in real life, removing it as a valid source for tracking people.
That being said I think one key to exercise is building muscle through weight training. When you build muscle you're raising your metabolism in the long turn. Lifting takes much less time than hours of cardio, which will really slow down your metabolism.
That being said I think one key to exercise is building muscle through weight training. When you build muscle you're raising your metabolism in the long turn. Lifting takes much less time than hours of cardio, which will really slow down your metabolism.
3
I don't think it should be either cardio or weights. The two are a great combination. One of the great things about weight training and calesthenics is that, particularly if you have some equipment at home, it takes an amazingly short amount of time to get a vigorous workout, once you've developed some muscle. It takes less than a minute to do a set of pushups, curls, verticle rows, etc.
Locally, it takes about the same time to run an errand on a bicycle as it does with a car, so no lost time there either.
Locally, it takes about the same time to run an errand on a bicycle as it does with a car, so no lost time there either.
2
I would rather carry an extra 20 lbs of muscle than fat. But that's just me.
4
Why would you want to carry the *extra* 20 pounds at all?
Of course eating less is very vital for proper weight management.
Importance of diet in leading a healthy life is the reoccurring theme in the ancient Indian sages preaching. They have emphasized of diet's intimate connection with the mind. Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. Upanishad says "By the purity of food one becomes purified in his inner nature; by the purification of his inner nature he verily gets memory of the Self; and by the attainment of the memory of the Self, all ties and attachments are severed."
Swami Sivananda on Yogic Diet says "Live a natural simple life. Take simple food that is wholly agreeable to your system. You should have your own menu to suit your constitution. You are yourself the best judge to select a diet. In the matter of food and drink you will do well to eat and drink as a master. You should not have the least craving for any particular diet. You should not become a slave to this food or that food. Simple, natural, non-stimulating, tissue-building, energy-producing, non-alcoholic food and drink will keep the mind calm and pure and will help the student of Yoga in his practices and in the attainment of the goal of life."
Indians from antiquity have mastered the science of mind of which Yoga is one important branch. I believe Western science has hardly touched on the benefits of mind science with respect to diet. There is a whole branch of science awaiting discovery by Western researchers.
Importance of diet in leading a healthy life is the reoccurring theme in the ancient Indian sages preaching. They have emphasized of diet's intimate connection with the mind. Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. Upanishad says "By the purity of food one becomes purified in his inner nature; by the purification of his inner nature he verily gets memory of the Self; and by the attainment of the memory of the Self, all ties and attachments are severed."
Swami Sivananda on Yogic Diet says "Live a natural simple life. Take simple food that is wholly agreeable to your system. You should have your own menu to suit your constitution. You are yourself the best judge to select a diet. In the matter of food and drink you will do well to eat and drink as a master. You should not have the least craving for any particular diet. You should not become a slave to this food or that food. Simple, natural, non-stimulating, tissue-building, energy-producing, non-alcoholic food and drink will keep the mind calm and pure and will help the student of Yoga in his practices and in the attainment of the goal of life."
Indians from antiquity have mastered the science of mind of which Yoga is one important branch. I believe Western science has hardly touched on the benefits of mind science with respect to diet. There is a whole branch of science awaiting discovery by Western researchers.
8
The problem is that a lot of overweight people are so cardiovascularly unfit that they simply cannot do the amount of exercise required to make a difference to their weight. Cutting out sugary drinks is clearly an easier win. But for people of more average weight looking to lose a few pounds, or for people of average weight wishing to prevent the slow creep of weight gain over the years, then exercise is crucial (along with portion control). Running 20 miles a week burns, on average, 2000 calories - a generous day's worth for an average to taller height woman.
5
Fat or thin, it is hard for me to imagine how one can be healthy without exercising. I am sure one can efficiently lose lot of weight on diet restriction alone - but then you end up thin and unhealthy, and HUNGRY. No wonder diets tend to fail.
I also do not see why they authors think it is so hard to exercise for 30 minutes a day. Perhaps that is the issue that needs to be examined - why do we make it so hard to get enough exercise. And finally, for many people, dieting is not as easy as merely eliminating two sodas. Many people who are trying to lose weight have long since eliminated the sodas, and are on starvation rations trying to lose weight. That is every bit as hard as exercising for 30 minutes a day.
I also do not see why they authors think it is so hard to exercise for 30 minutes a day. Perhaps that is the issue that needs to be examined - why do we make it so hard to get enough exercise. And finally, for many people, dieting is not as easy as merely eliminating two sodas. Many people who are trying to lose weight have long since eliminated the sodas, and are on starvation rations trying to lose weight. That is every bit as hard as exercising for 30 minutes a day.
8
Many Americans feel just like you do -- they refuse to see "thin is healthier than fat". Period.
And THAT, my friend, is why Americans remain overweight despite all the exercising we do. Of course we are wrong. Look around -- Vietnamese, for example, are thin not because they exercise more than Americans. Chinese and Japanese people used to be thin until McDonalds invaded their countries and popularized the volume discount. Say whatever you need to say to justify your habits to yourself, I know this article spoke the truth.
And THAT, my friend, is why Americans remain overweight despite all the exercising we do. Of course we are wrong. Look around -- Vietnamese, for example, are thin not because they exercise more than Americans. Chinese and Japanese people used to be thin until McDonalds invaded their countries and popularized the volume discount. Say whatever you need to say to justify your habits to yourself, I know this article spoke the truth.
2
If you are on starvation rations you will have no difficulty losing weight. It is impossible to avoid losing weight. You will eventually starve to death. I think the problem is more one of expectation or what a person is used to. A person eating a normal healthy diet must expect to be hungry for two or three hours a day, from 3 to 6, if you eat at 6. You should also wake up hungry. That is normal. That is what every normal weight person in history has felt. Some modern Americans have the odd idea that a person should never feel hungry, and that hunger is "hard" to bear. This is like thinking you should never be sleepy before bed, or exhausted after hard physical labor.
Be hungry before meals. Put up with it. Don't snack. Remember that hunger is the best sauce as they say in France.
If you are not hungry, don't eat. Once you are satiated, stop eating.
Be hungry before meals. Put up with it. Don't snack. Remember that hunger is the best sauce as they say in France.
If you are not hungry, don't eat. Once you are satiated, stop eating.
3
If you're not responsible for anyone but yourself, no, it's not hard to get in 30 min/day. If you're responsible for children or frail parents or ill family or community members, and you also have to work for a living, and your city's managed to build housing so that the only affordable housing is 45 min each way from work, yeah, it's going to be very difficult to do.
If you stretch the imagination to how people who are not you live, it becomes easier to understand.
If you stretch the imagination to how people who are not you live, it becomes easier to understand.
2
Thirty minutes and 350 calories (presumably kilocalories) is nice healthy exercise, but it's not what you'd call vigorous. If you build up to 45 minutes of running, 3 to 5 times a week, with some hills in the mix, in all weathers, you'll find you can eat to your heart's content and maintain your weight. Add some bike rides and swims on the other days -- yes, I'm talking triathlon training -- and you'll be jamming more food than you thought humanly possible and while just barely getting enough calories. Exercise, eat, and be merry.
3
Good for you. Don't have kids (or don't be responsible for bring them up) -- they'll throw a wrench in your training. If you do have kids and offload the childrearing part, don't get critical about the fitness level of the person or people actually doing the work.
1
I disagree with Mr. Caroll'. I am female, 60+ years old with a BMI of 23. I am not obese, or technically overweight. I consume about 1200 calories per day. Any attempt to lose 5-10 pounds REQUIRES consistent aerobic exercise, as eating less is impractical. Certainly, increased caloric intake (a binge day of 1500-2000) will result in weight gain. But, eating less than 1000 only results in decreased metabolism & stasis. In my case, exercise is the only way to take off weight.
4
But with a bmi of 23 why would you want to lose weight?
Not just in your case. These things are almost always about young men anyhow.
Two issues seem obvious with with issues. Genetics, and fat people like to eat.
ahem: thin people like to eat too.
1
Think of exercise as a special form of nourishing the entire body, including the brain. Then exercise.
Think of food as as a dangerous object that, if continually misused over time, can cause serious self-inflicted injury. Then be careful for your own sake.
Think of food as as a dangerous object that, if continually misused over time, can cause serious self-inflicted injury. Then be careful for your own sake.
3
1. Energy expended when walking or running depends on body mass. The heavier you are the more you expend.
2. The energy expended (over and above our resting metabolism) when running is on a flat, hard surface is one small calorie per metre per kilogram of body mass [1].
3. The energy expended per kilometre (over and above our resting metabolism) when walking depends on how fast we walk (unlike running). For easy walking (around 2.5 to 3mph), it is half a calorie per kilometre per kilogram of body mass [1].
Hence, a person who weighs one hundred kilograms (220 pounds) will expend one hundred small calories for every metre run, or one hundred big calories (Calories) for every km run (2). For 10 km run, the 100 kg runner will expend 1,000 Calories (big calories) over and above their resting metabolism.
Do the sums - if you are heavy, you may be pleasantly surprised how much extra energy you burn running. On soft surfaces like sand, you burn 80% as much energy again. On uphill slopes, of course, you also burn more.
1) Astrand and Rodahl; 'Textbook of Work Physiology – Physiological Bases of Exercise' (4th ed; p 483)
2) One big or large calorie is also known as a 'Calorie', Cal, Kilocalorie or Kcal. A 'Calorie' is the equivalent of one thousand small or little calories.
2. The energy expended (over and above our resting metabolism) when running is on a flat, hard surface is one small calorie per metre per kilogram of body mass [1].
3. The energy expended per kilometre (over and above our resting metabolism) when walking depends on how fast we walk (unlike running). For easy walking (around 2.5 to 3mph), it is half a calorie per kilometre per kilogram of body mass [1].
Hence, a person who weighs one hundred kilograms (220 pounds) will expend one hundred small calories for every metre run, or one hundred big calories (Calories) for every km run (2). For 10 km run, the 100 kg runner will expend 1,000 Calories (big calories) over and above their resting metabolism.
Do the sums - if you are heavy, you may be pleasantly surprised how much extra energy you burn running. On soft surfaces like sand, you burn 80% as much energy again. On uphill slopes, of course, you also burn more.
1) Astrand and Rodahl; 'Textbook of Work Physiology – Physiological Bases of Exercise' (4th ed; p 483)
2) One big or large calorie is also known as a 'Calorie', Cal, Kilocalorie or Kcal. A 'Calorie' is the equivalent of one thousand small or little calories.
2
If you're exercising for an hour say, that's one hour that you're ideally not eating. And perhaps it's an hour that you are releasing some stress. Since a lot of people eat because of stress, I'm betting that they might eat a bit less after exercise.
In short, exercise can help in many ways.
In short, exercise can help in many ways.
6
The best exercises that aid weight loss can do little to nothing without proper diet. Your body likes to store fat and burn carbs. What worked for me was an eating plan that involves varying your day-to-day intake of carbohydrates. (more about carb cycling: http://everydayhealthhero.com/can-carb-cycling-help-you-lose-weight/ ).
High carb days are your refill points, these are your high energy (and high activity) days and then low carb days, your depletion points when your body will start to burn fat for energy. The best part is it made me feel full. How do you maintain the weight that you lose when your diet requires you to just be hungry?
High carb days are your refill points, these are your high energy (and high activity) days and then low carb days, your depletion points when your body will start to burn fat for energy. The best part is it made me feel full. How do you maintain the weight that you lose when your diet requires you to just be hungry?
1
This is unscientific and only one data point, but Monday is sharing day. For convincing weight loss, try moving your entire household. Over 300 thirty-pound boxes up and down stairs, over hill and dale, then unloaded at the other end, missed meals, and voila--exercise and weight loss. I have also learned portion control: I can have a third of a brownie w/o having to eat the whole thing. It's the taste and slow chewing, not the amount, that are the key to gratifying that blessed chocolate craving. Same thing with wine, slow sipping a nice pour that is cut with a little water, fills the wine glass, preserves the flavor, and is heart healthy w/o putting on the poundage. Cheers.
5
Go vegan.
4
My Dad, a country doctor, always said, "The best exercise is to push your plate away when you are 'just' full."
12
1. Energy expended when walking or running depends on body mass. The heavier we are the more we expend.
2. The energy expended (over and above our resting metabolism) when running on a flat, hard surface is one small calorie per metre per kilogram of body mass [1].
3. The energy expended per metre (over and above our resting metabolism) when walking depends on how fast we walk (unlike running). For easy walking (around 2.5 to 3mph), it is half a small calorie per metre per kilogram of body mass [1].
Hence, a person who weighs one hundred kilograms (220 pounds) will expend one hundred small calories for every metre run, or one hundred big calories (Calories) for every km run (2). For 10 km run, the 100 kg runner will expend 1,000 Calories (big calories) over and above their resting metabolism.
Do the sums - if you are heavy, you may be pleasantly surprised how much extra energy you burn running. On soft surfaces like sand, you burn 80% as much energy again. On uphill slopes, of course, you also burn more.
1) Astrand and Rodahl; 'Textbook of Work Physiology – Physiological Bases of Exercise' (4th ed; p 483)
2) One big or large calorie is also known as a 'Calorie', Cal, Kilocalorie or Kcal. A 'Calorie' is the equivalent of one thousand small or little calories.
2. The energy expended (over and above our resting metabolism) when running on a flat, hard surface is one small calorie per metre per kilogram of body mass [1].
3. The energy expended per metre (over and above our resting metabolism) when walking depends on how fast we walk (unlike running). For easy walking (around 2.5 to 3mph), it is half a small calorie per metre per kilogram of body mass [1].
Hence, a person who weighs one hundred kilograms (220 pounds) will expend one hundred small calories for every metre run, or one hundred big calories (Calories) for every km run (2). For 10 km run, the 100 kg runner will expend 1,000 Calories (big calories) over and above their resting metabolism.
Do the sums - if you are heavy, you may be pleasantly surprised how much extra energy you burn running. On soft surfaces like sand, you burn 80% as much energy again. On uphill slopes, of course, you also burn more.
1) Astrand and Rodahl; 'Textbook of Work Physiology – Physiological Bases of Exercise' (4th ed; p 483)
2) One big or large calorie is also known as a 'Calorie', Cal, Kilocalorie or Kcal. A 'Calorie' is the equivalent of one thousand small or little calories.
4
Correction - one big or large calorie is also known as a 'Calorie', Cal, kilocalorie or kcal.
2
This is SO true but people don't wanna hear it because they like to eat for reasons beyond nourishing their bodies and staying alive.
7
I haven't read the article but everything it says is wrong because the writer is obviously saying exercise is evil and starvation is good based on the headline and I don't have time to read what he has to say but I have time to write my own opinions which are highly original and no one else has ever thought of them, which are: exercise is good.
And this is why the internet is killing newspapers, folks.
And this is why the internet is killing newspapers, folks.
13
You forgot to humbly describe your very intense exercise regimen and explain to the rest of us lazies that if we also committed to biking/running/swimming 200 miles per week we too could achieve Adonis physiques while freely stuffing our gaping food-holes.
1
He did not say exercise is wrong, just ineffective for significant weight loss. He explained the science behind it as well. Try eating an extra 1,000 calories daily and thenlosing weight by exercise. You would have to perform about 2 hrs of vigorous exercise a day. Who has time for that. But cut 250 cal a day from your diet ( about 4-6 store bought cookies) and you've reduced your weekly caloric intake about 1750 cal/week, 7,000 cal/ month, or about 2-21/2 lbs of fat. Maintain that for a year and voila, 25 lb wt loss
3
He mentions the health benefits of exercise at the end of the article: "Exercise has a big upside for health beyond potential weight loss. Many studies and reviews detail how physical activity can improve outcomes in musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, neurological diseases and depression. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges declared it a “miracle cure” recently, and while I’m usually loath to use that term for anything in medicine, a fairly large evidence base corroborates that exercise improves outcomes in many domains."
1
When I started to get porky, I went to Weight Watchers. WW retrained my eating habits, which is basically what one has to do. I lost weight and I've kept the weight off.
6
French average dinner plate: 10.5 " american average dinner plate: 11.25"...lets start eating in our desert plates, that will do the trick.
11
Whole heartily agree that eating less is the key to weight management. People can eat healthy and gain weight. For instance eating a pound of fish or a pound of sirloin or a pound of broccoli is simply to much. The excess will be stored as fat. The volume alone is bigger than the stomach which is supposed to be the size of a fist. So a stomach twice its normal size will produce hunger grumbles if only a pound of sirloin is eaten.
But excercise, I believe will help with the metabolism. It will make the metabolic activity more efficient. And then the desire to fill the stomach lessens. Where I disagree with the author is that he says most Americans can't keep up a strenuous 30 minute exercise regime daily. Why not?
But excercise, I believe will help with the metabolism. It will make the metabolic activity more efficient. And then the desire to fill the stomach lessens. Where I disagree with the author is that he says most Americans can't keep up a strenuous 30 minute exercise regime daily. Why not?
1
I found while losing (and keeping off) 45 pounds several years ago that eating less caused me to lose weight, up to a point. I was at a plateau. Once I took up daily lap swimming plus healthy eating (eating less) I lost the extra pounds quickly. I recommend healthy eating combined with lap swimming. Without it, I could not have lost sufficient weight. I have been successful in keeping it off by lap swimming 4 times a week. But the motivation needed to both eat less and exercise regularly and frequently defeats most people, unfortunately.
Exercise and diet has worked reasonably well for me but another factor I wonder about is the quality of our food supply. I have not examined the topic recently but I do remember some researchers wondering if the way we grow/ raise our food -- whether it is fertilizers, antibiotics, strains of particular cattle/ grains, etc. -- may have impacted obesity levels. It's true that portion sizes are much bigger in the US and we are a car-based country mostly but when one examines the diet of our ancestors even a few decades ago, the diet of current Europeans (butter, alcohol, meat, etc.) and Asians (lots of rice), their levels of obesity were/ are not at our current levels. I think there's more operating here than just exercising more/ eating less and better.
3
Yes!! Common sense wins again.Eat less, move more.
4
I developed acid reflux, got some advice to go gluten free to combat it. Tried that and, and at 6'1", dropped 10 pounds to 165 immediately. But then realized there wasn't enough to eat gluten-free, so started eating tiny meals that added up to less than 1,000 calories a day. Managed to stay at 165 for a year, and, yes, dropped the acid reflux within 3 months. In August last year, I violated my year long fast. Now I yo yo back and forth between 168 and 175, but I'm headed back to 165 once I can create enough food variety within my tiny meals scenario to keep it going. There comes a time when you're just comfortable eating this way, so maintaining becomes a piece of cake. After awhile tho I became so bold that I started to break away from the diet in major ways. I got too used to that. Now I've stopped that and am winding my way back to 165 maintenance. Oh yes, I used to run 5 miles 3 times a week, but became too exercise dependent.
The very title of this article is doing the most disservice. "Eating less". The exact problem with the American Dietary memes/myths. This constant reinforcement that an overweight person just has to "eat less" is why so many people are overweight! They eat less, lose some wight, then gain it and more back...and so goes the yo-yo! Far too many Americans, especially females, rely on the lie that weight is ALL about how much one eats - instead of the WHAT they eat, WHEN they eat, and even IF they should eat. I know many overweight people, especially females, who don't eat all that much, but they eat poorly, too often, and most times they haven't been truly hungry in over two weeks! But they all go on the "Eat Less Diet" when they want to lose. And they've all been doing it for decades, all with no real results...except that 5-10 for an event, that they gain and more back thereafter. Its the very definition of insane! But every one of them talks like a diet expert! They are literally deaf to real dietary and weight loss information/advice.
Being active is not simply about formal exercising, but being in a near constant state of movement. Many people eat reasonably well, exercise more then most, but then sit, actually lounge, for the majority of their days/nights.
Bob Dobbs (below) gets it right...be active and stay at it and the real hunger will diminish, where sometimes all one needs is a little nosh to get by till a formal meal time. A little hunger is not a bad thing!
Being active is not simply about formal exercising, but being in a near constant state of movement. Many people eat reasonably well, exercise more then most, but then sit, actually lounge, for the majority of their days/nights.
Bob Dobbs (below) gets it right...be active and stay at it and the real hunger will diminish, where sometimes all one needs is a little nosh to get by till a formal meal time. A little hunger is not a bad thing!
2
Frankly, for years credible people in the fitness industry will tell you, no matter how much you exercise, ultimately, at least 75% of the battle of weight loss and its control is determined by the quantity you consume and much of that battle's future success or failure by what is going on "between the ears".
2
Muscles are the body's engine. The more muscle mass you have - the larger your engine - the more fuel (calories) you burn. Just like an SUV except, you know, good for you. Build your engine with exercise in and out of the gym.
Calories are the body's fuel. Just like with a car when you don't drive it, the unused fuel (calories) sit in the gas tank (the body). Unfortunately, when calories sit in our bodies un-burned, they turn to fat for the most part. Not good.
Low and behold, eat right and exercise pretty much works.
Calories are the body's fuel. Just like with a car when you don't drive it, the unused fuel (calories) sit in the gas tank (the body). Unfortunately, when calories sit in our bodies un-burned, they turn to fat for the most part. Not good.
Low and behold, eat right and exercise pretty much works.
Eat Less AND Exercise More.
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These are not mutually exclusive choices.
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These are not mutually exclusive choices.
3
How come there are not overweight animals in the wild?
Well, no kidding. People have been saying for, like, forever: You're fat because you eat too much. Now nutritionists have figured out what the rest of us always knew. Big deal.
1
Sorry, but I really don't know any fat marathon runners, even those that put down 3000 calories a day....
1
Untrue! There are several fat marathoners that I know! Usually they aren't obese, but several look built to till the steppes of Central Asia and store every last calorie--and still they have completed marathons.
But not everyone can be a marathon runner, so eat less, it's EASIER
1
Excellent article. It's not only eating less, the key factor is avoiding sugar at all costs (ex. no soda).
1
According to this article http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/does-exercise-make-you-overeat/, regular exercise improves the body’s ability to judge the amount of calories consumed and to adjust for that afterward, therefore for some it helps reduce calories intake and avoid overeating.
Forgot one idea. Make a fist. That's. the size of your stomach. although it will stretch. But think of its size when you start filling it. Be kind.
2
I have been interested in nutrition and eating healthy for many years. It is important to not deprive yourself of something i.e. a cookie, a piece of pizza, because the craving of it or desire to eat it because more intense. Moderation is the key….anything eaten in excess is going to put weight onto a sedentary person. If you desire a cookie, eat one not a half of box.
I feel saying I am on a diet or need to be on a diet, is a rough couple of words to hear or give yourself as a daily mantra. Instead of using the word diet, I think one should say, "It is way of eating" , “a way of life”. The words I have to diet can have a negative context to one, who really must diet. Give yourself good messages when it comes to food. I found this article to be interesting and encouraging. I have a condition (Fibromyalgia) and it is very hard to exercise; I have put on weight from my meds and age. I have recently cut back on what I do eat and it has helped tremendously.
Use a smaller plate, you will take less food! Use chopsticks. It will help you eat slower.
Here’s to good health!
I feel saying I am on a diet or need to be on a diet, is a rough couple of words to hear or give yourself as a daily mantra. Instead of using the word diet, I think one should say, "It is way of eating" , “a way of life”. The words I have to diet can have a negative context to one, who really must diet. Give yourself good messages when it comes to food. I found this article to be interesting and encouraging. I have a condition (Fibromyalgia) and it is very hard to exercise; I have put on weight from my meds and age. I have recently cut back on what I do eat and it has helped tremendously.
Use a smaller plate, you will take less food! Use chopsticks. It will help you eat slower.
Here’s to good health!
1
While the intentions of this article are good it is inherently flawed. The key to loosing weight is not necessarily eat less exercise more. While for some people this may be true in a way, for the majority it is a widely believed flaw. Everyone has a specific resting metabolic rate, or in other words, how many calories your body burns a day by doing nothing. If you eat less than this rate then your body becomes catabolic and instead of loosing weight, your body gains fat and breaks down muscle because it is in a calorie deficit. By eating that calorie amount, or adding several hundred calories if you exercise, your body is in an anabolic stage where it can use those calories to synthesize proteins and build lean muscle mass - aka burn fat and gain muscle. With this being said, it is best to fulfill your calorie amounts with nutrient rich food. So of course no junk food. If you fill your calories with certain percentages of fats carbs and proteins, that is appropriate with your activity level, then you will loose weight. As always you must be patient with weight lost and reevalute your caloric needs per your body fat percentage and weight. It is possible with the determination and discipline.
3
This article makes a lot sense. It is basically the difference of how-much-in vs how-much-out that determines weight loss or weight gain. At the end, it really does not matter what is your metabolic rate is. And as the article points out, exercise just can not burn off enough calories if you don't cut down the calories that you take in. One Big Mac contains about 550 calories, that means you'll have to walk about five miles to burn that off (walking burns off about 100 calories per mile). For an obese person, 30 min of walking or equivalent exercise will not cut it at all as far as the weight loss is concerned though there are other health benefits with exercise. If your goal is weight loss only at the moment, there are simpler ways (nothing is simple or easy in weight loss) to see if you are cutting down on your calorie intake: one is to weigh your food and see how many pounds of food you consume a day, regardless of the varieties of food that you eat. Do this for a week or two, you'll know the average weight of foods that you eat per day, or even better per meal. Now, regardless of what you eat, just cut down 10% of the weight of food you eat per meal or per day. This is because, by simple physics, you can not gain more weight than the weight of food/things you take in, regardless of the variety. The second way to see if you are eating less is look at your grocery bills every months. You should see your grocery bill decrease if you are eating less.
3
I agree eating less, and especially - less carbs, is the path to weight loss. Once you swallow, carbs turn directly into sugar and then into fat. Metabolically, there's no difference between a bowl of cornflakes with sugar, or a bowl of sugar with cornflakes. Having said that, I'm very much in favor of working out as much as possible. I'm a runner, but adults could never run enough to lose much weight - especially if you are overweight to start with.
3
I sometimes wonder what percentage of readers who post comments actually read the entire article before they are compelled to start typing. Some of the comments here take the writer - a professor of pediatrics - to task for somehow, in their view, downplaying the importance of exercise. This largely ignores the author's overall message that exercise is important for many reasons, but may not be the weight loss panacea many make it out to be. It completely ignores his penultimate paragraph, which specifically details the positive health gains that result from regular exercise. Perhaps he should have made that the 2nd paragraph so that the critics could have read it before commenting and then, without finishing the article, rushing out the door to hit the gym.
28
The fact that he waited until the penultimate paragraph to say anything positive about exercise while listing at the top of the article only two types of exercise and then stating that nobody could possibly keep up with those routines - as if those are the only kinds of exercise available, is the problem. Putting anything positive about exercise at the beginning of the article would have minimized his main thesis, and the author probably well knows most won't read to the end and will only see the headline and read the first few paragraphs. Makes the whole thing a bit dishonest in my mind.
Interesting perspective. However he didn't didn't wait until the next-to-last paragraph. He mentions exercise as a positive - or at least acknowledges its role in a healthy lifestyle - in paragraphs 6, 10, and 11 as well as the next-to-last one. But the purpose of his article was to make a singular point - that when considering weight loss alone, diet may be, according to the data he referenced, more impactful than exercise. His point about people who will find many hours for the gym every week, but can make little time to shop for and prepare wholesome, healthy meals was pretty incisive. I still don't believe it's fair to blame the writer of a relatively short piece for people who don't read it before commenting.
1
yes.., it's obvious that if you burn 350 calories twice a week, by "exercising".., it's not going to cause much weight loss - especially if you are eating 1000 or more extra calories a week!
But..., burning 350 calories in a session barely qualifies as "exercise" - I have probably not even really warmed up when i have burned 350 calories.
I ride a road bike - 35 or more miles a day 4 or 5 days a week, at a decent speed, in hilly terrain - at least 135 miles/week, usually more.
I don't know, but I think I am burning over 1250 calories per ride - I know that I have to be careful to eat enough so that I don't lose weight.
So, instead of saying "exercise won't help you lose weight".., a better way to put it might be " few people have the time or are sufficiently motivated to exercise at the level required to lose weight, but if they commit to exercise at that level, they will lose weight"
But..., burning 350 calories in a session barely qualifies as "exercise" - I have probably not even really warmed up when i have burned 350 calories.
I ride a road bike - 35 or more miles a day 4 or 5 days a week, at a decent speed, in hilly terrain - at least 135 miles/week, usually more.
I don't know, but I think I am burning over 1250 calories per ride - I know that I have to be careful to eat enough so that I don't lose weight.
So, instead of saying "exercise won't help you lose weight".., a better way to put it might be " few people have the time or are sufficiently motivated to exercise at the level required to lose weight, but if they commit to exercise at that level, they will lose weight"
7
It is doubtful that you are burning 1250 calories per ride, at least not 1250 calories over and above what you would normally be burning during that time anyway. In 35 miles, you might be burning 875, if that much.
And on one more level---it drives me crazy that this guy is talking about calories! It's not only all about eating (and not exercising--to some degree), it's about not eating carbs, calories be dmn'd!
That said, there are huge metabolic benefits to exercise that are not, of course, related to calories but to its relationship with insulin production and blood composition.
That said, there are huge metabolic benefits to exercise that are not, of course, related to calories but to its relationship with insulin production and blood composition.
5
No, you're wrong. Carbs don't matter. It is all about calories.
Great read, probably more relevant in an American context. In Europe, people walk and cycle much more, and it is partly what makes them less overweight, although combined with a healthier eating.
3
It's a good article. People need to stop looking at it with such a defensive attitude. You've lost some weight while running an hour on the treadmill, great. You spent 45 minutes on the elliptical machine, good for you. You power walk around the neighborhood for 3 hours while wearing a 1982 headband and compression shorts, who's better than you??? You're created a caloric deficit. That's the point of the article. Caloric deficit can be achieved through many channels and the author is describing one of them. If you don't like it that's fine. But remember something, you can lose weight by netting less calories than you burn per day while doing no exercise but you can't lose weight while netting a surplus even if you go to the gym 7 days per week. At the end of the day 95% of all people that lose weight will fail long term. 5% succeed. Pretty sad. So to think you can throw away this article because you've lost some weight while sweating it up in the gym just because that's what you do and makes you feel good, is nonsensical. If tomorrow you were injured and couldn't work out for let's say 6 months, could you still lose weight? Not without adapting to circumstances in a way that this article lays out. Are are you in that 5%? The odds are not in your favor.
2
Thank you Dr. Carroll for affirming what I learned accidentally about eating less is if not greater weight loss, is a steadier way to do it without deprivation. (Wow that's a run on sentence) . I had a dental problem which prevented me from stuffing my face as well as forcing me to eat slowly and carefully. Without thinking about it, 30 days later I lost 9 pounds. I was and am elated. My joints don't hurt as much especially my right knee which needs to be replaced. 180 lbs. looking at the target of 140 lbs.
I call it the 2 tablespoon diet. It doesn't matter what you eat, but hopefully the good and right stuff, but just 2 tbls. And chew well and swallow. slowly. Drink water when you feel hungry. Happiness via self-control is yours.
I call it the 2 tablespoon diet. It doesn't matter what you eat, but hopefully the good and right stuff, but just 2 tbls. And chew well and swallow. slowly. Drink water when you feel hungry. Happiness via self-control is yours.
I don't have a problem with the article on the grounds of the research. It makes a lot of sense that the human body would evolve to burn calories slower than it can intake them.
However, there are still many questions to ask about these conclusions. Is this finding consistent with people already at a healthy weight? Overweight? Underweight? How much does exercise offset longterm issues that make sustained weight loss difficult? How many people who need to lose weight for health reasons (rather than cosmetic desires), have other complicating issues (diabetes, depression, etc.) that are helped via exercise?
I believe the article exists based on the societal preoccupation with weight loss, something that is supported by the emphasis on short term (within the first 6 months) weight loss rather than sustained (which seems like an overall greater desire for weight loss). This is drastically different than understanding healthy weight or how people might figure out what is healthy for themselves. Those are far more complex questions but overall far more important. What this article does is scientifically back a lot of pop weightloss advice from magazines, which have said very similar things about diet versus exercise.
Perhaps what irks me most, is the lack of acknowledgement that weight loss is not in and of itself a healthy thing. The associations with the Biggest Loser might make us think so, but it's not. It's one piece in the puzzle and an overly simplified take to boot.
However, there are still many questions to ask about these conclusions. Is this finding consistent with people already at a healthy weight? Overweight? Underweight? How much does exercise offset longterm issues that make sustained weight loss difficult? How many people who need to lose weight for health reasons (rather than cosmetic desires), have other complicating issues (diabetes, depression, etc.) that are helped via exercise?
I believe the article exists based on the societal preoccupation with weight loss, something that is supported by the emphasis on short term (within the first 6 months) weight loss rather than sustained (which seems like an overall greater desire for weight loss). This is drastically different than understanding healthy weight or how people might figure out what is healthy for themselves. Those are far more complex questions but overall far more important. What this article does is scientifically back a lot of pop weightloss advice from magazines, which have said very similar things about diet versus exercise.
Perhaps what irks me most, is the lack of acknowledgement that weight loss is not in and of itself a healthy thing. The associations with the Biggest Loser might make us think so, but it's not. It's one piece in the puzzle and an overly simplified take to boot.
While there has always been gorging and fasting, no animal eating its native diet will overeat to the point of disability or disease. To do so would be profoundly maladaptive.
Thank goodness for this timely article. I'm going to cut out the useless, tiresome 3000 yds I swim 4x/wk and replace them with some strenuous naps.
12
And while you're "eating less", cut out all alcohol from your diet, because if you don't you're not going to lose the weight. The problem for all the people I know is not "soda", it's beer and wine - the dieters keep dieting and keep not losing any weight because they won't give up the evening drinks. Simple.
8
So many posters here have the American "magic bullet" approach--just cut out that one thing! I've just read 10 posts and I've learned that the key is to cut out alcohol, or to cut out fat, or to cut out carbs, or to cut out more than two tablespoons (!) of food. But all of these things are great! Here's one vote for moderation in all things.
Moderate drinking, in particular, is at least compatible with weight control:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/20100308/moderate-drinking-linked-to-weight-co...
Moderate drinking, in particular, is at least compatible with weight control:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/20100308/moderate-drinking-linked-to-weight-co...
