Which is better for weight loss, diet or exercise?

[eytonxav]

If you could only choose one for weight loss, which would you pick, diet or exercise? Based on my own experience the answer was obvious, but this subject had been debated in the past. Here is an article on this subject by Will Brink:
https://brinkzone.com/exercise-and-weight-loss-how-important-is-it/

 

[Ronstar]

I agree with the article. And I read somewhere else that weight loss is 85% diet 15% exercise.

I was sick for a while and didn't eat much. Lost 10 lbs in a week. Then I got well and started eating regular - and gained 10 lbs back even though I was exercising cardio almost every day and lifting weights every other day.

 

[MuirWannabe]

From a long time runner who likes to eat....the answer is diet. I’ve heard the old 80/20 rule in terms of import on weight loss.

 

[Dtail]

Definitely diet, but exercise should be part of the overall health protocol.
6x weekly Pickleball for me for 3 hours a day.

 

[MRG]

Diet.

During a 20 pound weight loss i measured the approximate amount of weight loss from both via the caloric deficit they created. Sixteen out of 20 from calories. YMMV

 

[Markola]

Diet.

 

[skipro33]

Exercise converts weight from fat to weight from muscle. Your size will likely go down with exercise, but weight not so much. I would focus less on the actual weight number and more on BMI.
But, to loose weight, diet is the way to go.

 

[RunningBum]

Not surprised diet is the answer. But I lost 20 pounds when I trained for my first marathon, and I'm pretty sure I didn't change much with the diet.

Weight crept up halfway back when I decided to make a seriously attempt to improve my time enough to qualify for the Boston marathon. I didn't change diet but I limited portions, especially of less healthy foods and drinks. I also increased both the mileage and intensity, and dropped another 20 pounds.

I think for me that exercise does help a lot with my weight, especially if I don't use my running to justify eating a lot of junk. I've never really done a diet overhaul of my diet to see how that works. I enjoy running, and would rather not change my diet so much, so if that combo works for me, I'm going to stay with it. Unfortunately over the last couple years my running has been limited due to various health reasons, and my weight is back up over my original weight years ago. We'll see what running does for that once I can get back to that, which I'm working on.

 

[street]

Diet.
The less I put in my mouth the less I will weigh. I get a lot of physical exercise naturally each day and it makes very little difference in my weight. For me it is what I eat and how much I eat if I want to keep off the pounds.

 

[Aerides]

Purely for weight loss - meaning loss of body fat - diet, hands down, 80-90% of the equation.

I'm surprised this author claims he didn't know that even 10 years ago.

 

[pacergal]

Diet for weight loss, exercise helps with weight maintenance.

 

[tmm99]

Diet.

 

[CoolRich59]

From a long time runner who likes to eat....the answer is diet. I’ve heard the old 80/20 rule in terms of import on weight loss.

^^^ 100%

My doc told me this too. I've been trying to lose weight and started riding a bike 5 days a week for 30 or more minutes per ride. After 2 months, I'd lost no weight - zero, zilch, nada.

I had a follow up appointment with my doc and expressed my frustration that I hadn't lost any weight. His response: You just proved the 80/20 rule. You can exercise all you want, but it's pretty much meaningless unless you change your diet.

 

[tb001]

I’ve always lived by the ‘you can’t out exercise a bad diet’ mantra. For me, if I don’t focus on calories, I don’t lose. It’s very easy to eat back your exercise. I think running might be one of the few exceptions, since it burns so many calories if you’re running high mileage.

 

[Freedom56]

After age 40, it's both diet and exercise. With respect to diet, it's just a matter of limiting portions and limiting the intake of alcohol. If your doctor didn't tell you that during your annual physicals, it's time to look for a new doctor. We never let our BMI cross the 22-23 range. You can run, bike, or hike to stay in shape along with some strength training to keep you body toned.

 

[eytonxav]

Purely for weight loss - meaning loss of body fat - diet, hands down, 80-90% of the equation.

I'm surprised this author claims he didn't know that even 10 years ago.

Not necessarily obvious if you consider burning calories by exercise vs reducing calories via diet, and then the other factor is not all calories are created equal from a dietary aspect.

 

[garyt]

Exercise converts weight from fat to weight from muscle. Your size will likely go down with exercise, but weight not so much. I would focus less on the actual weight number and more on BMI.
But, to loose weight, diet is the way to go.

I'd totally disagree on that. BMI will be inflated if you build muscle. It doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle. You could take a body builder or lots of pro football players with 7 % body fat and BMI will say they're obese

 

[braumeister]

The two are inextricably joined. Per unit of volume, muscle weighs more than fat, but the difference is small (makes a good excuse though [emoji41] ).

Running or brisk walking burns somewhere around 100 calories per mile, but it sure feels like more!

Personally, I try to give equal attention to both.

 

[jim584672]

Diet. Calorie counting. I lost 30 pounds with this method.

 

[eytonxav]

I'd totally disagree on that. BMI will be inflated if you build muscle. It doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle. You could take a body builder or lots of pro football players with 7 % body fat and BMI will say they're obese

+1 absolutely for the bolded types. My BMI was not a good # about 10 years ago when I was lifting heavy and weighed 195 lbs at 5'10" and was heavily muscled with ~10-12% bf. That muscle got added over maybe 1 years time with my starting weight at 175 lbs and body fat at ~18%.

Also, while nutrition was well known in the body building community a decade ago for cutting bf, the debate of whether exercise or diet was more effective at losing weight, was not as well understood for average joe's as it is today.

 

[Aerides]

Not necessarily obvious if you consider burning calories by exercise vs reducing calories via diet, and then the other factor is not all calories are created equal from a dietary aspect.

Sure, I know it's not obvious to most who might never have considered it, but the author is someone who's been deep in the fitness world for over 20 years by his own bio.

Other things that are not as commonly understood: Not all exercise builds muscle, and building muscle is far slower than most people estimate. You don't simply start doing the elliptical 30min a day and gain any amount of measurable muscle in 2 months. You have to lift progressively heavier things to do that, and even then it's 2lbs a month for men to start, and half that for women. (and that's for younger people than most here)

And doing cardio for long periods (slogging out a 10 mile run, etc.,) your body isn't always as calorie efficient on the burn on mile 6 as it was on mile 1.

But yes, having a fit strong body that can move and lift and go is one that is more efficient and a better metabolizer of what you do eat. So it does all work together, especially over the long haul. That's why the goal for most people shouldn't be simply to "weigh less" but to reduce body fat, increase cardiovascular capacity, strength, flexibility, fitness.

 

[eytonxav]

Sure, I know it's not obvious to most who might never have considered it, but the author is someone who's been deep in the fitness world for over 20 years by his own bio.

Your initial comment of surprise that he claimed not to realize this 10 years ago was wrong and dismissive of Will's Brink's expertise. He does not publish BS, does superior research, and is considered an expert in the fitness world. Honestly, you at times come off as a know it all.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

One way I've heard to remember it is that a small snack bag of chips or one beer are both about 160 calories; it takes me 20 minutes of running or 40 minutes of walking to burn that many calories. It's much easier to forego the beer or chips than to add another 20 minutes or running or 40 minutes of walking to your daily routine. I could easily eat at least an extra 1600 calories per day if I grazed and/or drank all that I wanted to, but I definitely could not exercise that much more!

 

[Eucerin]

Ideal response is - do both. but just pick one of two, it would be diet over exercise.

 

[Rianne]

Diet, hands down. I lost ~85 lbs. years ago. Yes, I walked and worked out a bit. It helped my overall confidence and well being. It's good to be active and move as much as possible.