Have ya had the Popeye’s chicken sandwich? ...700 calories of crunchy glory! Horrific nutritionally but the very rare tasty deviation for quality food.
Eating clean is our household mainstay. So I would emphasis for Josh, quality fat is always healthy, especially when combined with the array of all whole proteins, vegetables, fruit, seeds. We choose to minimize grains.
Sugar is toxic and combined with flour for many darn near addictive.
The low fat craze got most Americans where they are today: FAT.
1
I exercise quite a bit, both aerobic and weights, and it has not impacted my desire for sugar.
Probably associated with increased insulin sensitivity and the body's ability to clear and use glucose. These are all factors in reducing cravings for, especially, high carb processed foods.
What fatty foods are we talking about?
Grass fed beef, coconuts, avocados
or donuts, Popeye's chicken and beer?
2
@RP this good cats argument is vastly overstated. Grass fed berd and coconuts are high in saturated fat which every major medical group around the the works has flagged as a risk factor for cvd and obesity. Avocados are extremely caloric though they do bring some nutrition. Despite all the glowing articles the evidence on the good fats thesis is sketchy at best. I do agree that a a small amount of fat makes good taste better but we shouldn't go overboard with this unproven good fats thesis.
1
It makes sense that when you crank up the exercise and use of your body you begin to get other....sensations. This write-up caused a lyric from a song in the play/movie "Oliver" to start reverberating between my ears:
"Food, glorious food! Hot sausage and mustard!"
Ah yes....food! A concomitant aspect to all exercise.
John~
American Net'Zen
Here come the diet-splaners . . . Everyone who loses weight and comments about their miracle diet and divine discipline on a NYT article should have their quote printed on a shirt they have to wear 1-2 years later when they've gained it all back, +10 more pounds.
I swim all the time and though I’m hungry, I never feel the need to pollute my body with garbage food.
1
After 20 minutes on the treadmill, stair stepper and elliptical, don't tell me a juicy Whopper isn't in the cards. Eating veggies doesn't replace those lost calories. Protein is needed to recover right? Go ahead reward yourself!
https://www.gq.com/story/gq-fitness-least-bad-burgers
People always hate my answer when they ask how I stay trim. I exercise and spend a lot of time being hungry.
5
@Andrew If you reduce the intake of processed carbs (anything white - pasta, baked goods, bread) your body will be the better for it and you can replace those foods with high quality fatty meats, fresh caught fish and wholesome plant based carbs and you'll spend a lot less time being hungry. And you'll be healthier. If you're spending a lot of time being hungry, something is wrong.
@Linda he fasts a lot which is good and healthy.
I increased my exercise routine by 100% - from 6km runs to 13km runs/from 60km bike rides to 110km bike rides. small paunch went away and I started focusing on healthy/ fresh food / dry beans- now check drinks/food labels for calorie counts..eat what I want, drink wine every day.....weight down and stays down....portions definitely smaller...Agree with study - don't want to eat so much...watch HorizonSportsTV.
1
I lost 30 lbs. in 3 months in response to my 7.8 A1C diabetic results. It went down to 5.6. Eating "fatty" foods was the lynchpin of my diet. You need to define what "fatty" is. Carbs are the devil, not fat. And my chloresterol levels are just fine.
I've been exercising all of my life, multiple times per week at dance studios, gyms, etc. I'd rather have a giant plate of fried clams over a salad any day!
3
It's not about food or diets. Overweight people do not eat to satisfy their hunger but to relieve emotional suffering, self-hatred, frustration or depression.
6
@Nat
Only some people. Mainly, we eat a lot because there's so much delicious food to be had.
4
"High calorie, fatty foods" means exactly what? Parmesan? Donuts? Ice cream? Spare ribs without sauce? What?
Is this sugar+fat or just fat?
2
How come I'm the outlier in these kinds of studies? I wish my exercise routine abolished my desire for fried chicken wings.
7
At 75, I feel better than I have in 20 years. A year ago, shortly after moving to Durango, Colo., the nearly record snowfall kept me indoors a lot. It was treachorous driving to the gym. Then, spring arrived.
I joined our rec center gym with a Silver Sneakers membership, took advantage of a free personal trainer to get me started with my strength training, and got back to my bike rides on alternate days. I have been in the gym for 45 minutes three days a week, while enjoying bike rides on our scenic Animas River Trail that runs 10 miles (20 miles round trip). I feel great, fitter than decades. But the weight loss has been a very slow process. I know I have a hypothyroid condition but it is not severe.
But I will keep at it. I will lose the weight (60lbs!). I love fine wine. I love bread. Both are no longer in my kitchen. I do enjoy a bowl of organic oatmeal for breakfast to have the carbo’ energy I need for those 20 mile bike rides. When I get home for lunch, I make a protein smoothie with fresh fruit, a cup of plain, non-fat yogurt, and a measured scoop of whey-based protein powder, all mixed with water in a blender.
The weight should be falling off more quickly than it is. But it will fall. My doctor informs me I am built for rapid weight loss. And with muscle out-weighing fat, I can deal with that.
Never quit. Never cave. 75 is just a number. Right?
6
@David Ohman Would you consider doing Intermittent Fasting for better result? I've been doing it for 3 weeks now and I have never felt better and I lost 9lbs already.
2
@David Ohman agree with the intermittent fasting. Maybe add some fat (some raw walnuts or hemp hearts) to that oatmeal or slowly replace with eggs and some vegetables to balance blood sugar. Sounds like you're doing great!
Too lengthy a background story, but I gained weight due to a health issue, then returned to a regular gym workout last year. I either spend 90 minutes at the gym or I walk about two miles. I never craved sweets, but now I REALLY never crave them ... until two weeks ago. I spent 30 minutes circling the supermarket, ravenous for sugar. It had to be the perfect decision since it was a total departure from my habits. I came home with half a squash pie, ate it for dinner, and got back to my routine. That's my weird and wonky story.
5
@HotGumption Some people are starting to crave sugar in light of what's going on. Your body might be under stress and is releasing cortisol to deal with it. I think it's important that we are aware that our bodies still respond in a very primitive 'flight or flight' way and if we stay aware of what's happening physiologically ,it can make it even easier to understand and then to ignore those calls for sugar. Get your sleep, keep exercising, stay hydrated, relax, etc.
I’m just an N of one, and not a physician or exercise physiologist, but after starting back biking after about 10 years (and about 100 added pounds), I lost those 100 pounds and have experienced a change in my interest in various foods (sweets, etc.). I clearly have noticed what seems to be a metabolic change - I am not hungry in the morning when waking up, can go longer without needing to eat, and when I stop riding (say for 2 weeks for travel), when restarting, the distance I can ride without feeling like I need a snack is shorter - but returns to normal after about a week back riding regularly. I’ve read research that suggests that both endurance and high-intensity exercise drives metabolic change (especially in relation to the body using stored fat as opposed to glycogen).
I’m fortunate to have the time and work flexibility to enable me to ride hard for ~140 miles/week, I realize not everybody is able to, but just attending to what I have been able to observe about my own body suggests that this study is reflecting the sorts of changes I have experienced.
3
For weight loss without feeling deprived, consider a whole food plant based diet. Feel better, sleep better, lose weight. Consider reading, Michael Greger's books, "How not to diet," and "How not to die."
4
As my dietitian/nutritionist "Kerri" is fond of saying: "Get fit in the gym; lose weight in the kitchen".
4
You are assuming that high fat foods cause people to be fat. Our whole diet industry is based on that idea when the real culprit is sugar and excess carbohydrates. Many people have found that a high fat low carbohydrate diet makes weight loss much easier. I have always exercised, but I lost 30 pounds by changing my diet and including more fat.
10
@Diane
That wasn't the case for me the past 4 winters, prior to this one. I loved peanut butter, which is pretty much all fat, both from the peanuts and palm kernel oil. As a result, I gained 10-15 lbs every single winter. (For some reason, I didn't crave PB in the warmer months.) Then, every Spring I would have to torture myself to get back to running weight.
Not this winter! I finally gave up the PB. So, my weight gain is only 5 lbs this year and I'm super happy because that's nothing. A few long runs and a few dinners skipped and it'll be gone.
Obesity rate of gourmet countries where people love to eat.