2
Based on a long period of personal experience (years and years, decades), I can certainly agree that it is possible to maintain one's weight and still have a couple of glasses of wine a night. For me, this holds true only if I am also exercising about an hour a day, which I've done for nearly 4 decades. What most people I know *can't* do, I find, is lose a significant amount of weight while following any kind of diet / exercise regimen while also still consuming those 2 drinks a day. The 2 drinks overcome all the other efforts at weight *loss*. All these current stories in the press and elsewhere talk about "cutting down on carbs" and eliminating soda, high-fructose corn syrup, etc, but they never talk about the wine in the evening, which is what all the folks I know are consuming. These "carbs" that are so out of vogue are bread, pasta, potatoes, soft drinks, dessert, cake, etc., but the one nobody ever talks about is alcohol, and it's the one people say they "just can't give up."
1
Both! You can't just rely on one! You need both! (You don't have to be a health expert to know that).
3
All I know is when I run regularly, my jeans fit better.
7
Planned, formalized exercise is not unlike heroin. One keeps needing more to obtain the same results. Try cutting back on what you eat instead, and find ways to be less sedentary. I remember being at the Fitness Center a few years ago. I had dropped out for the summer and then came back. And the a revelation! The people conscientiously trudging on the treadmill across the way looked exactly as they did when I had joined several years before. What a waste of time and money!
3
Perhaps the people you saw at the Fitness Center would have gained weight had they not continued to conscientiously trudge away. I too was frustrated with what I saw as "lack of results" with my 5-mile daily walks until I quit in frustration and promptly gained 12 lbs.
1
Maybe so. Or maybe they all went to Burger King afterward. But it just seemed like an exercise in futility. )Pun not intended.)
Thanks a bunch for the education. Over the last years I have been exercising by biking and walking and feel great after those endorphins kick in but the only time I lose weight is when I replace most of my meals with low calorie, stomach filling salads.
4
Salads are "stomach filling?" I find them awful, lots of effort spent chewing but certainly no satiation results from all the effort!
2
Water? Ah, anyone mention that as one of the simplest and sure fire ways to fill ya up!!
5
Eat nuts, proteins, veggies -- and cut out the starches which are very effectively used by the body...
3
I haven't even read the article. But, I am a big proponent of "calories in, calories out.
1. If you have a net add of 200 K / week that, is almost 10,500 a year, and that will result in significant weight gain over time.
3. Dieting; nothing radical at first. Just diminish your daily intake by 25 percent. Twenty five percent less McD/Burger King, Twenty five percent less chips, and snacks. And only 18 beers instead of a case over the weekend.
3. Exercise: Please do it, Even if it is a half hour or hour walk. But, do something that may not even encourage you to sweat.
4 Do it for two weeks and then you can really get serious about food choices.
1. If you have a net add of 200 K / week that, is almost 10,500 a year, and that will result in significant weight gain over time.
3. Dieting; nothing radical at first. Just diminish your daily intake by 25 percent. Twenty five percent less McD/Burger King, Twenty five percent less chips, and snacks. And only 18 beers instead of a case over the weekend.
3. Exercise: Please do it, Even if it is a half hour or hour walk. But, do something that may not even encourage you to sweat.
4 Do it for two weeks and then you can really get serious about food choices.
If "calories in, calories out" is all that matters, then presence/absence of fast foods, chips, and beer should be irrelevant, because these are all just calories.. If types and qualities of foods matter, then we are already past a simple "calories in, calories out" approach.
You are ignoring basic metabolism. Calories in, Calories out. What ever your diet is, continue eating less and watch the weight go down. Calories are not a substance. Carlories are a measurement of potential energy loss/gain.
The goal should be health, not weight loss. Health can be achieved by living a relatively healthy lifestyle, with food and movement, regardless of weight. People can only become the best small, medium, or large person they are genetically meant to be.
6
There's now a Starbucks on every corner of every street in America. We blame big food without even considering the influence of this melted ice cream company. Yes, you read right - they're not a coffee company, they're a melted ice cream company. Their chief product is sugary milk. What disgusts me most is the "fan flavors" that were just approved for six new frappuccinos - people actually requested cotton candy and cake flavored frappuccinos, among other flavors, and Starbucks complied. Who drinks this disgusting concoction? Apparently, thousands of Americans. And we wonder why we are fat?
9
I agree but I don't at all blame the vendor Starbucks. "The customer comes first" as we should. I've been to Starbucks and Peet's many times over the past decade and have never put anything in my java. So place your order for that fancy (and expensive) frappuccino and then move to the side and wait.
Ummm a 12oz cup of coffee without milk is 3 calories. A tablespoon of whole milk is 9 calories. For 12 calories you've had the same fun that everyone else has at Starbucks. No one tells you to buy a Frappuchino. Enjoy the benefits of freshly brewed coffee, preferably black so you can enjoy all the nuances. A lot of fun in 3 calories.
1
I am surprised at Starbucks for this one. I am not tempted at all by these flavors but admit to liking the original coffee Frappuccinos. However, thanks to my aging, slowing metabolism, I am going to try to get through the summer with iced coffees only.
The manufacturers and distributors of food and beverages, as well as the U.S. restaurant industry, have "super-sized" their portions at a very nominal incremental cost to themselves, while charging substantially higher marginal prices to the consumer.
Consumers are led to believe that they are getting a great deal if, for example, they can purchase a gigantic sandwich for $9.95, while a smaller, health-conscious portion would reveal these predatory pricing practices. The more products the food and beverage companies can sell, the more revenues and profits they will earn.
A luxury food item, foie gras or goose liver pate, is produced through a carefully structured, monitored and executed regimen where geese and ducks are force-fed through a tube with ingredients specifically designed to fatten them.
The U.S. (and global?) food and beverage industry has figured out how to treat us human consumers like the force-fed goose, where we all become fat while fattening the profits of these companies.
It's all about the money, honey!
Consumers are led to believe that they are getting a great deal if, for example, they can purchase a gigantic sandwich for $9.95, while a smaller, health-conscious portion would reveal these predatory pricing practices. The more products the food and beverage companies can sell, the more revenues and profits they will earn.
A luxury food item, foie gras or goose liver pate, is produced through a carefully structured, monitored and executed regimen where geese and ducks are force-fed through a tube with ingredients specifically designed to fatten them.
The U.S. (and global?) food and beverage industry has figured out how to treat us human consumers like the force-fed goose, where we all become fat while fattening the profits of these companies.
It's all about the money, honey!
4
Hooray - the take-away for many from this (poorly written and reasoned) article will be that they don't have to exercise, because who can keep up with all those terribly hard gym routines, and those routine are of course the only type of exercise available. Walking 2-3 miles a day even isn't a viable option. Oh - wait - I should exercise? Ooops - buried that all the way at the end of the article. Anyhow, enjoy your couch everyone!
4
I don't think this article says what you think it does...
7
I agree on all points. Another problem with the poorly written/reasoned essay is this glib assumption: exercise increases one’s appetite. I've been involved in endurance sports for over 40 years and have observed in many other athletes, as well as my own training logs, that exercise suppresses appetite. After a long run or very long bike ride, I have no inclination to eat for a few hours. Many of us have to remind ourselves to replenish with food...and nutritionally dense food at that.
5
No - it says exactly that. The author gives two examples of exercise, then goes on to say nobody could possibly keep up with the routines he describes, as if these impossible to keep up with for most people routines are the only exercise available so he can (dishonestly) support his anti-exercise thesis here. Then to make matters worse he says even if you do exercise it will just make you eat more. Strike 2 against exercise. Strike 3 he cites studies that say there's not much difference between dieting alone, and dieting with exercise. And given that most people will never read to the end of any article, the full take-away for many is that exercise is really a waste of time. Only all the way at the bottom does the author state any real benefits of exercise, but that's because if he stated exercise benefits at the top it would hurt his core contrarian 'stop worrying about getting exercise' theme. Any real doctor will tell you both are important components of losing and keeping weight off, and anyone human being will tell you it's much easier to stick to a moderate and doable exercise routine (which the author can't seem to imagine) than to stick forever to a diet.
1
Portion control was crucial for me. I got to the edge of obesity and now have six pack abs. How? I now eat out less, and I pack lunches in these pyrex containers that are 1 3/4 cup perfect portions. You can eat anything you want if you learn what a true portion is!
2
According to the label, there are 250 calories in a 20 ounce Pepsi, so two 16 ounce regular sodas should have approximately 400 calories. That's appalling, sugar is murder, recycle, tip your waitress, but that's not 1,000 calories. What kind of soda do they sell where this guy lives?
3
Linked is the study about why Dieting doesn't work:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/04/why-diets-don...
Exercise and a diet that includes more vegetables or fruits is good, but long term success can be very challenging.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/04/why-diets-don...
Exercise and a diet that includes more vegetables or fruits is good, but long term success can be very challenging.
2
The only way I lost weight was to do a 3 month bike tour across Central Asia where the food was terrible, riding 5-7 hours a day. And then, upon returning home, really watch my food portions.
1
Did you actually use a TV Reality Show as the basis to make your point?
Diet & exercise go together! Which is more important depends on individual motivation & performance. You displayed a preset determination to what YOU find more effective ... then built a story around it.
Found the article a Big Loser!
Diet & exercise go together! Which is more important depends on individual motivation & performance. You displayed a preset determination to what YOU find more effective ... then built a story around it.
Found the article a Big Loser!
2
Thirty years ago I lost 108 pounds on Weight Watchers. I've always been active...dancing, figure skating, tennis. The weight did not come off until I watched what I ate. At one point, I had an injury, a torn Achilles' tendon. During that time, I stuck with the Weight Watchers diet and the weight continued to come down. That experience led me to conclude that what one eats is more important than exercise in weight loss. I exercise regularly and I appreciate the importance of physical activity but it's what you eat that truly determines weight loss.
3
You can't outrun your fork.
9
The importance of reducing food intake increases as you grow older. As the metabolism slows and the thyroid function declines, burning calories becomes more difficult. Intake reduction becomes more important.
6
So tragically true! If only appetite declined along with metabolism!
I am a small-framed woman in my 60s. I am astounded by how little food I can eat if I want my weight to remain stable. An hour a day of aerobic exercise and/or weight training allows me to eat more normally and not have to carefully consider every single calorie I consume.
3
I'm really uncomfortable with a professor who dispenses health advice and admits enjoying a show like The Biggest Loser that promotes disordered eating and shaming overweight people.
2
The combination of Eating-Exercising-Diet is good for Corporate America. industries , thousands of companies and businesses exist and thrive off that. Prevention by eating healthy food is not good for business. No company makes money out of it.
2
My experience (one anecdote) is that exercise seemed to increase my metabolism. Maybe that means I lose not only the calories burned by the 30 minutes of exercise, but also more during rest than in the months previous.
I believe I was less hungry while I was regularly exercising, too. In any case, some process worked when I was fast-walking an hour most mornings.
I believe I was less hungry while I was regularly exercising, too. In any case, some process worked when I was fast-walking an hour most mornings.
Look around the world. It's not just Americans who are fat and getting fatter. But only Americans in large numbers consume large quantities of high fructose glucose syrup made from maize Taubes doesn't write about global obesity because he can't. (And he knows that his American, parochial readership won't be interested anyway).
As many have endlessly pointed out, our genes per se cannot possibly be the explanation. But the epigenetic effect of our environment on our genes - that's possible. Epigenetic effects start to kick in when we are just an egg inside our mother who is just an embryo in her mother's womb.
All edible sugars and starches are fattening in sufficient quantities. All edible fats are fattening in sufficient quantities. All edible proteins are fattening in sufficient quantities. As is ethanol. My advice is to learn the basics - then start trying to learn about genes and epigenetics (much too hard for most folks) - once you've mastered the basics.
As many have endlessly pointed out, our genes per se cannot possibly be the explanation. But the epigenetic effect of our environment on our genes - that's possible. Epigenetic effects start to kick in when we are just an egg inside our mother who is just an embryo in her mother's womb.
All edible sugars and starches are fattening in sufficient quantities. All edible fats are fattening in sufficient quantities. All edible proteins are fattening in sufficient quantities. As is ethanol. My advice is to learn the basics - then start trying to learn about genes and epigenetics (much too hard for most folks) - once you've mastered the basics.
10
Taubes does write about global obesity, but mainly focuses on US populations.
Proteins and fats are more _satiating per calorie_ than most sugary or starchy foods, therefore one will feel fuller, sooner, on a diet with sufficient protein and fat. Protein-rich foods, nutrient dense foods, and naturally fatty foods are much less likely to be fattening because these foods are simply more filling to the appetite than refined carbs and sugars.
Proteins and fats are more _satiating per calorie_ than most sugary or starchy foods, therefore one will feel fuller, sooner, on a diet with sufficient protein and fat. Protein-rich foods, nutrient dense foods, and naturally fatty foods are much less likely to be fattening because these foods are simply more filling to the appetite than refined carbs and sugars.
Steven B, given that so many here think that their genes are the reason that folks get fat, it should be as clear to you as to anyone that most folks haven't got a clue about the basics of genetics, let alone epigenetics which are much harder to understand in any detail. Americans don't understand basic science. And Americans who don't understand science tend to be very parochial. If that makes me supercilious for pointing out the obvious, then so be it.
3
Simply speaking calories supply energy. Our body needs energy to function, just like our cars. But as opposed to our cars, the energy we don't use in our every day activities or exercise gets stored as fat. The unattractive globs of fat in our abdomen or elsewhere, that we see if/when we look in the mirror, tells us we've taken in more calories than our body needed or used--and we've done it over an extended amount of time. So learning to fit calorie intake with calories burned, will keep the fat from accumulating in the first place and maintain our ideal weight. Exercise not only is overall a healthy choice, as this piece mentions, but it also increases the bodies metabolism which means our body increase it's capacity to burn off the calories we consume and the fat calories we've stored. And regarding statistics about what puts fat on and what takes it off, self reporting isn't always accurate. People often report taking in fewer calories than they think they've consumed. And that's easy to do unless there's an awareness of the calories in the foods eaten and a learned habit of unconsciously keeping tabs on the amount we consume. Also, we've been hypnotized to believe that super sized is acceptable and normal. And anything less feels like we're being cheated. We must counter that kind of trance perpetrated by fast food places and think less is best. Also eating can be something we do for stress relief. And that can lead to addiction if not nipped in the bud.
1
True, except there's no reason to think we have to consciously balance energy. If we have to balance calories "manually," then something is already broken with our hunger/satiety mechanisms, and/or the types of foods that we are eating.
When I was about 30, I had enjoyed both a very stable, lean weight and a consistent and healthful diet for years. I worked long hours at a big corporate law firm and typically ate most of my weekday meals at its excellent cafeteria. One day, the firm cafeteria began baking chocolate chip cookies each day at around 3 PM. Soon my friends and I began to meet almost daily for a short afternoon cookie break. Within two months, having made no changes to my diet or exercise habits other than adding that one delicious daily cookie, I found that my waistbands were garroting my middle. I grudgingly eliminated the cookie, and soon my clothing fit again. This phenomenon was repeated almost exactly a few years later, after Starbucks introduced a particularly delicious coffee drink that I began to crave daily. Once again blooming out of my bloomers, I gave it up (except on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day!).
My takeaway: Never allow an indulgence to become a ritual. Even if you're not doing the math, your body is.
My takeaway: Never allow an indulgence to become a ritual. Even if you're not doing the math, your body is.
104
Nice story, and I have a similar one.
There's a candy machine at the gym where I work out during the noon hour. One day I bought a snickers bar and ate it as I walked back to work. Wow was it good! The next day I did the same. And the next ... . After a month I had gained five pounds.
All right, I told myself, no more snickers. But every time I passed the candy machine, I said "no more snickers starting tomorrow". At the end of the second month I had gained ten pounds.
That's when I stopped carrying cash. I could not use the machine because I had nothing to put into it. But I would stop in front of the machine and gaze wistfully at its contents.
It was easier to loose the ten pounds than it was to loose that wistful gaze.
There's a candy machine at the gym where I work out during the noon hour. One day I bought a snickers bar and ate it as I walked back to work. Wow was it good! The next day I did the same. And the next ... . After a month I had gained five pounds.
All right, I told myself, no more snickers. But every time I passed the candy machine, I said "no more snickers starting tomorrow". At the end of the second month I had gained ten pounds.
That's when I stopped carrying cash. I could not use the machine because I had nothing to put into it. But I would stop in front of the machine and gaze wistfully at its contents.
It was easier to loose the ten pounds than it was to loose that wistful gaze.
1
When it comes to changing behavior, it makes sense that adding a new (and rewarding) activity would be more salient and sustainable over time than changing a behavior through restriction. As well, besides the obvious caveat that each body responds differently to food and exercise, the latter produces physical and mental effects (as noted in the article) that are not replicated simply by reducing one's size/weight through restrictive eating. Eschewing sugary drinks will not build muscle, for example, or release endorphins. Besides scientific evidence, I think that once adopted, the experiential effects of exercise (e.g. more energy) drive people to continue this behavior, while the experiential effects of dieting (e.g. unrequited cravings; guilt) open up more possibilities for failure.
1
This is what Michael Pollan said in regards eating - ""Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."
To approach dieting as an all-or-nothing deal is a recipe for failure. It has to be gradual and sustained and sustainable. In other words, one should not eat too much.
But the other two rules "eat food" and "mostly plants" are equally important from a weight management and health point of view. Many Americans eat too much of processed and prepared foods that are high in fats, salt, and calories. It does not take too much time to make a healthy meal with "real" ingredients that are mostly plant based.
So bottom line, exercise is good but modifying eating habits - what you eat and how much you eat - is critical for sustained weight loss and weight management.
To approach dieting as an all-or-nothing deal is a recipe for failure. It has to be gradual and sustained and sustainable. In other words, one should not eat too much.
But the other two rules "eat food" and "mostly plants" are equally important from a weight management and health point of view. Many Americans eat too much of processed and prepared foods that are high in fats, salt, and calories. It does not take too much time to make a healthy meal with "real" ingredients that are mostly plant based.
So bottom line, exercise is good but modifying eating habits - what you eat and how much you eat - is critical for sustained weight loss and weight management.
4
Female, 77. When I was 53, I participated in a step aerobics class about three times per week for many months at a gym in my office building. I got into great shape, and my blood pressure and pulse were excellent. But I didn't lose a single pound until I began to follow the Weight Watchers program. I lost 17 pounds in 3 months -- just in time to look good for my daughter's wedding. Over the succeeding years, the same results have followed the same activities. Exercise has made me healthier, but diet has been essential to weight loss. The challenge: keep doing the right stuff in both categories.
22
In my experience, a fairly active life actually decreases the urge to eat frequently, so this is one of those arguments that eats its own tail.
Several hours of frequent low-to-mid level exercise keep the blood sugar up using the body's own reserves. For example, when I'm working in the garden on a Saturday, I routinely overshoot lunch by two hours and don't have the need to eat too much.
Several hours of frequent low-to-mid level exercise keep the blood sugar up using the body's own reserves. For example, when I'm working in the garden on a Saturday, I routinely overshoot lunch by two hours and don't have the need to eat too much.
9
Research suggests that the opposite is true for most people, at least short term -- we get hungry after we exercise and make up the calories we've expended.
3
I agree with Bob - I have found that when I am physically active on a regular basis, my cravings for unhealthy foods actually decrease. I am still hungry following a workout, but instead actually crave a salad/fruit and water instead of the Double Western Bacon cheeseburger from Carl's Jr. :)
It is much easier (for me at least) to eat appropriately when I am active, because my cravings become my ally instead of adversary. The research seems split on this topic, but there does seem to be a correlation between the type of exercise and the associated craving, with longer duration, lower intensity exercises resulting in a craving for foods high in water content (typically fruits or vegetables). Athletes participating in higher-intensity exercises tended to crave high-fat, sweet foods that are harder to digest.
It is much easier (for me at least) to eat appropriately when I am active, because my cravings become my ally instead of adversary. The research seems split on this topic, but there does seem to be a correlation between the type of exercise and the associated craving, with longer duration, lower intensity exercises resulting in a craving for foods high in water content (typically fruits or vegetables). Athletes participating in higher-intensity exercises tended to crave high-fat, sweet foods that are harder to digest.
2
That would be true of vigorous exercise, intense exercise. What I'm describing is fairly constant, lower-intensity exercise. The body has ways of mobilizing energy for that without crashing your blood sugar. And you don't get hungry as often.
Exercise matters, but doing the kind of exercise that one considers to be work, not fun, becomes self defeating because people will do it for only a little while and then stop. They find it difficult to keep at it and, since they believe they already have enough work in their lives, they are happy to quit.
When I go to a gym, I see people making halhearted attempts at very modest exercise. Since many people were never involved in athletics, it looks to me like they don't know what a good, hard workout is and they are therefore pleased with the idea that at least they are moving. I haven't done a scientific study, of course, but to my eyes they might burn off about 100 calories in an hour, but they don't stay for an hour.
Cycling, bike riding, has worked tremendously for me, but there are the noted downsides of wanting to eat more because of a hard workout. What happens when winter comes? My body seems to want just as many calories, sometimes even more, but riding the bike when it is below freezing becomes a major test of endurance. Still, I highly recommend cycling to those willing to take their chances on the backroads (if you have any) and joining group rides as your fitness improves. Nothing is quite as good for getting the mind and body out into the open air, natural world.
7
I agree there are two pieces to the puzzle, watching what you eat and exercise. However, this article is way too down on exercise. Watch obese or heavier people move. All of their moves are designed to limit the energy expenditure. And their exercise is just not that intense. I see these regulars at the gym and I always wonder if they spent 1 month working out as hard as I do what they could achieve. But I can’t say this enough: Exercise has a big upside for health beyond potential weight loss. Many studies and reviews detail how physical activity can improve outcomes in musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, neurological diseases and depression.
3
Exercise is great, but Dr. Carroll is right -- the studies do *not* find it successful for weight loss. Obese people actually burn a lot of calories because even those sluggish movements are moving a lot of weight! You're basically walking around all day with a 50 pound backpack, not minor exercise at all.
3
I lost 50 lbs. over the course of 3 years, getting to my current weight nearly two years ago. I did it with fasting (5:2 and today is a fasting day, I love it), eating vegetables and other high fiber foods and keeping the fat content down because high-fat is my weakness. Once the pounds came off, exercising became much easier and more enjoyable. In my view, dieting and exercising go together, but dieting has to lead, and exercising will follow naturally if you're successful in losing weight. Exercising with 50 lbs of excess fat can be torture as well as ineffective in getting rid of the fat. Still exercising is very important for maintaining health so fat people need to exercise as much as they can while focusing on their diet to get rid of the excess fat, and losing the fat makes more exercising fun. A virtuous cycle the begins with dieting.
2
I've been curious about the 5:2 diet. What do you eat on the fasting days?
Meal timing is also key to cutting back and finding a workable balance between diet and exercise.
The standard meal time schedule may not work well for your life, it didn't for me and led to overeating.
I used to eat breakfast before work, be hungry by midafternoon, have a snack or early lunch and then get hungry again before 5pm. Leaving work hungry did not bode well for getting to the gym or waiting for dinner.
Now I make a smoothie in the morning before work and eat breakfast around 10am. I am not starving at noon so I can go for a walk with coworkers or hit the gym. Eating lunch early afternoon, I no longer hit the afternoon snacking slump and have energy to workout before dinner. Having dinner a little later in the evening gives me more time to prepare something healthy and cuts down on snacking before bed.
Take a look at your life and see if it makes sense to adjust meal times. I still keep cut vegetables or almonds around for healthy snacks but my eating is a lot more under control now and it makes a big different weight wise.
The standard meal time schedule may not work well for your life, it didn't for me and led to overeating.
I used to eat breakfast before work, be hungry by midafternoon, have a snack or early lunch and then get hungry again before 5pm. Leaving work hungry did not bode well for getting to the gym or waiting for dinner.
Now I make a smoothie in the morning before work and eat breakfast around 10am. I am not starving at noon so I can go for a walk with coworkers or hit the gym. Eating lunch early afternoon, I no longer hit the afternoon snacking slump and have energy to workout before dinner. Having dinner a little later in the evening gives me more time to prepare something healthy and cuts down on snacking before bed.
Take a look at your life and see if it makes sense to adjust meal times. I still keep cut vegetables or almonds around for healthy snacks but my eating is a lot more under control now and it makes a big different weight wise.
3
Try shifting to protein from carbs. You'll find that you don't get hungry again after a few hours. The natural eating pattern for our species is one meal in the evening, with perhaps some leftovers for breakfast!
5
I am over 50 and lost 35 lbs by cutting carbs to 50-80gm/day and sugar to 10g/day. The real key, however, is first finding 5-6 different vegetable recipes for dinner that are both tasty and easy to make. Examples include roasted brussels sprouts with a little olive oil spray and balsamic vinegar, or steamed string beans sprinkled with a little Whole Foods Sesame Seed - Ginger spice blend. (Salads are not included because I don’t like them and they are too much work.) Most dinners for our family are now composed of some type of meat or fish and one of these vegetable recipes. Potatoes or pasta are once a week only. (My spouse has also lost 20 lbs.) In addition - there are low carb wraps, such as Tumaro's, that have been a godsend in making low carb lunches. Unlike past diets, I have not been hungry. Again though, it’s the half dozen quick and tasty veggie recipes that really make the low carb diet work for our family. Having my teenage son ask if he can finish off the brussels sprouts with his third helping is as rewarding as being able to fit into the jeans I haven’t worn since he was born. Well….almost as rewarding.
31
Amazing what happens when you cut the carbs, isn't it? I'll have to try those brussel sprouts!
3
Aaron Carroll raises an important issue in this piece. Exercise is orthogonal to weight loss. Diet is the real beast to be mastered
Exercise is beneficial, but when one looks at those who lose weight by exercising, their weight loss is incidental to them. Usually they are really training rather than exercising. They have goals to be stronger or faster rather than to lose weight. In that intense training regime, weight loss is an inevitable byproduct of the work.
Furthermore, one can suffer some illness for a period of weeks in which he or she cannot exercise and is thus reliant on diet to keep the pounds off. It is known that there is a weight gain after the cessation of a training cycle. One needs to learn to reduce his or her diet. And people who train are concerned about their diets. They need to eat healthy foods.
Before embarking on an exercise plan, one should develop a nutrition plan, as Aaron writes here. Many people I know consume 2,000-4,000 calories per day. At that rate they'd have to ride the Tour de France or climb Mt. Everest to melt off those pounds. Better to have a good diet.
Exercise is beneficial, but when one looks at those who lose weight by exercising, their weight loss is incidental to them. Usually they are really training rather than exercising. They have goals to be stronger or faster rather than to lose weight. In that intense training regime, weight loss is an inevitable byproduct of the work.
Furthermore, one can suffer some illness for a period of weeks in which he or she cannot exercise and is thus reliant on diet to keep the pounds off. It is known that there is a weight gain after the cessation of a training cycle. One needs to learn to reduce his or her diet. And people who train are concerned about their diets. They need to eat healthy foods.
Before embarking on an exercise plan, one should develop a nutrition plan, as Aaron writes here. Many people I know consume 2,000-4,000 calories per day. At that rate they'd have to ride the Tour de France or climb Mt. Everest to melt off those pounds. Better to have a good diet.
3
It's too bad these studies won't address people who have bodies highly resistant to weight loss. (Gary Taubes does address this)
Of course if I dropped down to under 1,000 calories a day I can lose weight. And if I drop down to under 10 carbohydrates a day I can lose weight. And I always exercise. But that is very difficult to sustain over years, and once you stop that lifestyle, weight comes back with a vengeance.
The calories in, calories out mantra only works for "normal" people. I exercise regularly, have an active lifestyle, and eat a low-carb, around 1400-1500 calories, low sugar and processed food, high-vegetable and protein diet recommended by most as healthy -- yet I do not lose weight -- I can even gain weight if I'm not careful. Every time I discuss this with a doctor, or as I'll probably get comments here, no one ever believes me (condescending head nods usually) -- but there are plenty of us out here who get no help whatsoever and no studies done (because, again, they assume we are lying).
But understanding and studying those of us with this problem might actually help the researchers focus more on causes of obesity (other than perceived laziness and gluttony). What is it about our bodies that are resistant to change? Why does lowering calorie intake by 200 calories a day, or increasing exercise (well, I guess this article explains that), result in no weight loss? Lots of information still to be learned. But prejudice gets in the way, I believe.
Of course if I dropped down to under 1,000 calories a day I can lose weight. And if I drop down to under 10 carbohydrates a day I can lose weight. And I always exercise. But that is very difficult to sustain over years, and once you stop that lifestyle, weight comes back with a vengeance.
The calories in, calories out mantra only works for "normal" people. I exercise regularly, have an active lifestyle, and eat a low-carb, around 1400-1500 calories, low sugar and processed food, high-vegetable and protein diet recommended by most as healthy -- yet I do not lose weight -- I can even gain weight if I'm not careful. Every time I discuss this with a doctor, or as I'll probably get comments here, no one ever believes me (condescending head nods usually) -- but there are plenty of us out here who get no help whatsoever and no studies done (because, again, they assume we are lying).
But understanding and studying those of us with this problem might actually help the researchers focus more on causes of obesity (other than perceived laziness and gluttony). What is it about our bodies that are resistant to change? Why does lowering calorie intake by 200 calories a day, or increasing exercise (well, I guess this article explains that), result in no weight loss? Lots of information still to be learned. But prejudice gets in the way, I believe.
16
There are a bunch of known conditions, such as low thyroid, and medications that can cause this kind of problem. If you haven't, you should have that checked out.
By the way, while I understand why doctors are skeptical -- studies find that fat people say they eat less than they actually do -- it is unprofessional to assume on that basis that you are lying. Unfortunately, not uncommon, either. If your doctor won't accord you the minimal respect of accepting what you say, it's time to find a better doctor!
By the way, while I understand why doctors are skeptical -- studies find that fat people say they eat less than they actually do -- it is unprofessional to assume on that basis that you are lying. Unfortunately, not uncommon, either. If your doctor won't accord you the minimal respect of accepting what you say, it's time to find a better doctor!
2
I am so glad to read this article. Yes! Exercise is important in all the ways we already know with the exception of losing weight. While the laws of calories in - calories out seem to make so much sense, it just doesn't work that way. You have to control what you eat to lose. Everyone who has lost weight has a method they swear by. Actually all of the diet plans work if you stick with them but what I've found for myself is that slow and steady loss is better than fast. It requires patience. For me the key is controlling how much I eat out - once a week max. All the other times I eat from a 'catalogue' of foods I created and meals I make myself - at home. I track everything (a la Weight Watchers) and weigh weekly. For me - a post menopausal woman who has done the gym thing one year and the diet only thing another - the experience has been astonishing. I lost 15 lbs using food intake alone over 5 months AND KEPT IT OFF through vacations and the holidays. Not so much at the gym. Treadmill at 3.5 on incline for 45 minutes straight. Weights and walking the track. I lost 2 lbs over the 8 weeks. 5 days a week alternating the strength training. Women need to be strong and flexible and we all need to move but if you want to lose pounds you must take a hard look at the food you eat.
5
Spot on. And while all the diets do work, they aren't all equally easy to follow or stick to. If a diet leaves you hungry, you're going to slip eventually. That's hwy calorie-counting diets are so bad. But there are good diets out there and you have to experiment to find one that's effective and most importantly that you can stick with.
1
There is really no argument against the idea that weight loss starts with eating less rather than exercising more. It's a common misconception that exercise is a primary weight loss strategy but it actually confuses the issue by--as Aaron points out--increasing appetite and offering an alluring work around for changing one's eating habits. Consuming fewer calories is incredibly hard to do in the long run but it starts by being honest with yourself about how much you eat and drink in the first place. Facing that reality instead of assuming that you already know is quite a kick in the teeth for most of us!
3
True, except that consuming less calories is actually pretty easy if you eat the right foods. It can't be repeated enough -- a calorie may be a calorie metabolically, but foods have widely different effects on appetite! And appetite determines whether we'll struggle to stay on a diet or not.
1
Eating less is important when weight reduction is a goal for optimal health, however, exercise is not sufficiently emphasized for the medicare set. It could be that the majority of those over 65 are physically able to be more active than they are at any given moment. Even a person who only walks 10 steps a day can try to walk 12 steps for the next week. The questions that medicare requires on health care visits need to be revised so that there is encouragement to stay mobile. On a recent visit I was asked if I had fallen recently, yes I had while tired and walking on a steep muddy slope. The follow up question was whether I needed a cane or walker in the house, despite my having walked into the appointment with a springy step. When I protested that the questions were setting an unfortunate concept of a norm for those over 65 and that perhaps they cold be complimented with something more positive about activity potential, I was told that people might resent this. There must be a way to frame questions about basic activity that would not imply having a cane or walker is to be expected after one fall. It would seem intuitive that more physical activity among seniors would be good for the health care budget and good for everyone's quality of life, the seniors and their younger family members.
4
If you want to lose weight burn more calories than you eat per day.
2
Why, when what we mean is being less fat, do we still talk about losing weight? H. G. Wells showed us that that wasn't always a good idea:
"The truth about Pyecraft"
http://www.sff.net/people/doylemacdonald/l_pyecra.htm
"The truth about Pyecraft"
http://www.sff.net/people/doylemacdonald/l_pyecra.htm
It used to be simple and orderly: An early breakfast with bread and milk, a small lunch and a nice dinner.
Now we are in a constant snacking and feeding frenzy lining up at Starbucks, office snacks, movie popcorn, concession stands, coke dispensers. Every event, no matter where and when, begins with leading the guests to the trough until they can no more.
Now we are in a constant snacking and feeding frenzy lining up at Starbucks, office snacks, movie popcorn, concession stands, coke dispensers. Every event, no matter where and when, begins with leading the guests to the trough until they can no more.
6
You make a good point.. a gentleman from Chili once commented to me, on his first visit to the U.S., that Americans eat all the time. If you start paying attention to this, it becomes startling.... always food nearby, move from the dinner table to watch a movie, and put snacks in front of people, which they'll eat right after concluding a meal.
I, too, have observed that foreigners are often shocked at American dining habits – – both at how much we eat, and how frequently. Over about 12 years, I hosted approximately 15 European au pairs in my home. While I enjoy cooking in a healthy way, and while no one in my family is overweight, many of my au pairs (and their au pair friends) complained of weight gain over the course of their American year. Another shock was the size and richness of American restaurant portions, as well as the frequency of dining out among middle-class and affluent Americans. My au pairs, like many Europeans, had been taught from early childhood not to waste food. That made it very difficult for these young people to leave food on their plates at restaurants, no matter how overstuffed they felt.
