Is diet the key factor to considerably weight loss?

[kenny1999]

I have been hearing of things like

- Taking in is always easier than burning out
- No matter how much you 've worked out you will fail by a can of coke....


Is diet the key factor to considerably weight loss??

Yes, I don't really like exercising but I think I can restrict myself to 50% full for each meal. Would that work?

 

[MrNiceGuy1]

The answer to your question is ‘Yes’ regardless of whether you combine exercise. However, if you don’t incorporate exercise, then reduced calorie consumption is your only route towards weight loss, albeit slowly.

On reduced calorie consumption alone, provided your energy balance is correct, you can probably expect to lose around a 1lb a week. However, combine reduced consumption with exercise and you could reasonably expect to lose 2-3lbs per week. Since you’re already running a deficit, the body utilises energy stored in fat to ensure its daily calorific needs continue to be met and, thus, additional weight is lost.

As for dietary intake, during calorie reduction/restriction, you should aim to ensure that lean protein accounts for around 40% (aiming to consume around a 1g per lb of body weight), with complex carbohydrate and healthy fat each making up 30% respectively.

Higher consumption of protein, particularly during periods of calorie reduction, helps to prevent existing muscle mass from being broken down and used to fuel the body. As such, the weight reduction comes from the burning of fat, instead.

As for restricting yourself to remaining only 50% full at mealtimes, I see potential flaws, since it may prove difficult for you to gauge what ‘50% full’ feels like. Moreover, if don’t feel fully satiated afterwards, the temptation to eat until you do feel full can lead to eating more than you usually would.

Instead, I’d suggest that you begin by reducing portion sizes by 25% at mealtimes, as such an approach will be more beneficial in helping you to understand portion control, reducing portion sizes further, until you reach a point that still provides satiety. Increased protein consumption will also assist with this aim.

In order to gain a clearer idea of how many calories you should be consuming, to satisfy both your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), you should research BMR/TDEE calculators. Having obtained figures for both, aim to introduce a daily deficit from your TDEE (approx. 500Kcal), ensuring that the deficit introduced doesn’t take you below your BMR.

Additionally, research macronutrient calculators, since they’ll provide a breakdown of how many daily calories should be consumed between the respective food groups.

 

[2016Aga]

From my experience, diet is definitely the greater factor than exercise although both are necessary for optimal results. In terms of food, it's more about eating healthy then eating 50% less. If you simply eat 50% less but are still eating unhealthy foods, two things will happen: 1) You'll be incredibly hungry and 2) Your body won't get the nutrition it needs to work properly. My recommendation would be to focus of eating healthy foods and not worry about the amounts too much. Getting healthy and reaching your optimal weight is not about not eating but rather about eating healthy foods that give you the nutrition you need!

 

[BantingBuzz]

I agree with 2016Aga - Diet is definitely the first step. Calories should not be our focus, but what our body needs and working with our metabolism rather than against it. It would be better to start cutting out sugar and adding more healthy fats e.g. olive oil, avocado, eggs and nuts. Sugars and grains make you hungry, healthy fats make you feel fuller for longer.Why deprive yourself if you can lose the weight eating delicious food?

If you are struggling with Diabetes, gout, high blood pressure or cholesterol, each situation may call for different things. There is no cookie-cutter approach that will be able to help us in all situations, but there are some great guidelines.

I lost 52;bs without exercising, cutting sugar and eating whole foods. My current goal is walking every day and doing kettlebell exercises. This is mostly for toning up and cardio. You cannot lose weight eating poorly, cutting calories (portion control) or just doing exercise.

 

[Steve]

I agree with 2016Aga - Diet is definitely the first step. Calories should not be our focus, but what our body needs and working with our metabolism rather than against it. It would be better to start cutting out sugar and adding more healthy fats e.g. olive oil, avocado, eggs and nuts. Sugars and grains make you hungry, healthy fats make you feel fuller for longer.Why deprive yourself if you can lose the weight eating delicious food?

If you are struggling with Diabetes, gout, high blood pressure or cholesterol, each situation may call for different things. There is no cookie-cutter approach that will be able to help us in all situations, but there are some great guidelines.

I lost 52;bs without exercising, cutting sugar and eating whole foods. My current goal is walking every day and doing kettlebell exercises. This is mostly for toning up and cardio. You cannot lose weight eating poorly, cutting calories (portion control) or just doing exercise.

Good post.

That said, we would quibble over the notion that you "cannot lose weight eating poorly, cutting calories, or just doing exercise."

While I agree full heartedly with your notion of this being about habits that meet people where they are rather than numbers obsession... it still comes down to the fact that a deficit will lead to weight loss. So it's unfair to say that you cannot lose weight eating poorly, cutting calories, or just doing exercise. If any of these variables creates a deficit over time, weight will be lost.

 

[BantingBuzz]

Good post.

That said, we would quibble over the notion that you "cannot lose weight eating poorly, cutting calories, or just doing exercise."