Belgium 22.1%
France 21.6
Italy 19.9
China 6.2
Japan 4.3
USA 36.2%
Diet for dummies.
You can eat rich food but less like gourmet countries do.
You must realize Americans eat unnecessarily too much.
Serve small portion. Good service is not big volume.
Reduce sugar by half for everything. It's still sweet enough.
9
There are two kind of people on the planet; those who live to eat and those who eat to live. If you are the former, my advice is to train your mind to become the kind of person who eats to live.
5
@Tom I disagree. Italian, French, Japanese and other gourmet people of course eat to live, but also live to and love to eat good quality food, not quantity.
They enjoy the food in season. they enjoy the vegetables of the season and even fish.
Bonito tataki is served in early summer, which tells Japanese people summer is here. Germans are crazy for white asparagus, which is, I was told, good (edible) from mid-April till June 24.
Matsutake in Japan and porcini mushrooms in Italy are the kings of the mushrooms in the fall. Culinary
culture exists in certain countries.
1
It would have been interesting had they asked/ tested people about their knowledge of calories consumed and calories used up when exercising, especially now with the monitors we have.I would have thought that seeing the meager number of calories used up even with intense exercise might motivate people to eat less.
1
@ms Yep. That kinda works for me. LOL.
1
Hubby and I are just getting over the flu, it’s been a tough two weeks. I’m an avid exerciser, but not the past two weeks. I’ve been craving nachos, grilled cheese, and pizza—and eating those things with gusto. Kinda scary, but certainly an example of the points in this article. Hoping I get back to my wiser ways as the illness subsides. Haven’t gone near a scale, but I can tell. . .
5
@Gwenn Marie
THE flu or just flu?
I have always found that exercise at the intensity that I work (weights, tennis, age 76) makes me hungry, but perhaps most often right after exercise.
I like the finding that we all seem to see that the variation from person to person is huge.
Note: eating protein and fats does not trigger cravings, which eating lighter and "whiter" does....
3
I started walking 1-2 miles 3 times a week in July, after my 65th birthday. Now, thanks to the LG Fitness App on my phone, I'm walking about 3-4 miles, 5 times a week. I don't have a scale, but have lost 3 sizes, eliminated my pills for depression, sleep outrageously well, while still eating two handfuls of nut/m&m trail mix a day. At my age, even though I work full-time, no "to-do" list is more important than feeling healthy, and I've given stressful situations the heave-ho. While I am way less busy, life is much less complicated and I enjoy it so much more!
7
As this article points out, everyone is truly different, but I have found the food thing to be true for myself, and like other commenters here I wonder if it has to do with stress. When I especially busy with work, I am stressed and have very little time for exercise, or don't prioritize it over my overwhelming to-do list. During those times I tend to find food more tempting, comforting - it's a break. When I'm less stressed, I usually have more time for exercise, both of which make me feel better, and food becomes something I enjoy but don't think about too much unless I haven't eaten in a long time and get very, very hungry. I crave more salads (yes, I absolutely crave salads) and far less sweets or fatty foods. I know this about myself, so I of course try to balance out being more active when I am short on time, energy, and personal reserves, but there's no doubt that the less stressed one is, the easier it is to have healthy habits - and those habits contribute to less stress and better habits. For those just starting out - find your own thing. Everyone will have their own ideas, but it's just important to find what works for you, what keeps you motivated and what makes you feel good.
5
For the past 15 years, my sister has run multiple marathons a year, and once placed in the top 20 for her age group at the Boston Marathon. She is amazingly thin and fit, but is also the most unhealthy eater I have ever known. She doesn’t eat much, but what she does eat has lots of sugar and fat. She has always eaten like this, even before she began running, and will always eat like this. I really wish these exercise/health studies would be more nuanced and not paint everything with such a broad brush.
4
After a lifetime of struggle, I realized that eating between meals, skipping meals, and even the slightest dépendance on processed and fast foods were probably hiding the bag of bones I was of yore, underneath all those unhealthy cravings and impulses.
I began Greysheets, a 12-step program with an 8-hour, 3 meals a day regime, followed by 16 hours of fasting.
The first 2 weeks were grueling, as detox, as I found out requires collecting all the free radicals and passing them through the colon. That was a familiar pain though, as my body was always trying to detox the poisons created from abuse of flour and sugar products.
Soon afterwards, I began to feel a serenity and sense of well-being not experienced in many years. Also, almost like magic, all my cravings just vanished. Three protein rich meals, with two salads, two servings of vegetables, and some fruit brought me down to 3 lbs from my ideal weight. Not a crash diet at all, after a year I have changed more on the psychic level as well, always humming music, look at the bright side more often, and don’t complain about much.
My exercise routine is 3 fast walks a day with my dachshund. Das ist alles!
7
"Liked" as in willing to say "yeah, I still want a donut after that 5K"?
Isn't that just learned attitude? That "study" (sigh) showed absolutely nothing about behavior per se. It may be presuming that behavior follows belief, as it were, but we all know how that song plays. And while researchers, rightly and wrongly, claim that time, money, and more disallows research that measures over vast amounts of time - years - even leading a healthy active life for but a year amounts to but a year.
Health is lifelong, which isn't to say that one cannot always start down the proper path, but I digress.
Saying "donut bad!" is far, far from not eating donuts, chips, fried foods, desserts in general, and so on. And, doing the right thing, eating the right foods, getting proper sleep, etc., is not the norm if one can say the data on percentage of Americans who are overweight is indicative of "norm".
So better to just be active as much as possible, eat all things in moderation, and get all the rest you can.
Things Moms tell their kids, and have told kids for many, many generations.
1
I will be 64 in a few weeks and am overweight. I started walking at the beginning of the year, and now walk 45 minutes almost ever day. It's true. While not Catholic, the day before Lent I read the article about intermittent fasting, and began doing so, in large part because I had already noticed that I simply wasn't as interested in eating, and that I was even less interested in eating 'heavy,' fatty foods, making it easy to limit caloric intake to 6-8 hours a day. Less food also seems to sate my appetite. Not losing much weight though because fat is slowly turning to muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat, but I hope to continue, and perhaps see what consciously cutting back on calories might accomplish.
8
Years ago (1968) I did a bicycle ride from Astoria, Oregon to Jackson Hole, Wy. On that ride I just lost my taste for white bread and processed food, which I have maintained. The vast majority of the time, I simply stay away. But, when I do indulge in "bad stuff", it is really GOOD "bad stuff" and I enjoy the heck out of it.
2
Addiction also plays into this. There is a common misconception that addiction is restricted to drugs and alcohol. Few realize that addiction is genetic. For a family with a history of generational addictions, food can be as sinister as heroin. Like opioids, alcohol, sex, gambling, or shopping, food is also an addiction that is compounded by a family history of addictive behaviors. It can ease feelings of low worth while at the same time boost energy when things are going great. Let’s reduce the stigma of ALL addictions.
8
I've observed in myself that grocery shopping post gym visit or exhilarating bike ride is an easy way to keep my shopping cart healthy. I gravitate towards veggies and wholesome fare. I feel as if I keep a fresh and positive attitude/feeling that continues for several few hours. Perhaps it's a combination of an exercise high, not wanting to undo my sweat equity, and my strong dislike of the lethargic feeling after eating too much. I've also found that I need less food to be satisfied and I thirst for water. Working out in at the morning is my ritual - it starts my day on a positive note and the glow lingers throughout the day along with the healthy choices.
11
Another factor is diet and gut biome.. Going to a plant based diet alters our gut biome, which in turn influences our food cravings, or lack there of.
10
I'm on the other end of this spectrum. As a 15 year competitive swimmer in my distant youth, consuming massive quantities of food became an every day occurrence that even now, in my 50's, is triggered by exercising at a high intensity. For me, what controls the feelings about food and maintains my lean body mass is quite moderate exercise and a keto diet. When I up the intensity of my workouts, my daily willpower is depleted at the gym, I eat more and I gain weight and bulk. My theory is that intense exercise triggers a flight or fight reaction in my formerly over-trained body that is hard-wired into my brain at this point.
7
@Anon wow! Fantastic! You are an inspiration! Keep up the good work.