The link to the study that demonstrates a significantly lower metabolic rate is broken.
By the way: Was the metabolic rate significantly lower in the sense of 'a huge amount lower' or was the change just statistically significant?
By the way: Was the metabolic rate significantly lower in the sense of 'a huge amount lower' or was the change just statistically significant?
How about starting to enjoy food and take time for meals? Works pretty well for the French, Italians and other people (and they even eat carbs). And if you move your butt daily just a little bit you will live happily ever after. And if you have time for exercising do some sport you enjoy and don't do any more work ("work out")
2
The author doesn't take into account the fact after x-amount of excess weight, diet alone cannot do the job of reducing pounds enough to give a person a normal weight and life. The metabolism simply won't help the way it ought to. It's one of the reasons we have bariatric surgery.
2
Jenn, fortunately, that isn't always true. It may be true for some. But from what I've seen, even extremely obese people can lose weight through diet. I've seen people who were fat all their lives do it.
An hour in the gym with an aggressive workout will burn off on average about 600 or 700 calories, so six times a week is about 4,000 calories. If 3500 calories equals one pound of weight gain or loss, a person would be more than 50 pounds heavier after one year if they consumed the same amount of calories but didn't exercise. Hitting the gym hard 6 days a week works for me because I find it takes less discipline to hit the gym than to restrict my diet forever. I can keep the gym going, but not the diet. One hour of discipline is easier than 24 hours. But I see a lot of people at the gym that aren't there long and when they are there aren't accomplishing much. They burn off 200 calories walking on the treadmill, think they have worked out and then wipe it out with one cookie. Exercise only works if you put out the necessary effort.
4
Well said. Fitness is so important and having a great amount of experience with fitness training throughout my life I have seen and see regularly the misguided efforts of many people in gyms and outdoor. Calories, the quality and diversity of what we eat impacts our weight, overall health and feeings. If the calories are limited but junk filled the result will be a person who weighs less but is increasingly unhealthy. I have spoken with many overtly out shape people who try to exert this huge emotionally charged exercise effort with little or no results. In conversation when it is appropriate or when they ask me about training or equipment I offer some advice and encouragement. Anyone who is generally healthy but overweight can get fit. The body is made to be used. The foundation, the bedrock of fitness combined with achieving weight loss or maintaining a steady weight is healthy eating. That means food diversity and yes less calories especially junk calories. To lose weight you must drop all fried foods, chips of any kind including baked, candy, soda ice cream etc. Yes that may sound challenging but if you really want weight loss and increased health it is a must. Fried chicken is always junk and fast food burgers are laden with fat calories and worthless no matter how much you work out. Look at too many calories and bad foods as poison. They are. You can also lose weight and have "fat arteries". Skinny doesn't mean just eat. anything.
This article is rather unnuanced. There is much overwhelming evidence now, including several detailed articles in the Times. that it is not just reduced caloric intake, but the KIND of food you intake that affects weight. Most specifically, as chronicled by Dr. Robert Lustig, Gary Taub and many others, sugar is by far the biggest culprit in obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, etc. If I have 2500 calories a day of fruit, vegetables and protein, I will be much better of weight and health-wise than if I eat 1500 calories a day of soda and cookies. All calories are not equal in how the body processes that energy. The article does a disservice by not focusing on this strong body of evidence.
11
Michelle Obama's 'let's move' campaign is accompanied by controversial 'let's eat healthy' movement in which she wants to ban sugar-laden snacks and drinks from school cafes and vending machines. The problem with her campaign is that it does not target a specific group prone to obesity: African-American population.
There is also a genetic component to weight gain: The descendants of slaves from West Africa tend to store salt in their bodies because the part of Africa whether the slaves came had salt scarcity. The Western high-sodium diet combined with genetics contribute to excess weight in certain groups.
I would think that exercise is for physical and cardio fitness whereas eating is directly correlated to weight loss or gain. Members of certain ethnic groups not only need to begin to eat less but also have to eat less high-salt and fatty food. AND they need to have an exercise regimen that contributes to overall wellbeing.
There is also a genetic component to weight gain: The descendants of slaves from West Africa tend to store salt in their bodies because the part of Africa whether the slaves came had salt scarcity. The Western high-sodium diet combined with genetics contribute to excess weight in certain groups.
I would think that exercise is for physical and cardio fitness whereas eating is directly correlated to weight loss or gain. Members of certain ethnic groups not only need to begin to eat less but also have to eat less high-salt and fatty food. AND they need to have an exercise regimen that contributes to overall wellbeing.
Where are you getting this from?
Everyone should be eating less high sodium and fatty food.
Everyone should be eating less high sodium and fatty food.
Great article! I think it's critical to stress eating habits. Eliminate the noise surrounding exercise, focus on the basic problem, calorie imbalance due to overeating.
Exercise is a red herring. Yes, it has tremendous benefits, but too many people have the false belief that it is the primary key to reducing weight. Two outcomes tend to occur: 1) People exercise or are active but do not realize weight loss or significant change in body shape because they do not change eating habits. High activity level cannot counterbalance high calorie intake for the typical adult. The more pernicious effect, 2) People resign themselves to being overweight because they believe themselves unable to exercise (injuries, expense, job, time, fear). This is a false excuse that enables people to ignore the real culprit, eating habits.
However, in the end, I'm not sure how much America cares about their weight anymore. When everyone is overweight, I think the pressure to lose weight diminishes (on a micro-scale, studies have shown spouses/life partners who gain weight, partner tend to follow suit.) The stigma, while certainly there, is not what it used to be, and the level of weight to be considered "fat" is far higher than it used to be. People would rather enjoy their calories, and seem happy to live in larger bodies. We see terms like 'Dad Bod' or 'Softball Bod', that seem to signal social acceptance of this extra layer that most have these days.
Exercise is a red herring. Yes, it has tremendous benefits, but too many people have the false belief that it is the primary key to reducing weight. Two outcomes tend to occur: 1) People exercise or are active but do not realize weight loss or significant change in body shape because they do not change eating habits. High activity level cannot counterbalance high calorie intake for the typical adult. The more pernicious effect, 2) People resign themselves to being overweight because they believe themselves unable to exercise (injuries, expense, job, time, fear). This is a false excuse that enables people to ignore the real culprit, eating habits.
However, in the end, I'm not sure how much America cares about their weight anymore. When everyone is overweight, I think the pressure to lose weight diminishes (on a micro-scale, studies have shown spouses/life partners who gain weight, partner tend to follow suit.) The stigma, while certainly there, is not what it used to be, and the level of weight to be considered "fat" is far higher than it used to be. People would rather enjoy their calories, and seem happy to live in larger bodies. We see terms like 'Dad Bod' or 'Softball Bod', that seem to signal social acceptance of this extra layer that most have these days.
1
I agree.
In my last workplace there was a significant population of women in their early to mid 20s. I was always amazed not only at how overweight they all were -- some pudgy, some chubby, some truly obese -- but also how unfazed they were by it. Huge rolls of flab over the waistband, large protruding stomachs, big slabs of fat across their backs, large thighs -- none of it precluded them from wearing tight spandex tops, leggings, cropped tops, mini-skirts, tight pencil skirts, you name it. (They were in a creative field and while educated, white collar workers, could wear whatever they liked).
Those of us in older age categories are knocking ourselves out to avoid developing "muffin tops" and other of the above-mentioned fatty areas, and certainly if we had/have them we camouflage as best we can. Younger people seem fine with being obese and flaunting it. Very puzzling.
In my last workplace there was a significant population of women in their early to mid 20s. I was always amazed not only at how overweight they all were -- some pudgy, some chubby, some truly obese -- but also how unfazed they were by it. Huge rolls of flab over the waistband, large protruding stomachs, big slabs of fat across their backs, large thighs -- none of it precluded them from wearing tight spandex tops, leggings, cropped tops, mini-skirts, tight pencil skirts, you name it. (They were in a creative field and while educated, white collar workers, could wear whatever they liked).
Those of us in older age categories are knocking ourselves out to avoid developing "muffin tops" and other of the above-mentioned fatty areas, and certainly if we had/have them we camouflage as best we can. Younger people seem fine with being obese and flaunting it. Very puzzling.
2
I've noticed this as well. Quite a few of the much younger people I work with are really heavy. I struggle to maintain a halfway decent figure for my age (48) and certainly do not think everybody should be skinny but the amount of obesity I have been encountering lately is alarming and I live in weight-conscious NYC!
I recently moved to Florida and I have noticed in this area, there is a lack of health food stores, natural foods restaurants, and lack luster health/athletic clubs. While the outdoor activites are many (boating, fishing, kayaking, swimming), I am noticing more and more, the predominance of very heavy younger people both here and around the U.S. I agree with many of the comments that in the U.S. large portions are standard in homes and in restaurants. It is an ingrained mindset! How to counter? I believe it will have to start in the home, and then in the community.
2
My case confirms this story but there is more to it as the writer suggests in disgusting exercise as the miracle cure. Five years ago this August I was 211 pounds with 45% body fat and a women's size 2X. I started by changing my eating habits and lost about 30 pounds over the next year. The weight loss was dramatic at first and I began to feel better about exercising so I started bicycling. Ended up losing 70 pounds total over the five years and 16 inches off my waist. In year 4 I began cross training workouts and that changed the game. I didn't lose as much when I started exercise as much as I changed my body - leaner, fitter. Clothes look good - no great - on me now. My general health has been excellent. I'm 50 but feel better than I've felt in 25 years. So yeah, diet is great for losing weight but exercise will change your life.
9
After two bouts of serious illness and surgery to correct the problem, I lost about 37lbs. I do not want to regain those pounds. Instead, I eat a salad everyday for lunch and eat my dinner on a saucer not a regular dinner plate. I drink tea after dinner and feel full. I'm not much of a breakfast eater, but like an overripe banana with a cup of decaf. If feel hungry or simply not well, I'll eat a bowl of grits or an egg and bacon. So far it's working. I haven't gotten back to my exercise routine which consisted of Pilates, weight training, and stretching.
1
What's missing from much of the discussion, and completely ignored by the "calories in calories out" crowd, is _why_ people are eating more or less. Are people consciously choosing how much to eat, or are they responding to unconscious feelings of hunger or satiety? This leads us to ask _why_ a person would feel hungry for more calories than his/her body is using, and why that has changed on a population level since the 1970s. If people are more sedentary, on average, shouldn't they be satiated with fewer calories, rather than with more? Thermodynamics alone cannot answer these questions of causation.
3
I am always astounded at how often and how much others eat. Vacationed with friends recently and it seemed like every 90 minutes one of them was "starving" and interrupting the flow of everyone's day to get more chow to stuff down the gullet.
Everyone at the office has food on their desks, many cars are littered with fast-food wrappers, kids barely out of infancy seem to constantly have goldfish or biscuits or something to gnaw on.
Am friends with a couple who spend an ungodly amount of money (and they are on a budget) eating out four or five times a week -- diners, bar burgers, that sort of thing. One of them works part time and the other works from home, no kids in the household, so it shouldn't be that difficult to roast a turkey breast and make a healthy salad -- but no. "Too tired to cook..." "Too bored to cook." Which would be fine except they never choose healthy fare -- both are obese, both incurring costs to their health insurer with Type 2 diabetes, CPAP machines, chiropractors, you name it -- all these obesity-related ailments. The litany of medications they take daily is astonishing. (They are 55 and 60.) And these days the self-indulgence is the norm, not the exception.
When I'm too tired or bored to cook I eat a handful of nuts or some cheese and olives with a glass of wine. Or scramble one egg and eat it with some wheat toast. Or slice up an apple with nut butter toast. No need to drive out somewhere for a gloppy 2,000-calorie feast.
Everyone at the office has food on their desks, many cars are littered with fast-food wrappers, kids barely out of infancy seem to constantly have goldfish or biscuits or something to gnaw on.
Am friends with a couple who spend an ungodly amount of money (and they are on a budget) eating out four or five times a week -- diners, bar burgers, that sort of thing. One of them works part time and the other works from home, no kids in the household, so it shouldn't be that difficult to roast a turkey breast and make a healthy salad -- but no. "Too tired to cook..." "Too bored to cook." Which would be fine except they never choose healthy fare -- both are obese, both incurring costs to their health insurer with Type 2 diabetes, CPAP machines, chiropractors, you name it -- all these obesity-related ailments. The litany of medications they take daily is astonishing. (They are 55 and 60.) And these days the self-indulgence is the norm, not the exception.
When I'm too tired or bored to cook I eat a handful of nuts or some cheese and olives with a glass of wine. Or scramble one egg and eat it with some wheat toast. Or slice up an apple with nut butter toast. No need to drive out somewhere for a gloppy 2,000-calorie feast.
99
Thank you for assuring me that I am not alone in the matter of social outings with friends being ruined or curtailed by their insistent need to be constantly eating. I now vacation alone because I would rather spend at least some time in museums or exploring historical sites than in cafes and restaurants porking out (of course, good food and drink are a part of the experience, but I don't feel the need to eat every couple of hours).
A recent tour I took with a friend had to be abandoned prematurely because she "needed" to eat lunch immediately - two hours after having had her breakfast (she is neither diabetic nor hypoglycemic). I have brought an enormous plateful of painstakingly baked and decorated cookies to a potluck dinner, only to have the hostess devour every last one of them herself before they even made it to the table. This same person and her husband eat out twice a day - every day.
And am I the only one who thinks airlines actually overfeed their passengers?
A recent tour I took with a friend had to be abandoned prematurely because she "needed" to eat lunch immediately - two hours after having had her breakfast (she is neither diabetic nor hypoglycemic). I have brought an enormous plateful of painstakingly baked and decorated cookies to a potluck dinner, only to have the hostess devour every last one of them herself before they even made it to the table. This same person and her husband eat out twice a day - every day.
And am I the only one who thinks airlines actually overfeed their passengers?
Sure people can eat less of what they are already eating, but many people don't know that a glass of fruit juice might contain as much sugar as a glass of soda. Cereal is a staple for many people, as is potato chips, beer, and all sorts of other things that are as much a part of the american diet as are fruits and vegetables (which are less and less considered staples). Telling people to eat less/diet isn't very helpful, and telling them to eat "healthy" isn't very simple either. Also people please don't tell people exercise doesn't help, because it absolutely does for all of the reasons listed in the article. The messaging, does, however distract from the larger issue of diet and how food is packaged and marketed to consumers without considering that our typical american diets are super unhealthy.
3
While exercise is vitally important for general health, calorie control accounts for about 80 per cent of weight loss in any diet. The most important exercise is the "pushaway," as in learning to push yourself away from the table!
1
This article, is in fact, a great one. I have been going to gym everyday, but unable to lose weight. I had to change my diet in order to move in the right direction. Exercise and diet will do it!
Well, duh. The value of exercise is not really to lose weight; it's to tune up the marvelous machine that is your body, improve it, and keep it in good working order. (Mens sana in corpore sano; you'll find your brain functions better if the rest of you is in good working order.) It also makes it easier to keep off excess weight, if only because it gives you something to do other than stuffing the hole in your face.
"Going on a diet" doesn't work because it's temporary. If you just go back to overeating afterward, forget it. Adopting a balanced healthful diet as part of your life (with exercise) *does* work; it's worked for me since 1973. A big part of the trick, in addition to choosing healthful foods and eating in moderation (preferably sit-down meals at fixed intervals) is mindful eating. One experiment repeated over and over has been to have people keep food diaries of everything they eat (yes, everything) for a few weeks. When the diaries are honest and complete, usually the diarists are startled to find out how much they actually eat, versus how much they think they eat, and of the actual intake, how much was just mindlessly inhaled for no good reason, e.g., everyone around them was eating; to alleviate depression or boredom; bullied into it by friends, family, host ("aren't you even going to try this?" "It's Thanksgiving/Christmas/my birthday/" etc.); or just because it was available. I doubt many Americans know what actual physical hunger feels like.
"Going on a diet" doesn't work because it's temporary. If you just go back to overeating afterward, forget it. Adopting a balanced healthful diet as part of your life (with exercise) *does* work; it's worked for me since 1973. A big part of the trick, in addition to choosing healthful foods and eating in moderation (preferably sit-down meals at fixed intervals) is mindful eating. One experiment repeated over and over has been to have people keep food diaries of everything they eat (yes, everything) for a few weeks. When the diaries are honest and complete, usually the diarists are startled to find out how much they actually eat, versus how much they think they eat, and of the actual intake, how much was just mindlessly inhaled for no good reason, e.g., everyone around them was eating; to alleviate depression or boredom; bullied into it by friends, family, host ("aren't you even going to try this?" "It's Thanksgiving/Christmas/my birthday/" etc.); or just because it was available. I doubt many Americans know what actual physical hunger feels like.
2
Interesting that the lead off to this article is "The New Health Care." This might be true if it was written 30 years ago!
We as a medical community have been espousing the "calories in, calories out" hypothesis/paradigm now for decades. Where has it gotten us? An obesity pandemic the likes of which we have never known as a species. Clearly, this paradigm is not the solution that the media and lay people think that it should be. As a physician, I would hope that Dr Carroll would be more aware of the data from groups like Dr Robert Lustig's at UCSF that in essence tell us that a calorie is not a calorie. Sugar consumption per person in the this country has more than doubled in the past 20 years! This is a systematic problem brought about by congressional inaction, special interest lobbying from the food industry, and a progressive movement by the consumer away from whole natural foods, to ones that are processed.
Restricting calories is not the answer. Improved eating behaviors, including more fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and fiber are paramount to quality eating. Restricting calories DOES NOT work long term. Get rid of sugar. Call your congress-person. Get involved. Talk to your kids school districts. Tell your patients! Now is the time to act or the global consequences of our complacency will be unfathomable.
We as a medical community have been espousing the "calories in, calories out" hypothesis/paradigm now for decades. Where has it gotten us? An obesity pandemic the likes of which we have never known as a species. Clearly, this paradigm is not the solution that the media and lay people think that it should be. As a physician, I would hope that Dr Carroll would be more aware of the data from groups like Dr Robert Lustig's at UCSF that in essence tell us that a calorie is not a calorie. Sugar consumption per person in the this country has more than doubled in the past 20 years! This is a systematic problem brought about by congressional inaction, special interest lobbying from the food industry, and a progressive movement by the consumer away from whole natural foods, to ones that are processed.
Restricting calories is not the answer. Improved eating behaviors, including more fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and fiber are paramount to quality eating. Restricting calories DOES NOT work long term. Get rid of sugar. Call your congress-person. Get involved. Talk to your kids school districts. Tell your patients! Now is the time to act or the global consequences of our complacency will be unfathomable.
11
"Sugar consumption per person in the this country has more than doubled in the past 20 years!"
Ahem, that means more calories, yes?
Ahem, that means more calories, yes?
Getting older counteracts exercise and is in cahoots with calories. I do what I always did, ate what I always ate, and now the pounds are creeping up. It stinks. I don't think I'm physically capable of getting more exercise, so it's salad and water time.
3
I run 10-12 miles a week and lift weights for 60 minutes 3-4 days a week. Believe me I'd rather be doing something else, but I also like to drink beer and eat French Fries.
2
I started seeing a great nutritionist and have lost 40 lbs in a little over a years. She gave me the big rules the first session.
1. Eat less
2. Don't eat unless you are hungry
3. You aren't hungry unless your stomach is rumbling
Rule 3 is the hardest and I do break it. But 1 and 2 are important. Of course there are a lot of decisions to be made about which foods you choose to eat. However, eating less is the key.
I used to be in advertising and never felt guilty about what I did. Now I do a bit. Because we worked with insights like people eat to change their moods, and people eat because they are bored. All of which negates the idea of don't eat unless you are hungry.
1. Eat less
2. Don't eat unless you are hungry
3. You aren't hungry unless your stomach is rumbling
Rule 3 is the hardest and I do break it. But 1 and 2 are important. Of course there are a lot of decisions to be made about which foods you choose to eat. However, eating less is the key.
I used to be in advertising and never felt guilty about what I did. Now I do a bit. Because we worked with insights like people eat to change their moods, and people eat because they are bored. All of which negates the idea of don't eat unless you are hungry.
22
One more, a corollary to Rule 2: Stop eating when you are no longer hungry. Don't continue until you are "full."
I have heard that muscle weighs more than fat. If that is correct, then exercising will build muscle, a good thing, while not reducing the actual weight even if it reduces fat. Is that so?
I call it repositioning the weight.
I call it repositioning the weight.
1
Two things: muscle mass increases your resting metabolism, so factor that into your equation. Second, muscle (and cardio if you are building that as well) simply let you exercise harder and burn more in the same workout. But eat right after a workout and six times a day to make sure your eating builds muscle instead of fat. hth
Eat less? That will never work in the US. Come on. This is the country where size matters (oddly enough get shorter and shorter compared to the rest of the world).
In other words: if you want to lose weight, eat less. Exercise for fitness.
8
Intelligent article, thank you. I've kept weight off by contiuing to eat small meals, mainly because I grew up overseas and my mother was British. Here, I'm always leaving a restaurant with a doggie bag. Large meal portions are so ubiquitous in American that people don't realize that most of the world doesn't eat like that.
6
My mother was Australian, and also a naturally light eater. She was always getting doggie bags. Once she actually burst into tears at a restaurant - the mountain of food on her plate was so huge as to be literally intimidating.
The American diet has taken many things that are occasional, infrequent, and/or minor aspects of the normal diet and made them dominant. Meat, obviously, is one such; sweets, another. When my mother was growing up, a Coke was a 6 oz bottle and a very occasional treat (perhaps because it had to come halfway around the world). When we visited my father's mother in Brooklyn in the early 1960s, she always kept a 12-oz bottle of Pepsi in the fridge for her grandchildren, and a Hershey bar. We didn't have the heart to tell her those 'special treats' were things we got on demand, usually every day. (The real special treat was lima beans - my mother never made them for me, because my sister wouldn't eat them and everyone knows 'children don't like vegetables', so I ate seconds and thirds at Grandma's house. Mmmm, lima beans .... think I'll have some tonight ....)
The American diet has taken many things that are occasional, infrequent, and/or minor aspects of the normal diet and made them dominant. Meat, obviously, is one such; sweets, another. When my mother was growing up, a Coke was a 6 oz bottle and a very occasional treat (perhaps because it had to come halfway around the world). When we visited my father's mother in Brooklyn in the early 1960s, she always kept a 12-oz bottle of Pepsi in the fridge for her grandchildren, and a Hershey bar. We didn't have the heart to tell her those 'special treats' were things we got on demand, usually every day. (The real special treat was lima beans - my mother never made them for me, because my sister wouldn't eat them and everyone knows 'children don't like vegetables', so I ate seconds and thirds at Grandma's house. Mmmm, lima beans .... think I'll have some tonight ....)
1
I am currently trying to get healthier (33 years of age, 6'3'', 220 lbs), by cutting out sugar (almost entirely), breads, sodas, etc. and exercising heavily at least four times a week. I don't quite feel "tired" at all. If anything, I feel that I am more energetic. I have come to realize (after many failed attempts to lose weight) that I was undoing my exercise effort by stuffing my face and not thinking about what I was putting into my mouth. Every day these days I am shocked by what I read on nutrition labels. This article could not have come at a better time for me. Take a look at this very very old Marathi (derived from Sanskrit) language "shloka" (prayer) that people would utter right before having food.
Vadani kaval gheta, naam ghya shree hariche...Sahaj havan hote naam gheta phukache..Jivan kari jivitva anna he purna brahma...Udar bharan nohe janije yadnya karma
It asks you to think of god before consuming food, praises food and calls it "the universe" and thanks it. But the last part is particularly important. It says "Don't think that eating food is to stuff your stomach. Eat it exactly how a drop of oil keeps the "yadnya" going.." (a ritual most common to Hindu religion where while chanting mantra, small quantities of oil / ghee is offered to keep the fire burning).
Vadani kaval gheta, naam ghya shree hariche...Sahaj havan hote naam gheta phukache..Jivan kari jivitva anna he purna brahma...Udar bharan nohe janije yadnya karma
It asks you to think of god before consuming food, praises food and calls it "the universe" and thanks it. But the last part is particularly important. It says "Don't think that eating food is to stuff your stomach. Eat it exactly how a drop of oil keeps the "yadnya" going.." (a ritual most common to Hindu religion where while chanting mantra, small quantities of oil / ghee is offered to keep the fire burning).
I know that eating less is what studies and health experts say leads to weight loss. For me it's always about cardio. When I'm running 3-4 miles 5 days per week, excess weight melts away and I can eat just about anything I want.
That's what works for me. I can't comment on the studies, the data, etc. I just know I maintain ideal weight with vigorous - not moderate - exercise.
That's what works for me. I can't comment on the studies, the data, etc. I just know I maintain ideal weight with vigorous - not moderate - exercise.
3
And, exercise helps with overeating related to boredom, stress, etc. But I get what he's saying......
Really poor article for the NYT. From this article
Quote: A 2012 systematic review of studies that looked at how people complied with exercise programs showed that over time, people wound up burning less energy with exercise than predicted and also increasing their caloric intake. Unquote.
The actual conclusions of the study are:
Quote: We conclude that the small magnitude of weight loss observed from the majority of evaluated exercise interventions is primarily due to low doses of prescribed exercise energy expenditures compounded by a concomitant increase in caloric intake. Unquote
In other words, if you give a person the incorrect impression that only a small amount of exercise is needed and allow them to eat more as well, that person will not lose weight. Duh!
Quote: A 2012 systematic review of studies that looked at how people complied with exercise programs showed that over time, people wound up burning less energy with exercise than predicted and also increasing their caloric intake. Unquote.
The actual conclusions of the study are:
Quote: We conclude that the small magnitude of weight loss observed from the majority of evaluated exercise interventions is primarily due to low doses of prescribed exercise energy expenditures compounded by a concomitant increase in caloric intake. Unquote
In other words, if you give a person the incorrect impression that only a small amount of exercise is needed and allow them to eat more as well, that person will not lose weight. Duh!
2
Going to the gym never did anything for me in terms of my weight. Cutting back on carbohydrates made all the difference in the world. Its not simply "calories in, calories out." Cutting out the carbs and increasing protein and fat reduces hunger, allowing one to cut back calories without feeling deprived. Going "meatless" or eating "healthy whole grains" won't do it either. I ate that way for years and just put on the pounds. It's simple. It's the carbs, stupid.
12
Kudos to the writer for scolding those who can find time and money for the gym but claim to be too overwhelmed to prepare real, healthy food at home. That sort of disconnect makes me angry. An obese woman once told me she needed to pick up fast food on the way home from work most days because it took too long to (this was her example) wash greens for a salad. Her own diet was her business, but she was also feeding her young child McDonald's rubbish for breakfast and dinner. There was no financial reason for that dietary choice. It was laziness, full stop.
I think of food as fuel. Anyone who keeps animals is familiar with the idea of cutting back feed by a quarter or even a third to control weight. I've done that many times with older dogs who can pack on the pounds when you aren't looking. So when the same thing happens to me, I eliminate a daily meal (or the equivalent) until the extra weight is gone. Over the last year I have lost ten pounds by (on most days, not all) forgoing either lunch or dinner, substituting a light snack (a piece of fruit or toast) for the missing meal. The wonderful thing is that my appetite has reduced along with my waistline. If you slowly accustom yourself to lower intake, you will eventually -- barring any eating disorders or physical problems with achieving satiety -- want less and need less. Exercise is important for mood, flexibility, body strength, bone density and cardiovascular health. But your body needs good fuel to perform well.
I think of food as fuel. Anyone who keeps animals is familiar with the idea of cutting back feed by a quarter or even a third to control weight. I've done that many times with older dogs who can pack on the pounds when you aren't looking. So when the same thing happens to me, I eliminate a daily meal (or the equivalent) until the extra weight is gone. Over the last year I have lost ten pounds by (on most days, not all) forgoing either lunch or dinner, substituting a light snack (a piece of fruit or toast) for the missing meal. The wonderful thing is that my appetite has reduced along with my waistline. If you slowly accustom yourself to lower intake, you will eventually -- barring any eating disorders or physical problems with achieving satiety -- want less and need less. Exercise is important for mood, flexibility, body strength, bone density and cardiovascular health. But your body needs good fuel to perform well.
Do the math. To lose one pound you have to account for around 3500 calories.
3500 calories is a lot to burn off exercising, but is only 500 calories per day to lose a pound a week by controlling what you eat. If I do 25 minutes on an elliptical trainer it doesn't even get me 300 calories.
3500 calories is a lot to burn off exercising, but is only 500 calories per day to lose a pound a week by controlling what you eat. If I do 25 minutes on an elliptical trainer it doesn't even get me 300 calories.
2
Otherwise known as "You can't outrun a bad diet."
6
"Make sour cream onion dip from scratch," a teaser to another article, appears in the right-hand column next to this article. Hello?
4
There are lots of studies that corroborate the claim that eating less is more effective than exercise. I write medical science articles for magazines on a freelance basis and just did a piece on obesity. However, the way to not feel deprived and to maintain a healthy diet is rarely mentioned in the media: it's to find the ratio or fat/carbs/protein that works for you. When you find it, you don't get cravings and your hunger is easily satiated.
It takes time the first two weeks or so, but after that it becomes easy. Figure out what your target calories should be (I cut 500 from my 'weight maintenance' calories when I decided to lose weight), keep a log of what you eat (this is really key) including the calories, fat, protein, and carbs, and calculate the ratios. Honestly, it will get really easy if you are willing to make the time commitment the first two weeks. It's an investment in lifelong health, so finding the time is important.
For me, carbs/protein/fat need to be around 40/40/20 or 40/30/30. If I hover around there appetite stays easily under control. I lost 20 lbs in six months and yes, I absolutely added exercise, not only to supplement the calories burned but to feel better overall. Exercise makes you feel good and that helps you stay motivated. It also helps shape the body and tighten your muscles, an essential part of looking and feeling better. Lifting weights is non-negotiable for a healthy body, whether you are male or female.
Just do it!
It takes time the first two weeks or so, but after that it becomes easy. Figure out what your target calories should be (I cut 500 from my 'weight maintenance' calories when I decided to lose weight), keep a log of what you eat (this is really key) including the calories, fat, protein, and carbs, and calculate the ratios. Honestly, it will get really easy if you are willing to make the time commitment the first two weeks. It's an investment in lifelong health, so finding the time is important.
For me, carbs/protein/fat need to be around 40/40/20 or 40/30/30. If I hover around there appetite stays easily under control. I lost 20 lbs in six months and yes, I absolutely added exercise, not only to supplement the calories burned but to feel better overall. Exercise makes you feel good and that helps you stay motivated. It also helps shape the body and tighten your muscles, an essential part of looking and feeling better. Lifting weights is non-negotiable for a healthy body, whether you are male or female.
Just do it!
4
There seems to be plenty of confusion about what this article is saying. Research shows that food reduction is better at promoting weight loss than exercise, but this is really a story about human behavior. Setting aside the importance of good nutrition, persistently exercising to the point of calorie deficit will result in weight loss....it has to. However, few people have the discipline/time to 1) maintain an exercise regimen that results in meaningful calorie burn while 2) not responding to the body's cries for more calories. This is manifest in the author's simple example: it is hard to burn 350 calories through vigorous exercise, it is easy to consume 350 calories by drinking soda.
4
I am glad to see this article! In my decidedly non-professional view, exercise is for fitness (of various sorts), while diet is for weight loss. The benefits of exercise are not to be pooh-poohed, but exercise alone will not make an overweight person thin. In my experience, exercise is a healthy and smart complement to a mindful diet.
Like some commenters below, I would like to see more information about what to eat, not just "eat less." If I'm going on a 1,000 calorie per day diet, I would be far more successful if my 1,000 calories were comprised of vegetables and protein than if they all came from chocolate bars. It goes way beyond "just cut calories."
Like some commenters below, I would like to see more information about what to eat, not just "eat less." If I'm going on a 1,000 calorie per day diet, I would be far more successful if my 1,000 calories were comprised of vegetables and protein than if they all came from chocolate bars. It goes way beyond "just cut calories."
6
YOu can find all the information you are asking for by going to Weight Watchers. I learned all about it there. it's the best program I've ever done - I lost 60 pounds in a little over a year on a healthy planned schedule of no more than 2 pounds lose per week (usually a bit less than that).
Cutting carbs and sugar is fundamental to weight loss.
Also, do journaling. Journaling is essential to me so I know exactly what I'm consuming.
Cutting carbs and sugar is fundamental to weight loss.
Also, do journaling. Journaling is essential to me so I know exactly what I'm consuming.
Thanks, Anna. I have lost a significant amount of weight on a healthy, effective eating plan that involves almost no sugar and very low levels of carbs. As well, I journal scrupulously.
Weight Watchers is an excellent program; I have had success on it in the past. However, I found many ways to get my Points that did not involve healthy eating. The flexibility - one of WW's touted benefits - worked against me.
Even with extensive experience in the diet world (and food industry), there is always more to learn about smart eating.
Weight Watchers is an excellent program; I have had success on it in the past. However, I found many ways to get my Points that did not involve healthy eating. The flexibility - one of WW's touted benefits - worked against me.
Even with extensive experience in the diet world (and food industry), there is always more to learn about smart eating.
Although I agree that exercise alone is not a way to lose weight, it is key for health, not as a 'nice-to-have' but required especially as one ages. It doesn't have to be running or triathlons; walking a reasonable distance regularly every day is plenty. Walk instead drive, park longer distances if you need to drive, take public transit, etc. just do what you can do.
When it comes to food, what one eats is at least if not more important than how many calories one ingests. People are better off avoiding processed food of any kind when feasible and making their own so that they know what they are actually eating. Corporations use lots of techniques to cut costs and increase margins. A fast food burger is not going to have the same ingredients as one made from real beef purchased from a butcher and prepared at home. The caloric difference between the two is beside the point - one is simply comprised of different ingredients than the other. Lower quality usually forces one to eat more to get the amount of nutrition the body requires. And, many tend to eat rushed, 'grabbing' food rather than enjoy it.
When it comes to amounts, the 'serving' size of food sold in boxes and at restaurants throw one's judgement askew as it insinuates what a 'normal' amount is. Business profits from sale of larger amounts so they are not interested in establishing reasonable guidelines and one should not take cues about them but establish their own.