While I agree full heartedly with your notion of this being about habits that meet people where they are rather than numbers obsession... it still comes down to the fact that a deficit will lead to weight loss. So it's unfair to say that you cannot lose weight eating poorly, cutting calories, or just doing exercise. If any of these variables creates a deficit over time, weight will be lost.

Thank you for your response! The trouble is that a deficit doesn't always lead to a loss. I know plenty of people (myself included) who cut their portions to the the point of starvation and their weight does not move an inch. There are plenty of people who are overweight in developing nations who are living off of practically nothing - why are they not losing weight? I would suggest we look into the different theories of metabolism especially the Austrian model.

 

[Steve]

Thank you for your response! The trouble is that a deficit doesn't always lead to a loss. I know plenty of people (myself included) who cut their portions to the the point of starvation and their weight does not move an inch. There are plenty of people who are overweight in developing nations who are living off of practically nothing - why are they not losing weight? I would suggest we look into the different theories of metabolism especially the Austrian model.

The fact is there has never been a metabolic ward study conducted where a deficit didn't lead to a loss in weight over meaningful periods of time outside the realms of outlier medical conditions such as monogenetic defects (e.g. melanocortin receptor defect or whatever). That some people claim that they're not losing weight when they're starving is beside the point. If you're claiming that a deficit doesn't lead to weight loss... you'd have a very steep uphill battle of proving that in the data given the decades and reams of literature that has been produced.

Now if you're suggesting that what should be a deficit is not in some cases... that's a different argument. But to say that a deficit won't cause weight loss over time is incorrect.

I would argue that we don't need new theories, but better ways of thinking about fitness and health... along the lines of what you've been posting actually. We're closer to being on the same page than we are apart.

 

[BantingBuzz]

The fact is there has never been a metabolic ward study conducted where a deficit didn't lead to a loss in weight over meaningful periods of time outside the realms of outlier medical conditions such as monogenetic defects (e.g. melanocortin receptor defect or whatever). That some people claim that they're not losing weight when they're starving is beside the point. If you're claiming that a deficit doesn't lead to weight loss... you'd have a very steep uphill battle of proving that in the data given the decades and reams of literature that has been produced.

Now if you're suggesting that what should be a deficit is not in some cases... that's a different argument. But to say that a deficit won't cause weight loss over time is incorrect.

I would argue that we don't need new theories, but better ways of thinking about fitness and health... along the lines of what you've been posting actually. We're closer to being on the same page than we are apart.

Thanks for your response!

I certainly agree with you on finding better ways to think about health and fitness. Which philosophy do you espouse?

 

[Steve]

Thanks for your response!

I certainly agree with you on finding better ways to think about health and fitness. Which philosophy do you espouse?

I've stopped focusing on having a "nutrition pitch" to clients a long time ago. I think anyone who has objectively assessed the data and has been at this a long time with a variety of clients eventually comes to the point where it's not about a diet. I mean, if you had to hold me down to the fire and force an answer out of me, I'd say a diet that's rooted in moderate to high protein, moderate fat, plenty of fibrous veggies and fruits, whole foods, and minimal processed crap (though not absolutists about processed crap) is the key to most scenarios.

But I would never throw that at a client. We don't fix clients by saying "Eat less sugar." That's totally neglecting the human side of the coin... which is by far and away the most sensitive and important part.

My philosophy as a coach is to get to know someone - history, goals, current approaches, etc. And then piece together advice that actually meets them where they are in order to promote gentle, gradual, and sustainable change.

I work with some high level athletes who thrive on sugar. They eat more sugar than anyone I know. I'm not going to come in slinging a "eat less sugar" argument when they're literally paying their bills with their bodies and performance.

So again, my philosophy is rooted in understanding the person and the context and letting go of the notion of there being one best way of going about things in all cases.

 

[julia anderson]

I can speak from experience, eating properly foods made from whole ingredients, cooking yourself, eating the right portions helped far more to keep the weight down than exercise.

 

[Steve]

I can speak from experience, eating properly foods made from whole ingredients, cooking yourself, eating the right portions helped far more to keep the weight down than exercise.

I don't think anyone would contend that nutrition is a more potent influencer of weight management than is exercise.

That said, for those interested in optimizing physique and fitness turning it into an either/or dichotomy is pointless... since both proper diet and training are necessary.

 

[BantingBuzz]

I don't think anyone would contend that nutrition is a more potent influencer of weight management than is exercise.

That said, for those interested in optimizing physique and fitness turning it into an either/or dichotomy is pointless... since both proper diet and training are necessary.

I think that, more often than not, people are looking for a way to lose weight without the need to do a lot of exercise due to time constraints or other reasons. On the one hand, one cannot eat what you like and exercise it off, while on the other hand, one cannot expect to shred if one does not to the proper exercise.