1
My wife and I were about 40 lbs (50 for my wife) over what we wanted to be - 250 for me male, 205 for her female. We started South Beach (diet, not the foods from the company) on Jan 7. 2 months later, we have dropped 30 lbs each. We remain in Phase 1. We are losing weight slower. Key is NO ALCOHOL or very little. I occasionally have a scotch-water late at night.
Neither of us are interested in cookies, cake, sugary foods at this time.
7
@George Tyrebyter Ah, there's the rub: NO ALCOHOL. A glass of La Croix is a good substitute but not quite the same effect as a glass of wine or cocktail, but you are so right.
1
No amount of exercise will keep me from wanting that slice of pizza. I have tried it all.
Willpower is the only thing that (sometimes) works.
13
@Phil Yep. You gotta decide "lose weight". If you don't, temptation is everywhere.
Respectfully disagree. When I exercised or dieted I still craved bad foods and many other people have told me the same.
The bottom line is if you want to lose weight you will, if not you won't.
Will Power is the overwhelming factor in this.
8
@Paul
I'm no expert in dieting but an expert in diet failure. When I've dieted I just tried to eat less and observe how I've managed to break another diet.
Right now I'm trying a diet where I substitute a healthy snack before I start craving something sweet. In the past I've been undone by this craving but at the same time I wasn't yet trying to actually blunt my hunger with a healthy snack.
I've just started this experiment on myself.
I remain hopeful because with every diet failure I've tried to learn what I can apply to my next diet which should then be my last.
1
This has been my experience with a caveat. It's most effective with high intensity workouts. For me hard runs/workouts tend to nudge me toward higher nutrient, nourishing foods and away from sugar (my nemesis).
2
To have a healthy body, a healthy diet is essential. Exercise also plays an important role in health and fitness. http://bit.ly/2W55PkD In light of the benefits that exercise brings, many are still not motivated to start exercise fitness training.
Just being involved in the study and knowing you have to show up for the exercise sessions makes a difference to the structure of people's days and give them a positive reason to want to eat better. Would be interesting to see if just involving people in any structured activity five times a week would result in some of them losing weight. Just being invited out and dressing to meet people?? Personally I think boredom and depression count for a lot of pounds! Plus everyone feels better given a short term project. It's the everyday grind that's the problem.
10
This is too small a sample to be meaningful. I'm also thinking of many people I know who say once they started running or doing some other intense exercise routine, they were always hungry, so the calories burned were made up for by the increase in eating.
4
61 people is far too small of a study to draw any conclusions, but it is an interesting thought. I wonder if it simply has to do with the release of "happy" chemicals in the brain after exercise; if you already feel good, there's less of a drive to comfort yourself with food. Will be curious to see if further, more significant research is done.
8
I like to read about running and I remember reading about the peculiar diets of some of the country's best runners but I didn't remember where I saw it. Today, I found this quote:
"Once a Runner was published in 1978, at the height of the first running boom. Many competitive runners in those days ate whatever they wanted, and took pride in it. The poster boy of the running boom was Bill Rodgers, who won the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon four times each between 1975 and 1980. The staples of his diet were mayonnaise, sugary breakfast cereals, chocolate-chip cookies, snack chips, soft drinks and gin-and-tonics."
[https://www.active.com/running/articles/the-new-rules-of-marathon-nutrition]
Bill Rodgers was also very thin. I think it bears out the argument that a calorie is a calorie regardless of what it is. It also says to me that what one eats is as much psychological as physical, as far as influencing exercise performance. Not that I'm planning to change my diet but I like to get all sides of the picture. I think I'll check my library for that old book.
3
After successfully being treated for cancer 5 years ago at the age of 33, I started seeing a nutritionist to make healthier food choices. I also stopped drinking alcohol and began exercising an hour each day. I don’t know if my fear of cancer recurrence keeps me from fatty foods, but I think it’s the overall lifestyle change. I wouldn’t recommend such extreme changes for healthy people, maybe gradual, but a health scare really prompted me. I now feel great and hope I keep it up.
19
I’m not sure what the study meant by “fatty foods”, but going to the gym makes me crave more bread, cheese and dairy, especially in winter. Maybe my brain is telling me to add fat to keep warm because once the weather warms up these cravings moderate or disappear and I start craving cucumbers and salad, except just after getting out of the gym. I’m glad there’s a place by the gym where they serve great grilled cheese sandwiches.
4
Is anyone surprised about this? But it needs to be said. I don’t care how many times this is written and published. If one person gets this and feels this will make a difference in their life who are we to judge this article? I really don’t drink. I practice portion control because what I don’t finish at dinner I can bring to work and eat a heathy tasty cheap meal. One thing that helped me lose more than 15 pounds is my iwatch Apple Watch. It makes me close my rings. Right now 346 days in a row. I’m unbeatable.
1
Okay...uh...um...hmm...yeah, but no! As a life long (from 16, now 58) exerciser, athlete, self-taught nutritionist, cook and always vigilant to what I intake, I can attest that high-cal, fatty foods are still awesome! Just as attractive as they always were!
The difference is decades of discipline and self-control. Decades of "treats", followed by compensation work-outs and intake control. But that stuff is still attractive, the siren songs just as alluring.
What I'll offer, is that when people start a regimen, and see some results a switch is thrown, that makes the avoidance easier. And if those gains, or losses, are accompanied by a lessening of the stressors, and/or catalysts that made them eat the wrong foods (a bad relationship, job) and not exercise - those wins may stick longer and help establish real changes in behaviors. Its a win-lose mechanism.
But the lessening of the "attraction" to the bad-foods, is mostly psychological and short-term. Add back some stressors, bring back a toxic relationship (which are often repeated over and over) or a simple injury set-back, and the bad-food siren songs can be more alluring.
First hand knowledge; a rough patch in life makes the call of the bad-foods more seductive. An injury, and its, "just a few indulgences till I get better" thinking.
Its always about discipline and self-control when it comes to fitness and weight control. French fries will always be tasty, just not the results. So you dont eat them. You walk away.
16
I don’t really trust the study, surveys are too easy to influence. But exercising does seem to reduce my appetite. If it is a placebo effect that’s ok, just another benefit.
4
Listened to an audio book on dangers of alcohol,went from 25 pints a week to one pint mixed with soda water.
I exercise at 3 circuit classes a week,and I do intervals on the cross trainer,up by one minute every session ,max effort 20 seconds,easy 40 seconds,up to 30 minutes,then go up a resistance level start at 20 minutes.,fitness is will power,same for nutrition,
Healthy natural foods ,good sleep , it’s a good feeling,no need for alcohol.
3
Fat kills, plain and simple.
Too much fat on the body and too much fat in the vascular system.
Solution? Be thin.
How?
Reduce calorie intake!
5
@RP I don't overeat and I am fit yet it is not easy for people to just do what you propose. My best friend struggles mightily with this: it's a psychological dependency and one that to me seems like, at least for them, addiction. I've never seen anything like it. This story and the research findings are interesting.
8
I think this depends on the person. Last summer, the neurologist said he was cool with me getting a bike after a 5 year hiatus of no biking. So, I bought an old steel-framed mountain bike and took to the roads. Soon, I was back up to 5-6 hour rides on the hills of Seattle. But I was literally eating chocolate croissants while pedaling. And I would stop half way to bust out some brie cheese, baguette, pick some blackberries, and eat the whole thing. Then back to the bike. Then, when I got home it was 4-6 Cokes.
Half the women in my building were going Keto-crazy but no luck other than pining for bread and pasta. I lost 10 pounds. Then came winter with our darkness and rain and the bike sat. But, I didn't want to put the 10 back on so I dragged the weights out of the bedroom and put them next to the desk. Then, I started hanging out with young personal trainers online and radically changed the diet (nothing sweet anymore, no dairy, everything made from scratch, etc.) The weight kept dropping and dropping. And then, one day in front of the mirror I gasped. "Are those obliques, old man? I think those are called obliques!"
I walked past a donut shop last night and they called and called trying to remind me how much I love those cream-filled chocolate covered Bismarks. I just laughed. I'm getting shredded and they didn't sound good in any way. So, I went home and cooked up some oatmeal with organic fruit:) Once you get started, you get hooked.
30
@tom harrison Thanks for sharing your story, Tom. Your honesty, refreshing.
"Are those obliques, old man? " lol!!!