When it comes to food, what one eats is at least if not more important than how many calories one ingests. People are better off avoiding processed food of any kind when feasible and making their own so that they know what they are actually eating. Corporations use lots of techniques to cut costs and increase margins. A fast food burger is not going to have the same ingredients as one made from real beef purchased from a butcher and prepared at home. The caloric difference between the two is beside the point - one is simply comprised of different ingredients than the other. Lower quality usually forces one to eat more to get the amount of nutrition the body requires. And, many tend to eat rushed, 'grabbing' food rather than enjoy it.
When it comes to amounts, the 'serving' size of food sold in boxes and at restaurants throw one's judgement askew as it insinuates what a 'normal' amount is. Business profits from sale of larger amounts so they are not interested in establishing reasonable guidelines and one should not take cues about them but establish their own.
1
I began jogging and went on a diet at age 37 in 1979 at a weight of 210 lbs. I lost about 20 lbs over a year and a half. I jogged until my knees went south in 1998, when I went into the gym. I'm still overweight at 168, but I feel great and my doctor describes my as "self-regulating". If I really want to lose a few more pounds, I'll go on a diet, but exercising I will never stop until the end. You may periodically diet, but you exercise for life.
3
This is such a "duh" article from a mathematical perspective. It's much easier to eat calories than burn an equivalent amount. I exercise to be fit and strong, not to lose weight. It should be noted that I am one of those people who exercises (hard) an average of 1.5-2 hours/day (including long runs, bike rides, HIIT, yoga, weightlifting, stair climbing, plyometrics and just about anything that will get me to be faster/stronger/fitter/more flexible). I walk an average of 15,000-20,000 steps a day. But I end up (as noted) hungrier from all this activity and so it all kind of balances out. I don't think this article is saying "don't exercise" . I think it's saying "don't except exercise alone to do you much good if your goal is weight loss". Get your lifestyle (diet) in check, then start exercising. You'll be in a much better position to reap the benefits of exercise that way and much less likely to injure yourself.
1
The headline to this article talks about "eating less". That's a bit misleading. My experience is that lasting weight loss is not about "easting less", but about consuming fewer calories. The trick to weight loss - and keeping it off - is finding foods that you can eat more or less as much of as you want, but that don't contain as many calories.
6
Sure, eating less is a big step towards losing weight. But steady-climb hiking for a week and you'll really lose: you'll expend a lot of calories; you'll likely drink more (water) than consume heavy foods; and, with an ounce of discipline, you'll eat largely fruits and just a bite of chocoate here and there on the trail.
We're taking on all of modern life when we try to kose weight and get in shape ...
2
This reminds me of the whole language/phonics argument--at least as some people, though not the author, frame it. Of course, we should do both. And, of course, this is what he says. I have spent time where I am sedentary and gained weight and spent time where I had to walk and lost it. Not reams of weight, but one upside is that when you're doing yoga or on a Pilates machine, it's really hard to eat at the same time.
1
Does the article even mention high fructose corn syrup? It's added to almost all packaged foods and 90% of fast foods. It's addictive, like crack of heroin, making you crave more of it; it stimulates the ghrelin hormone, making you feel hungry; and it's metabolized in your liver without any feedback to your brain, so you never know if you've had enough of it. It's like a product of some mad scientist. I recently eliminated all foods with added fructose and dropped 10lbs in a month. The first few days were the hardest, because I was fighting the addiction. By the 4th day, the cravings diminished and so did my weight.
Here's a terrific article on the dangers of added sweeteners:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/24/robert-lustig-sugar-...
From the article: "Approximately 80% of the 600,000 packaged foods you can buy in the US have added calorific sweeteners. .... The thing that made it cheap was high-fructose corn syrup...."
Here's a terrific article on the dangers of added sweeteners:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/24/robert-lustig-sugar-...
From the article: "Approximately 80% of the 600,000 packaged foods you can buy in the US have added calorific sweeteners. .... The thing that made it cheap was high-fructose corn syrup...."
This is one of the most innumerate stories I have ever read in the New York Times.
Quote: From 2001 to 2009, the percentage of people who were sufficiently physically active increased. But so did the percentage of Americans who were obese. The former did not prevent the latter. Unquote
Percentages do not tell us anything about whether an individual can lose weight better by exercising or by reduced eating. Furthermore, more exercise, like calorie reduction, works better when done gradually. So, comparing studies where people are encouraged to make a big change in exercise with studies where people are taught to make small incremental changes in diet is an incorrect comparison.
Quote: From 2001 to 2009, the percentage of people who were sufficiently physically active increased. But so did the percentage of Americans who were obese. The former did not prevent the latter. Unquote
Percentages do not tell us anything about whether an individual can lose weight better by exercising or by reduced eating. Furthermore, more exercise, like calorie reduction, works better when done gradually. So, comparing studies where people are encouraged to make a big change in exercise with studies where people are taught to make small incremental changes in diet is an incorrect comparison.
1
I remember a line from one of my children's books which talked about the caloric value of various foods, and the role of exercise etc. All the right things. But then came this gem:
The hardest exercise of them all may be pushing away from the table.
The hardest exercise of them all may be pushing away from the table.
1
My dad used to say this to us kids- back in the 50's. I've never forgotten that simple wisdom.
Weight loss: Eating less and eating lower calorie foods - which are healthier anyhow. Gotta start lovin' those veggies. Then throw in the heave-ho to boot.
Eat less , lose weight - wow, brilliant ! When was this discovered ?
1
This is so true ! It is simple, so simple : the more you eat, the.bigger you become ; if you want to lose weight, you have only one thing to do : eat less !
I have experienced it many times. This is the only rule.
I have experienced it many times. This is the only rule.
I am never interested in studies that cover three months, six months or a year. Nothing short of five years is meaningful. If you wish to bring your weight down to what your skeleton is designed to carry, it's a "both and" proposition for food intake reduction and exercise. It is also very gradual. As someone else pointed out here, the best exercise is that which is organic to your lifestyle: walking to local stores and services. I also recommend cutting your own lawn with a push mower if you don't have a huge yard. You'll be both healthy AND green and less noisy and irritating to your neighbors. In short, you do exercise while accomplishing something that you need to do so that you are not faced with a zero sum situation with your time and energy.
I agree that home-cooked meals are usually more healthy. In the first place you can make a decision about what sort of foods you will have available for preparing your meals. Meats and greens. Personally, I question the current fad against fruits. They will be vindicated. You can also easily control the portion size by simply preparing a certain amount and when that's eaten, you and your family are done eating. The only dissonance I have about this point is that our economy benefits from our eating out. Food service is one of those things that cannot be off shored and it's become a much more important component in the ever-important velocity of funds. Maybe restaurants will learn to improve their offerings.
I agree that home-cooked meals are usually more healthy. In the first place you can make a decision about what sort of foods you will have available for preparing your meals. Meats and greens. Personally, I question the current fad against fruits. They will be vindicated. You can also easily control the portion size by simply preparing a certain amount and when that's eaten, you and your family are done eating. The only dissonance I have about this point is that our economy benefits from our eating out. Food service is one of those things that cannot be off shored and it's become a much more important component in the ever-important velocity of funds. Maybe restaurants will learn to improve their offerings.
2
It's been known for years that it's virtually impossible to lose weight by exercising alone unless you essentially dedicate all your waking hours to exercising.
But, as David Letterman used to joke, there is a way to lose weight without dieting or exercise: it's called disease.
But, as David Letterman used to joke, there is a way to lose weight without dieting or exercise: it's called disease.
1
3500 calories= 1 pound of fat
average daily diet= 2000 calories- more for very active and large people
exercise- 1 mile walking or running= 200-400 calories
cutting diet 500 cal/day= running 1-2 miles/day= loosing 1 pound of fat/week= 50 lb fat/year.
Metabolizing fat as in the Atkins diet or starvation causes nausea which reduces appetite.
I believe exercise in obese people does cut down appetite- It is difficult to exercise carrying all that weight around. Also obese people are strong from carrying all that extra weight- especially sumo wrestlers, football linemen, and heavy weight lifters. I have lost 1 pound a day hiking 20 miles a day eating a reduced diet without feeling hungry. Most Appalachian trail hikers loose 30-50 pounds especially if they were overweight.
average daily diet= 2000 calories- more for very active and large people
exercise- 1 mile walking or running= 200-400 calories
cutting diet 500 cal/day= running 1-2 miles/day= loosing 1 pound of fat/week= 50 lb fat/year.
Metabolizing fat as in the Atkins diet or starvation causes nausea which reduces appetite.
I believe exercise in obese people does cut down appetite- It is difficult to exercise carrying all that weight around. Also obese people are strong from carrying all that extra weight- especially sumo wrestlers, football linemen, and heavy weight lifters. I have lost 1 pound a day hiking 20 miles a day eating a reduced diet without feeling hungry. Most Appalachian trail hikers loose 30-50 pounds especially if they were overweight.
Why would we store calories as fat, if not for the purpose of metabolizing them later? Most people on Atkins-style diets feel less hungry, which is not the same as nausea. They feel less hungry because in a low-insulin environment, their bodies can finally access and use those fat stores.
1
Restricting input below output will cause weight loss. The first weight we lose is our muscles, not fat. Without adequate exercise, the body's fat percentage will increase
2
Weight loss is not the best measure of health improvement. Change in girth (pant size) is much more reflective of health improvement, because it reflect a loss of intra-abdominal fat, which is the kind of fat that impairs our glucose metabolism and leads to high blood pressure and cholesterol. Exercise is important in improving cardiovascular fitness, which is NOT ALL reflected by weight change. Cardiovascular fitness is the essence of good health.
1
For me, there is a relationship between anxiety and craving sugery food. After exercising, I feel less anxiety than before, resulting in a lower level of craving. The exercise I do is therefore an essential ingredient, so to speak, in keeping my weight down.
3
I've never lost much weight using either food reduction or exercise alone. It always comes back. It has to be both. If I clean up my diet and make good food choices, and get even 25 minutes 5 days of low to moderate exercise a week, the pounds come off. Faster if I really count calories. It is not rocket science, it's just kind of boring. You have to have goals and rewards to lose any substantial amount. Saying that diet is way more important is ridiculous for most people. Exercise also improves my mood and that usually translates with more patience in the tedious job of consistently making good food choices.
4
The authors conclusions in this piece are grossly misleading. The right kind of exercise can play a major role in weight management both during dieting, and after. The reality is that a good diet / weight management program that helps you shed fat, at the same time as build LEAN muscle mass, is most effective. By building lean muscle, your body actually consumes more energy than pre-diet, even at a resting state. As muscle is much denser, you won't lose as much weight as in diet alone because with the overwhelming majority of diets, around 40% of weight loss is actually muscle loss, not fat loss. The result is when you come off the diet your body is consuming even less energy even at a resting state. You go back to your old habits and you put the weight back on even faster. The caveat is that you need to do the right type of exercise. Running and cycling are good cardio exercises but don't build lean muscle mass. You need to do full body resistance exercise to get the maximum combined benefit of diet and exercise! And by increasing lean muscle mass, the results can be significant, combined with some very simple dietary changes.
5
If weight loss per se is your only goal, fine.
But my goal is to stay healthy. For that goal, I suspect one needs an equal combination of healthy eating and exercise.
But my goal is to stay healthy. For that goal, I suspect one needs an equal combination of healthy eating and exercise.
3
Logic would suggest that like most things in life, the correct answer is, "It depends."
If I eat generally well but don't exercise, then exercise might have more of an impact. If I eat poorly and exercise, then changing my eating habits would likely have the bigger impact.
I'd be interested to see studies which show a 20% reduction (for example) in caloric intake, versus a 20% increase in caloric output...does each give similar results?
I wonder if for most people a 20% reduction of intake is more realistic than a 20% increase in output.
Eat less, exercise more. Do a little bit of both and life will be better. :)
If I eat generally well but don't exercise, then exercise might have more of an impact. If I eat poorly and exercise, then changing my eating habits would likely have the bigger impact.
I'd be interested to see studies which show a 20% reduction (for example) in caloric intake, versus a 20% increase in caloric output...does each give similar results?
I wonder if for most people a 20% reduction of intake is more realistic than a 20% increase in output.
Eat less, exercise more. Do a little bit of both and life will be better. :)
2
By basing his lead on "The Biggest Loser," Dr. Carroll generalizes studies of weight loss among the overweight to more complex issues of diet and activity. But we do not become obese through overindulgence. Extra time in the kitchen, his glib and classist solution, won't much help.
Weight creeps up on us. Our brains regulate caloric balance rather precisely. For the average American, gain is insensible, averaging one to two excess pounds a year. Calorically, two pounds a year is the daily equivalent of part of a can of cola, or the weekly equivalent of a few bites of a fast food hamburger. More to the detriment of the author's argument, it's the equivalent of taking the stairs every day instead of an elevator, or jogging for 30 minutes. This is why, in a well-publicized decision several years ago, a company deliberately chose to locate its parking lot 1/4 mile away from the front door; that brief walk twice a day was the caloric adjustment for its employees' tiny overconsumption.
The author mischaracterizes studies he cites. The 2011 study, with a controversial subjective methodology, even states: "We do not claim that the elicited bias distributions are ‘correct’; we are dealing with epistemic uncertainty..." The 2012 review simply shows that exercisers find ways to sweat less.
Finally, our entire culture has been termed "obesogenic" by W.H.O. How will working Americans find those extra hours for the kitchen, and how will it balance the allure of fast food?
Weight creeps up on us. Our brains regulate caloric balance rather precisely. For the average American, gain is insensible, averaging one to two excess pounds a year. Calorically, two pounds a year is the daily equivalent of part of a can of cola, or the weekly equivalent of a few bites of a fast food hamburger. More to the detriment of the author's argument, it's the equivalent of taking the stairs every day instead of an elevator, or jogging for 30 minutes. This is why, in a well-publicized decision several years ago, a company deliberately chose to locate its parking lot 1/4 mile away from the front door; that brief walk twice a day was the caloric adjustment for its employees' tiny overconsumption.
The author mischaracterizes studies he cites. The 2011 study, with a controversial subjective methodology, even states: "We do not claim that the elicited bias distributions are ‘correct’; we are dealing with epistemic uncertainty..." The 2012 review simply shows that exercisers find ways to sweat less.
Finally, our entire culture has been termed "obesogenic" by W.H.O. How will working Americans find those extra hours for the kitchen, and how will it balance the allure of fast food?
3
Proper eating is critical to *maintaining* a healthy weight. This article overlooks the fact that it is incredibly hard to actually *lose* weight just by eating. The part that people don't realize is that 1 pound of fat is 3500 calories. To lose a pound a week requires shaving 500 calories a day - 25% - from a standard healthy diet.
This rate of weight loss is so slow and undetectable for most people that they simply lose hope. It's exactly the same argument you are making about exercise - it just doesn't seem to make a dent. And the discipline required to lose, say, 50 pounds, by depriving yourself for *a year* is just unobtainable for most people.
It's far easier to learn to get out and sweat a little each day. That same 500 calories a day can be had by ~45 minutes of modest work. (The myth that workouts need to be strenuous is a major disservice done by The Biggest Loser, and even this article.) And I find that once I lace on my sneakers and head out the door, it's just as natural to go for 45 minutes as for 30 anyway. I mean, I'm going to spend 20 minutes just with clothing and shower, so why not make it worthwhile?
Further, unlike dieting, once you start an exercise program - and have stuck with it for 2 weeks - you start to feel really positive about yourself and about exercise. On the other hand, I personally never feel positive about saying "no" to that chocolate chip cookie. It's necessary, but unpleasant, while exercise can be fun and can become a life habit.
This rate of weight loss is so slow and undetectable for most people that they simply lose hope. It's exactly the same argument you are making about exercise - it just doesn't seem to make a dent. And the discipline required to lose, say, 50 pounds, by depriving yourself for *a year* is just unobtainable for most people.
It's far easier to learn to get out and sweat a little each day. That same 500 calories a day can be had by ~45 minutes of modest work. (The myth that workouts need to be strenuous is a major disservice done by The Biggest Loser, and even this article.) And I find that once I lace on my sneakers and head out the door, it's just as natural to go for 45 minutes as for 30 anyway. I mean, I'm going to spend 20 minutes just with clothing and shower, so why not make it worthwhile?
Further, unlike dieting, once you start an exercise program - and have stuck with it for 2 weeks - you start to feel really positive about yourself and about exercise. On the other hand, I personally never feel positive about saying "no" to that chocolate chip cookie. It's necessary, but unpleasant, while exercise can be fun and can become a life habit.
2
Buried near the end of the article: "Exercise has a big upside for health." Most people would in fact be better off concentrating on exercise even if they did not lose weight at a result. More, what many studies ignore is the benefit of exercise in slowing or preventing further weight gain! And many of us who struggle with weight control are NOT drinking two large sugary sodas every day, or chowing down on fast food and fries, so "cutting back" is not that simple. Also over time I have become extremely skeptical of the theory that small, gradual changes lead to sustainable weight loss, given the body's incredible ability to adapt (in the interests of homeostasis)
2
It's very simple: the only way to lose weight via food restriction, is to cut down so severely that you are very, very hungry.
Your brain regulates hunger and it regulates weight (as well as insulin production and ghrelin and leptin hormones). If your brain detects you are hungry, it will first try with normal hunger signals ("the grumbellies") and making you yearn to eat -- but if you persist, it will try harder. And eventually, it simply "turns down the thermostat" -- lowers your metabolic burn rate to compensate for the lack of food.
This is why diets seem to work at first, with encouraging weight loss (mostly water, though) -- and then people plateau. In time, you get hungrier and hungrier -- your metabolism slows to match your food intake -- and you became to regain the weight.
Bad news: with your new, lower metabolic rate, you will gain weight more easier and have a harder time losing it.
DIETS DO NOT WORK.
Your brain regulates hunger and it regulates weight (as well as insulin production and ghrelin and leptin hormones). If your brain detects you are hungry, it will first try with normal hunger signals ("the grumbellies") and making you yearn to eat -- but if you persist, it will try harder. And eventually, it simply "turns down the thermostat" -- lowers your metabolic burn rate to compensate for the lack of food.
This is why diets seem to work at first, with encouraging weight loss (mostly water, though) -- and then people plateau. In time, you get hungrier and hungrier -- your metabolism slows to match your food intake -- and you became to regain the weight.
Bad news: with your new, lower metabolic rate, you will gain weight more easier and have a harder time losing it.
DIETS DO NOT WORK.
2
Don't stop excercising. There is more to being fit than being skinny. Excercise will make you stronger and healthier. A stronger body will feel better and utilize calories better. Just do the right excercise. Don't expect 30 minutes on an elliptical do it. Train the whole body. I shattered my shoulder when I was 20. The extensive recovery coupled with boredom-induced pot smoking and pie eating caused substantial weight gain. I went from a cross country/track athlete sitting at a lean 5 ft 10 and 155 lbs to almost 200. Without any severe diet, just eating balanced with lots of protein, and lots of rigorous conditioning and strength training, I got back to my original weight. I'm now 27 and still maintain this weight because I kept up my fitness routine. I eat healthy during the week and treat myself on the weekend. I never go to bed hungry. Though I know this piece holds substantial research, it feels irresponsible. Excercise will make you feel better. Period.
2
Thanks, Dr. Carroll, for a research-evidence-based op-ed. Weight loss TV shows (Biggest Loser, Extreme Weight Loss, etc.) not only present an unrealistic picture of weight loss as almost entirely due to exercise, they also perpetuate and exacerbate stigma against the overweight and obese by their reinforcement of the "fat, LAZY, slob" stereotype. Unfortunately, a number of commenters here still hold that view.
2
No, this article is not research-evidence-based. It mischaracterizes some of the studies it cites and it equates epidemiological studies with cause and effect. On the other hand, there are a lot of lazy slobs that aren't fat.
Obesity is a complex problem and perhaps the duration of our longitudinal studies is not long enough to really understand it. A life time of consistent exercise most likely leads to a more stable weight over years. Moreover, being active daily and exercising are two distinct behaviors. 30 minutes of strenuous exercise is not enough to discount 12 hours of inactivity.
4
Why does the author assume that all overweight people have lost control over their lives? This idea is pernicious in two ways: first, it encourages eating disorders, which appear to their victims as pure and admirable "control". Second, the idea encourages all people, overweight or not, to assume that there is something morally wrong about being overweight. Overweight and obesity are unhealthy, not immoral. Thousands of people will read this article and assume that they are doing right by starving themselves. Then they won't take a walk, for fear of exciting their appetite.
4
After re-reading the article, I could not find any suggestion on the author's part that all overweight people have lost control of their lives.
When I first immigrated to this country, the first thing I noticed was how people were eating all the time and all over the place. There was always a can of soda or milkshake in their hands while they were walking. When I went to a restaurant or a a fast-food place I could not believe the size of the portions. And of course, the french fries! Just the french fries could be a meal by itself. And when I went to the grocery store, I was simply flabbergasted. Every customer had an over-flowing shopping cart. I had thought, that was grocery for a month. Instead, I was told that was for a week!! And the items were mainly sugary sodas and salty snack besides frozen dinners and lunches. Now that I have been here 25 years, a naturalized citizen I do not even notice it. Luckily, I have'nt adopted these food habits. I still am a vegetarian, cook meals from scratch and don't snack. My liquid of choice is water. I have managed to maintain my weight without making an effort, even after two kids. Since I'm getting on in my years, I've added yoga to my routine. My American born kids are healthy too but their regimen includes a work-out. And the best part is I have minimal garbage to dispose, mainly bio-degradable vegetable matter. No plastic plates, cutlery, plastic and wrappers for me.
16
All I know is, the month that 1) my dog died (I took him on at least a 45-min walk every day plus two or three other shorter walks); 2) I bought a car; I turned 40; 3) my kid got too big too carry all the time; and 4) I got a desk job after previously having a job where I rarely sat for longer than an hour, resulted in a near-instantaneous 10-lb weight gain, which in a few months increased to almost 20. My eating, based on a life where I walked 3-4 miles a day, never sat, and frequently picked up and carried a small child, stayed exactly the same, which was obviously the problem. I really don't eat a lot now and my exercise is back up, but the weight stays on, some combination of a new "set point" and middle age. Luckily I was slim enough before that my BMI is still under 25 (barely), but it stinks.
5
your weight gain can be eliminated. Go to Weight Watchers- I learned so much about my eating habits and about how I was undermining myself with overeating. I am 63- I started WW at the age of 52 and I have changed my life.
This gives people like myself that are overweight but suffer from chronic pain due to chronic illness hope. I know in speaking to my doctor last week, he advised that they only way to lose the wait was to cut calories. I am now tracking my intake and measuring my calories. We will see how it pans out. In the end I hope that the weight loss helps with chronic pain and I can increase exercise, as I firmly agree that you need exercise for many other health reasons.
2
try going to group meetings at Weight Watchers- it will will really help you stay to a plan.
If the science that dictates our recommended diets/nutrition weren't so concerned with the financial inter-workings of staying afloat, our government may be more readily interested in talking openly about the work done by scientists such as T. Colin Campbell (to name one). Decades and decades of research have shown that diet is not only the leading factor in our day-to-day body weight, but also our likelihood of becoming sick with some of the top killers in our country today (heart disease, cancer, etc).
Ignorance will kill us, in the end. We can no longer accept how corporate America puppeteers our government and our environment.
Ignorance will kill us, in the end. We can no longer accept how corporate America puppeteers our government and our environment.
3
Don't buy it. Don't know how they define 'exercise', but I do know that I lose weight when I've active. It may or may not be the arithmetic of calories, but it's far more likely increased efficiency of the digestive system as fibers get shaken around and work thru a lot faster. Less retained, less time to squeeze calories out of it.
But the big difference is lifestyle. We Americans are addicted to driving, eating, and sitting. In fact, it's hard to find a social activity that does not involved driving to a meal. It's hard to find entertainment that doesn't involve sitting in front of a presentation, often with a marketing tie-in to processed foods.
When you're exercising, you are not doing these things. That's a win, right? Experts, tell me I'm wrong. Dare ya.
But the big difference is lifestyle. We Americans are addicted to driving, eating, and sitting. In fact, it's hard to find a social activity that does not involved driving to a meal. It's hard to find entertainment that doesn't involve sitting in front of a presentation, often with a marketing tie-in to processed foods.
When you're exercising, you are not doing these things. That's a win, right? Experts, tell me I'm wrong. Dare ya.
3
I don't know where you live in Colorado, but just next door in Utah along the Wasatch Front (where 2/3rds of the state's population lives) we are have many social activities that does not involve driving to a meal. Aside from various organized sports, we have those very large mountains just minutes away from home literally riddled with excellent hiking, biking, climbing, snow showing, and skiing areas. I go with my friends and family all the time. Perhaps that is what you are alluding to when you wrote, "When you are exercising". But
"From 2001 to 2009, the percentage of people who were sufficiently physically active increased. But so did the percentage of Americans who were obese. The former did not prevent the latter."
This is not a valid conclusion. We have no way of knowing from this if those who exercised became obese. Or what the obesity number would be if no one or everyone were sufficiently physically active.
This is not a valid conclusion. We have no way of knowing from this if those who exercised became obese. Or what the obesity number would be if no one or everyone were sufficiently physically active.
5
What surprises me is the acceptance that exercising 30 minutes a day is too much to expect people to do. Exercise is as essential as brushing your teeth and bathing.
fwiw, cycling is a good way to accumulate a lot of exercise duration.
fwiw, cycling is a good way to accumulate a lot of exercise duration.
8
Thank you for this truth. I have struggled with my weight since I was in my thirties. In my sixties I realized that although I still had to exercise every day, the only way I could ever lose weight would be to control calories. I pay for a diet delivery service because I don't trust myself to limit my portions.
2
While true, the reality is a sedentary person burns so few calories they have a hard time reaching satiety on that little food. This is why we see so many overweight people. If a sedentary woman wants to lose weight, she will have to reduce her calories to a level she will likely find very hard to adhere to long-term. Being active throughout the day allows a person to eat more. Anyone with an activity tracker, such as a FitBit, will tell you so. A problem frequently seen is that people think a 45 minute exercise session in the gym makes up for the rest of the day spent sitting. Such is not the case. To truly burn a lot of calories, one has to do the gym session and spend the rest of the day moving around, walking and whatnot, with very little time spent sitting down.
7
Referencing your "boring" comment; there's simply no money to be made in 'eating less'.
As students in elementary, junior high and high school (both Catholic and California public), all of us had one 'period' of Physical Education each school day. It wasn't about weight loss, it was about staying physically active and engaged. It was a part of the curriculum.
The loss of that core 'academic' requirement is as much to blame for butterball America as anything. I have to say, fatties (that is what it is) were few and far apart in the Los Angeles Unified School District, in all their rainbowed ethnicities.
As students in elementary, junior high and high school (both Catholic and California public), all of us had one 'period' of Physical Education each school day. It wasn't about weight loss, it was about staying physically active and engaged. It was a part of the curriculum.
The loss of that core 'academic' requirement is as much to blame for butterball America as anything. I have to say, fatties (that is what it is) were few and far apart in the Los Angeles Unified School District, in all their rainbowed ethnicities.
3
exercise is a BUSINESS decision, not a health decision. If one were to take exercise off the table, the industry that sells all the associated goods would collapse. Special clothing, special gear, special "foods". even the covers of cereal boxes would be effected.
And, it says that people with physical problems wouldn't be able to lose weight because they can't exercise. Exercise turns fat into muscle so one just makes a substitution and not a reduction in weight.
If we burn 100 calories an hour at rest, then 2400 calories would keep us in stasis, but we eat less and lose weight--1600 a day and lose 1 pound in about 4 days not counting the weight of the food we consume. That is what people forget to add in. 2 pounds of canteloupe plus ones own weight seems like a gain--that why people need to weight themselves only once a week or so and then they will see the loss.
And, it says that people with physical problems wouldn't be able to lose weight because they can't exercise. Exercise turns fat into muscle so one just makes a substitution and not a reduction in weight.
If we burn 100 calories an hour at rest, then 2400 calories would keep us in stasis, but we eat less and lose weight--1600 a day and lose 1 pound in about 4 days not counting the weight of the food we consume. That is what people forget to add in. 2 pounds of canteloupe plus ones own weight seems like a gain--that why people need to weight themselves only once a week or so and then they will see the loss.
1
2400cal/day for a basal metabolic rate is very high. I'm 6'2", my lean body weight in my not so lean body is about 175 pounds. My BMR is about 1900 cal/day. That's for laying in bed, no movement, no digestion, even.
The standard for "sedentary" is about 20% over that, call it 2400 cal/day for me. Long term food and exercise recording shows that with the minor exercise of housework, shopping, and yard work, 2700-2800 cal/day is my stasis.
I definitely lose weight a lot faster when I do hard riding on my bike. Regardless of what the studies show, ya know? Real word.
The standard for "sedentary" is about 20% over that, call it 2400 cal/day for me. Long term food and exercise recording shows that with the minor exercise of housework, shopping, and yard work, 2700-2800 cal/day is my stasis.
I definitely lose weight a lot faster when I do hard riding on my bike. Regardless of what the studies show, ya know? Real word.
It's interesting the variety of responses here. When it comes to weight loss, everyone is an expert and seems to think they know what's best. It just goes to show the amount of misinformation/confusion out there.
The article raises fantastic points about the dynamic between diet and exercise, and I agree that it's important to do both. I've done a lot of research on this, and for me, a low carb, high fat diet has helped me shed 85 pounds and put on a substantial bit of muscle. It has also helped my mood and energy levels, as well as curbing midday sugar crashes. But, moderation in everything. I still enjoy some carbs as a diet is a way of eating, not something to "cheat" on. I see people killing themselves on the treadmill at the gym, while I do a 30 minute heavy lifting routine 3X a week and play competitive sports for my cardio, which is fun, not punishment.
I encourage everyone to find something that works for them in a sustainable, long term way. Yes, you can lose weight on a high carb diet. Yes, you can lose weight by eating nothing but vegetables. Yes, you can lose weight eating a lot of fat. What works for you with your lifestyle, philosophy on food and ethics, and the way your body feels? Most importantly, figure out what the research says and don't always trust the "sources" (i.e. the USDA, and even some medical professionals that have an agenda).
Thanks for bringing this balanced idea to the mainstream.
The article raises fantastic points about the dynamic between diet and exercise, and I agree that it's important to do both. I've done a lot of research on this, and for me, a low carb, high fat diet has helped me shed 85 pounds and put on a substantial bit of muscle. It has also helped my mood and energy levels, as well as curbing midday sugar crashes. But, moderation in everything. I still enjoy some carbs as a diet is a way of eating, not something to "cheat" on. I see people killing themselves on the treadmill at the gym, while I do a 30 minute heavy lifting routine 3X a week and play competitive sports for my cardio, which is fun, not punishment.
I encourage everyone to find something that works for them in a sustainable, long term way. Yes, you can lose weight on a high carb diet. Yes, you can lose weight by eating nothing but vegetables. Yes, you can lose weight eating a lot of fat. What works for you with your lifestyle, philosophy on food and ethics, and the way your body feels? Most importantly, figure out what the research says and don't always trust the "sources" (i.e. the USDA, and even some medical professionals that have an agenda).
Thanks for bringing this balanced idea to the mainstream.
15
A very useful article and an equally useful discussion through the comments it's generated. As someone who exercises regularly but weighs more than I'd like and whose recent blood sugar test registered as slightly elevated for the first time, the article provides a great reminder that portion control and related diet intake steps are important parts of the health/fitness/weight equation.
1
Eating less sounds much less appealing than going on a bike ride, but this article is right on. Exercise for health (mental health, cardiac health, cancer reduction, diabetes control) but work on portion control for loss of weight. The giant portion sizes are a greater cause of Americans' obesity problem than lack of exercise.
4
Every late winter, early spring, I try to lose the 3-4 pounds I put on over the holidays without much success. Then it warms up and, since we don't have central air, I exercise less. Despite that, that's when I lose weight, I suspect because I'm also eating slightly less.
3
How you exercise is just as important as what you eat. Far too many people go for the "burn", that serves only to burn the the limited carbohydrate carried in the blood and stored in muscles and the liver. This cause a plummeting of blood sugar that causes almost instantious hunger. High Intensity Training (HIT) and CrossFit are the worst ways to lose weight and greatly increase risk of injury that can curtail all exercise. A better approach is longer and easy forms of exercise like an old walking that results in burning of stored fats and conditions the body to better burn this fuel even when not exercising. Equally, the solution on the food as fuel side is not to eliminate all carbohydrates but rather consume carbs with recognition as to the chemistry of blood sugar. Eating carbohydrates with lower glycemic indexes, ie cause slower rise in blood sugar, results in muted insulin response and less carbs stored as fat. Preferred carbs like whole grains and the avoidance of simple sugars like high fructose corn syrup is the recipe for weight loss success without the downside of high fat diets detrimental effects cholesterol levels.
2
CrossFit has never been demonstrated to be more injurious than any other sport -- injuries abound in running, football, soccer, etc. Many people successfully lose fat while doing CrossFit because they build _muscle_ instead of just doing endless cardio.
You might also want to check the glycemic indexes on some of those "whole grains." The glycemic index of whole wheat bread is higher than that of table sugar.
You might also want to check the glycemic indexes on some of those "whole grains." The glycemic index of whole wheat bread is higher than that of table sugar.
"one can lose 3-4 lbs per year" - I find this incredibly discouraging to would-be dieters. If I had felt that was all I could lose, I would have never done anything, because that amount is pitiful for the amount of effort I'm making.
I've lost 15 pounds in a single month and have gone from feeling miserable to feeling fantastic.
What made the difference was not one thing but the result of a whole range of changes to my lifestyle. First, I wasn't ever exercising - I joined a gym and have been going 5 days a week, doing 500 calories of high intensity interval cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I did it on a lark one day and felt so amazing for the rest of the day, I've not been able to stop. Second, I just lowered my portion sizes. I used to make sandwiches with tons of meat. Now I just use a slice or two. They taste the same - I was just consuming hundreds more calories for no good reason. Third, I drink lots of water. Lots of times sitting at the computer, I'd just get a snack for something to do. Now I get up and get a glass of water. I realized that I didn't actually want food, I just wanted an excuse to stop work or fidget with something. Fourth, I stopped drinking heavily at night. Drinking heavily is bad anyway, but drinking at night is just hundreds or calories that get converted into fat while you sleep. I was doing that because I was depressed, but the exercise has made be happier, so now I don't feel the need to drink. Virtuous circle stuff.