Not everyone is looking to optimize their physique, just lose a few pounds here and there. As you said to me before it really depends on the needs of the individual.

 

[Steve]

I think that, more often than not, people are looking for a way to lose weight without the need to do a lot of exercise due to time constraints or other reasons. On the one hand, one cannot eat what you like and exercise it off, while on the other hand, one cannot expect to shred if one does not to the proper exercise.

Not everyone is looking to optimize their physique, just lose a few pounds here and there. As you said to me before it really depends on the needs of the individual.

Which is precisely why I said, "for those interested in optimizing physique and fitness."

You see that, right?

I almost always put qualifiers on generalities since there are very few absolutes in the game of weight loss and fitness.

 

[Travis Bell]

How does a diet help in losing weight? Most weight loss diets are low in calorie and make you feel full. Is there a food item that conclusively burns fat? The best I've heard is capsaicin but its effect in fat burning is not at all conclusive. So does the moderate protein/fat diet with lot of fiber actually helps in weight loss or simply keeps the weight stable?

 

[Rebecca_Daw]

From my experience yes diet is the plays an very important role for weight loss. No matter how much you workout but if you haven't take care what you having doesn’t get effective results.

 

[Teressa McClelland]

I feel Diet and exercise both are equally important. If we do not burn out the calories by exercising, so how is it possible to lose weight. Whatever we intake something that means we are gaining calories and to lose or maintain our wight it is important to exercise at-least for 30 min a day. If you feel lazy to exercise alone then join a fitness group where you will enjoy working out with the group.

 

[lisaloveshearts]

I took a weight loss class and my instructor hold us that eating properly is the key to losing weight. I do believe that exercise is important too, I need to get my butt in gear. I feel really good but I want to feel even better.

 

[medrok]

If you look at most of the studies, It is clear that 80 percent of your weight loss comes from diet.
I would focus on that first.
But it is also important to recognize the importance of weight training. It gets neglected especially by women.

 

[IAmGoingToTri]

Yes, diet is the most important factor to consider for weight loss. That is, long-term diet improvements. Habits. Routine. That's what you want. No crash diets.

That said, exercise could accelerate your progress, and if you make it a habit to exercise regularly your weight loss will be more sustainable.

Finally, I want to stress that there are tons of reason why exercise is good. It's not just for weight loss. It has many psychological benefits, you will look better, being stronger and fitter is very helpful in all physical activity that you will need to do in life (walking, cycling, carrying stuff, the list goes on), your life expectancy will go up and so will your expected amount of healthy years. There are many hundreds of different types of exercise and you could do it in your own way... that is, with a group of people or alone, outside or inside, with music or an audiobook, etc.

I understand that it's hard to start an exercise routine, and that you may not look forward to it. However, I want to encourage you to push through that, to experiment a bit, try some things. I am sure that there will be something that you like. Humans are born to move!

 

[Eric Sean]

One of my family’s favorite shows is “The Biggest Loser.” Although some viewers don’t appreciate how it pushes people so hard to lose weight, the show probably inspires some overweight people to regain control of their lives.

But one of the most frustrating parts of the show, at least for me, is its overwhelming emphasis on exercise. Because when it comes to reaching a healthy weight, what you don’t eat is much, much more important.

Think about it this way: If an overweight man is consuming 1,000 more calories than he is burning and wants to be in energy balance, he can do it by exercising. But exercise consumes far fewer calories than many people think. Thirty minutes of jogging or swimming laps might burn off 350 calories. Many people, fat or fit, can’t keep up a strenuous 30-minute exercise regimen, day in and day out. They might exercise a few times a week, if that.

Proclamations that people need to be more active are ubiquitous in the media. The importance of exercise for proper weight management is reinforced when people bemoan the loss of gym class in schools as a cause of the obesity epidemic. Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program places the focus on exercise as a critical component in combating excess weight and obesity.

Exercise has many benefits, but there are problems with relying on it to control weight. First, it’s just not true that Americans, in general, aren’t listening to calls for more activity. 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.

Studies confirm this finding. A 2011 meta-analysis, a study of studies, looked at the relationship between physical activity and fat mass in children, and found that being active is probably not the key determinant in whether a child is at an unhealthy weight. In the adult population, interventional studies have difficulty showing that a physically active person is less likely to gain excess weight than a sedentary person. Further, studies of energy balance, and there are many of them, show that total energy expenditure and physical activity levels in developing and industrialized countries are similar, making activity and exercise unlikely to be the cause of differing obesity rates.

Moreover, exercise increases one’s appetite. After all, when you burn off calories being active, your body will often signal you to replace them. Research confirms this. 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.

Other metabolic changes can negate the expected weight loss benefits of exercise over the long term. When you lose weight, metabolism often slows. Many people believe that exercise can counter or even reverse that trend. Research, however, shows that the resting metabolic rate in all dieters slows significantly, regardless of whether they exercise. This is why weight loss, which might seem easy when you start, becomes harder over time.