Love that you are solving the riddle and are feeling good and motivated to continue. To your good health and moderation.
5
From a scientific perspective, this so called study is statistically underpowered to draw any conclusion. Unfortunately, the writer reaches completely unfounded conclusions ( referred to as suggestions) that mislead people and propagate a culture that already lacks critical thinking.
Worse yet, this is an article about weight control that incredibly doesn’t mention sugar. Hard to believe that the debunked food industrial complex myth about more exercise and less fat being the key to weight control is being irresponsibly resurrected by the NYT.
7
Ms Reynolds needs to find new topics or another field of work. Really old hat, more and more.
6
Part of this is because if you know you're working out, you want to provide yourself with the best source of energy. No one wants to eat fatty foods or drink alcohol or sugary drinks before a workout; you simply will not feel good. Better to eat healthy foods, like a quinoa bowl with salmon and kale.
4
I wonder if the various outcomes can be explained by our gut microbiome.
3
The more I exercise and cook for myself, the less I can even watch people eat restaurant food.
Even if I don't lose weight, I do feel stronger. Somewhere under a plump belly I have a six-pack!
7
exercise of 45-60 minutes (500 cal)probably got the subjects their dopamine surges, so they didn't need it from the foods as much.
5
Not working for me. I've increased my gym frequency and time, including 45 minutes or more on a Stairmaster by over a third since New Year's, and added weights, which I'd avoided for awhile due to a nerve problem, and no particular change in my cravings. I like to exercise, and I get to listen to my favorite music, so I do it for the benefits including stress relief. But it doesn't seem to do much in terms of what I want to eat.
3
Absolutely true. I run, and in my anecdatal sample of one, I've found that when I'm training for a race, I crave fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and fibrous vegetables. I don't consciously try to change my diet, but I lose the desire to eat fatty foods and refined sugars. When I'm not training as heavily, ice cream and pizza creep back into my diet. I don't eat badly, per se, but when I'm training hard, I naturally tend towards an ideal, balanced diet.
6
I was morbidly obese when I finished high school. I weighed 273 lbs and it was all fat, not an ounce of muscle.
I ran and ran till I could run no more. Everyday I ran a little longer than I had previously run. Eventually at the end of a year, I lost all the weight and became skinny to the point where my mom wondered if I had contacted aids.
Truth be told, maintaining my weight (which I have for 10 years now) was harder than losing it. That’s because I bought into the “calories in calories out” myth.
I was wrong.
As it turns out, the only way to keep fit is to add resistance training to the mix and let your lean muscle mass burn all the fat in your body while you do absolutely nothing. To put in in a fancy way, I had to increase my resting metabolic rate.
The single biggest difference I’ve found since getting healthier and staying that way is that it feels like my taste buds literally recalibrated. When I bite into an apple, it tastes exponentially sweeter now than it did when I ate a ton of junk food.
Now that I’ve completely cut added sugar from my diet, 92% dark chocolate feels like nectar to me. I haven’t had ice cream in half a decade, not because I’m desperately controlling myself but because I simply don’t feel any urge to do so. Dark chocolate or honestly a cup of yogurt is all I need!
26
@STEM Immigrant I will go with the 92% dark chocolate as an absolute not to be questioned. However after a 20 mile bike ride on a sun filled spring/summer day in MN a single scoop cup of Ben and Jerry's ice cream hits the spot that yogurt cannot!
2
I am a senior and walk two miles a day. Besides keeping my weight down, everything just seems to work better. I try to “mindfully” walk which is a form of meditation that helps my mind. My attitude about food has changed simply because I like being healthier and thinner and feeling younger, and hope to live longer.
11
When someone who has not been in the habit of exercising begins to move her (or his) body, sometimes a lightbulb turns on. Wow, my body can do more than just move my head around! This is fun!
And then ... why yes, it *would* be easier and more comfortable for me to enjoy this fun activity if only I were not so heavy. Should anyone be surprised that the drive toward fattening foods diminishes? I speak from personal experience.
10
Yes, but it's not foods that are simply high in fat that are generally the problem (salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil). It's foods that are high in sugar and refined/simple carbohydrates, often along with high fat, that are: French fries, cookies, doughnuts, pasta with commercial sauce, factory-made pizza, breads, doughnuts, ice-cream, soda, etc.
23
@Lee Yes, the article (and presumably the study) was very loosey goosey about foods high in fat and foods that are fattening, which mostly means high in carbs. Humans did not evolve as carb eaters. I got nothing from this, other than a cookie is considered a high-fat example. Or was it a high fattening example?
8
I wish I could get back all the money I've spent over the past 35-40 years on magazines with featured articles promoting the idea that exercise can change appetite and/or food cravings. Never works.
12
It worked for me.
2
This is true for me - exercise seems to be an appetite suppressant for me. And I tend to crave healthier foods (part of it is definitely a physical craving, but part of it also may stem from the fact that I know I'll feel better on my run tomorrow if I eat better today). In contrast, my friend runs and feels this gives him carte blanch to eat whatever he wants. And after his last marathon, he weighed more than he did before his training.
11
This study reflects my own experience. I think more people, when trying to start a regimen of exercise and better eating habits, should be reminded that our bodies will help us if we'll only oblige them by taking the first steps - and that a more subdued desire to eat is one of the small handful of benefits that comes will aging. Once you make any effort at all to increase physical activity, and as you get into your 60s, I think most people will find that better food and exercise habits are self-sustaining. I could never go back to eating like I did when I was 40 and will never go back to being as sedentary as I was until age started creeping up. I'd feel terrible! And it's really not even a challenge anymore. People should remember that it's really pretty simple - though of course not necessarily easy - to do better on the diet and exercise fronts, and that any effort you make will be rewarded by your body's apparent desire to be healthy.
9
This is exactly how I tackle weight loss with my clients as a personal trainer, I first begin having them exercise and within weeks they want to eat better so their bodies feel better. They realize the damage they do to their body with processed foods, high amounts of alcohol and large meals which makes them unable to work the following day so they just naturally avoid it without shoving a fancy diet at them.
10
I am 65 and exercise daily, a mix of low impact aerobics, weights and floor work - Pilates, yoga etc. The base of it all is a couple of physical therapy routines that I added things to over the years but I do this so I can move around relatively pain free, not for my looks. I am careful about what I eat. I eat less high-fat foods by choice, not because I don't crave them and all the exercise in the world hasn't affected my sweet tooth at all. It is all a matter of me choosing what to eat, not some magical transformation due to a bit of sweat. Oh but I wish it were.
9
I am 63, exercise 3x/week; 2 pilates, 1 cardio. My favorite dinner: slice of ham (not salty), poached egg, Hollandaise sauce (made with whole eggs). Ay caramba!
3
@Judith no pork but I hear you
I would like to see a comparison study with heavy physical labour. Anecdotally I'd say people who slog all day, such as miners, like their solid food.
I'd suggest thus observed effect was a matter of personal conscious choice. Probably a commitment to losing weight linked to exercise.
4
@Walsh I have known construction workers, farmers and ranchers all my life. They all ate 3 solid meals a day and sandwiches for snacks, both morning and afternoon. All of them worked out in the cold winters in the upper midwest and mountain west. The amount of calories that it takes to fuel kind work is far beyond what the typical American needs to maintain a healthy weight. This is how most people lived a hundred years ago. Today people still eat like they still worked like that and as a result, they gain a lot of weight. The people that retire from jobs like these also gain weight rapidly if they don't change their eating habits.
20
@Walsh
I read an article one time (out of the UK, I believe) about life expectancies in different occupations. Laborers were next to last. The article didn't say but my assumption was that blue collar workers were less educated and therefore more likely to engage in bad habits, like smoking, overeating, and not exercising. I don't really think it was work which shortened life because it does involve moving and using muscle. In fact, the reason I even looked into it was because I had just started a laborer's job and was thinking we'd probably be near the top of the list!
@Walsh When I was in my teens, I spent a couple of days helping at harvest time on a relative’s farm and still haven’t forgotten how hungry I was and how much I ate during my brief spell as a volunteer farm hand.
Normally I exercise vigorously almost everyday, usually 300+ days a year, sometimes 350+. Recently I injured my ribs and had to stop and within about a week I started craving carbohydrate based foods like bread and pasta along with extra helpings before going to sleep. On the whole my quantity of food intake has increased, which is not surprising for me because exercise reduces my craving for food.