I've lost 15 pounds in a single month and have gone from feeling miserable to feeling fantastic.
What made the difference was not one thing but the result of a whole range of changes to my lifestyle. First, I wasn't ever exercising - I joined a gym and have been going 5 days a week, doing 500 calories of high intensity interval cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I did it on a lark one day and felt so amazing for the rest of the day, I've not been able to stop. Second, I just lowered my portion sizes. I used to make sandwiches with tons of meat. Now I just use a slice or two. They taste the same - I was just consuming hundreds more calories for no good reason. Third, I drink lots of water. Lots of times sitting at the computer, I'd just get a snack for something to do. Now I get up and get a glass of water. I realized that I didn't actually want food, I just wanted an excuse to stop work or fidget with something. Fourth, I stopped drinking heavily at night. Drinking heavily is bad anyway, but drinking at night is just hundreds or calories that get converted into fat while you sleep. I was doing that because I was depressed, but the exercise has made be happier, so now I don't feel the need to drink. Virtuous circle stuff.
140
" found that, in the long term, behavioral weight management programs that combine exercise with diet can lead to more sustained weight loss (three to four pounds) over a year than diet alone. "
I'm pretty sure he means three to four pounds beyond what one would lose with dieting alone. Not three to four total pounds per year.
I'm pretty sure he means three to four pounds beyond what one would lose with dieting alone. Not three to four total pounds per year.
Figures like 3-4 pounds per year make me shake my head. I lost 70 pounds in a year by going on a paleo diet. Went right to my ideal weight, a couple of pounds a week. Minor weight loss is indicative of an ineffectual diet. I don't know if the same diet will work for everyone, but paleo sure works for me and some others that I know (but avoid those high fat supermarket meats and stick to food like chicken and turkey breast -- the game that hunter-gatherers ate was not, on average, very fatty, and fats are high in calories).
1
I am surprised that the author remarks on how much to eat and not what to eat. I went on the Ornish "Spectrum Diet" due to cardiovascular problems (not yet severe). I am now basically vegan. I eat large amounts of food: vegetables, fruits, sprouted grains; no meat, very infrequent fish, no cheeses etc. The fat content of the food is 1/3 that of a normal American diet. I lost 26 lbs in 3 months - that was a year ago, and I remain at that 176 lbs. today. I am 63 years old and 6'1" tall. Remember a gram of fat has 9 calories and a gram of protein has 4. You can eat more than twice as much raw protein as fat.
Read labels and research what you eat. You will be the better for it.
PS my LDL cholesterol is down to 70!
Read labels and research what you eat. You will be the better for it.
PS my LDL cholesterol is down to 70!
3
I agree completely, Stevesan. I have had pretty much the same experience - I dropped 25 pounds last fall after switching to a whole foods, plant-based diet, and have had no difficult maintaining my new weight.
When you're hungry, eat! Just make sure that it is plants you're eating, and stay away from just about anything with significant amounts of added sugar.
I note that Mr. Carroll suggests that the weight-loss benefits of exercise are equivalent to "eliminating two 16-ounce sodas each day." If someone is concerned about being overweight and is still drinking sugary sodas, then no number of advice columns is likely to help.
When you're hungry, eat! Just make sure that it is plants you're eating, and stay away from just about anything with significant amounts of added sugar.
I note that Mr. Carroll suggests that the weight-loss benefits of exercise are equivalent to "eliminating two 16-ounce sodas each day." If someone is concerned about being overweight and is still drinking sugary sodas, then no number of advice columns is likely to help.
2
Glad it worked for you! But fat also makes many people feel much more satiated, so even if there are twice the number of calories, you can eat less and stay fuller longer. For example, it's easy to eat 500 calories of white rice (2.5 cups, 1.5g fat) and feel hungry a short time later. But try eating 2 cups of avocado (500 also calories, 42g fat). You'd have a harder time with that, and most people would feel much more satisfied/fuller much longer.
Sugary drinks, not just sodas. Starbucks, Gatorade all are equal culprits to Coca Cola.
Thirty years of cardiology practice, tens of thousands of patients...this article 100% correct. Exercise has valuable additional other benefits and is "hope in a bottle" as opposed to vitamins and supplements (useless).
It really is this simple. Excellent comments posted here by people attesting to this, their personal experiences.
It really is this simple. Excellent comments posted here by people attesting to this, their personal experiences.
8
Yes, that is my personal experience with losing weight. I can do it without exercising at all beyond my usual walking to work and back, and going up and down the stairs of my home that I have to use to get in and out.
I resent the people who keep harassing me to do more exercise. It's the food! Eat only protein, plain vegetables, and a little fruit. It's hard to restrict to only those types of food but if you can, it works...
I resent the people who keep harassing me to do more exercise. It's the food! Eat only protein, plain vegetables, and a little fruit. It's hard to restrict to only those types of food but if you can, it works...
6
Hate to say this, but your amount of exercise, walking to work in and going up and down stairs is probably above average for Americans.
Thirty years of cardiology practice, tens of thousands of patients...this article 100% correct. Exercise has valuable additional other benedits and is "hope in a bootle" as opposed to vitamins and supplements (useless).
It really is this simple. Excellent comments posted here by people attesting to this, their personal experiences.
It really is this simple. Excellent comments posted here by people attesting to this, their personal experiences.
3
This article has appeared (in slightly different form) in the New York Times and elsewhere dozens of times in the past decade. It was the cover story in the Magazine not too long ago. This is not new information. It should be presented as such.
2
I know too many people who all talk solely about exercise as the way to loss 20-20-40 pounds. Said while they are eating their carrot cake or another scoop of ice cream. I think it's helpful that this author firmly points out the fallacy behind that kind of thinking. Of course exercise benefits us in all kinds of ways, and he's not ignoring that, just emphasizing that it's next to impossible for most of us to exercise excess calories away.
2
I conducted an "expert roundtable" on my fitness blog (see makeyourbodywork.com ) that asked the top health professionals in the world what the "secret" is to losing weight. The vast majority spoke about eating more quality foods, reducing consumption of processed foods, and being conscious of the total amount of food being eaten.
None said that exercise was counterproductive to weight-loss, but the overwhelming majority cited diet-related measures as the "key" to achieving success.
None said that exercise was counterproductive to weight-loss, but the overwhelming majority cited diet-related measures as the "key" to achieving success.
4
Hallelujah! Numerous obese NFL linemen exert more caloric energy in one 6-month season than many people do in their adult lives. Yet - they are still obese. Numerous marathoners and half-marathoners are far too overweight.
It's diet, diet and diet.
It's diet, diet and diet.
4
Calories in vs. calories out (metabolized). After all is said and done, and volumes written, it's really that simple. If the former is less than the latter, you will lose weight
7
Except that calories in, hunger/satiety, calories out, metabolic rate, exercise, fat storage, and blood sugar balance are all moving targets, and different types and qualities of foods and exercises all have different effects on these variables, independent of bulk calories consumed or burned. If it were "simple," we wouldn't have an obesity problem.
2
We exercise more than necessary so we can eat more than necessary.
6
Use your smartphone to record how many steps you take - try to keep it over 10,000 a day - my wife averages many more than that on most days - it's a motivator to get off your duff and move. Try Pedometer ++ which sits on your phone screen and gives you miles AND steps. Oh, and of course, practice portion control. You should not feel too full after eating normal portions. My wife has a slower metabolism than I and almost always finishes only half her meal if eating in a restaurant and takes half home for lunch another day. Works for her. We are both in our 60s and have been regular exercisers for many many years.
1
Sure, exercise probably doesn't make the number on the scale go down a lot. Does anyone really care what the number on the scale is? Unless you're competitive wrestler or something trying to meet a particular weight class, most of us at bottom don't care what the scale number is. We want to be strong, healthy and look good.
I gained 5 pounds after starting to exercise and lift weights 5 days a week, but after 4 months I was down a pant size, can run more miles in a row, lift way more weight than I did in the beginning and people notice that I look better. Diet is really important, obviously. But similarly obviously, if your only goal is to move the scale number down, exercise isn't the right path for you. But I doubt that's the path you're really interested in.
I gained 5 pounds after starting to exercise and lift weights 5 days a week, but after 4 months I was down a pant size, can run more miles in a row, lift way more weight than I did in the beginning and people notice that I look better. Diet is really important, obviously. But similarly obviously, if your only goal is to move the scale number down, exercise isn't the right path for you. But I doubt that's the path you're really interested in.
9
Dr. Carroll is certsinly correct that eating less is more important than exercise when it comes to losing weight, but he neglects a couple of points that raise the impact of exercise in weight loss. First, enough evidence exists (see NYT 4-8-11) that vigorous exercise raises our metabolic rate for at least several hours afterwards, so that calorie burn has to be added. Second, moderate exercise is an established factor in combating depression including the "vegetative" type associated with minimal activity and overeating. Third, we have all seen the positive feedback of exercise with healthier eating.
1
The body evolved in motion. Motion is necessary for its well-being.
3
The whole notion of "burning off calories" has done incredible harm by confusing people about the cause of obesity. In that sense the "Biggest Loser" actually contributes to the American obesity epidemic by spreading misinformation.
Nobody is obese because they don't burn enough calories. People are obese because their body cannot tolerate the level of carbohydrate consumption. In other words, because of excessive quantities of sugar, starch and -- especially -- grain based processed food. People get obese in the same way pigs and cattle are fattened up at the feedlot -- by eating grain-based food.
The food news is, obesity is largely reversible by simply reversing the inputs. Minimize carbohydrate consumption and live primarily on vegetables, proteins and fats, and body fat will magically melt off -- WITHOUT EXERCISE. In other words, by doing the OPPOSITE of what the U.S. Department of Agriculture (i.e. Big Grain) and the American Heart Association (Big Pharma) recommend.
This is counterintuitive -- how can you become thinner by eating more fat? But it is what has been demonstrated by over 20 controlled studies. Low carb high fat diets work.
But regardless of diet, the best advice for fat people should be -- lose the weight, and THEN begin exercising. Reducing carbs has to be the first step. Nothing else has been demonstrated to work in controlled studies.
Nobody is obese because they don't burn enough calories. People are obese because their body cannot tolerate the level of carbohydrate consumption. In other words, because of excessive quantities of sugar, starch and -- especially -- grain based processed food. People get obese in the same way pigs and cattle are fattened up at the feedlot -- by eating grain-based food.
The food news is, obesity is largely reversible by simply reversing the inputs. Minimize carbohydrate consumption and live primarily on vegetables, proteins and fats, and body fat will magically melt off -- WITHOUT EXERCISE. In other words, by doing the OPPOSITE of what the U.S. Department of Agriculture (i.e. Big Grain) and the American Heart Association (Big Pharma) recommend.
This is counterintuitive -- how can you become thinner by eating more fat? But it is what has been demonstrated by over 20 controlled studies. Low carb high fat diets work.
But regardless of diet, the best advice for fat people should be -- lose the weight, and THEN begin exercising. Reducing carbs has to be the first step. Nothing else has been demonstrated to work in controlled studies.
15
This piece concerns me because it underestimates the importance and value of exercise. And that's mostly because it fails to mention exercise intensity: vigorous intensity exercise promotes weight loss, period. Leisurely walking is not enough to do the trick, but working up to regular participation in vigorous intensity exercise is a big turn off to many people. Regular participation in moderate to vigorous intensity exercise is also key for maintaining weight loss - and many RCTs show that recidivism following the active phase of a weight loss intervention is common place. The bottom line is that both diet and exercise are important, but we all have to eat and exercise is easy to neglect.
2
The article is correct, the amount and type of food one consumes is the most crucial factor in losing and maintaining a healthy weight. However, exercise is also crucial as is time to exercise, prepare food, and mindfully plan for eating. Many Americans are working so many hours, sitting in front of a computer, or commuting, tushy to car seat, that their whole system is depressed and digestion poor. Exercise and healthy eating go together. For myself, when I don't plan out what to eat, I find myself making bad decisions at work. Oh, look, leftover cake in the break room, chocolate in the office. No one ever leaves leftover carrots for some reason!
3
I started getting a lot of exercise after I retired (about 90 minutes per day). My weight went from about 196 to 170 in a period of several months (height 6' 1/2"). My weight started to drop even lower, and I started eating more. It still fell into the mid to high 160's. Except for recent periods of inactivity due to injury, I've had to eat two lunches per day. If see something that I want to eat, I eat it. My pants fit, I feel good,
3
In the first place, exercise produces health benefits with or without weight loss. Secondly, the emphasis on weight ignores the research which shows (and has shown for multiple decades) that overweight active people are healthier and have longer lifespans, than normal weight or thin inactive people. Hence, an emphasis on exercise only makes medical sense. Finally, merely reducing calories (eating less) rather than making wholesale diet changes (read: eating a healthy diet and NOT counting calories) rarely produces long-term weight loss.
So, eat healthy, exercise adequately, and forget about the weight. BTW, longitudinal studies demonstrate the healthiest and longest-lived groups of people are those with a BMI of 25-30, not the so-called normal of 18.5-25.
So, eat healthy, exercise adequately, and forget about the weight. BTW, longitudinal studies demonstrate the healthiest and longest-lived groups of people are those with a BMI of 25-30, not the so-called normal of 18.5-25.
3
It's amazing the twisted logic and millions of marketing dollars we have endured to arrive at a very simple solution for weight loss: Eat less. Intermittent fasting programs such as fasting for 19 hours and eating during a 5-hour window is the key.
4
Or it's just another crazy weight loss fad!
I agree with the author that nutrition plays a much larger role in contributing to one's weight. But I disagree with his premise that weight is an accurate indicator of health, when body composition i.e. body fat %, will give a much better indication of a person's fitness and health. The over reliance on weight as a measuring stick is probably what give rise to fad diets all over, including those that are entirely ineffective or sometimes even downright harmful.
3
I walk an hour a day after dinner and it helps me lose weight, mostly because during that hour I am not eating high-calorie foods that I might otherwise have as "dessert". Also, when I'm done walking I do not want to spoil the benefit of exercise with a quick bite of something with too many calories.
2
Since starting a three times a week weight and cardio training regime for two years I have become very strong and fit. As for losing the last 10 pounds I always wanted to lose, I had to cut out or at least reduce the amount of certain foods. That is, eat less. No way around it. And I don't have a sweet tooth nor love fatty foods. I focus on nuts, vegetables, fruits in moderation, avoid fatty fried foods and reduce carb intake to once a day. I look and feel great.
1
I completely agree with this article. My late wife lost over 200 lbs while bed-bound strictly through controlling her caloric intake. Due to her medical conditions, she was unable to exercise. She needed to be under a doctor's care, as her caloric intake was very low; but she was under care anyway.
It's true that exercise has many benefits, but exercise alone without diet cannot cause weight loss, but diet without exercise alone can cause weight loss. She proved it.
It's true that exercise has many benefits, but exercise alone without diet cannot cause weight loss, but diet without exercise alone can cause weight loss. She proved it.
4
There is a great deal of money to be made in selling running shoes, spandex pants and tops, energy drinks, heart rate wrist monitors, head bands, and really big bucks in health club fees and workout machines! Not so much profit is gained if people just eat less. Never saw a commercial selling eating less!
23
Clearly, diet (not going on a diet) is the key element in weight loss. The author does a good job pointing out that exercise can contribute to weight loss and has many other benefits. However, there are a couple of points to be made. First, we should be worried less about how much we weigh and more about what constitutes that weight. The BMI is a poor measure of fitness. As proof, most professional football players would be classified as over weight or obese based on that. Muscle weighs more than fat, but that doesn't necessarily lead to poor health. Part of the reason to exercise is to build muscle which will help with future fat burning and weight loss. Second, if a person tries to lose weight by "going on a diet" they are almost doomed to fail, because when they already plan to "go off" the diet at some point. As the author points out you should look at changing your eating habits permanently, not temporarily. Stop eating things that are white, stop drinking soda, eat more protein and whole grains. Keep fat intake reasonable, but don't go crazy. These are simple steps will let you keep eating lots of things you like while lowering your caloric intake. Combine that with exercise, measure success more by what you look like than by a scale, and you will lose weight.
4
I began losing weight in Dec 2012 at the tender age of 23. I was overweight throughout childhood, teenage years, and college, gaining and gaining to a high weight of ~198 lbs @ height of 5'9. I counted calories to about 175 and after a move to a mediteranean country I lost another 15 lbs eating unlimited fruits and vegetables (limited animal products) Things that were critical to my success:
-Keeping foods that I was prone to overeating OUT of the house and only as occasional treats.
-Occasionally distracting myself from unwanted temptations with gum and water
-Using measuring cups, mostly for starchy foods
-limiting carbs to one meal a day (lunch)
-Filling up on vegetables
-Exercising 3-4 times a week, a mix of spinning, cardio, and weightlifting. Now I ONLY lift weights. People are always surprised to hear that but it is the secret to great body not only for men, but for us ladies, too.
-Finding a buddy. This was HUGE for me and it helped a lot. It's difficult to overstate how much it helps when a friend or partner is on board with you.
-Positive mental attitude (speaks for itself)
-Healing the emotional problems that caused me to turn to food my entire life (short term talk therapy)
-Drink water, herbal tea, vegetable juice, homemade smoothies with coconut oil. Limit coffee to a.m. with almond milk, no sugar, no starbucks fancy 700 cal drinks
Good luck NYT readers! I know how hard it is and I still work on this everyday. we're in this together
-RK
-Keeping foods that I was prone to overeating OUT of the house and only as occasional treats.
-Occasionally distracting myself from unwanted temptations with gum and water
-Using measuring cups, mostly for starchy foods
-limiting carbs to one meal a day (lunch)
-Filling up on vegetables
-Exercising 3-4 times a week, a mix of spinning, cardio, and weightlifting. Now I ONLY lift weights. People are always surprised to hear that but it is the secret to great body not only for men, but for us ladies, too.
-Finding a buddy. This was HUGE for me and it helped a lot. It's difficult to overstate how much it helps when a friend or partner is on board with you.
-Positive mental attitude (speaks for itself)
-Healing the emotional problems that caused me to turn to food my entire life (short term talk therapy)
-Drink water, herbal tea, vegetable juice, homemade smoothies with coconut oil. Limit coffee to a.m. with almond milk, no sugar, no starbucks fancy 700 cal drinks
Good luck NYT readers! I know how hard it is and I still work on this everyday. we're in this together
-RK
31
The thing is, the more muscle mass you have, the more food you can eat without putting on weight because muscle burns more fuel (food). That doesn't mean you can eat all you want. It just means you can loose weight faster and look a lot better when you do reach your weight goal. I'm talking from my own experience. I'll be seventy this August and I work out at least three rigorous hours a week. I haven't been this fit since I was a kid. And yes, a trainer helps tremendously.
8
"Far too many people, though, can manage to find an hour or more in their day to drive to the gym..."
Hmmm here is the problem right there! Why are people DRIVING to the gym?
A researcher found a 90% correlation between driving times and obesity.
Most people find it difficult to eat riding a bike or walking but munch in the car...
Hmmm here is the problem right there! Why are people DRIVING to the gym?
A researcher found a 90% correlation between driving times and obesity.
Most people find it difficult to eat riding a bike or walking but munch in the car...
1
Depends on where you gym is located... I belong to two gyms, one is 3.9 miles away and the other is 17.7 miles away. While I could get a bike and ride to one of the gyms (if I had a place to store it) while the other gym would be prohibitive. Furthermore it saves time to drive and its easier to do other activities after class (like food shopping).
I walk an hour a day. I look for grades to push myself. I have done this more or less for 25 years. In the past year I have added over an inch to my waist line.
Ice cream, Cheezits, and the like are my undoing. Plus a lack of discipline. I find if its not in the house I can get through the night no problem. Say goodbye to Wegman's say hello to a more disciplined diet. With fingers crossed.
\
Ice cream, Cheezits, and the like are my undoing. Plus a lack of discipline. I find if its not in the house I can get through the night no problem. Say goodbye to Wegman's say hello to a more disciplined diet. With fingers crossed.
\
3
This article is so vague. It does not specify what types of exercise were used in these studies, nor what type of dietary changes were made. With regards to exercise, most people mistakenly think that cardio is the best way to loose weight, however, muscle burns fat so incorporating weight training into your exercise is vastly important to loosing weight. I'm a personal trainer. This article is just too vague to take any relevant information from it, though, of course, I agree, people should cut out soda from their diet and probably spend a little more time on healthy meals.
2
Is there anyone left on earth who doesn't know eating processed foods is bad? If there are, do any of them read the NY Times? So many people here saying the same thing-- to lose weight, cut out the junk food and eat real food. The author suggests not drinking soda. I never drink soda. How about some advice for those of us who don't eat junk food, but still need to lose fat (fat is the real problem, not weight-- muscle weighs more than fat). The obvious answer: eat less. But it seems like there must be something else one can do, to effectively change one's metabolism. I guess the science just isn't there yet.
Also, there has been a recent study that shows that weight lost quickly is no more or less difficult to maintain than weight lost slowly, which contradicts what's stated in this article. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 190832.htm
Also, there has been a recent study that shows that weight lost quickly is no more or less difficult to maintain than weight lost slowly, which contradicts what's stated in this article. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 190832.htm
This is not groundbreaking news.
Two thirds of Americans did not become overweight to obese over the past few decades because of 'glandular problems'. They became that way because they eat constantly and treat every day as if it was Thanksgiving.
Add to that the high calorie beverages that are always in their hands, as if somehow magically these drinks have no calories and we have a population that can barely walk up a flight of stairs.
Here is the truth: You cannot eat and drink every single thing you want every single day of the year or you will get fatter and fatter, but you can do that one day a week, if you are careful the other six days.
Is that really so hard to understand?
Two thirds of Americans did not become overweight to obese over the past few decades because of 'glandular problems'. They became that way because they eat constantly and treat every day as if it was Thanksgiving.
Add to that the high calorie beverages that are always in their hands, as if somehow magically these drinks have no calories and we have a population that can barely walk up a flight of stairs.
Here is the truth: You cannot eat and drink every single thing you want every single day of the year or you will get fatter and fatter, but you can do that one day a week, if you are careful the other six days.
Is that really so hard to understand?
4
Push-aways before push-ups. Seeing an obese person attempting to jog is painful for the jogger and the viewer. First one loses weight, then firms-up what's left. Too, we need to define what is meant by fitness. Most of the bodies we see in advertisements are obtained by younger people who spend hours each day in a gym. But 6-pack abs are unobtainable for most folks, no matter how hard they try. Fitness is being able to get through your normal day without excessive fatigue, for one, and having strength to do more if necessary. By all means exercise, but it's still push-aways (from the table)
before push-ups. As for the models, don't try to be them, be you instead.
before push-ups. As for the models, don't try to be them, be you instead.
3
Mr. Caroll shifts the emphasis too much toward diet, I think. The goal, he writes, is “reaching a healthy weight” - healthy not just lighter. Somewhat belatedly in the article, he notes, “Exercise has a big upside for health beyond potential weight loss.”
Indeed, a remarkable study on the benefits of exercise in the Journal of the American Medical Association two months ago reported just how incredibly beneficial exercise is. Among a quarter million middle-aged and older Australian adults, those who exercised 10 minutes or longer, moderately to vigorously, in a week’s time were one-third less likely to die than those who did not exercise at all. People who exercised longer were even less likely to die.
Most people who try to lose weight probably do so for health reasons, as well as for appearance. Given how fantastic exercise is for us as we get older, I don't object to giving exercise an equal emphasis with diet in achieving good health and good looks.
Indeed, a remarkable study on the benefits of exercise in the Journal of the American Medical Association two months ago reported just how incredibly beneficial exercise is. Among a quarter million middle-aged and older Australian adults, those who exercised 10 minutes or longer, moderately to vigorously, in a week’s time were one-third less likely to die than those who did not exercise at all. People who exercised longer were even less likely to die.
Most people who try to lose weight probably do so for health reasons, as well as for appearance. Given how fantastic exercise is for us as we get older, I don't object to giving exercise an equal emphasis with diet in achieving good health and good looks.
This analysis may be true for the person who wants to peel off an extra 10 pounds. But if you are seriously obese, you don't move much. Start exercising, and you stop circling for 10 minutes to find the parking space near the store. You walk down your stairs to fetch something instead of sending your kid. You may even start playing catch with your kid. The list is endless.
The exact benefit of exercise for weight loss is hard to calculate. But I've never seen anyone keep off weight without moving more.
The exact benefit of exercise for weight loss is hard to calculate. But I've never seen anyone keep off weight without moving more.
3
When it comes to weight loss, exercise is largely a diversion, although it has many collateral health benefits. So are, frankly, (proprietary or other) weight loss "programs," "diets" or "plans" focused on the type of calories, rather than the quantity of calories. Pretty simple - take in fewer calories, you WILL lose weight. Not easy to do, which is why people are always looking for shortcuts or alternatives, and there is no shortage of people trying to sell you a shortcut or an alternative. But there are none that work.
2
I treat adults, and If you treat adults, you have to tell people to exercise. Weight loss is a significant health benefit, but for many people trying to lose 10lbs or so, it is to fit into a slacks or a dress. Exercise is a lifelong necessity for a healthy life. If you spend your days sitting in front of a computer screen, and do not do some regular exercise, you will gain weight, lose strength and muscle mass and dis-regulate your fat metabolism. Muscle eats fat, other activities eat carbohydrate. You can exercise enough to lose weight, but it takes quite a lot of exercise.
Don't tell people that exercise is not helpful for weight loss. Tell them that keeping their bodies fit enough to do what they enjoy despite some overweight is the goal. Tell them to get active as part of their life. Tell them that it is not alright to watch TV or go shopping instead of playing softball, or tennis or golf; or just taking a walk or a bike ride. Tell them that 30 minutes a day is their time and go out and to quote a famous shoe company "just do it"
Don't tell people that exercise is not helpful for weight loss. Tell them that keeping their bodies fit enough to do what they enjoy despite some overweight is the goal. Tell them to get active as part of their life. Tell them that it is not alright to watch TV or go shopping instead of playing softball, or tennis or golf; or just taking a walk or a bike ride. Tell them that 30 minutes a day is their time and go out and to quote a famous shoe company "just do it"
2
And then the inevitable orthopedic surgeries! At barely 50 all my friends (my parents too) have had all kinds of injuries, surgeries, and concussions from the golf, tennis, and skiing. I wouldn't say they are healthier than me by any physiological measure. I always knew I identified with the tortoise.
When we talk about "losing weight," we are really talking about losing fat. No one wants to lose bone or muscle mass. So what you see when you step onto the scale is a gross measurement of your total body mass. If you exercise frequently, you will gain muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. Find out what your body mass index is, and work to reduce the amount of lard you're carrying around. The weight itself isn't really what's important, it's the proportion of your weight that is composed of fat ... reduce that percentage and you're becoming more healthy (and able to fit into that smaller-sized pair of jeans you've been saving for years!).
3
Discovered after I gave up Gluten because I'd become intolerant that I quickly lost ten or so pounds.
Placebo effect. But if you think you feel better eating tasteless, expensive food, that is a choice you made. Trust me, there will be a new designer disease in the next five years.
One commenter wrote "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie". True, but misleading in a way. We need to eat for more than just energy. When consuming highly processed foods, we can easily get all the calories we need. But we don't get all the nutrients. As such, the body will still be "hungry" even though the stomach is full and available calories plentiful. As so many have already commented, if you want to keep the weight off: it's not just about how much you eat, but what you eat.
8
It all boils down to eaten vs burned calories. But you can't just speak generally like this (you burn 300 calories with running 1/2 hours).
Also, all calories aren't made equal. It takes less to burn a chocolate you've just eaten than a fatty mac -and -cheese or whatever. I've used this fact and lost 21lbs with the Loaded Gun Diet still eating my favorite cupcakes every morning.
Also, all calories aren't made equal. It takes less to burn a chocolate you've just eaten than a fatty mac -and -cheese or whatever. I've used this fact and lost 21lbs with the Loaded Gun Diet still eating my favorite cupcakes every morning.
1
Like anything else, once the body gets used to eating less, you eat less. I went inot the hospital 190, had a heart attack while in ER, 3 weeks later when I came out after heart surgery, I was 165.
4 years later I'm at same weight, eat very little and my cardiologist had told me to walk, walk, walk...the heart is a muscle, it needs exercise, plus I live on 6th floor and I take the stairs.
My cardiologist says I'll live to be 90. Not so sure if I want that, but...
4 years later I'm at same weight, eat very little and my cardiologist had told me to walk, walk, walk...the heart is a muscle, it needs exercise, plus I live on 6th floor and I take the stairs.
My cardiologist says I'll live to be 90. Not so sure if I want that, but...
2
We keep making diet and exercise an all or nothing proposition when one helps the other. At one point I dieted down to 150 lbs. but was a size 14. I started endurance cycling, built more muscle, and my weight went up to 170 but my size went down to 12. Weight alone is a poor indicator of overall health as is dieting with no exercise or exercise with a poor diet. They work together.
http://www.coactivedreams.com/how-wanting-to-lose-weight-changed-a-lifes...
http://www.coactivedreams.com/how-wanting-to-lose-weight-changed-a-lifes...
14
Eat lots of meatless large salads and watch the pounds drop off. Worked for me.
No ice-cream or bags of chips in the house. Ever. Seriously.
Cheat once a week and only once a week and only at a restaurant.
You dont need to exercise to lose weight. But you do need to like meatless salads.
It works.
7
I'm sure I read somewhere that because salads require more chewing than, say, a hamburger the brain tells the belly that it is full.
And you read this where? That's the whole point of the article, compiled critical review or "metaanalysis" of the data. Everybody, everywhere has read thousands of tidbits of advice about food, diet and exercise, but the end of the day, controlling total calorie consumption matters the most regardless of ALL the background noise.
The core issue is that even a large salad with no meat in it is very low calorie compared to virtually any other foods. That's the basic idea.
1
I slowly lost 50lbs. over a span of about 2-3 years and accomplished this through changes in diet and exercise. Adjustments to my diet has taken years because there were times when I thought I was eating healthy and really wasn't. For example, trusting food labels when products are marketed as "healthy" like Grape Nuts cereal which are loaded with calories compared to other cereals and that roasted almonds are fried in oil, often with added salt, unless the packaging specifically states dry-roasted.
Now my rule of thumb is to eat what I classify as whole foods and learned that foods like sauces, soups and chili are easier to make from scratch than originally thought and that spices really make a difference. I also enjoy some indulgences here and there. In my mind, a dessert made with sugar and butter are still better for a person than a heavily processed item whose ingredient list is lab created.
Now my rule of thumb is to eat what I classify as whole foods and learned that foods like sauces, soups and chili are easier to make from scratch than originally thought and that spices really make a difference. I also enjoy some indulgences here and there. In my mind, a dessert made with sugar and butter are still better for a person than a heavily processed item whose ingredient list is lab created.
22
These numbers don't add up. Even if you are sleeping you are burning calories. Even small movements make a difference. Thinner people fidget more. It's hard to believe, studies have found all these little movements count. Thinner people sit down, cross and uncross their legs, move their arms here and there, even reaching over to the coffee table for the TV remote counts. Fatter people tend not to move as much in the same situation. Are they fatter because they naturally have the tendency not to move, or is it that they don't move because they are fat.
I was within normal limits for my height but lost 10% of my weight in three months by doing energetic walking for about an hour a day without changing my diet. Even though I don't walk as much now, I have kept the weight off. While this article has interesting points, the same thing doesn't work for everyone. However, most studies on aging show that exercise is the most important factor for brain health.
I was within normal limits for my height but lost 10% of my weight in three months by doing energetic walking for about an hour a day without changing my diet. Even though I don't walk as much now, I have kept the weight off. While this article has interesting points, the same thing doesn't work for everyone. However, most studies on aging show that exercise is the most important factor for brain health.
3
Read Gary Taubes, Read Nina Teicholz. Our obesity epidemic has very little to do with lack of exercise and everything to do with our huge ingestion of sugars and carbohydrates. We are absolutely surrounded by them.
Public health authorities (and complicit professors) have for years told us that grains and pastas should be the foundation of our diets, with proteins and fats only as a minimal source of calories. This is exactly upside down. Why is a complicated answer but it has to do with flawed studies and academic hubris and power.
Exercise has great health benefits, but it has little impact on weight. Cut the grains, pastas, rice, sugars, and your body will once again look like it was supposed to.
Public health authorities (and complicit professors) have for years told us that grains and pastas should be the foundation of our diets, with proteins and fats only as a minimal source of calories. This is exactly upside down. Why is a complicated answer but it has to do with flawed studies and academic hubris and power.
Exercise has great health benefits, but it has little impact on weight. Cut the grains, pastas, rice, sugars, and your body will once again look like it was supposed to.
86
And the Asian cultures that have eaten rice several times a day, why are they proportionally less obese than Western cultures?
1
This is the simple truth. Check out Mark Sisson et. al. as well.
You took the words right out of my mouth. My problems with excess weight began when I started to "eat right" according to the government's food pyramid, as you described above. I wanted to set a good example for my kids. So meat was the enemy, carbs were the holy grail and low fat was the ultimate dietary good. Years of eating low fat, low protein, high carb piled on the pounds. I wasn't sedentary...far from it! Yet every doctor just chanted the "exercise and count calories" mantra, with a further order to "cut the fat". It's taken me years to undo the damage, and I'm not there yet. Gary Taubes has spoken more truth than all the government/AMA fat shaming nags put together.
The fact that exercise alone is unlikely to result in weight loss should come as no great surprise. The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume as noted in the article. Its just a simple mathematical balance. Very few people are capable of exercising enough to lose weight without significant changes in their diet. To lose the equivalent of one bagel requires nearly an hour of continuous vigorous exercise. How many of us do that? The overall benefits of exercise are undeniable. It is unfortunate that the medical-pharmaceutical establishment would refer to this as a "miracle cure". Our pill based approach to health care has made us lazy and we look to easy remedies to our health problems. This is quite alright with the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the medical establishment who would suffer great financial losses if we all suddenly maintained an ideal body weight and exercised on a regular basis.
3
As they say, you can't out-exercise a bad diet.
If you really and truly are motivated to lose weight, it is not that hard. The first thing you do is stop eating out. Every restaurant serves calorie bombs. Then, keep all junk food out of your refrigerator and pantry, which includes anything with refined sugar (including "healthy" foods like fruity low-fat yogurt), and as many grains (pasta, bread, cereal) as you can.