As some may call me an “exercise junkie,” I see the attraction in many ways as mental. Almost a contradiction in terms, but it allows me to rest even when I am drenched in sweat. Life is stressful enough and exercise wicks away that stress.
Also I trained myself to reduce my sugar intake, and the alternative is a large portion of my diet involves eating fruits and salads. Really, I fantasize about eating grapes -- juicy, mouthwatering grapes. Bananas taste sweet. Apples are crunchy goodness.
Putting those exercise and food pieces together has allowed a healthier life for me. The article mentions the attraction of fatty foods to those out of shape. Yikes! I hope I can get back to my exercise routine soon.
11
Now read "The Diet Industrial Complex Got Me And It Will Never Let Me Go" in the style section. I read that article and this one, and damned if this one doesn't influence me more.
5
An article awhile back mentioned that video Sugar: The Bitter Truth, and that one is an eye-opener about food industry connection to dollars not nutrition.
The pediatrician who narrates it educates on how the sugars in the industry-invented high fructose sugars packs your organs and abdomen in a type of fat that makes its own endocrine system. That fat overrides the hunger signals that would tell you that you are full. Normally, those signals are in subcutaneous fat, not the stuff we are all getting pickled in. Exercise is necessary but also educating yourself away from packaged foods built to make unhealthy fat.
9
Having lost weight myself and become a fitness obsessive, my own personal experience has even that dieting makes you lose weight, exercise gets you in shape.
I tried exercise first eating the same amount, did not lose any weight but felt fitter and less wobbly. Then stopped exercising and just focused on calorie in take and the weight fell off.
As an aside, a cookie may have fat in it but this outweighed by the huge amounts of carbs in it, so referring to it as a fatty is misleading. This is symptomatic of the general attitude to fat that it’s bad, which isn’t necessarily true and the fact that carbs get an easy ride when in my view they are the true killer
6
@Johnny Remember that muscle is more dense than fat. In cases when I stop exercising, I have actually lost weight. I agree with you that exercise allows you to be fit while eating the right foods allows you to lose weight. If you give up the exercise though you lose the well being and other benefits that being fit gives. At least for me, the 30-45 minutes I exercise daily provides way too many benefits to give up. Good luck on your health journey.
3
Fat is satiating, people need to stop being scared of it. Try a zone diet, 30-40% of your calories from fat, if you struggle with feeling full or satisfied with your daily calorie target.
4
I exercise so I can eat high-calorie, fatty foods. After a few hours of high intensity exercise I crave something high caloric and yummy. I also carb up the night before a long day of hiking that involves thousands of feet in altitude gain. I will never give up French Fries!
3
Viva humanity!
Exercise releases endorphins. When you're feeling good, maybe you're less likely to crave "feel good" foods.
45
Explanation? Well lets look at our bowel bacteria. Obese and overweight folks have different bacteria then normals. At least 5 different ones have been identified and probablly more. These thrive on sugar and fat diets. Actually change the metabolism.
Exercise, low calories weights loss and the bacteria change. The % of sugar -fat bacteria guys decrease and fiber plant types increase.
WE are learning that our trillions of bacteria have lots of effect on our health and exercise, diet, related to this.
See letswakeupfolks.blogspot.com--Obesity is an inflammatory disese or details.
3
I have personally found this to be true as well, so interesting to see it in a study. The more I exercise, the less I want to eat, especially empty calories. There was a recent study that also documented our bodies ability to handle more alcohol with more exercise. And inflammation drops drastically too, especially in the gut. Perhaps our bodies just become more efficient all over, although I’d still be curious to understand the mechanisms how.
7
The economic model of "calories in vs calories expended" is the reason so many people are fat. It is a totally flawed view of the complexity of metabolism and biochemistry that has done a great deal to encourage poor eating habits and discourage exercise as futile. The fact is that burning food in a calorimeter to see how much energy it gives off is a very poor predictor of what your body is going to do with that food from a metabolic standpoint. The benefits of exercise go way beyond the amount of energy expended during the workout. The best way to think about it (for someone who doesn't want to break upon a biochemistry textbook to learn the difference between anaerobic glycolysis and the Kreb's cycle ) is to simply accept that your body will become good at what you train it to do. If you run a lot of long distances you will lose fat and muscle and end up looking like a marathon runner ....very thin with very little muscle mass. You will have endurance but little strength. If you do a lot of explosive, intense, short workouts you will gain muscle mass and become faster and stronger with less endurance. If you starve yourself and do not exercise, your body will become better at enduring with less food and when you do eat it will store the food because it's learned that "lean times happen". If, however you eat well and work out hard your body will burn food, create muscle and become better at doing what it is tasked to do....becoming a fit and able machine.
11
Hi, group, my name is Sam and I’m a running addict. It’s been one day since my last run and the natives in my head are getting restless.
Kidding aside, running is a form of substance addiction since it floods your brain with endorphins and endocannabinoids. We runners crave the euphoria of a runner’s high and, like other addicts, will adjust our lifestyle to feed the habit — literally. I plan what I eat during the day around maximizing my performance for when I get on the treadmill or a trail. Cheesecake after dinner may look good, but the little voice in my head says: “You’ll be lacing up in less than an hour. That thing will still be sitting in your stomach like a rock then.” The anticipation of the feeling I’ll have when I hit that high later and my body is optimized for speed when I do? Oh boy. Cheesecake’s got nothing on it.
Genetics will dictate the extent to which exercise gives you a high (gene expression involved in endorphin and endocannabinoid is complex), and running is an extreme case of our brain being wired to encourage us to engage in it. Even without inducing an endorphin high, however, exercise in general will activate the reward system in your brain in myriad other ways: you’ll look better, you’ll move with more ease, you’ll have more energy. Is it any wonder that, once you’ve enjoyed these benefits, you’ll find heavy, unhealthy, semi-coma-inducing foods less appealing?
7
When you eat well- cook for yourself and make food with plenty of Fresh vegetables and good grains, locally raised meat (if you eat it), you feel so much better. One way is that the meditation and artistry that goes into making food- even simple grilling of veggies is so easy - makes us focus on the simple things in life with more gratitude for food,life - and nature.
Another way is that your body doesn’t reject good food like it does junk food. You don’t feel bad later, bloated and heavy. Every time I have eaten fast food I need recovery time. It really is not food. It should not be called food. Somehow every time I eat junk food the smell of all of its processing remains on me and I have to shower. It’s very negative.
Also, the more we cook fresh food, and shop consciously, or better yet grow it, we reduce one time use plastic etc. take out containers are a scourge.! Reduce your footprint and feel better!
5
@Luze - "take out containers are a scourge"
Where I live, they are compostable and we toss them into the yard waste bin which the city uses to make compost for all of the parks. They passed that law here what seems like years ago, now.
@Luze
"locally raised meat" still involves torture and eventual slaughter of farm animals. If you're going to eat meat, stop fooling yourself thinking you're choosing a humane method when in actuality a sentient being still
suffers because of your food choice.
3
Forget about carb/fat ratios.
1. Never drink your calories
2. Never eat processed foods.
3. Eating only natural foods and chewing your calories will provide balanced nutrition and weight loss.
12
One size does not fit all. What works for you may not work for me, what works for me may not work for you. You have to find your own way and what works and does not work.
I exercise a lot and it has made no difference on how I look at food. Because of my eating disorder I sometimes look at food and just say no, I've thrown it out and thrown it up. I don't eat fast food at all, but the look and smell of food for me is an indicator of whether or not I can eat it. Yes I do cook and eat fresh foods.
We are just inundating with information on exercise and food. I was on an exercise FB page where people talk all the time about fasting and exercising more (and enjoying it less) people are so desperate.....it's nuts! I am now in the Mindful Eating Camp.
5
It's pretty simple (I think). When you exercise you are more likely to say to yourself "Am I going to throw away that effort now by eating a bowl of ice cream?"
Kind of a "good circle" Vs a vicious one. Exercise more, eat better. And once you start avoiding the bad stuff it's also easier to begin experimenting with adding more good foods to your diet.
18
I have no doubt that exercise encourages healthier eating habits. The increase in hunger comes with an increase in demand for more nutritious food.
4
You’re happier when you exercise and more likely to be inspired to take care of yourself. You want to keep on feeling the good feeling. Bad food is an entire system depressant. It makes me feel gross.
5
I am a post menopausal woman struggling to maintain a 20 pound weight loss which leaves me in the “overweight” category. I walk 2 miles a day and do Pilates to stay active. One of the first things I had to give up? The NYT cooking section. At 1200-1300 cal/day, (yes, my doctor is ok with that), there is little to nothing there that I can eat. Your weeknight dinners are totally unrealistic. It would be great if you could present recipes that real people can eat on a regular basis. The current foodie culture is just as much at fault as the fast food industry in promoting unrealistic choices.
105
@BT Yes! I am 51 and in the process of trying to lose about 25 lbs, which will put me right at the top of the normal weight range for my height. However-- I love food. I love finding recipes and cooking with my husband and for my kids. Wine is great, too. And I'm coming to realize that once I transition back into weight maintenance mode, it's going to take a lot of discipline (and/or strict portion control) to keep my food fondness from undoing my efforts thus far. The recipes that look so delicious just aren't stuff I can eat, at least on a regular basis, if I want to remain at a healthy weight.
Congratulations on your weight loss and sticking with an exercise discipline! It takes a lot of focus and dedication.
18
Oh that is not true: foodie culture cares about real ingredients. It is not a mega monopoly of chips and soda making huge profits on sugar and water or salt , msg, palm oil and potatoes ( or other starch). It’s not equivalent. There are plenty of recipes w lower calories. Cut out flour,
Most sugar and a lot of meat- and booze ( booze is so fattening) - that’s a start.
6
Filling half the plate with vegetables or fruit helps.
12
100 years ago this study would not have been done. Not because electronic recording of exercise routines didn't exist, but because almost no one worried about weight and diet. Almost everyone was of what we consider normal, or even low, weight---just look at photographs from 100, or even 70, years ago.
What has changed, aside from our obsession with weight that may be exacerbating the problem?
5
@Jonathan Katz Thinking about this in a historical context, more folks today can afford calorie-dense foods (be this for better or worse), most calorie-dense foods are marketed as affordable options for the working and lower classes, most of the working class aren't on their feet in factories for 16+ hours a day, and acceptable portion sizes for meals have increased. Those who were in the upper classes 100+ years ago typically had the option of weighing a lot more than the working class unless there were medical conditions at play. It's an interesting subject to examine.
7
We eat meat almost every day for several meals - and we do not do our own manual labor. We don’t walk - we drive and we all are on our computers, phones or latched to a television. It’s simple to see why. And processing- the processing of food has made it less nutritious and more fattening.
6
I don't see the point. Anyone committed to exercise (especially if they're interested in weight loss) will inevitably become more concerned with what (and how much) they eat. It would be very strange if that were not true. Likewise, committed dieters will very likely take up walking. How successful people are in making meaningful changes in their behaviour, however, is a whole other matter. Most exercisers and dieters give up & quickly regain whatever weight they may have lost.
6
I use exercise, as part of my whole mind and body program. The body is a organization of organisms and is very much like a garden. Fatty and sugary foods don't have the power so are not attractive. When I look at food I break it down into how that is going to fell and what it provides. Too much of our Western life is mindless stuffing of our mouths.
5
I suspect that you are less interested in eating fatty/low quality food after exercising because you are more aware of the costs associated with them.
3
No- I think it’s bc a salad makes you feel so much better and it gets what it needs.
1
My not-so-secret approach:
1. No fast food. Period. None. Nada.
2. No pizza
3. No soft drinks
4. No deep fry
1. Learn to cook, at home, wherever
2. Buy a wok
3. Buy a good outdoor grill
4. Fresh veggies
5. Eat a healthy breakfast, light lunch, nutritious supper
1. Salmon three times over beef
2. Chicken twice over beef
3. Pork twice over beef
4. Rice, over potatoes, brown, wild
Find a Labrador Retriever puppy. Train her to walk with you and respond. Shower her with love. Find the best vet, spend money.
Food: Dogfoodadvsior.com -- 5 star. Work with her daily with bat and racquet ball in river or lake. You'll be rewarded with a long, fit, and happy life, under CONTROL, with all in moderation.
44
@capnbilly
Good list, I also eliminate the rice entirely and don’t keep any bread, crackers, pastries, or cookies in the house.
2
@capnbilly Any dog of any breed will work!
I exercise a lot and I’m hungry all the time. In fact I was so starving I ate four cupcakes last night. The cheap kind. And I don’t really like cupcakes. Blarg!!
35
@Jay Why
Try aiming for 30-40% of your calories from fat and avoid sugar and simple carbs (e.g. bread). Armchair diagnosis is that you're on an insulin cycle that's giving you cravings; and you are possibly not getting enough calories overall in your day, too.
Fat is satiating, and meals that don't spike your insulin get you off that binge-craving cycle for things like cupcakes. Make sure you're getting plenty of protein (to rebuild muscle after exercise) and vegetables (drown 'em in butter if you're eating lean proteins). It may take a day or two of willpower to resist sugar, but then it gets way easier. Good luck!
6
@Jay Why
I'm on my umpteenth diet and have gained weight after each and every one in the past 25 years. As I started each of these diets I was absolutely sure that each of them would work.
Coincidentally, I'd planned to start my next new diet today. My new diet plan is going to be based on my past diet failures. I've never been a fan of diet fads or diet pills but have picked up a lot of hints about what may work for me.
This time exercise everyday is going to be a top diet must before I even think of food.
Exercise was never on my radar in my
25 years of failed dieting. I've been
re-thinking the do's and don'ts of meal planning. Why do we think of supper as our biggest meal? We'll be going to bed soon and will not have a chance to exercise all those calories out. It doesn't make any sense.
My new diet plan is going to be based on eating appetizer size meals to train my unruly stomach not to expect a torrent of food at one time. I'm going to the library today to look for recipes for appetizers. Wish me luck. I'll let you know how successful I am. Hopefully sooner than in the next 25 years.
3
Avoid bread? What do you think I’m spending an hour and a half five days a week on the exercise bike for? My health??
Half kidding obviously. Eating four not so tasty cupcakes undoes my marathon effort. But I couldn’t help it; I honestly thought I’d pass out.
Six foot one here 175 pounds. Tomorrow is another day.
10
When you exercise, you burn blood glucose, and then glucogen stores. When this happens, your insulin levels drop. Many good things happen when your insulin levels get to low "fasting state" levels on a regular basis. One of those good things is that hunger regulation starts to work properly.
One of the biggest problems with snacking all day between meals is that you never get into a post-digestive state (which takes about 4hrs or so), and so your insulin levels stay elevated all through the day (which of course leads directly to insulin resistance, and eventually to type II diabetes).
So exercise can definitely be an aid to better hormone regulation.
21
I think there are 2 issues here:
1. When you exercise and feel good about your body, you're less likely to want to feed it unhealthy food.
2. Exercise increases endorphins, which decreases cravings. And let's face it, no one craves celery.
7
Oh no!! not true. I have grown rows of celery bc I crave celery. It is the best snack. Crunchy , salty and sweet! So good. I love celery!’ much more than a cookie.
1
First, the article does not discuss the change in the ratio of fat to muscle in the exercise group. Clearly, exerting 500 calories of work 5 times a week would lead to more muscle in that individual. Muscle weighs more per unit volume than fat. So, the fact that the exercisers lost weight probably means that their eating habits changed.
Secondly, we have for years been inundated with popular articles about weight, exercise and the dangers of being obese. Unfortunately, since the US population is rapidly trending toward obesity, few people pay attention. The plethora of diet/exercise articles may have made the exercise group finally stat paying attention.
2
I believe this can be true for some myself even though I don't think this study was very thorough. I started going to the gym seriously about 5 weeks ago now and have also been making an effort to eat better. I am usually hungry after a workout in the morning, but I'll have a protein shake and 100% natural peanut butter on whole wheat toast with a smidge of real honey. I'm not perfect in the food department by any means, I need to work on my vegetable intake (better than it used to be, but not where it should be) and I still like to have McDonald's once or twice a week (but still watching the calories). I've been working so hard at the gym I don't want to undo all of my progress! But I also realize that life is short and sometimes it is ok to eat the pizza, in moderation of course.