Then, eat lots of green veggies, avocados, and limited fruit, along with eggs (eggs have been vindicated), plain Greek yogurt, a moderate amount of cheese), some nuts (except peanuts) and fish, poultry and meat.
You are almost certain to lose weight with this regimen.
If you really and truly are motivated to lose weight, it is not that hard. The first thing you do is stop eating out. Every restaurant serves calorie bombs. Then, keep all junk food out of your refrigerator and pantry, which includes anything with refined sugar (including "healthy" foods like fruity low-fat yogurt), and as many grains (pasta, bread, cereal) as you can.
Then, eat lots of green veggies, avocados, and limited fruit, along with eggs (eggs have been vindicated), plain Greek yogurt, a moderate amount of cheese), some nuts (except peanuts) and fish, poultry and meat.
You are almost certain to lose weight with this regimen.
10
I think this is great advice, but I would add that completely eliminating restaurant dining is not an option for many people, especially those who travel for work. In addition, much of modern social life takes place in restaurants.
In my ongoing midlife struggle to maintain control of my weight, I have found two restaurants strategies that work well for me:
When I dine out with my husband, we order a glass of wine each, one appetizer, and one entrée. The appetizer and the entrée are divided upon arrival, one third for me and two thirds for him. Because of the degree to which restaurants in America overfeed customers today, we never leave hungry.
If I dine out alone, I order only an entrée, and I portion it in halves immediately upon arrival. Unless I am staying at a hotel without an in-room refrigerator, I have the second half doggy-bagged to eat the following day. Otherwise, I try to force myself to leave it on the plate – – succeeding most but not all of the time!
In my ongoing midlife struggle to maintain control of my weight, I have found two restaurants strategies that work well for me:
When I dine out with my husband, we order a glass of wine each, one appetizer, and one entrée. The appetizer and the entrée are divided upon arrival, one third for me and two thirds for him. Because of the degree to which restaurants in America overfeed customers today, we never leave hungry.
If I dine out alone, I order only an entrée, and I portion it in halves immediately upon arrival. Unless I am staying at a hotel without an in-room refrigerator, I have the second half doggy-bagged to eat the following day. Otherwise, I try to force myself to leave it on the plate – – succeeding most but not all of the time!
The lies on food labeling are also a significant problem. Why does the government allow Splenda and other producers of sucralose to advertise it as a "no-calorie" sweetener? It usually has 96 calories per cup and it's not hard to use two or three cups a day in prepared foods. It also contains significant carbohydrates which will frustrate anyone on the Atkins or other low-carb diet.
1
Wow... So if you run for 45 minutes you burn about 600 calories. If you don't eat those 2 donuts you don't add 1000 calories to your body.... Is it that hard to understand.... Exercising gives you better heart health for one, better blood flow, keeps your body better tuned, and probably makes you happier because you are doing the right thing. Take a walk with your spouse, significant other, or maybe your kid(doing that with my daughter, 26 years old). See what the neighborhood looks like, get some sun, breath some outside air, clear your head. Don't over do it, buy some cool walking/running clothes and shoes, reward yourself with a Starbucks' run, and make it part of your routine. It doesn't really cost a thing.
4
Rewards are important, and Starbucks is my go-to treat, but make it plain brewed coffee or espresso. A "tall" (12-ounce) caramel Frappuccino, which is not a very big drink, has 300 calories.
http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/frappuccino-blended-beverages/caram...
http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/frappuccino-blended-beverages/caram...
I find it interesting that much of the discussion and research on exercise with diet fails to focus on the core metric of muscle mass. My understanding is that a main reason we gain weight with age is the reduction of muscle mass from our youth, and that lifting weights is the key to maintaining your muscle mass and overall improving (increasing) your metabolism. Without an increase in muscle mass, moderate exercise will naturally fail to produce the hoped-for results of maintaining a lower body weight. Are there any studies which focus on weight-bearing exercise and measuring muscle mass increases?
6
That sounds reasonable, and I'd like it to be true. But I look at pictures of myself from my early 20s, when I could eat unlimited amounts of anything I wanted and not gain an ounce (and could have used it) and I'm more muscular now than then (and now I eat very healthy but have a belly). So muscle mass may be a factor, but it seems to me it can't be the whole picture.
Herein lies the problem. Exercise is not just something that you schedule into a 1 hour block on your calendar, three times a week. Healthy exercise is a lifestyle change which involves walking places when you would otherwise drive or riding a bike to work instead of sitting on a bus.
How many calories are burned when you walk to the corner store, walk your kids to school, take the stairs instead of elevator, etc? The health (and weight) benefits of this are enormous.
Change your definition of exercise and you change the conversation completely.
How many calories are burned when you walk to the corner store, walk your kids to school, take the stairs instead of elevator, etc? The health (and weight) benefits of this are enormous.
Change your definition of exercise and you change the conversation completely.
7
Routinely doing hard workouts or otherwise exercising make me less likely to overeat or make poor food choices. Why, I ask myself - if one of my objectives is weight loss - would I want to negate all the hard work I've put in, all the time I've spent in the gym, all the time I've spent investigating how to do productive exercises correctly or to increase my athletic competence by habitually indulging in unhealthy eating patterns? There are plenty of ways to enjoy nutritious, tasty food while sticking to a consistent and sufficiently intense exercise plan. Make exercise and eating enjoyable ways to stay healthy.
3
When I trained for a marathon my weight went from 192 to 200 by race day. I found that the significant increase in aerobic activity stimulated my appetite a great deal.
If I have a bad cold for a few weeks, I don't exercise and eat less and my weight goes down.
If I have a bad cold for a few weeks, I don't exercise and eat less and my weight goes down.
3
Eating less is the hardest part. The conscious mind does not rule the appetite. And nowadays processed food is designed to defeat your executive function and trigger addictive patterns of eating. It's very hard to resist the constant triggers from obesity-inducing food being promoted and paraded on TV. It's like we're living in a giant crack den and constantly being bombarded with messages of how good and tasty fried, cheese-covered crack is and how supermodels can smoke all the crack they want and not look ugly. That's the good thing about Netflix. No food ads. It calms down the brain.
2
"exercise consumes far fewer calories than many people think."....This is true, but the key is to continue the exercise day after day after day. It is not the effect of a few weeks effort that reduces weight, but the cumulative effect over months and years. Further I would argue that continuing to exercise over an extended period of time resets the body metabolism making it easier to keep weight off. As for the authors claim that exercise increases hunger, I would challenge him to quote his source. In fact many if not most people find that strenuous exercise tends to reduce appetite, and especially so immediately after the activity.
7
I couldn't agree more. I should do more cardio, and I'm not saying this is necessarily the healthiest option, but since I stopped spinning a year ago, I've lost weight. I only do weights now, I'm less hungry and I'm more careful about my eating choices. I'm not dieting. My husband works out like crazy and then comes home both hungrier and feeling like he deserves to eat unhealthy options since he worked out so hard. He's gaining weight despite spending hours more exercising than I do.
3
THANKS for writing a very nice article and for getting it right! Thanks also for making it clear how important physical activity is for good health, and why it should be included in any weight loss program (and any lifestyle regardless of weight), but as a remedy for obesity, studies show that eating less is more important.
5
This is because people don't exercise enough. If you want to eat an extra thousand calories a day then you exercise 2 hours per day not 30 minutes. If you don't have time for that then you should eat less or accept being overweight.
2
As my older brother would say, the best exercise for losing weight is pushing yourself away from the table.
8
Exactly! And when you push away from the table to go for a run or swim, you probably have stopped consuming. If nothing else, when people are exercising, they probably are not eating, so in that respect, exercise is great for weight loss! (I still say eat smaller portions of a balanced diet for the best results).
It's simple really. To lose weight what you put in must weigh less than what you put out. Any claim not meeting this necessary condition is bogus and denies the conservation law of physics.
1
Human being are not a closed system, so the law of conservation does not apply.
That is so incredibly outdated. Yes, you can set a calorie goal, track the number of calories you eat every day and the number of calories you burn everyday. But no more than 2% of the population has the will and the ability to track calories and exercise. And it does not take satiety into consideration, which is the most important factor when trying to lose weight.
do not rely on weight loss as your only metric
exercise reduces weight by burning fat but some of this is offset by increased muscle mass and muscle weight.
your clothes can tell you better then the scale.
exercise reduces weight by burning fat but some of this is offset by increased muscle mass and muscle weight.
your clothes can tell you better then the scale.
16
This might explain the fact that since I started working out my pants have gotten bigger even tough I weigh the same.
Emotional eating, trying to feel better, is a huge issue. If we dealt with depression or boredom or loneliness by addressing them instead of trying to eat our way out of them we wouldn't be eating like a horse. I wonder how many of us are trying to fix a bad job by sucking down sugary snacks.
6
While reading this article, I munched on a Clif Bar: 250 calories in that bar. While it's not the worst breakfast in the world (protein, fiber, etc.) it does have 21 grams of sugars in it. And when I look around my workplace, I see the same thing every day -- we wade through a swamp of sugars and carbs all day long. If more people knew that pasta, white rice, bread and "health bars" were really just cleverly disguised sugar, we might not have an obesity epidemic.
5
The take home message from this lovely article is that we need to exercise primarily for fitness, and eat less to lose weight. I have seen this in my life. In my first year of grad school I was cash and time strapped, and ate home cooked meals only twice a day. I did not have any restriction on the portion of these meals. I was not even overweight, but the change was phenomenal. I lost a lot of weight, and reached the lower bounds of the normal BMI range for my height. What happened when I moved to three meals a day? Well, I gained all of it back. So now I am able to keep my weight by eating less and avoiding all forms of processed foods. So we need to practice the art of eating less.
However, the author did not discuss about fat distribution. Abdominal mass is the hardest to get rid of once we reach normal range weight. My recollection of the studies in this area are that exercise and dieting need to be combined to eliminate it.
However, the author did not discuss about fat distribution. Abdominal mass is the hardest to get rid of once we reach normal range weight. My recollection of the studies in this area are that exercise and dieting need to be combined to eliminate it.
3
This article relies on a "fact" that is grossly misunderstood by most people, including the author of this article: "Thirty minutes of jogging or swimming laps might burn off 350 calories." There are two main issues with this. One, every body is different, this number can be drastically different based on age, sex, BMI, and other factors. Two, bodies continue to burn calories AFTER a workout. So, maybe 350 calories are burned during the workout, but as muscles rebuild themselves, they will continue to burn more calories.
6
1. Author doesn't address the fact that the quality of the calorie is more important than the quantity of the calorie, I.e., it's not just energy in vs energy out. One's body responds differently to consuming two tablespoons of sucrose vs the equivalent calories of brocholli. 2. Exercise, particularly vigorous exercise, helps to properly regulate one's hormonal milieu, e.g., lepton, ghrelin, insulin. 3. Author is so correct on the metabolic effects from exercise on appetite. When Im training, I naturally increase my caloric intake from appx 2500-3000 calories to 4000+!
6
I think the author oversimplifies the argument and unnecessarily speaks of exercise and eating well as though they are binary choices rather than complimentary partners. As someone who's run off and on (but more on than off) for nearly 30 years, my weight is generally stable and healthy. That said, there is no question my weight is lower when I am regularly running. Where is the mention of sustained metabolic burn that regular exercise provides even when not exercising? And contrary to the author's supposition, I always find myself sated sooner after exercise than when sedentary; is it true for all that exercise increases appetite? And where is the discussion of muscle tone and body fitness rather than just sheer numbers on the scale? Aren't these important components of health?
Lastly, it's a bit curious to me that a professor of pediatrics is waxing philosophic on weight management, diet, and exercise for adults. Would be great if contributors stuck to their area of expertise.....
Lastly, it's a bit curious to me that a professor of pediatrics is waxing philosophic on weight management, diet, and exercise for adults. Would be great if contributors stuck to their area of expertise.....
5
Jeez, it's a simple comparison that eating less has a bigger caloric impact than exercising more. Too bad he didn't discuss muscle tone.
But I do see your point that pediatricians don't focus on health or weight so they should be quiet.
But I do see your point that pediatricians don't focus on health or weight so they should be quiet.
2
Ask your doctor for a 10 day subscription for antibiotics. I was on them 10 days and spent hours praying to the porcelin throne. Everyone is commenting on how I look like I lost weight. The drug companies should be sued for being able to sell these poisons to the public.
1
You'd rather have died from an infection?
25
True, fat loss (not "weight loss") is 80% diet, 20% exercise. But despite popular belief, fat loss is NOT a simple formula of calories eaten - calories expended. Losing fat is not achieved by "dieting," in the sense of calorie reduction. It's achieved by replacing foods that are bad for you with foods that are good for you. Once these replacement foods become well known, we will reverse the obesity epidemic.
10
Nathan, I don't think it's as simple as that. For the past twenty years, I've been eating healthy... vegetables, fish, whole grains, no processed junk, just real food. And yet, I've accumulated too much fat on my belly. I had thought that eating healthy, real food combined with regular, moderate exercise would be enough. It wasn't. So I've been stepping up the exercise and eating much less, with the occasional one or two day fast thrown in, and the belly has been decreasing. I'm not going to be able to sustain this diet (less than 1000 calories per day) long-term, but I'm hoping that my body will get used to eating less and end up wanting less. I am finding that I feel full quicker now, and hope that continues.
I am waiting for a good study on the economics of obesity. This is a multi million dollar (if not more) business, to keep the public obese, to promote the latest and greatest (and ineffective) weight loss plan and to pander to an individual's insecurities over their body.
For example, studies have shown that, unless one has celiac disease or a severe gluten sensitivity, benefits from a gluten free diet are primarily a placebo effect. Yet, the markets are full of "gluten free" foods, which are tasteless and expensive. Just another example of market forces, that are nothing more than vehicles to separate you from you money, and have no sustainable benefit.
For example, studies have shown that, unless one has celiac disease or a severe gluten sensitivity, benefits from a gluten free diet are primarily a placebo effect. Yet, the markets are full of "gluten free" foods, which are tasteless and expensive. Just another example of market forces, that are nothing more than vehicles to separate you from you money, and have no sustainable benefit.
21
What is bizarre is that because people lose weight on a 'gluten free diet', they mistakenly believe it was the gluten that made them overweight, rather than the bread they ate 3x a day.
I watched a friend in her late 20s eat bread 2x a day and envied her slimness. I also watched her gain 40 lbs over the next decade, as her metabolism slowed, as it does for all of us when we reach age 30.
People used to understand that you have to adjust your caloric intake as you age or you will get fatter and fatter.
Now, they just don't care, as they can pass the medical bills off to others.
I watched a friend in her late 20s eat bread 2x a day and envied her slimness. I also watched her gain 40 lbs over the next decade, as her metabolism slowed, as it does for all of us when we reach age 30.
People used to understand that you have to adjust your caloric intake as you age or you will get fatter and fatter.
Now, they just don't care, as they can pass the medical bills off to others.
Bread:
People can have moderate sensitivities to foods. This is has been established by science. Allergic responses are not all-or-nothing. I can't understand why so many people get upset that gluten-free food is now available in the supermarkets. Did the Bisquick gluten-free baking mix I bought last week displace some other food you wanted more? Is that why you're so angry about a product that does nothing to hurt you and does nothing to hurt anyone else either?
It does nothing to contribute to obesity, either. It just means I can make pancakes now and not have stomach pain and bloating later. I am shocked that you or anyone else can find a reason to get upset about that.
People can have moderate sensitivities to foods. This is has been established by science. Allergic responses are not all-or-nothing. I can't understand why so many people get upset that gluten-free food is now available in the supermarkets. Did the Bisquick gluten-free baking mix I bought last week displace some other food you wanted more? Is that why you're so angry about a product that does nothing to hurt you and does nothing to hurt anyone else either?
It does nothing to contribute to obesity, either. It just means I can make pancakes now and not have stomach pain and bloating later. I am shocked that you or anyone else can find a reason to get upset about that.
Well, I will join the ranks of those sharing their personal experience. Here's what worked:
- Abandon all caloric drinks other than milk, vegetable juices, and those containing booze.
- Abandon all sweets, deserts.
- Avoid processed foods as much as possible.
- 100% whole grain, if something with carbs is to be eaten
- Put less on the plate to start out, so my stomach has time to tell me it is full.
- Look to the long term (X pounds lost per year) rather than short term focus on weeks and months.
- Steadily increase aerobic and weight exercise
- Abandon all caloric drinks other than milk, vegetable juices, and those containing booze.
- Abandon all sweets, deserts.
- Avoid processed foods as much as possible.
- 100% whole grain, if something with carbs is to be eaten
- Put less on the plate to start out, so my stomach has time to tell me it is full.
- Look to the long term (X pounds lost per year) rather than short term focus on weeks and months.
- Steadily increase aerobic and weight exercise
16
What excellent advice. Coincidentally, I adopted your first and fourth points at the end of my freshman year of college, many years ago, after the freshman 15 had settled onto my frame. Those two strategies help me to get rid of the 15 and made a big difference for me for many years. As more time passed and I entered middle-age, I added more of your suggested strategies, with the result that my weight remains healthy (with some ups and downs along the way).
I have adopted one amendment to your plan at my current stage of life:
Take high-quality calcium citrate/vitamin D supplements a couple of times a day, and ditch the milk and the vegetable juice. If I am going to consume any liquid calories at all at this point, they are going to be swimming around in a nice, chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc!
I have adopted one amendment to your plan at my current stage of life:
Take high-quality calcium citrate/vitamin D supplements a couple of times a day, and ditch the milk and the vegetable juice. If I am going to consume any liquid calories at all at this point, they are going to be swimming around in a nice, chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc!
From the headline until about 3/4ths through the article, there is constant, one dimensional criticism of exercise. The value of exercise should be emphasized from the outset. Frankly it is more important to be fit than thin, and replacing fat with muscle mass is not only hugely important to health, it makes the same weight look better.
17
Weight reduction is extremely complicated. It’s not just a matter of eating less and exercising more. If that’s the whole key, more people would be able to achieve it. Exercise makes you hungrier, and people are built differently. Some will never attain the aspiration ideals unless they go for cosmetic procedures such as CoolSculpting and liposuction.
6
The other part of the key is eating the right things.
But really, that's all there is to it. Can't change your genes. Weight loss can be done . . . just don't expect it to be easy. Taking things easy is how people end up overweight.
But really, that's all there is to it. Can't change your genes. Weight loss can be done . . . just don't expect it to be easy. Taking things easy is how people end up overweight.
I have lost over 20 pounds in the last 3 months basically through diet. Using the My Fitness Pal app makes it really easy to track diet and exercise. I let myself eat more if I exercise more so I don't end up ravenous. This works just fine.
An interesting quirk is that I have taken 3, 4-7 day long trips for business during this period. All the extra activity of travel and setting up, standing at and breaking down from trade shows helped the weight to melt away. In the past travel meant weight gain but now I buy all my food at the outset of the trip and make breakfast and lunch for myself. When I have dinners out I order carefully and eat moderately. Voila.
Extra exercise may even mean a chance to pig out but as long as I don't let the momentum carry me over the amount of calories I burned I still lose.
An interesting quirk is that I have taken 3, 4-7 day long trips for business during this period. All the extra activity of travel and setting up, standing at and breaking down from trade shows helped the weight to melt away. In the past travel meant weight gain but now I buy all my food at the outset of the trip and make breakfast and lunch for myself. When I have dinners out I order carefully and eat moderately. Voila.
Extra exercise may even mean a chance to pig out but as long as I don't let the momentum carry me over the amount of calories I burned I still lose.
9
Exercise fine tunes the body so it becomes naturally more picky and more knowledgeable what to eat and when that is appropriate. Sleep is improved also contributing to hormonal balance and weight loss. If you sit around doing nothing all day I guarantee you you are going to overeat.
8
You get fit in the gym, thin in the kitchen.
500
Well said!
1
True but we need a Western U.S. version of it:
You get fit in the outdoors, thin in the kitchen.
You get fit in the outdoors, thin in the kitchen.
2
I weighed 120 lbs. when I graduated from college because I was still living at home and my very wonderful mother was a terrible cook. The best way to stay thin is to avoid restaurants and close relationships with good cooks.
15
It is not how much we eat, it is what we eat. Pigging out on Bud, burgers hot dogs and chicken wings is a national past time. 99% of sodas and just about any soft drink that include some fruit so called Juices stating no sugar added are loaded with high fructose corn syrup . Even carbonated sodas would be far better if they were 50% fruit juices. Not to mention that over 90% of manufactures food is loaded with saturated fat and trans fat, plus butter , plus all kinds of hydrolyzed so called vegetable oils mostly corn, cotton seeds, peanut, etc.
Meat cuts , including stakes like Rib eye, New Strip, T-Bone, and even Tenderloin have 1/4 to 1/2 inch marble fat. Even quartered chicken has skin and fat rolled underneath when packaged and sold.
Beside Southern cooking mostly deep fried and other everything loaded with lard , butter and other fats is precisely why southern states have the most unhealthy diets and fat people . Just corn fed in the Midwest like Iowa, WI, MN, IN, OH, KY, TN, etc. to name a few.
The other big problem is the USDA and it's political patronage hacks. Not to mention that one just have to walk in just about any Supermarket and take a good look as to what is sold and that include the bakery department .
Meat cuts , including stakes like Rib eye, New Strip, T-Bone, and even Tenderloin have 1/4 to 1/2 inch marble fat. Even quartered chicken has skin and fat rolled underneath when packaged and sold.
Beside Southern cooking mostly deep fried and other everything loaded with lard , butter and other fats is precisely why southern states have the most unhealthy diets and fat people . Just corn fed in the Midwest like Iowa, WI, MN, IN, OH, KY, TN, etc. to name a few.
The other big problem is the USDA and it's political patronage hacks. Not to mention that one just have to walk in just about any Supermarket and take a good look as to what is sold and that include the bakery department .
2
From my own experience, I lost about 50 lbs over about 2 years by largely following the percepts of the Mayo Clinic diet. I largely maintained the same workout regime of weight training and some light cardio. That loss allowed me to more comfortably move to higher cardio exercises like HIIT bike riding as well as starting a yoga practice. Due to a knee injury I put off running for a good while, but am currently part of a "couch to 5k" running program. I hope to lose another 10 or so pounds. However, the physical and mental benefits of exercise, coupled with feeling better due to the weight loss, are amazing.
3
Well, yeah. I lost 40 lbs four years ago, 190 lbs down to 150 lbs (now back to 160 lbs, trying to get back to 150 lbs). I do run quite a bit, up to 50 miles/week when not injured (the 10 lbs is weight run up during injury). But I very much agree that eating less is key. Running is mostly useful because it is very obvious if you have too much weight, so you're motivated to eat less junk carbs. I'm also lucky (or is this the result of a low carb diet) that running does not make me hungry. Exercise is good for mood control and hence eating control.
You'll never outrun bad eating habits, even at 10 miles/day.
You'll never outrun bad eating habits, even at 10 miles/day.
4
You are lucky. For many people exercise makes them feel hungrier -- studies suggest this is more of a problem for women than it is for men.
1
I find this to be absolutely. I exercise about 4 times a week, both aerobic and weight. I am not overweight at all, but have sadly hit middle age. I recently had a stress fracture of my metatarsal bone and had to rest for about a month since it was hard to either walk or jog with a boot. During that time, I consumed the same amount of food but lost weight. I was also weaker. I find that I do not lose weight with exercise, in fact, I might gain a few pounds. But I'm stronger, have more energy and look better. So I do agree with this article, dieting is the best path to weight loss. But really, anyone on a weight loss regime (or even if they're not), should exercise.
8
Surprise, surprise, surprise. Is there a study coming out the shows eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is healthier than eating more junk food?
1
it all comes to what you put in your mouth. I see fat people come to fried food places and order baskets of food. as if to maintain their weight, not lose it. even what makes you ill depends on what you eat. As that saying goes "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are."
1
If you are seeing fat people with baskets of food at fried food places, then you must be at fried food places yourself.
Yes it's daunting... but it's also so simple. Eat less... eat organic, whole food and plant based, move more, breathe more deeply, take charge of your life. I lost 80 pounds this way and my stage four cancer disappeared as well. This is real medicine... with no negative side effects!
4
A very good article. I run regularly, and if I run 10 miles, it is equivalent to NOT eating half a cheeseburger. No a great tradeoff, except I enjoy running. However, cardiovascular benefits in total , mean something. Also, when I do a 50 mile bike ride, at about 15 mph ( I am 70 years old) I have NO urge to eat afterwards, so, violent physical exercise REDUCES appetite, not increase it, as the article suggests.
Also, it is proven that life span increases PRIMARILY from cutting food intake back drastically, more so than ANY physical exercise.
So, the article is also correct , if the headline was about increasing lifespan.
Also, it is proven that life span increases PRIMARILY from cutting food intake back drastically, more so than ANY physical exercise.
So, the article is also correct , if the headline was about increasing lifespan.
3
I am going to share the secret that has worked for me.....I was overweight as a kid and adolescent. I hated it and was quite unhappy. The key was redefining feeling hungry. I changed from viewing it as unpleasant to defining it as a great feeling. It meant I was going to loose weight and I did. Now over 40 years later, I keep close track of my weight, never varying more than a pound or 2 from my ideal weight. It I drift up, i eat less and feel hungry. I feel good, as I know in a day or two I will be right back at my desired weight. Being hungry is the signal that things are going well...AND weigh yourself regularly and keep track. Know where you are and where you have been weight-wise.
21
Hunger is painful. Everything in your body and brain is evolutionarily designed to prevent hunger.
It is unusual (but does happen rarely) that someone enjoys being hungry. The name for this is "anorexia nervosa".
It is an eating disorder, and it doesn't make you more moral or better than other people who hate being hungry.
It is unusual (but does happen rarely) that someone enjoys being hungry. The name for this is "anorexia nervosa".
It is an eating disorder, and it doesn't make you more moral or better than other people who hate being hungry.
Has anyone accounted in their studies the affects of the food industry's ever increasing use of cheap fillers in our food supply, so that they can increase their profits at the expense of everyone else?
3
The scale tells only part of the story. After getting serious about exercise just over a year ago, I have lost a scant 10 pounds of the 50 or so I needed to lose. However, I look like I've lost 30 pounds, I've changed clothing sizes, and there's no comparison in how I feel or my improved body mechanics. I'm a member of the 50+ demographic. Most of my contemporaries are thinking about exercising to lose weight, but we need to be discussing how starting to exercise now can keep you out of a nursing home later.
16
To lose weight you have to eat less? Who would have thought it?
2
I've been on a rigorous exercise program for almost two years. I go to yoga classes twice a week, Pilates classes two to three times a week, I lift weights twice a week, walk and ride a bicycle as much as possible. For the first year and a half I did absolutely nothing with regards to my weight, assuming the exercise was keeping me fit. Of course I was rationalizing being over 60 meant this was normal. When my doctor told me I was on a direct route to getting diabetes, ("It's not a matter of 'if' you'll get it. You'll get it. It's a matter of 'when'.") I looked at my mother who spends her days in a wheelchair, takes four shots a day and dozens of pills. She never exercises. I didn't want to end up like that. So for the past six months I have been slowly losing weight to the point where I have now lost almost 55 pounds, with 13 to go to get to my goal. Exercise is important, but to lose weight, this article is right. You have to eat less, you have to eat well, and you have to eat wisely. It is work, but it's good work, and necessary work. Of course, with 55 pounds gone, my exercise routines are fantastic, my sleep apnea is gone, my energy is back, and my wardrobe is flattering. I went to my doctor for a check-up. I asked him what my chances were to get diabetes. "Diabetes? Keep doing what you're doing and I doubt your ever going to get diabetes." If I do, well, I do, but I've made a big effort to avoid it rather than cave into an inevitability I don't want to experience.
353
Exercise does not cure diabetes, and not exercising does not cause diabetes.
Your doctor was giving you some VERY unscientific and bigoted advice.
Even among the obese, fully 80% NEVER DEVELOP Type II diabetes -- no matter how fat they get.
Diabetes is a hereditary disease of the endocrine system. Most doctors who are not endocrinologists understand diabetes VERY poorly, yours included. As a DISEASE, it is not a moral judgement on how much you or exercise.
Your doctor was giving you some VERY unscientific and bigoted advice.
Even among the obese, fully 80% NEVER DEVELOP Type II diabetes -- no matter how fat they get.
Diabetes is a hereditary disease of the endocrine system. Most doctors who are not endocrinologists understand diabetes VERY poorly, yours included. As a DISEASE, it is not a moral judgement on how much you or exercise.
There is one factor to weight control that no one seems to mention- the amount of alcohol you drink. It's not just a can of soda you need to avoid... alcohol has a lot of sugar and calories as well. Moreover, when one has a drink or two, your food cravings go up and your will power gets derailed. I have also been told that alcohol slows your metabolism down but I am not certain of this- but it would make sense.
I know people who are trying to diet but continue their alcohol intake and are surprised when their diet fails. Moreover, exercise is much harder to do after you've had a drink. If you can loose weight and still have alcohol, that's great. I know for me, drinking alcoholic beverages is not helpful for my weight loss.
I know people who are trying to diet but continue their alcohol intake and are surprised when their diet fails. Moreover, exercise is much harder to do after you've had a drink. If you can loose weight and still have alcohol, that's great. I know for me, drinking alcoholic beverages is not helpful for my weight loss.
7
Sodas, fruit juices, milk (that sacred cow) and alcohol are all significant sources of calories. Simply following the admonition “don’t drink your calories” will make a huge difference in your overall caloric intake.
Otherwise, it’s profoundly easy to boost your intake by 1,000-2,000 calories without even trying. Milk is a particularly pernicious offender, as we’ve all been brainwashed by decades of being told it’s good for us, when in truth we all should have been weaned during the first few years of our lives.
I've found that weight falls off – and stays off – when I limit alcohol to one night a week, stop drinking other sources of calories, and get the lion’s share of my nutrition from plants. I can stuff myself with veggies, never feel like I'm starving or suffering, and maintain a stable weight.
If during times of stress or holiday festivities I happen to increase my alcohol intake, I immediately notice the difference and consciously cut back. Eliminate those liquid sources, and you're more than halfway there.
Otherwise, it’s profoundly easy to boost your intake by 1,000-2,000 calories without even trying. Milk is a particularly pernicious offender, as we’ve all been brainwashed by decades of being told it’s good for us, when in truth we all should have been weaned during the first few years of our lives.
I've found that weight falls off – and stays off – when I limit alcohol to one night a week, stop drinking other sources of calories, and get the lion’s share of my nutrition from plants. I can stuff myself with veggies, never feel like I'm starving or suffering, and maintain a stable weight.
If during times of stress or holiday festivities I happen to increase my alcohol intake, I immediately notice the difference and consciously cut back. Eliminate those liquid sources, and you're more than halfway there.
Eat less to lose weight? Wow, you learn something everyday!
1
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Thank you for your precise advice, Michael Pollan
8
Yes, it is about portion control and food choices first, activity is second, but a very essential second. The heavier you are the less you feel your own body. Controlling what you put in it affects everything else - but it's not sexy or twitter worthy to tell people "Stop putting so much food in your mouth." Oh no. Crossfit and Zumba are a much easier sell.
4
Everything very true. But eating less and dieting is infinitely more difficult than adding physical activity and exercising. You can get to love doing things physically, but you never get to love eating less, skimping on your favorite foods, and even starving. That's TORTURE, repeated every day of your life. The big difference is psychological well-being.
4
If it was simple, everyone would be model-thin.
DIETS DO NOT WORK. Being hungry does not work -- it sets you up for later failure.
To keep weight off with a diet, requires you accept being hungry -- in a state of semi-starvation -- the rest of your entire life. Very few people can tolerate that, hence the 98% failure rate of all diets.
DIETS DO NOT WORK. Being hungry does not work -- it sets you up for later failure.
To keep weight off with a diet, requires you accept being hungry -- in a state of semi-starvation -- the rest of your entire life. Very few people can tolerate that, hence the 98% failure rate of all diets.
I've noticed that in pictures of Syrian refugees camped in Jordan, none of them seem even slightly heavy. I'm pretty sure from looking at their surroundings that they don't have any exercise equipment, at least none in view around their tents.
It is surprising, but yes, one can with some modicum of certainty conclude that eating less may indeed result in weight loss, based on photos of Syrian refugees anyway.
It is surprising, but yes, one can with some modicum of certainty conclude that eating less may indeed result in weight loss, based on photos of Syrian refugees anyway.
1
That human beings can suffer and be starved to death during war or famine -- that is hardly something to cheer diets about.
The article is spot on. Having lost a considerable amount of weight myself, I can share relevant experience: burning 300 calories through exercise is positively exhausting, especially when you're already overweight.
To a first cut, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. (Claims about fancy metabolic changes via diet and digestive alterations are only marginally important and can basically be ignored at the level of the weight loss an obese person needs.) If you keep a calorie count and weigh yourself over a week of normal activity, you will know your energy balance because you will know your weight change with that amount of calories eaten. So, reduce the amount of calories eaten, and try not to reduce your average daily activity. The result will be weight loss at a rate of 1 pound per 3500 calories altered.
You might not even have to if you set a reasonable budget to start with. When I first started a calorie journal I set a 2000 cal/day budget and was shocked at how much I had been eating anyway. I immediately started losing weight and it wasn't for a couple of years and more than a hundred pounds until I had to reduce the calorie budget further to lose any more.
To a first cut, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. (Claims about fancy metabolic changes via diet and digestive alterations are only marginally important and can basically be ignored at the level of the weight loss an obese person needs.) If you keep a calorie count and weigh yourself over a week of normal activity, you will know your energy balance because you will know your weight change with that amount of calories eaten. So, reduce the amount of calories eaten, and try not to reduce your average daily activity. The result will be weight loss at a rate of 1 pound per 3500 calories altered.
You might not even have to if you set a reasonable budget to start with. When I first started a calorie journal I set a 2000 cal/day budget and was shocked at how much I had been eating anyway. I immediately started losing weight and it wasn't for a couple of years and more than a hundred pounds until I had to reduce the calorie budget further to lose any more.
4
After seeing this data earlier this year I went to see my PCP nutritionist who offered a visual and compelling plan. I am not overweight just want to loose 10-15 lbs and her plan is working though I will admit it is as hard as cycling an hour or more five days a week. But seeing results that the exercise alone didn't produce.