Honestly, I don't see the mystery. When I do sustained exercise that raises my heart rate (at least 45 - 60 minutes) and eat a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetable, whole grains, and lean meats I am able to maintain a healthy weight. When I don't exercise I gain weight, usually pretty quickly. I was shocked to see the results of this last week when I was weighed at the doctor's office and had gained 8 pounds. It shouldn't have been a surprise since all my pants had become suddenly quite snug. My renewed running routine was not making it alone so I looked at my diet and made the necessary changes, including more cooking at home and preparing lots of roasted vegetables. Voila! In just a few weeks, my pants fit again. The hardest part is developing new habits (biking instead of driving, working in the yard instead of scrolling social media, and making the time to cook at home rather than eating out at restaurants).
7
This whole process is about mind set. Whether there is a physical response to the lack of interest in fatty foods by exercising people could be attributed to their mind set in establishing a holistic approach to weight loss. While most set down the road wanting to establish a healthy routine, they are beset by an attitude of I can eat whatever I want because now I am exercising. Those who set more encompassing standards feel that movement and dietary selection go hand in hand. I am sure the temptation is there but the willpower is winning out and that is a good thing.
2
I am turning 69, 6 years ago I embarked on a healthier way of eating and increased my physical activity. I have been told that it takes 6 weeks to break a habit and I focused on that while cutting back on processed foods.
It took me about 6 months but I lost 40 pounds and have kept it off.
I work out at least 6 days a week doing a variety of aerobic, strength and stretch and balance routines for 60 minutes at a time.
I stopped focusing on calories which had always been my downfall.
I have found over the past 6 years that I'm not very interested in fatty and sugary foods. I'll have a cookie or two a day as my indulgence.
I know that exercise has elevated my mood and I enjoy being strong and having much better balance and coordination.
My lasting results are in line with your article.
49
If you're investing in exercise, you're naturally inclined to not undo that investment.
17
In my completely non-scientific experience, I believe it has a lot to do with body temperature. The same way hot summer days decreases appetite, exercising raises body temperature and causes a temporary loss of appetite. I've noticed that in my case it depends on what type of exercise I do. If I walk strenuously I get very hot, which suppresses my appetite for hours after. If I swim - which is my exercise of choice - I am ravenous and spend my last few minutes in the pool thinking about Egg McMuffins and hashbrowns. While I do get warm in the pool, I definitely don't get hot. I don't act on the impulse to swing by McDs on the way home, but I do find that I when I get home I have a second breakfast, usually a peanut butter sandwich - resulting in more calories ingested than expended. Although, recently I have discovered baked oatmeal (made with eggs, nuts and fruit) and while it's not particularly delicious, it's a brick of fuel that will keep me satiated and less likely to want something unhealthy. I'd like to lose 10 lbs but I also like to enjoy my exercise so I'll take being fit over thinner any day.
11
@Laurie, I agree with the observation! For me, it is a measure of how out of breath I become. I eat much less after a heavy aerobic workout. I eat more after lap swimming or weights.
4
@Laurie
Same here. My appetite skyrockets after a swim, but goes down after a run or bike ride.
1
Sweating means I want foods with high water content, not fatty sweets. The longer I dance (high intensity not club stuff), the less I want food in general but always choose fruits, vegetables, and low fat meat.
6
Speaking *only* for myself, I found that when I started measuring the number of miles I would have to bike, run, or walk to offset that piece of chocolate cake, it suddenly looked a whole lot less appetizing. Measuring both calories and exercise with a food diary helped keep me from lying to myself about both sides of the equation.
And when I did start losing weight, the glorious ability to run, bike, walk, and move around faster provided a continuing incentive not to backslide.
It's still a battle, and it will be every day for the rest of my life. But, for the past 20 years, that has helped me.
20
Another conclusion reached on an assumption extrapolated from a flawed study. Science please?
5
I don't buy it.
Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight will help you stay away from food not because you don't crave them but because you have the will power to want to look, fell good, be desirable to the opposite sex and live a healthier long life.
6
Why are you still pushing low fat? High carb is much worse...
21
@Xfarmerlaura
Indeed. NYT drives me crazy with this. Fat is satiating and doesn't cause insulin spikes the way sugar/carbs do, so it evens out metabolism.
5
I have found this to be true for myself. I wonder whether this is associated with the concurrent "lift in spirits" often associated with regular exercise, hence the concurrent lessening of the urge for "comfort foods".
18
I believe you cannot out exercise your diet unless you are training to be an Olympian. Over the last two years I have seen the same people exercise 3 to 5 times a week in a hour CrossFit program with little change to their body or weight. There is no doubt that this is beneficial to their health and heart but not for weight loss. When I work out regularly I really question my food choice as I know how hard it is to drag around that extra 10 pounds at the gym.
22
Great quote I recently heard, “pay more attention to what you do in the kitchen than what you do in the gym.” It’s the food choices, not the workout, that gets the weight off.
1
@MonaLisa As I'm jogging, I'm always thinking of the quote, "Abs are made in the kitchen". You can exercise all you want, but if you eat poorly, it will not change your weight (and the flab over your abs). I love sweets, but I know eating a lot of them will undo all the work I've put in on my diet and exercise.
Decreased caloric intake is "essential for weight loss", not physical activity.
7
No Michael,
When you decrease your caloric intake, your body decreases its energy output to maintain equilibrium. Diets don’t work.
1
@Songbird Are you seriously claiming that people don't lose weight when they eat less?
After half a lifetime of moderate self loathing based on body composition I found myself putting the horse before the cart; I focused on exercise as primary.
If you try this, I would suggest being kind to yourself; don't try to overwhelm your inertia. Build slowly and thoughtfully.
You might find, as I did, that the time required to burn 300 is worse than wasted if you decide to eat a large soft pretzel (493 calories). Then, I think, some body awareness comes in, some respect for your efforts: it is no big deal to go for something lighter and healthier.
Apart from this is the fact that means to bodily health are thwarted by distortions in self image concerns, else why would we have so many with eating disorders. I suspect there is a good deal more mercy in the world than these self mutilators realize. For those suffering in this way, please know that love and acceptance belong to you, and to your neighbor.
8
Run walk yoga 3-4 times a week = healthier, cleaner eating and very much less alcohol. n=1. Lived experience.
5
This article verifies what I have always observed with myself and others.
When I exercise at least 5 times per week, I make excellent food choices with very little craving for high fat or high sugar.
If I have had an injury, (soccer, basketball, senior softball, or hiit) or if work has taxed my exercise time to a couple times per week, it is inevitable I will gravitate towards poor food choices.
And I have noticed this phenomenon with other teammates and or friends.
Thanks for reaffirming and there is no need to do more studies.
Just print this and take it as the gospel.
Or as our youth say, "True dat".
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@Branson - Agreed.
When I am active, I am not interested in sugary, junky, fatty or fried food. When I take a hiatus, the cravings return.
It has nothing to do with willpower or calculating how much work I have to do to offset that cheeseburger or candy bar. It's just not appealing to me.
2
I’m not entirely sure that this is universal.
Being retired, my husband and I go to the gym together. I usually warm up with some twenty minutes on the treadmill mill and then onto the weights. It usually takes about an hour and a half.
Usually when I’m halfway through my resistance training he comes up to me and says “ I’m hungry. I’m going to get something to eat. He’ll then spend the next half hour chowing down on burgers and fries washed down with a soda while I finish my workout.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence but most Planet Fitness gyms (and being full time RVers we have used these facilities all over the country) are located near fast food establishments seemingly strategically placed to capture the attention of the well intentioned but weak of will.
“Let’s have nachos tonight” he said as we headed back home.
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I believe this variation might be due to the fact that people are actually getting more aware of their bodies' signals. I do yoga about 5x a week and this is in order to 'put myself in my body.' Maybe the folks who continue to eat a lot of fat are meant to eat that way. It might be relevant to look at what type of exercise as well. Maybe the people who start eating healthier are doing exercises that require more interoception (sensing the internal landscape of the body).
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I've been exercising my whole life. Diet is half of the equation. If I don't watch how muc. and what I'm eating the exercise is still good, but there will be no weight loss, at least for me. I can't overeat, and fatty foods trigger a craving for more. This has proven true for years.
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I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm at home, I snack or eat pretty much continuously. I'm retired now, but this was true even back when I worked. Anything that gets me up and moving, even just walking, cuts my calories and helps control weight. And getting away from the tv and computer screens helps my mood. I recommend that anyone interested in fitness or weight control try to find some kind of activity that interests you. Any movement is better than none.
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@Frank For people whose habits are like yours, they can try stocking up with healthy snacks and banishing/ limiting unhealthy ones. In our house, we rarely have snacks like chips, cookies, etc. Rather we have nuts, popcorn, dried fruit, dark chocolate. That goes a long way because convenience is a major factor for us and probably most people.
I have been working out at least 3 times a week at a CrossFit gym in a group for a year, it has significantly changed my fitness level, energy and healthy choice with portion control, I was not focused on losing weight, I wanted push myself beyond my comfort, doing Planks and Pushups has helped my core and upper body strength, as exercise has become routine, I see the benefit in making healthy choice, no more craving for buffet, planning helps a great deal, my wife has joined six months ago, same pattern, hard to start and stick to the plan, having variations in exercise with group helps a great deal, now I always try to sneak in a workout instead of postponing
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I am glad to see researchers are beginning to explore the variation between individual responses to diet and exercise.
Intense regular exercise doesn't just burn calories. For some people, it decreases their appetite for several hours, in others, it decreases their interest in "heavy" foods that make them feel sluggish. For some people, it lifts their anxiety or depression, making them less likely to seek out comfort food and more likely to be interested in improving their health in other ways. For others, meeting small, achievable goals -- this many workouts/week, that many minutes on the bike, etc -- is a positive experience that makes exercise more intrinsically rewarding than a restrictive diet, and so they are more likely to stick to an exercise program than a diet.
These things are not true for everyone. Exercise makes some people hungrier, and they end up eating more. Other people feel "empowered" to overeat. I think it is worthwhile to start exploring these differences, instead of focusing on the average response.
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@HT
You're correct and I'd like to add one more nuance to what you suggest. When I've been increasing my training, I crave markedly more food as I build muscle and bone. When I'm in maintenance mode, I crave much less food. In other words, the same person may feel differently about food depending on the sort of training they're in. Note that most studies put people into training and others go about their regular lives. When training and building, my body craves more food and I wonder if it's the same for people in the studies who by nature of the study begin new training--thus confounding the findings and showing that "exercise makes people eat more" More, when training more intensely, I have gained weight, a lot of it, while losing dress sizes. Doctors informed me that I'm gaining bone matter and muscle and losing fat. Body weight up, size down. In these studies they only look at the portion that says: body weight up, apparently and say that some people gain weight when exercising.
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I visit my gym 5 times weekly, mostly participating in HIIT 45 classes. There are a variety of body types in the class, ranging from trim and fit to overweight and even mildly obese. I see others on the machines, again, some in need of significant weight loss. For some people, either metabolically or by eating habits, no amount of gym visits seem to change their appearance. Diet and caloric intake are the main factors in weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight, not exercise, in my observations.
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Mindfulness about what we’re eating is easier said than done - *unless* you know that you are going to track your calories, and have endured the consequences (stomach aches, sleeplessness, too full to exercise) of overdoing the high calorie stuff. Various studies have been done on the positive effects of writing down food intake and various apps have made this easier than ever. The app called “Lose It” works for me...when I decided this year to lose 15 pounds I had gained from not commuting 90 minutes into NYC every day, and all the walking that goes with being in a vibrant city, I signed up for Lose It, put in my goals, agreed to a calorie budget for the day, acknowledged the exercise I needed to do, and I write down every bite in an easy to use dashboard. I have lost 9 pounds since I started it on January 1. It’s not the “pound a day” loss that other programs claim (good luck maintaining that!), but it has totally improved my motivation about food and exercise. If you bite it, you write it. You’d be amazed at how many calories we intake.
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I sustained a profound back injury from a car accident years ago. Intense exercise was the only thing that saved me from needing a wheelchair.
There's very little doubt that exercising influences your food choices. As someone who has exercised my entire life, I can state unequivocally that exercise induces a person to make smarter food choices.
Exercise, in my case, weight lifting and cardio exercise, makes it almost impossible to eat junk food. Knowing that the food you choose to eat will be the next day's energy, makes it imperative I make wise choices. And, I do.
Quality, low-fat protein, good vegetables-properly cooked, through steaming, grilling, sautéing, broiling or baking is the best thing you can do for yourself. It takes a bit more time than store-bought garbage, or junk food, but it's well worth the effort.
Not only will you have more energy and mental acuity, but your skin, hair and face will look wonderful and you'll reap the benefits of better sleep, sex, and life, in general.
Are you sold, yet?
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Amen, sister!
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@Pamela L. Not if you want me to cook.
I think once the food industry discovered that people will pay five times as much for crunchy food, the die was cast.
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A study of what participants in a weight loss study self report that they might like to eat doesn’t seem terribly scientific. Exercise may convey a lingering sense of virtue that enhances self-control for some people, but it certainly doesn’t diminish the appetite.
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@Amanda That is not true for everyone. Many people do find that their appetite diminishes after a run or another form of moderately intense aerobic exercise.
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@Candace Kalish
Very true for me. Did my 6 miler today in prep for a spring marathon and still not feeling hungry.
10
The data presented here seems less than compelling to take up exercise for weight loss. The folks that were on the exercise plan burned a whopping total of 30,000 calories over 3 months, yet just a few managed to drop a little. The small psychological change about not seeking out high calorie foods is a bit nebulous.
What I might find interesting is how in heaven they could motivate sedentary people to exercise that hard!
18
I can attest to this article. When I stopped cycling for a period of time due to work and life circumstances, I had a stronger craving for ice cream and chocolates. Once I returned to my training schedule, I had no craving for ice cream. A piece of dark chocolate, once in a while. I believe exercise helps alleviate stress, which also lowered my craving for sweets. My motivation to bike is not to lose weight as my BMI is already 18-19, but to maintain my health and because I love riding.
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@a happy cyclist I think you hit the nail on the head there when you mentioned that exercise alleviates stress as a connection
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@Laura Agreed. When we have alleviated some stress through exercise, we're a bit more likely to consider healthier food. And when exercise isn't part of our day-to-day, stress builds and food that isn't good for you, is eaten more.
5
This is a small difference compared to what happened when the food industry realized that people would pay five times as much to have a food item made crunchy.
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@Peter Silverman
'After news reports emerged that Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi had mentioned her company might consider a quieter version of Doritos for women—an idea PepsiCo later denied they would label in a gender-specific fashion—women Doritos enthusiasts rallied around the Texas state capitol, condemning the perceived gender discrimination. To protest the possible dilution of their favorite snack, they made a spectacle of crunching Doritos as loudly as they could'.
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@William
Thanks William for this satire at the expense of women
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@FerCry'nTears I'm not sure where the satire comes in. It is an excerpt from a straight news story, you can probably locate it by using some fragment as a search argument.
I find the story funny, but I'm not exactly sure why. A plan for a Dorito with a more nuanced crunch seems a bizarre example of corporate efforts. I think a picture of the women making serious noise with their favored chip might clarify whether or not humor was the intent from the beginning.
I doubt anyone really deserves thanks for offering anything at the expense of women; perhaps my sin has found me out.
1
I find it difficult to find meaning in this research. Some of the people who were motivated to start an exercise regimen showed slightly less inclination to eat high-calorie or fatty food, and the conclusion drawn is that there is something metabolically inherent about exercise that causes this? How about attributing it to the fact that they are motivated to lose weight?
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@Madeline Conant
Absolutely! Cause and correlation are not clearly distinguished in this study. Could it be that if people start feeling better about their bodies due to exercise, they feel less inclined to ruin all that hard work with excessive junk food?
It would be helpful to know whether the researches included resistance training in the exercise routines of the subject. Aerobics alone do not appear effective for long term weight loss.
@Brann Wry: I disagree. Aerobics can be effective, depending on the duration and how often, as consistency of working out is key. I lost weight and maintained it from long, slow distance cycling - mostly aerobic.
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