I sent this to my PCP and told him Dr. Carroll is my fav physician too bad I am way to old to see a ped. My PCP got all jelly. Thin skinned like a surgeon I guess.
I sent this to my PCP and told him Dr. Carroll is my fav physician too bad I am way to old to see a ped. My PCP got all jelly. Thin skinned like a surgeon I guess.
"Many studies and reviews detail how physical activity can improve outcomes in musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, neurological diseases and depression."
I have a feeling that all of the above is far more important than a specific BMI number, especially if physical exercise and healthy food can help eliminate pharmacological solutions so widely employed in American medicine today.
In the future, we will better understand the role of gut flora in overall health, especially body mass and autoimmune conditions. The relative lack of research in this area is a consequence of our profit focused health care system. If there isn't an expensive pill or treatment at the end of the research, its not going to get much funding.
In the meantime, my guiding principle is:
Colorful food: good
Food in colorful boxes: bad
I have a feeling that all of the above is far more important than a specific BMI number, especially if physical exercise and healthy food can help eliminate pharmacological solutions so widely employed in American medicine today.
In the future, we will better understand the role of gut flora in overall health, especially body mass and autoimmune conditions. The relative lack of research in this area is a consequence of our profit focused health care system. If there isn't an expensive pill or treatment at the end of the research, its not going to get much funding.
In the meantime, my guiding principle is:
Colorful food: good
Food in colorful boxes: bad
9
Oh god! More about losing weight. I'm an expert at losing weight. I figure over my lifetime I may have lost about five hundred pounds. Of course it always comes back. If I have any advice on this subject it's this: When you lose it .. don't throw out your fat clothes and dont have your pants altered. Just tuck them away in a corner of your closet and buy skinny ones, and don't throw those away either because .. well .. you might get inspired by yet another article on how to lose weight.
11
Yes, I am now on the "Monday Diet", that is, I only eat on Monday's and somehow I am still gaining weight. I walk every day. So much for this diet.
if weight loss is the goal, dieting by itself is probably fine. For true wellness/overall health tho, exercise is required. Depends on the individual goal. But for what it's worth, I don't know anyone who lost weight long-term by just dieting.
2
Well, duh…we have super-sized portions, super-gulp (and gag) sodas, burgers with more meat (glue) and added fat, as well as known unknown ingredients to "bulk it up" for mickey-d kids whose parents should know better…and we wonder why americans are among the most obese in the world? Case in point: a friend invited us to an Italian restaurant that we hadn't been to in many years…they served a pound of pasta PER person, over a pound of sausage and veal PER person…almost to a person, every patron was obese. In some cases, so obese that two chairs should have been provided to that person so her (and his) weight could be more evenly distributed…if nothing else, to take the stress off the restaurant floor structure.
At first I wondered (when I walked in) why the place was so crowded…
After a brief glance, it became obvious that portion control was out the window here, and mega-portions were the new normal. These people were so large that exercise was not an option.
Another case: we have friends who have tried every fashionable new fad diet - to no avail. First Atkins. Then nutrient-laden blender meals instead of food. Then Gluten-free. Now they are on the Paleo-diet. Is it working?
Well, it would be if they had to chase down their food, kill it and skin it, then cook it - like the Paleo's would have. The exercise required to provide a meal for your Paleo family would have been so strenuous and time-consuming, that consumption would drop - as would their weight.
Next fad, please?
At first I wondered (when I walked in) why the place was so crowded…
After a brief glance, it became obvious that portion control was out the window here, and mega-portions were the new normal. These people were so large that exercise was not an option.
Another case: we have friends who have tried every fashionable new fad diet - to no avail. First Atkins. Then nutrient-laden blender meals instead of food. Then Gluten-free. Now they are on the Paleo-diet. Is it working?
Well, it would be if they had to chase down their food, kill it and skin it, then cook it - like the Paleo's would have. The exercise required to provide a meal for your Paleo family would have been so strenuous and time-consuming, that consumption would drop - as would their weight.
Next fad, please?
The issue of portion sizes begs the question: why don't those giant portions make us feel full? The answer to this will involve types and qualities of foods, not just bulk amounts.
Sorry to hear about your friends, perhaps they will find the right plan. Versions of Atkins, wheat-free, and paleo/primal that you seem so dismissive of work very well for some of us, and not for others -- there is no "one size fits all" approach.
Sorry to hear about your friends, perhaps they will find the right plan. Versions of Atkins, wheat-free, and paleo/primal that you seem so dismissive of work very well for some of us, and not for others -- there is no "one size fits all" approach.
1
I would like to know more about the long-term effects of regular, strenuous exercise on weight. I think it is hard to gain a lot of weight, if you regularly participate in vigorous exercise. You might not lose weight, but most adults who exercise regularly, don't seem to gain weight either. The problem with dieting is you can never stop, and your body is working against you (slowing metabolism and increased hunger) to try to gain weight. At least with exercise, you get to enjoy your life, as compared to being constantly hungry, when you are always dieting.
1
over 40 years ago I lost weight , got into a size 10 and never looked back. My secret? I dont eat junk..that is fried foods and fast food. I'm from New Orleans so go figure. Maybe I'd go out and eat and drink like people think we do, but the next few days...no..back to the program. My peers as they hit 70 are all, but one, suffering from the effect of over eating, eat what they want and cannot understand why they are type 2 diabetic, aching knees, gerd, incontinent...yadda yadda yadda. Medicare is paying for their fun. I do exercise yoga for balance and strength,walk for my hips...and now I'm off for my morning walk...
1
No one can become overweight on steamed vegetables, broiled fish, and fresh fruit.
3
No one can be properly nourished on such a regimen. I call fad.
1
Eat less, move more. That has been my mantra for a long time. It doesn't mean starving or exercising like crazy. It just means what it says: eat less and move more.
3
Amen. We now know this to be true as well as the importance of staying away from white carbs.
Yet people still struggle. The key to weight loss then is simple -- education, but most importantly, will power. That's what needs to be learned if it can be learned. I don't know
Yet people still struggle. The key to weight loss then is simple -- education, but most importantly, will power. That's what needs to be learned if it can be learned. I don't know
1
This issue was framed best by a colleague-physician of mine while practicing in the Air Force many years ago.
He said that the best way to lose weight is to take advantage of every opportunity not to eat!
He said that the best way to lose weight is to take advantage of every opportunity not to eat!
3
I kind of knew this and viewed my exercise regiment separately from my diet regimen. It's depressing to see on the machines how few calories one burned after what seemed to be a tiring workout. No matter what, I need to get more exercise to maintain my body as I age. I'm one of those people that whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until it passes except for taking walks. For that reason I have a trainer. I also come from a family that all had a tendency to gain weight and we were kind of small. I call us capons. People look at my small frame and say that I'm not overweight and according to my BMI, I'm just within the mark. But I know I'm carrying too much weight as my pants are getting tighter. I eat very healthy but my portions are too big and one nice dinner out, even if I'm careful, kills the diet for days. While my husband is out of the country I strip the house of anything tempting, especially carbs of ANY form. Okay, except for 100 calorie packs of light popcorn allowed by Weight Watchers. I have a friend who is a mad marathoner, also short, and she still struggles with her weight. There is no justice! Exercise does help a bit with my weight loss but it's for fitness generally.
1
Sadly, high calorie and highly processed foods in restaurants and stores are marketed to young and old in very sophisticated ways. Encouraging us to over-eat is a science practiced by industry.
1
Good grief, it isn't about eating less - it's about eating the right calories. Sugar, in its many forms, is the natural enemy of humans. That's why we have a pancreas. Keep your carbs/sugar grams under about 30 grams a day and you can probably consume about the same calories and lose weight. It is not about simple math: consume fewer calories than you burn off and lose weight is simply a falsehood. The human body will actually waste calories, if you give it the right balance. Second, it will burn fat - and consequently weight - if you keep your sugar intake below 30 grams, give or take.
The issue of exercise is far from being proven to be the elixir cited in this article. Genetics is the overwhelming factor in your health, both physically and mentally. Jack LaLanne lived to be 96 as a noted fitness guru. His brother, Norman, lived to be 97 and although he was a college athlete, Norman was not a fitness freak by any stretch of the imagination. He didn't even take regular walks.
The issue of exercise is far from being proven to be the elixir cited in this article. Genetics is the overwhelming factor in your health, both physically and mentally. Jack LaLanne lived to be 96 as a noted fitness guru. His brother, Norman, lived to be 97 and although he was a college athlete, Norman was not a fitness freak by any stretch of the imagination. He didn't even take regular walks.
5
Eat all you want, as long as it's not sugar? C'mon.
And yes, it's not about simple math - because even simple math is too complicated. It's about arithmetic.
And as for this:
"The issue of exercise is far from being proven to be the elixir cited in this article."
Did you read the headline, let alone the article?
And yes, it's not about simple math - because even simple math is too complicated. It's about arithmetic.
And as for this:
"The issue of exercise is far from being proven to be the elixir cited in this article."
Did you read the headline, let alone the article?
I had complications with a severely broken wrist a few years back. Because of the nerve damage and pain I completely lost my appetite. Within 2 months I down 25 pounds.
Exercising is good for toning but if you really want to lose weight just stop eating.
Exercising is good for toning but if you really want to lose weight just stop eating.
3
Filling a hole is easier than digging out a hole. You can easily eat 1500 calories in 20 minutes going through ice cream and potato chips etc. You need hours to get that off, PLUS eating control. Not eating is a substitute for exercise, for purposes of weight loss. However you can't gain muscle on a weight loss diet.
The problem for many people is that they have simply not experienced being very nearly balanced in intake and output. They live an overfed existence. Once you get balanced, you can feel when you are in a weight control groove, it's not a mystery.
The problem for many people is that they have simply not experienced being very nearly balanced in intake and output. They live an overfed existence. Once you get balanced, you can feel when you are in a weight control groove, it's not a mystery.
5
It is not so simple as eat less. And excuse me if I disagree but kids do move around much less than kids did back in the 60s and 70s when I grew up. There was less tv and no computers, less elevators, less escalators, more walking, more stairs, more recess, more outdoor play, less driving kids around, less supervision, less keeping kids locked indoors. The food was different. It all adds up.
4
I am 65 and weigh the same as I did in high school with similar body shape. I even have a waist. I do work out but not with so much intensity as I should because of time. I still work full time.
After years of experimentation, I know the key is how much and what I eat. Because of personal motivation (i.e. a relationship ) I made a decision I had to stay youthful and healthy. The biggest difference was intermittent fasting from evening to about 11 or 12 every day. Then I eat at least two nice meals a day with no sugar or high carbs. The food choices are nutritionally dense. My stomach and appetite have shrunk, and so has my calorie intake. A typical lunch is a protein, brown rice, and a couple vegetables. My other secret is home made broth before I go to the gym, and a turmeric coconut milk with collagen drink. I am slender, fit, and my skin glows.
After years of experimentation, I know the key is how much and what I eat. Because of personal motivation (i.e. a relationship ) I made a decision I had to stay youthful and healthy. The biggest difference was intermittent fasting from evening to about 11 or 12 every day. Then I eat at least two nice meals a day with no sugar or high carbs. The food choices are nutritionally dense. My stomach and appetite have shrunk, and so has my calorie intake. A typical lunch is a protein, brown rice, and a couple vegetables. My other secret is home made broth before I go to the gym, and a turmeric coconut milk with collagen drink. I am slender, fit, and my skin glows.
2
The bulk of this article is correct: if you want to lose weight, you have to change your eating habits (fewer calories in, limit sugary drinks and processed foods, eat a healthy plant-based diet). However, exercise has other benefits that might not affect the reading on your scale: you will lose centimeters around your waist, exchange unhealthy bodily fat for muscle. And muscle requires more energy (=calories in) for maintenance. Finally, exercise improves your well-being and makes you feel good.
517
Nevertheless, the exercise mantra has been oversold and it should also be stressed that not everybody gets the same "feel good" boost from exercise. (Maybe that is why more people don't exercise). Therefore, it is appropriate to return to the emphasis that calories do count.
1
Processed foods have been in human diets since we transitioned from hunter gatherers to farmers. Mortar and pestle were early human tools in order to "process" food. Napoleon carried pasta back with him from his travels. Like in the past with eggs and fat, I believe we are too quick o scapegoat "processed" foods as the root cause. A difference though is that historically "processing" our own food for consumption required human calorie expenditure, not so when you merely buy your mechanically processed food. But a change in how grains are manufactured, does not make the processed food the culprit. The main culprit is increasing food supply, the development of eating and food as a "hobby" in the day to day lifestyle rather than reserved for special celebrations, and the growth in daily serving size's. I will also add in the change in attitude towards calorie containing beverages, with beverages a larger part of a daily diet than ever in history. Bread, rice and pasta and cereals and milk and cheese have been around long before the developments of chronic obesity.
4
The writer noted that exercise has general health benefits even if it does as important in weight loss as many people think.
2
Nicely analyzed by Dr. Carroll. Calories burned during exercise are trivial, unless one is exercising for hours every day. (Not to mention measurements of calories burned during exercise are wildly inaccurate.)
The metabolic value of exercise lies in improved insulin sensitivity, increased strength and muscle mass, improved ability of muscles to switch between fat burning and sugar burning when at rest.
In short, "you can't out-exercise a bad diet."
The metabolic value of exercise lies in improved insulin sensitivity, increased strength and muscle mass, improved ability of muscles to switch between fat burning and sugar burning when at rest.
In short, "you can't out-exercise a bad diet."
9
This is n=1 experiment, but one year I trained and run 2 marathons, one in June, and the other in October. I didn't lose any weight that year even though I was exercising almost every day; lifting weights, biking, and doing very long runs. At that time, I was eating the standard American diet of low fat, high carb diet. A couple years ago I changed my diet to low carb, high fat. In 3 months, I lost 50 pounds and I was just sitting on the couch watching TV. Go figure.
15
Eating less is key yes, but if your fasting blood sugar is too high, you must exercise more also. Insulin resistance is becoming common in adults over 50. The need both tools of a healthy diet and more movement every day.
5
A good food philosophy expressed by Michael Pollan is very simple: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Also, switching from the over-processed products of agribusiness to real food including whole grains can do a lot for our weight. I tried 10 days of real food (see the book "100 Days of Real Food" by Lisa Leake or her web site http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/), and I lost about 2 pounds in the 10 days and am continuing to limit almost all of my consumption of grains to whole grains. The columns by Mark Bittman in the Times also give very good suggestions.
In short, it is possible to eat a lot better than most Americans eat, and that will help to lose weight. Exercise helps too, but as the article notes, unless you are going to hike the Appalachian Trail in one hiking season or something similar, exercise alone will not do it.
In short, it is possible to eat a lot better than most Americans eat, and that will help to lose weight. Exercise helps too, but as the article notes, unless you are going to hike the Appalachian Trail in one hiking season or something similar, exercise alone will not do it.
3
Congrats and good luck on your health, but remember "whole grains" vs. "refined grains" are not our only two choices.
1
When I began exercising in earnest I gained 15 pounds in six months due to the conversion of fat into muscle as well as the increased appetite that strenuous exercise creates. If I reduced my exercise to something less strenuous, I would not get the benefit and would gain weight on account of age and propensity. So you can't win, but only manage your weight to avoid obesity, and manage your exercise to invigorate your heart and pulmonary system within reason.
3
FYI. Muscle and fat cells are completely different types of cells, so one type does not morph into the other. But the ratio and size of the cells can change. After exercising, you probably changed your body's muscle/fat ratio as well as the size of the cells: the mass of muscle in your body increased in proportion to the fat simply because your muscle cells expanded and since you probably burned fat from exercising, the fat cells got smaller. And even if you gained weight, you may have gone down a pant size or two because fifteen pounds of muscle takes up less space than 15 pounds of fat. Also, as far as we know, we're stuck with the fat cells we have; we can't naturally reduce the number of fat cells we have, we can only shrink them.
This article is spot on. Eat less to lose weight. But, diets don't work long term either. Diets generally require willpower, which does not work long term with physical or psychological cravings. The exertion of willpower creates stress which triggers cravings. It's a self-defeating cycle. What does work is a lifestyle change. The best lifestyle change is to get rid of fast food and junk food and replace them with slow foods, especially green vegetables and fruits and healthy grains. Compulsive eating is one of the trickiest addictions because. unlike alcohol or drugs, you must consume food regularly and therefore must navigate the terrain every day. The key is to eliminate certain dangerous food sectors. Try: just for today, one day at a time, I will not enter a fast food restaurant and you are likely to shed pounds. The rise of fast food and the rise of obesity parallel each other almost perfectly.
11
Exercise may help with weight loss simply by keeping an otherwise sedentary person too busy to eat for a part of each day, but, sure, it doesn't burn as many calories as people want to believe and can actually induce a halo effect so that the person who has just "burned off" 150 calories now feels entitled to eat a large banana nut muffin.
My other problem with working out is that, almost as soon as you stop, your hard-won lovely new muscles disappear. I don't know why I was surprised. For a year I worked with weights and video'd routines and saw a nice gain in my shape and muscle tone. Nobody told me I'd have to do it forever! I'm not on-board with that. I'm fairly active in general, but I hate to exercise and can't stand sweating. So I monitor my eating closely to stay slim instead, which is not a bad thing.
My other problem with working out is that, almost as soon as you stop, your hard-won lovely new muscles disappear. I don't know why I was surprised. For a year I worked with weights and video'd routines and saw a nice gain in my shape and muscle tone. Nobody told me I'd have to do it forever! I'm not on-board with that. I'm fairly active in general, but I hate to exercise and can't stand sweating. So I monitor my eating closely to stay slim instead, which is not a bad thing.
5
And then there's the corollary bit of advice: make breakfast your biggest meal of the day, followed by lunch, and then dinner, with dinner being the lightest meal of the day. That makes a lot of sense, correlating the size of consumption with the subsequent following length of activity. But I can't imagine this ever happening. We enjoy the delicious varied dinners my wife cooks, in spite of her being tired after a day of working. How would restaurants cope? What we do now, most often, is save half the restraunt's meal for the next day. But still, it turns out that the best and largest meal is at dinner, the last meal of the day.
1
Interesting advice because I fast until I eat lunch every day. I am fitter and thinner and healthier than in my entire life. Fasting works for me, and I don't buy the breakfast most important meal. It's a myth created by the cereal companies. BTW my lab numbers are amazing.
I'm probably among a rare group of women who actually weighed LESS after pregnancy and giving birth than before. I'll be the first to admit that I was overweight when I first got pregnant. Not surprisingly, I acquired gestational diabetes and was forced to follow a diabetic diet during the last several months of my pregnancy. As a lifelong competitive athlete (including playing a Division 1 college and Junior Olympics), I never really placed as much emphasis on my diet as I had on exercise. It really wasn't until my pregnancy that I really came to understand the impact of sugars on one's diet and health. I'm embarassed to say that I easily understood that it would take 5 miles of running to roughly burn 500 calories (a tough 1 hour workout), yet I could easily scarf down 500 calories in a few minutes with a single piece of cake....and that's just ONE piece of cake.....it doesn't take a mathmetician to figure out that regularly indulging in treats at several meals over days and weeks easily adds up...and far exceed any counterbalancing effects of exercise. Thankfully lesson learned. AS my OB told me, a diabetic diet is really how we should all be eating, pregnant or not.
13
Years ago, during one of my many quests to lose weight, I asked my doctor to recommend a diet. He gave me a copy of the American Diabetes Foundation's diet. Told me the same thing your OB/GYN told you.
Did I follow it? Not really, I've always been just slightly over weight ( 10 pounds or so) and didn't have the willpower.
I'm over 60 now and a bit more lumpy. Reading your comment prompts me to go search my files for that diet. Thank you for the reminder.
Did I follow it? Not really, I've always been just slightly over weight ( 10 pounds or so) and didn't have the willpower.
I'm over 60 now and a bit more lumpy. Reading your comment prompts me to go search my files for that diet. Thank you for the reminder.
The diabetic diet -- one that counts and restricts carbs -- is so wretchedly miserable and restrictive, that even Type I (blameless, auto immune) diabetics cannot stick to it -- and they are not fat to begin with -- and routinely cheat and lapse. And these are people WHOSE VERY LIVES depend on sticking to such a diet! and they cannot stick with it!
What are YOUR chances of sticking with such a restrictive, miserable diet -- for life?
What are YOUR chances of sticking with such a restrictive, miserable diet -- for life?
I think part of the solution would be to remove the equation that the author starts with: eating properly and maintaining a healthy weight=control over your life. It is too much of a burden to place on the simple act of eating correctly, and plays into the pathological over-emphasis on food, diet, body image that plagues our popular culture.
1
Restricting one's calories is harder than running around a gym for 45 minutes so no real surprise here that the method that requires the most self-discipline is the one that yields the best results - a recurring theme in many other areas of life.
5
After the age of 30 - there is a steady decline in muscle mass. Muscle is the major consumer of calories. Exercise not only burns calories, but helps to maintain muscle mass - win-win.
23
A few years ago I was sitting in the Philly airport watching people walk by. I decided to count the number of people who were overweight. I counted 21 people in a row who walked by before someone relatively fit strolled by. My standard of fitness was not very strict.
Just look around at the people in the Malls. We are a very fat country.
Just look around at the people in the Malls. We are a very fat country.
102
In my office, when we have a breakfast staff meeting of forty people, there are maybe ten people who are slim.
Those are the people who do not have a bagels and doughnuts and bottled juices in front of them.
Those are the people who do not have a bagels and doughnuts and bottled juices in front of them.
In my ongoing effort to hold the line on midlife thickening, a daily battle for me now, I often privately engage in the same activity you describe. For me, it's a motivator along the lines of taping two photos of yourself to your refrigerator: one of you looking your best, and the other of you looking plumper than you would like to.
Regarding the unfortunate and accelerating American trend toward obesity in the postwar era (except among certain elite sub-groups, such as highly educated urbanites), your anecdote reminded me of something my daughter said to me some years ago, when she was around 7 or 8. At the time, we lived in New York City, surrounded by a mono-subculture of lean, arugula-munching professionals and their kids. I took my daughter on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, which, of course, attracts a broadly representative cross-section of Americans from all parts of the country. After we had spent a couple of days exploring the village among the summer crowds, my daughter asked me: "Mommy, is there something about Colonial Williamsburg that makes heavy people want to come here?"
Regarding the unfortunate and accelerating American trend toward obesity in the postwar era (except among certain elite sub-groups, such as highly educated urbanites), your anecdote reminded me of something my daughter said to me some years ago, when she was around 7 or 8. At the time, we lived in New York City, surrounded by a mono-subculture of lean, arugula-munching professionals and their kids. I took my daughter on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, which, of course, attracts a broadly representative cross-section of Americans from all parts of the country. After we had spent a couple of days exploring the village among the summer crowds, my daughter asked me: "Mommy, is there something about Colonial Williamsburg that makes heavy people want to come here?"
The biggest deficit in our education curriculum is the first law of thermodynamics: energy can not be created or destroyed, but merely changed in form. If I eat more food energy than I need, I store that food energy as fat. Though this was essential to survival in former times, this evolutionary adaptation now works against us since food energy is plentiful and opportunities for burning calories are diminished. So, yes, eat less, exercise more. Do both.
The apologists for our obesity problem blame it on genetics, Big Food, our gut microbiome, lack of sleep, sugar, or urban food deserts. These factors have now made maintaining a healthy weight more difficult, but can be mitigated with the knowledge of the first law of thermodynamics.
Think of all your extra weight as rocks in a backpack that you carry around everywhere. If you lose one pound a week by burning up or eating less by 500 Calories a day, you will be reaching into that backpack and throwing away a one pound rock. The weekly change will be imperceptible, but the yearly change will make you feel like you are floating through life! Eat less, exercise more!
The apologists for our obesity problem blame it on genetics, Big Food, our gut microbiome, lack of sleep, sugar, or urban food deserts. These factors have now made maintaining a healthy weight more difficult, but can be mitigated with the knowledge of the first law of thermodynamics.
Think of all your extra weight as rocks in a backpack that you carry around everywhere. If you lose one pound a week by burning up or eating less by 500 Calories a day, you will be reaching into that backpack and throwing away a one pound rock. The weekly change will be imperceptible, but the yearly change will make you feel like you are floating through life! Eat less, exercise more!
164
Genetics? How absurd! Has the gene pool changed over the past 50 years. Inconceivable.
The food industry has addicted us to high caloric foods, high fructose corn syrup etc.
it is very rare to see people lose weight and maintain that loss. Only 2 ways to lose weight and keep it off. One is bariatric surgery, and the other is emigrate to a country where being fat is rare. There would be no obesity problem in the US if the blah blah blahing consumed calories.
The food industry has addicted us to high caloric foods, high fructose corn syrup etc.
it is very rare to see people lose weight and maintain that loss. Only 2 ways to lose weight and keep it off. One is bariatric surgery, and the other is emigrate to a country where being fat is rare. There would be no obesity problem in the US if the blah blah blahing consumed calories.
6
Thermodynamics is true, but it does not tell us what is cause and what is effect in a biological system.
Let's take your lack of sleep example. Lack of sleep _causes_ increased appetite, which in turn leads to eating more. So yes, any physiological/metabolic change that increases or decreases appetite can lead to weight gain or loss.
In short, we might ask _why_ a person would be hungry for more calories than his/her body is using, and thermodynamics cannot answer that question for us.
Let's take your lack of sleep example. Lack of sleep _causes_ increased appetite, which in turn leads to eating more. So yes, any physiological/metabolic change that increases or decreases appetite can lead to weight gain or loss.
In short, we might ask _why_ a person would be hungry for more calories than his/her body is using, and thermodynamics cannot answer that question for us.
3
Please stop talking about the "first law of thermodynamics" as though it is an explanation that covers everything. It doesn't. A person is not a car and a calorie is not a calorie. Different kinds of foods cause different reactions in our bodies. Sugar is toxic to us, our bodies have have NOT evolved to eat the massive quantities we eat today. When people are pumped full of excess insulin, as they are when they eat too much sugar, the insulin drives fat storage.
1,500 calories a day from sugar and you will gain weight, because you are making yourself insulin resistant. 1,500 calories a day from protein, simple carbs like vegetables or even fat, and you won't gain weight. Insulin ALSO drive appetite and cravings, making people eat even more. It's not JUST about calories.
1,500 calories a day from sugar and you will gain weight, because you are making yourself insulin resistant. 1,500 calories a day from protein, simple carbs like vegetables or even fat, and you won't gain weight. Insulin ALSO drive appetite and cravings, making people eat even more. It's not JUST about calories.
2
Of course The Biggest Loser promotes exercise. If they promoted healthy eating habits they would be taking on corporate America, as most of what we eat is unhealthy. Food producers, restaurant chains, and supermarket chains would be up in arms if a tv show portrayed what people are really supposed to be eating. We are just slaves to corporate America and The Biggest Loser isn't going to spark a rebellion because it is owned by another corporation.
556
Here we go again in blaming "corporate America: for all our ills instead of people embracing personal responsibility. There are plenty of opportunities and places to eat a nutritious, healthy meals - most people CHOOSE not to do.
People need to take ownership of what they do and what they eat and if they make poor choices then they themselves are to blame - not some faceless, nameless organization labeled as "corporate America".
People need to take ownership of what they do and what they eat and if they make poor choices then they themselves are to blame - not some faceless, nameless organization labeled as "corporate America".
3
You are totally incorrect. Take a walk thorough the food aisles and look at the junkiest of junk food that is labelled no-fat, all natural, no trans-fat, no GMO, healthy heart, etc. People have no idea what they are buying.
And until the day comes when sugar is labelled in teaspoons instead of grams, I will continue to despise the food companies, the sugar growers and the FDA. How many Americans know that four grams = one teaspoon. If they knew that, many would stop eating junk yogurt that contains 28 grams (seven teaspoons) of sugar.
And until the day comes when sugar is labelled in teaspoons instead of grams, I will continue to despise the food companies, the sugar growers and the FDA. How many Americans know that four grams = one teaspoon. If they knew that, many would stop eating junk yogurt that contains 28 grams (seven teaspoons) of sugar.
5
We are not slaves to corporate America! Virtually every market has fruit and vegetables, beans, oatmeal, nuts, peanut butter, low-fat dairy, eggs, and some kind of whole-grain bread. I live in an alleged "food desert" in the downtown of a city and I make the effort to go an extra mile or so to a full-choice grocery, or I make good decisions in Target food aisles. We aren't slaves to agri-business. We can make our own good, nutritious choices!!
1
From personal experience, I can vouch for the information in this article. Years ago, I had been a gym rat. I worked out four days a week, mostly heavy weights, some running. I stopped going to the gym, but didn't really change my diet and went from about 235 to nearly 270 in no time. I decided to lose some weight, so I cut out my morning and afternoon snacks for approximately 400 calories a day, or 2000 per week. I calculated my expected weight loss based on 3500 calories per pound. I didn't deliberately change anything else in diet or exercise and reached my goal within a week or so of the target date.
The real "secret" is to cut the calories selectively. Drop the Doritos and the Snickers; keep the fruits and vegetables, and an occasional cheesebufger.
I recently enrolled in the Silver Sneakers program and started going to the gym three times a week. I didn't change my diet very much. My weight is about constant, but my strength is up about 20% or more and the loss of body fat is very visible.
Bottom line: design yourself a good, nutritious diet you can stay with long-term and use exercise to direct the calories you consume to develop your skeleto-muscular systems and away from that spare tire.
The real "secret" is to cut the calories selectively. Drop the Doritos and the Snickers; keep the fruits and vegetables, and an occasional cheesebufger.
I recently enrolled in the Silver Sneakers program and started going to the gym three times a week. I didn't change my diet very much. My weight is about constant, but my strength is up about 20% or more and the loss of body fat is very visible.
Bottom line: design yourself a good, nutritious diet you can stay with long-term and use exercise to direct the calories you consume to develop your skeleto-muscular systems and away from that spare tire.
282
As a Silver Sneakers instructor, I applaud you!
I've seen many people take up strength training - at every age - and begin to feel stronger, better toned and more aware of the interplay between good food habits, exercise and increased vitality.
Rah!
I've seen many people take up strength training - at every age - and begin to feel stronger, better toned and more aware of the interplay between good food habits, exercise and increased vitality.
Rah!
1
While I agree with the main point that exercise alone is not a good weight loss tool in most cases, there is another myth about long term weight loss present here. When are people going to finally actually look at the data in studies that compares slow careful weight loss to severe calorie restriction weight loss? There is actually a long term benefit to very rapid weight loss in response to fairly extreme calorie restriction as an initial tool. This must be done with some care of course. Nonetheless the concept of putting an overweight person on a gradual "sustainable" diet appears to not in fact result in much long term weight loss. It is one of the many diet myths that are so prevalent and not supported by good experimental evidence.
One huge trap that spawns so many diet myths is comparing what slender people do compared to what overweight people do. Controlled experiments need to be done. The vast majority of diet advice is based on observations that are devoid of any experimental analysis of cause and effect. It is as if people with short children were assured that playing basketball would increase their children's height, supported by "studies" that compared the height of basketball players to that of the general population.
One huge trap that spawns so many diet myths is comparing what slender people do compared to what overweight people do. Controlled experiments need to be done. The vast majority of diet advice is based on observations that are devoid of any experimental analysis of cause and effect. It is as if people with short children were assured that playing basketball would increase their children's height, supported by "studies" that compared the height of basketball players to that of the general population.
9
Very true. Nearly all studies have been done (for 100 years or more!) on fat people, assuming they are flawed and morally deficient, and we need to know "what they are doing wrong".
But we have no idea -- NONE -- how ordinary people (or even animals) regulate their weight day to day. We do know it is not by calorie counting or "dieting". They just "know" what to eat and their body balances out the rest. They eat different amounts each day, yet their weight stays almost the same!
A lot of supposedly smart people STILL conflate "causation with correlation". They are not the same. Lots of very thin people eat carbs -- pizza -- sugary soft drinks -- ice cream -- BUT THEY DO NOT GAIN WEIGHT, and certainly do not become morbidly obese.
There was a 960 pound man on the front page yesterday. It's physically impossible to eat enough calories to gain almost 1000 pounds -- yet he was that fat, until he had gastric surgery. Even if you tried to stuff yourself 24/7, you could NEVER EVER get that fat -- not even half that fat. So why did HE get that fat? Why do a very tiny number of fat people get into the upper hundreds of lbs? We have NO IDEA....literally none.
But we have no idea -- NONE -- how ordinary people (or even animals) regulate their weight day to day. We do know it is not by calorie counting or "dieting". They just "know" what to eat and their body balances out the rest. They eat different amounts each day, yet their weight stays almost the same!
A lot of supposedly smart people STILL conflate "causation with correlation". They are not the same. Lots of very thin people eat carbs -- pizza -- sugary soft drinks -- ice cream -- BUT THEY DO NOT GAIN WEIGHT, and certainly do not become morbidly obese.
There was a 960 pound man on the front page yesterday. It's physically impossible to eat enough calories to gain almost 1000 pounds -- yet he was that fat, until he had gastric surgery. Even if you tried to stuff yourself 24/7, you could NEVER EVER get that fat -- not even half that fat. So why did HE get that fat? Why do a very tiny number of fat people get into the upper hundreds of lbs? We have NO IDEA....literally none.
4
I lost over 65 pounds since the beginning of 2014. I gave up soda and sweet tea. I started walking. Then I gave up sugar, which led to giving up pasta, rice and fast food. I eat Fiber One for breakfast with a banana each morning and most evenings for dinner. I eat pretty much whatever I want for lunch. The thing is I don't want to eat things that will make me feel bad. I get sugar from fruits. I eat bread and butter at a restaurant and still eat french fries and potato chips. My exercise regime consists of walking six plus miles a day with a day off occasionally. I never feel that I have to replace the calories I burn, which is typically over 600 per walk. I eat enough at lunch to get me through my walk. My blood pressure is excellent. My metabolism seems to be great. I look at food as a means to get me through a walk. I beat the big food machine/industry at their game of making highly addictive food. I stay away from the bad stuff and focus on my long term health. As a 41 year old, I feel a thousands times better than I ever did in my 20s or 30s. If I can do it, anyone can.
254
Serious inquiry: about how long does it take you to walk those 6 miles?
"which led to giving up pasta" Never!
Fast food is deadly I agree but you are missing out with pasta and tomato sauce.
Fast food is deadly I agree but you are missing out with pasta and tomato sauce.
2
Exercise does lead to weight loss, the key is getting enough exercise. The vast majority of people are not going to walk six miles a day.
As someone who goes to the gym 5 days a week and walks more than 5 miles a day, I can attest to the findings of these studies. Until the end of last year, I was 15 pounds overweight despite the intensity of my exercise routine, all because of poor diet. On January 1, after doing much online research, I put myself on a very low carb, very low sugar, very low salt diet (steel cut oatmeal with berries and cinnamon, lots of salad, fresh fruit, grilled chicken, fish, no bread and very little dairy) and lost the 15 pounds in two months. In addition to losing the weight, my blood pressure has returned to normal after years of per-hypertension and my fasting glucose, which was a bit over 100, is now in a normal range. Taking the weight off was definitely easier than keeping it off, as metabolism does slow down, i.e. you simply don't need to eat as much as you're used to. More than anything, I found that taking weight off and keeping is off requires a strong personal commitment and major dose of self discipline.
176
I've seen the same story thousands of times on YouTube. But for some reason it just can't get out. Could it be that Big Pharma, Big Food and Soda Company, Big Grain and Big Sugar are in cahoots with our politicians? And then of course there is the ADA and the AHA, which are funded by Big Pharma and the others. There dietary advise is terrible.
1
I used whole oat groats like most people use bread and potatoes and lost 50 pounds over two years and kept if off. My blood pressure dropped dramatically. I concluded food, particularly processed and therefore sugar saturated food, is like alcohol and some of us have trouble managing it because of a complex mind-body chemistry. Twelve-step programs can help some people.
Only when we recognize and tailor treatment to these complex individual issues are most of us able to lose pounds and maintain healthy weight.
Only when we recognize and tailor treatment to these complex individual issues are most of us able to lose pounds and maintain healthy weight.
Great way to lose weight. Why a low salt diet, though? Current research suggests that mortality *increases* with both a low- and high-salt diet. The minimum is in between.
Physicians clearly provide a vital role in society, and that is diagnosing and treating illness on a one-on-one basis. Physicians though can do damage when they are out of their very limited realm. Physicians are ultimately very well trained technicians. They are not scientists, and they are not trained to be scientists. By paragraph six of this article, the good Prof. Dr. Carroll makes my point.
Carroll points out there are more folks from 2001 to 2009 who are "sufficiently physically active". He also points out that were more Americans over that time frame who were obese. He concludes that more exercise does not prevent more obesity. In reality, what he cited tells you nothing. The question to be answered was of the group who were exercising, did fewer of those folks become obese than the non-exercising group. Perhaps this is where Carroll's moonlighting as an "Incidental Economist" comes to play; he shows a lack of comprehension of data analysis, or an intent to mislead, but as an "Incidental Economist" perhaps Carroll is guilty of both sins.
As or more egregious, Carroll fails to mention diet composition, despite the huge amount of data showing the carb rich low-fat diets physicians pushed for decades are a major contributor to obesity. It is as if he graduated from med school in the early 60s and his education stopped. Indiana University grads should be cringing.
Carroll points out there are more folks from 2001 to 2009 who are "sufficiently physically active". He also points out that were more Americans over that time frame who were obese. He concludes that more exercise does not prevent more obesity. In reality, what he cited tells you nothing. The question to be answered was of the group who were exercising, did fewer of those folks become obese than the non-exercising group. Perhaps this is where Carroll's moonlighting as an "Incidental Economist" comes to play; he shows a lack of comprehension of data analysis, or an intent to mislead, but as an "Incidental Economist" perhaps Carroll is guilty of both sins.
As or more egregious, Carroll fails to mention diet composition, despite the huge amount of data showing the carb rich low-fat diets physicians pushed for decades are a major contributor to obesity. It is as if he graduated from med school in the early 60s and his education stopped. Indiana University grads should be cringing.
10
This was certainly my experience in losing 70 pounds and keeping them off (so far). Eating less (and, for me, keeping a rigorous food diary) was by far the most important part. Exercising helped, but primarily in terms of motivation: as I lost weight, I could exercise more, and that made me feel better about myself, creating a virtuous circle.
Conversely, I could always think about just how many miles I would have to run, bike, or walk in order to compensate for that chocolate bar I was contemplating -- and that has helped me resist the temptation more often (though certainly not always!)
Conversely, I could always think about just how many miles I would have to run, bike, or walk in order to compensate for that chocolate bar I was contemplating -- and that has helped me resist the temptation more often (though certainly not always!)
100
The exercising I'd eschew
And gnaw on a carrot or two,
So I could on the couch recline
I'd even pass up a fine wine,
Workouts at gyms make me despair
Directly caused my loss of hair.
Strawberry shortcake, I refuse,
And farewell to all steaks, au jus!
And gnaw on a carrot or two,
So I could on the couch recline
I'd even pass up a fine wine,
Workouts at gyms make me despair
Directly caused my loss of hair.
Strawberry shortcake, I refuse,
And farewell to all steaks, au jus!
19
I love your poems.
It gets worse--our obesity track--because of Dr. Carroll's well pointed article on our ignorance. But, its the two-way ignorance that really hurts: we think we are burning way more than we are, and we think we are consuming way less. As someone who is trying to lose, I like to tell fellow "losers" this to put help keep the perspective of what is real: 5 peanute M&M's (my favorite) are about 150 calories, which would take me 15 minutes of running at a 9:00 minute per mile pace to burn it. Think about pizza.
3
I DO think about pizza. I think about pizza a lot. I love pizza. And if you analyze a really good pizza - not the packaged stuff, but pizza from a good pizzeria - you'll find that it's really a pretty balanced little meal. It contains protein, fat, & carbohydrate, in the form of cheese, tomato, and the crust. Just don't eat the whole pie! Or you could make your own, use low-fat cheese, go heavier on the veggies, and concoct a whole-grain crust. But you still shouldn't eat the whole pie. *sigh*
3
Assuming people who are trying to lose weight are drinking 2 16 ounce sodas is part of the blame the victim attitude, much as your enjoyment watching people be tortured on the biggest loser (and how many of them keep the weight off?)
The complete continuing ignorance of the role of genetics on the part of professors of medicine is by now extremely irritating. Give a mouse with a leptin deficiency leptin and it loses 1/3 of its weight-- no food diaries, no counting calories, no "eat fewer pellets" advice-- not even "run a little more on your wheel".
Most obese humans do not have a leptin mutation, but that does not mean there are not other mutations.
In the meantime, of course, keep exercising. It's good for your overall health, just not if it's done the way they do it on The Biggest Loser.
The complete continuing ignorance of the role of genetics on the part of professors of medicine is by now extremely irritating. Give a mouse with a leptin deficiency leptin and it loses 1/3 of its weight-- no food diaries, no counting calories, no "eat fewer pellets" advice-- not even "run a little more on your wheel".
Most obese humans do not have a leptin mutation, but that does not mean there are not other mutations.
In the meantime, of course, keep exercising. It's good for your overall health, just not if it's done the way they do it on The Biggest Loser.
24
Genetics, or unbalanced gut flora, or "low metabolism" are an issue in maybe one percent of weight problems. The simple fact is that our bodies are incredibly efficient, and we can consume all the calories we need for a day in a matter of minutes. The main problem is over-eating. This is not a "blame the victim" attitude, it is simple recognition that we need very little food, but have access to endless calories.
193
How can anyone, with a straight face, possibly call a soda drinker a "victim"? Has there been a spate of forced soda consumption that I've missed? I doubt it. Those who drink the soda are to blame for the effects of having consumed the soda.
7
@james doohan:
This all begs the question of why a person would be hungry for more calories than his/her body is using. Why are we overeating, and why has that changed in recent decades?
This all begs the question of why a person would be hungry for more calories than his/her body is using. Why are we overeating, and why has that changed in recent decades?
3
Weight loss studies that show no added benefit of exercise are "EXERCISE LIGHT" programs. They promote around 2.5 hrs of exercise per week. Of course that's no enough for a significant weight loss - it would be much easier to skip a few servings of ice cream. The CDC recommendation for enough exercise is not enough for weight control. Other expert panels on obesity say an hour a day, minimum of six hours per week is needed for weight control. And current recommendations include strength training with weights. Increases in lean muscle tissue promote more weight loss by increasing metabolic rate. Government public health departments and some reviewers of clinical research downplay exercise because they are pessimistic about people being able to make significant increases in physical activity. They keep standards low, because people are so far from a healthy dose of exercise they don't want to intimidate the public. The idea is any amount is better than nothing. True, but the amount promoted is not enough for significant weight loss. The problem is not the physical effect of exercise, it's the exercise prescription by clinicians and researchers. By the way, most public health experts, clinicians and researchers suffer from they same problem as do most overweight people - they don't exercise enough, they're not passionate about exercise, and they never have had physically active lifestyles.
7
If exercise were so important to weight loss, than why did the generations of the 1930's and 1940's all look so thin? They were not going to the gymn, jogging, or anything excessive. They were eating less. food was relatively more expensive, rarely did anyone eat out.
29
SD: for starters, they were malnourished. During WWII, when the US government was recruiting and drafting young men ages 18-26, they found almost a third of them were so badly malnourished and underweight, they were not eligible for service unless "fattened up". Remember this was right after the Great Depression!
Illnesses like rickets, scabies, scurvy, pellagra, etc. used to be commonplace.
That was not "thinness for fashion" -- it was HUNGER. It was lack of nutrition. It was your teeth falling out by age 30. It was children whose brains did not develop optimally, because they did not get adequate nutrition in utero or growing up.
If you went back in time, and asked people "would you trade HUNGER and the threat of STARVATION, even death -- for being overweight -- what would you choose?"
Likely every single one would choose being overweight, weeping with joy.
Note: being moderately overweight is correlated with having the longest, healthiest life expectancy.
Illnesses like rickets, scabies, scurvy, pellagra, etc. used to be commonplace.
That was not "thinness for fashion" -- it was HUNGER. It was lack of nutrition. It was your teeth falling out by age 30. It was children whose brains did not develop optimally, because they did not get adequate nutrition in utero or growing up.
If you went back in time, and asked people "would you trade HUNGER and the threat of STARVATION, even death -- for being overweight -- what would you choose?"
Likely every single one would choose being overweight, weeping with joy.
Note: being moderately overweight is correlated with having the longest, healthiest life expectancy.
3
SD Philadelphia – what you say may be true.
But, it's also true that in the 30's and 40's there were a LOT fewer 'labor-saving' devices, e.g., gals used to have to go outside to hang the laundry, guys had to go plow the back 40, etc.
But, it's also true that in the 30's and 40's there were a LOT fewer 'labor-saving' devices, e.g., gals used to have to go outside to hang the laundry, guys had to go plow the back 40, etc.
1
"Thirty minutes of jogging or swimming laps might burn off 350 calories. Many people, fat or fit, can’t..."
I'm not as quick as the author to write off the seemingly modest calorie burn. Let's do some simple math. Thirty minutes/day x thirty days = 10,500 cals. Assuming a lasting benefit of only 10% of the cals burned, only 10%, the exerciser has lost 1500 calories that month. A year's worth of exercising at that rate yields a loss of 18,000 calories. A pound is 3500 calories. The individual has lost 5 pounds. It takes the average person twenty years to put on twenty pounds. They can be lost in four years of moderate exercise. Not to mention, of course, the incredible physiological and psychological benefits.
I'm making the exercise case for the average person who wants to lose twenty to thirty pounds. Obesity is another story.
I'm not as quick as the author to write off the seemingly modest calorie burn. Let's do some simple math. Thirty minutes/day x thirty days = 10,500 cals. Assuming a lasting benefit of only 10% of the cals burned, only 10%, the exerciser has lost 1500 calories that month. A year's worth of exercising at that rate yields a loss of 18,000 calories. A pound is 3500 calories. The individual has lost 5 pounds. It takes the average person twenty years to put on twenty pounds. They can be lost in four years of moderate exercise. Not to mention, of course, the incredible physiological and psychological benefits.
I'm making the exercise case for the average person who wants to lose twenty to thirty pounds. Obesity is another story.
34
I think this is exactly the author's point -- to lose 5 pounds with exercise only, one needs to exercise for 30 min a day EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR. Most people can't (or won't) maintain that kind of regimen.
Most? No one can help a those who can't help themselves. The failure rate is well-documented. It's to the small percentage of people who have the capacity to change that I addressed my comment.
1
First of all, your arithmetic is wrong. 10% x 10,500 = 1,050.
Second, working out for 30 mins *every day* for *four years* -- no time off for injuries or the flu, no slacking -- might be "moderate exercise" each day, but it is not a "moderate" exercise plan. That person is an exercise fanatic (like me). He is not an "average person." And if this exercise fanatic does not deviate from your plan for four entire years, he *might* lose 20 pounds.
Second, working out for 30 mins *every day* for *four years* -- no time off for injuries or the flu, no slacking -- might be "moderate exercise" each day, but it is not a "moderate" exercise plan. That person is an exercise fanatic (like me). He is not an "average person." And if this exercise fanatic does not deviate from your plan for four entire years, he *might* lose 20 pounds.
4
A pound of fat contains about 3500 calories. That will take about 30 miles of running for a 170 pound person to burn off. That's a lot of running. So yes, diet is super important.
High output exercise will greatly increase base metabolism. It's benefits outstrip just the calories consumed just doing it. Building muscle also burns more calories.
When we are young, we tend to burn up everything we eat. As we age, that furnace get turned down. It is essential to adjust food intake to compensate, but most don't. All the sugar we consumed as kids, goes right to the belly as we age.
Exercise is essential for health. The body must move, but don't underestimate the effects of diet. Sugar is the enemy.
High output exercise will greatly increase base metabolism. It's benefits outstrip just the calories consumed just doing it. Building muscle also burns more calories.
When we are young, we tend to burn up everything we eat. As we age, that furnace get turned down. It is essential to adjust food intake to compensate, but most don't. All the sugar we consumed as kids, goes right to the belly as we age.
Exercise is essential for health. The body must move, but don't underestimate the effects of diet. Sugar is the enemy.
113
30 miles a week is about 5 miles a day. Multiply that by 50 weeks a year and you have saved yourself 50lbs of excess weight which is hardly insignificant. The key to losing weight with exercise is to make it a daily routine.
4
Indeed, given the choice of fasting for a day and a half versus running thirty miles to adjust for 3,500 Calories, I"ll take the fasting any day!
2
Yeah, and before that, meat was the enemy. Then protein was the enemy. Then dairy was the enemy. Then wheat was the enemy. Then HFCS was the enemy.
I remember when we were all told to eat MARGARINE, cuz it was so healthy for our hearts.
I remember Susan Powter and "Stop The Insanity" -- the no-meat, low protein diet that said you could eat all the sugar and potatoes and bagels you wanted, without gaining weight. I remember when this was in every magazine and she was on every TV channel blaring this message.
DIETS DO NOT WORK. And health fads are usually dead wrong.
I remember when we were all told to eat MARGARINE, cuz it was so healthy for our hearts.
I remember Susan Powter and "Stop The Insanity" -- the no-meat, low protein diet that said you could eat all the sugar and potatoes and bagels you wanted, without gaining weight. I remember when this was in every magazine and she was on every TV channel blaring this message.
DIETS DO NOT WORK. And health fads are usually dead wrong.
3
This is old news but as many don't seem to know it, I'm glad that you've written this very sensible article.
I'd add that the notion that dieting requires that we go hungry is in many cases at least a myth. Traditional calorie restriction diets don't work in the long run, because they leave us perpetually hungry. Eventually, dieters relapse.
But changing the kind of foods we eat can. Cutting out grains, dairy products, starchy vegetables, added sugars, and excessively fatty supermarket meat will result in gradual but ultimately massive weight loss for many of us, without calorie counting and excessive hunger. You just can't eat too much skinless chicken breast and carrots. This is similar to our natural diet, and our bodies are beautifully adapted to it.
When I eat like that, I go down to my ideal weight and the doctor warns me against getting too thin! When I start eating an American diet again, my weight creeps up.
People have to know that while metabolically a calorie is a calorie, not all foods affect *appetite* the same way. Fructose produces cravings and unlike other foods does not diminish appetite, and in controlled laboratory studies, people at several hundred more calories per day if they have access to wheat. Refined carbohydrates also seem to produce hunger pangs several hours after a meal.
I'd add that the notion that dieting requires that we go hungry is in many cases at least a myth. Traditional calorie restriction diets don't work in the long run, because they leave us perpetually hungry. Eventually, dieters relapse.
But changing the kind of foods we eat can. Cutting out grains, dairy products, starchy vegetables, added sugars, and excessively fatty supermarket meat will result in gradual but ultimately massive weight loss for many of us, without calorie counting and excessive hunger. You just can't eat too much skinless chicken breast and carrots. This is similar to our natural diet, and our bodies are beautifully adapted to it.
When I eat like that, I go down to my ideal weight and the doctor warns me against getting too thin! When I start eating an American diet again, my weight creeps up.
People have to know that while metabolically a calorie is a calorie, not all foods affect *appetite* the same way. Fructose produces cravings and unlike other foods does not diminish appetite, and in controlled laboratory studies, people at several hundred more calories per day if they have access to wheat. Refined carbohydrates also seem to produce hunger pangs several hours after a meal.
41
Don't need to cut out non-fat dairy or whole grains to have healthy nutrition -- but yes, lose the sugar!
2
Calorie restriction is all about getting maximum nutrition from the fewest calories. I have done this for years now and no I am not hungry from it. I never stop myself from eating. I simply eat incredibly healthy so I consume relatively few calories, and my bodies gets all the nutrients I need.
Melo, to have healthy nutrition, perhaps -- that's controversial, but there's some slight evidence that plant proteins are better than animal proteins for people in late middle age (and worse in old age). But I"m talking about weight loss here and it's easier to do that on a high-protein diet than a high carbohydrate one.
This is particularly true when the grains include the remarkably obesogenic modern wheat. But it isn't just wheat -- when the Japanses wanted to fatten up sumo wrestlers, they feed them rice. Whereas you *can't* fatten up on chicken breast, veggies, and most fruits. Just try -- your stomach will rebel long before you eat too much!
This is particularly true when the grains include the remarkably obesogenic modern wheat. But it isn't just wheat -- when the Japanses wanted to fatten up sumo wrestlers, they feed them rice. Whereas you *can't* fatten up on chicken breast, veggies, and most fruits. Just try -- your stomach will rebel long before you eat too much!
1
Yes, it's mostly about the food, but exercise helps a weight loss regime and offers innumerable health benefits.
It's not so hard to lose weight, but maintaing weight loss is staggeringly difficult. If, as a result of weight loss, the metabolism does slows down, is the answer to reduce caloric in-take even further and/or exercise more? If exercise does increase appetite and/or cravings - how does one find the right balance in order to maintain weight loss?
More science, please.
It's not so hard to lose weight, but maintaing weight loss is staggeringly difficult. If, as a result of weight loss, the metabolism does slows down, is the answer to reduce caloric in-take even further and/or exercise more? If exercise does increase appetite and/or cravings - how does one find the right balance in order to maintain weight loss?
More science, please.
6
By pure arithmetic, exercise doesn't seem an efficient way to burn calories.
But this overlooks the fact that when a person gets in shape, the balance between muscle & fat changes, and metabolisms acts more efficiently.
Latest studies show that old people physically fit but somewhat zaftig outlive those at ideal statistical weight but inactive.
Truly, the overwhelming fact is that many more people can be persuaded to go to the gym on a regular basis than to give up permanently the food they, rightly or wrongly, find tasty.
But this overlooks the fact that when a person gets in shape, the balance between muscle & fat changes, and metabolisms acts more efficiently.
Latest studies show that old people physically fit but somewhat zaftig outlive those at ideal statistical weight but inactive.
Truly, the overwhelming fact is that many more people can be persuaded to go to the gym on a regular basis than to give up permanently the food they, rightly or wrongly, find tasty.
6
I think a more nuanced approach would add that people who do the right kind of exercise can indeed use it as an adjunct to caloric restriction to lose weight. Namely, high reps weight training done in a circuit with bursts of energy to keep the heart rate up. Furthermore, there's the matter of eating the right type of food: avoiding sugars and processed starches and favoring fiber rich foods.
5
The epidemic of obesity is real but our understanding of the complexity of this problem is ironically miserably lacking in ways that our understanding of other diseases are not. Several decades ago, ulcers were blamed on bad eating habits, Type A obsessive compulsive personality traits. Whoa, we were really off on that one....when the helicobacter link was made .... obesity still has enormous shame associated with it in much the same way that patients with irritable bowel complaints were often viewed with derogatory terms such as anal compulsive without an insight that perhaps constant abdominal pain and abnormal bowel function might make one focus on those areas on ones body. We do the same with obesity. In thousands of doctors offices everyday, patients are told to "eat less, exercise more" and of course fail at that prescription. Shame colors the whole experience. Each case of obesity has the possibility of multiple underlying causes and complications.....genomics, bowel flora, differing responses to food intake, on and on and yet we have yet to have a thorough evaluation process that takes into account these issues. All the major institutes at NIH would probably be closed down if we solved the obesity epidemic yet we continue to research how to treat disease way more than how to prevent disease which means truly understanding the disease from the start.
66
I think it's a lot simpler than that! Studies find that Americans today eat more calories. And those calories are in the form of carbohydrates. And the carbs are mostly in the form of added sugars. And the added sugars are mostly in the form of soda.
I mean, our genes haven't changed since the days before the obesity epidemic, and neither have our bowel flora. Whereas each American is now eating an astounding 161 pounds of sugar a year!
I mean, our genes haven't changed since the days before the obesity epidemic, and neither have our bowel flora. Whereas each American is now eating an astounding 161 pounds of sugar a year!
43
Agree that sugar is probably the main culprit, but antibiotics do have some effect on "bowel flora," don't they?
2
Did two thirds of American suddenly have this 'disease' then?
There are indeed people who have metabolism problems, but the 200 million overweight to obese Americans simply eat too much and too often.
There are indeed people who have metabolism problems, but the 200 million overweight to obese Americans simply eat too much and too often.
5
Get a food scale
For most people it is the only way to truly know how much you are eating.
This becomes even more important f or weight maintenance post diet as when you weigh less you must eat less.
For most people it is the only way to truly know how much you are eating.
This becomes even more important f or weight maintenance post diet as when you weigh less you must eat less.
27
How right you are! Four years ago, when I was 57, I lost 20 lbs. very slowly (over a period of 6 months). I planned my daily diet around the proper balance of carbs, protein and fat. In addition to the food scale, I wrote down everything I ate for the first 3 months. In no time I could eye-ball the servings of all of my favorite foods both at home and in a restaurant. With just about 3 to 4 months of diligent planning, I went from a size 10 to a size 4... and, along with regular pilates workouts, I've maintained my weight and and I'm in better shape than when I was in my 20s and 30s.
2
Excellent article. More simply stated, "eat less, exercise more" .
The bottom line is caloric intake vs expenditure. If you consume more calories than you burn you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than consume, you will lose weight. You dont even have to go on a special diet--just eat less of whatever you normally eat (obviously a well balanced diet is better but not always as easy as just eating less).
Eat less, Exercise more!
The bottom line is caloric intake vs expenditure. If you consume more calories than you burn you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than consume, you will lose weight. You dont even have to go on a special diet--just eat less of whatever you normally eat (obviously a well balanced diet is better but not always as easy as just eating less).
Eat less, Exercise more!
213
Your advice to just eat less is not just wrong, it is radically wrong. Please read something about contemporary nutrition research!
It seems we'll never get rid of these pernicious old myths.
It seems we'll never get rid of these pernicious old myths.
6
On the contrary, I think this reductive way of looking at weight loss is what's gotten us into the obesity epidemic in the first place. People have been championing this message for decades and it hasn't helped people. For one, they invariably go off their diets and don't wind up spending their whole lives eating less. The article actually did not say that exercising more is necessarily the answer; it stressed the importance of caloric restriction. I would add that it's important to focus on consuming the right kind of calories, avoiding junk processed foods most notably, and also to focus on the right kind of exercise: Work out with the right dynamics and you are better prepared to keep weight off.
2
That is not what the article said "eat less, exercise more". Their point is that exercise does not lead to weight loss. The article said "eat less, exercise less".
4
I do not agree with this article. What is the difference between calories in and out. A lot has to do with junk food that no one should eat and with bad eating habits which should be corrected. If you exercise seriously, like the people on "The Biggest Loser", or someone committed to transforming their lethargic lives, you will burn at least 1000 calories a day extra. If you are not eating crazy diet, 1000 calories is very significant. Moreover, often if you are feeling lethargic, you eat for energy which is not what you need. You need exercise. Exercise and diet work together.
4
Did you read the entire article or just the headline? "But I can’t say this enough: Exercise has a big upside for health beyond potential weight loss."
Either you value science or you don't. You let it inform your decisions or you continue to embrace your own opinions.
Either you value science or you don't. You let it inform your decisions or you continue to embrace your own opinions.
29
Dr. Carroll's advice is based on nutrition research, not a TV show. Few people exercise enough to burn 1000 extra calories! Worse, studies find that when you exercise, your appetite increases to make up the calories you've expended.
That's not to say that you shouldn't exercise, but as a weight loss strategy, exercise is pretty useless.
(One case in which exercise does seem to be useful is *before* a holiday meal -- if you have a run before you eat the extra calories will go to make up the calories you expended without leaving you hungry. But the study that tested that found that exercising *after* the holiday meal did no good.)
That's not to say that you shouldn't exercise, but as a weight loss strategy, exercise is pretty useless.
(One case in which exercise does seem to be useful is *before* a holiday meal -- if you have a run before you eat the extra calories will go to make up the calories you expended without leaving you hungry. But the study that tested that found that exercising *after* the holiday meal did no good.)
7
No matter all these theories and ideas. What has never changed is the fact that only 5% of people in their lifetime will be able to lose weight and keep it off. Genetics plays the biggest role, and yet there are never any articles about that.
19
The human genome is pretty much the same today as it was a century ago, when obesity was very rare. While individual genetic differences surely make some people more sensitive to increased caloric intake, it is both logically and mathematically impossible for genetics to account for the increase in obesity seen in wealthy countries. Factors like the increased affordability of calories, especially empty calories such as added sugars, are surely the principle causes. Of course, decreases in calories expenditures - as more people move from active agricultural and blue collar work to sedentary lives also plays a role. Dr Carrol's article is helpful in conveying that. on average, what you eat plays a more important role in weight loss than exercise.
33
Have our genes changed since 1970? No? Then why do we have an obesity epidemic now when we didn't then?
Genes do make a difference. But our species is not naturally prone to obesity: you will not see an obese hunter-gatherer whatever their genes. Obesity occurs only when we start eating excessive quantities of the wrong kinds of food. Then, genes mean that some people are more likely to eat too much of the bad foods and get fat.
Whatever genes we have, we get fat because we eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods. That is not a theory, it is a fact.
Genes do make a difference. But our species is not naturally prone to obesity: you will not see an obese hunter-gatherer whatever their genes. Obesity occurs only when we start eating excessive quantities of the wrong kinds of food. Then, genes mean that some people are more likely to eat too much of the bad foods and get fat.
Whatever genes we have, we get fat because we eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods. That is not a theory, it is a fact.
71
I would agree that genetics plays a part, but ultimately it's our culture & lifestyle that has created this epidemic.
Evolution takes a very long time, so genetically we're wired identically to our European, African or South American ancestors, all of whom aren't experiencing the same level of obesity epidemic we have here in North America.
This brings us back to lifestyle. Westerner's consume the highest percentage of Processed food on the planet. We just don't eat right, and we're setup for failure before we even hit the age of 18. We consume high calorie, sugary cereals for breakfast - we're given things like fruit snacks, fruit roll ups, chocolate covered granola bars (all calorie laden) in our lunches for school. There's vending machines in schools - fries are served as sides over salads, and fresh fruit options cost a ton of money (versus, say a muffin).
Cereal can have 200 - 400 calories per cup. Coffees, 150 - 300 depending on your choice. Granola & Cereal bars, which we perceive as healthy choices (200 Calories, Nature Valley bars can have 50 grams of fat in them).
We've all opted for convenience over health, and we're paying for it.
Where this gets concerning is when you attempt to eat healthier, and you start to realize how hard that truly is on this side of the world. Our countries cater towards convenience, not health. It's time we start addressing the root cause of this issue, and it's rooted in our lifestyles.
Evolution takes a very long time, so genetically we're wired identically to our European, African or South American ancestors, all of whom aren't experiencing the same level of obesity epidemic we have here in North America.
This brings us back to lifestyle. Westerner's consume the highest percentage of Processed food on the planet. We just don't eat right, and we're setup for failure before we even hit the age of 18. We consume high calorie, sugary cereals for breakfast - we're given things like fruit snacks, fruit roll ups, chocolate covered granola bars (all calorie laden) in our lunches for school. There's vending machines in schools - fries are served as sides over salads, and fresh fruit options cost a ton of money (versus, say a muffin).
Cereal can have 200 - 400 calories per cup. Coffees, 150 - 300 depending on your choice. Granola & Cereal bars, which we perceive as healthy choices (200 Calories, Nature Valley bars can have 50 grams of fat in them).
We've all opted for convenience over health, and we're paying for it.
Where this gets concerning is when you attempt to eat healthier, and you start to realize how hard that truly is on this side of the world. Our countries cater towards convenience, not health. It's time we start addressing the root cause of this issue, and it's rooted in our lifestyles.
16
Excellent article; informative, well-written, and to-the-point [good editing "trims the fat"]. In addition to eliminating sugar-laden drinks, we might also take a hard look at the rest of our menu -- specifically, calorie-dense foods: the ones that pack a large amount of calories into small packages, which we then eat with cheerful abandon. Candy bars [does anyone read the labels?], fudge "anything" [is one piece really a serving?], and the like... Reese's "Peanut Butter Cups" is a prime example. To take a page from Nancy Reagan's book, "Just say 'No!'"
8
'...which we then eat with cheerful abandon...'
Speak for yourself.
No one thinks candy bars are healthy. People simply do not care, as they assume they can take a pill and that will solve all their problems.
Speak for yourself.
No one thinks candy bars are healthy. People simply do not care, as they assume they can take a pill and that will solve all their problems.
3
@NM - Perhaps you should take your own advice and speak for yourself instead of attributing an attitude of "don't care" to other people.
2
Weight loss and control is more than just about better diet and more exercise. Its the environment we live in as well. Unbeknownst to most of us is that prepared foods and other processed foods are packed with sugar and salt. When our community passed laws making calorie counts on menus required, I was shocked at how high the calories were for foods long considered "healthy" such as salads, grilled chicken, etc. Until we better regulate what is put into our foods or we all take vows to prepare our own food, the food industry will continue to sabotage any efforts at improving the population's health. And lastly, the author downplays exercise as an important way to control weight. One doesn't need to go to a gym daily -- the little things add up such as taking the stairs, walking instead of riding, etc. Movement is key and adding the gym (strength training) adds muscle mass that burns calories.
62
Even worse than that, the government subsidizes corn, which makes high fructose corn syrup so cheap that food manufacturers use it in place of healthier ingredients. The number of supermarket foods to which sugars have been added is shocking -- most recently, canned soup. Canned soup? It's hard to get prepared food without sugars in it.
However, why do people hold on to hoary beliefs after they've been scientifically discredited? Exercise does not do much to help us lose weight because we become hungry after we exercise. That's what the studies say. Wrong strategy for weight loss, period.
However, why do people hold on to hoary beliefs after they've been scientifically discredited? Exercise does not do much to help us lose weight because we become hungry after we exercise. That's what the studies say. Wrong strategy for weight loss, period.
9
'...Unbeknownst to most of us is that prepared foods and other processed foods are packed with sugar and salt...'
This is not 'unbeknownst to most of us'.
People know it, they just don't care.
This is not 'unbeknownst to most of us'.
People know it, they just don't care.
10
This is certainly true, but it should be mentioned that dieting without exercise has usually little lasting effect because if you just eat less than you burn, and don't exercise, your body will go into 'famine mode' and burn muscle tissue first instead of fat reserves.
If however you eat less than you burn but keep using your muscles actively, the body assumes that those muscles are still needed and up to 95% percent of the weight loss is actually fat.
That at least is what several articles in the Times taught me and what I could personally observe in my body: When I starve and at the same time train hard at the gym, I lose weight without losing power. Once I lost about 5 kg while actually gaining strength at the same time through very hard exercise.
For comparison: Once I made a 9-day hiking tour in high mountains. I lost about 5 kg of weight due to the many steep ascents in 35+ degrees celsius temperature, but my upper body muscles didn't get any exercise. When I came back and visited the gym after a break of in total 3 weeks, I felt like my muscles had completely disappeared, I simply couldn't lift what I could before. It took me 3 months to regain the lost power in my upper body.
If however you eat less than you burn but keep using your muscles actively, the body assumes that those muscles are still needed and up to 95% percent of the weight loss is actually fat.
That at least is what several articles in the Times taught me and what I could personally observe in my body: When I starve and at the same time train hard at the gym, I lose weight without losing power. Once I lost about 5 kg while actually gaining strength at the same time through very hard exercise.
For comparison: Once I made a 9-day hiking tour in high mountains. I lost about 5 kg of weight due to the many steep ascents in 35+ degrees celsius temperature, but my upper body muscles didn't get any exercise. When I came back and visited the gym after a break of in total 3 weeks, I felt like my muscles had completely disappeared, I simply couldn't lift what I could before. It took me 3 months to regain the lost power in my upper body.
85
You are absolutely right about the danger of losing muscle mass while dieting. About 10 years ago I had a sedentary job and started counting calories, without exercising more than walking to and from the parking lot. One day I lifted something over my head and hurt my back. Lower back pain and sciatica have ruled my life ever since, and I gained the weight back.
OK, here is the good part. I put as much sugar in the many many cups of coffee I drink as I want, and still just lost 17 pounds in 3 months. Goodbye to the hefty bag closet, 38s. Hello from the 34 hefty bag, 34 shorts. I can see past my stomach. That reopens a world of possibilities.
I did it twice because I had returned to drinking, and stopped again in March. No alcohol with the diet. I'm blessed with alcoholism, so I have a reason. I bet if you had some wine occasionally, you'd still lose. It's teaching your body to burn body fat instead of chips/toast/buns/. And one side effect is feeling really really good.