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Thank you. May I take this one step further ? The very first step is exercise. Walk. Do some yoga or martial arts. Resistance training (weights). There is

by rsync 12y ago

Thank you. May I take this one step further ? The very first step is exercise. Walk. Do some yoga or martial arts. Resistance training (weights). There is very little point in discussing or pursuing any of this in the absence of daily, vigorous exercise.

autarch 12y ago
I've lost about 50 pounds over the last two years by reducing my food intake without any additional exercise. In fact, I can't really do much in the way of exercise because of chronic knee problems, which is one reason why I wanted to lose weight in the first place.
rayiner 12y ago
Exercise is important for fitness, but it's really irrelevant for weight loss. For a male, running burns about 100 net calories per mile: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-ar... (depending on weight). To achieve a weight loss of one pound per week, you have to run five miles a day every day. If you're out of shape, that'll take an hour a day, every day, time you almost certainly don't have. Exercising your way to weight loss is an incredibly inefficient use of time. And telling people that they shouldn't even try to lose weight until they can fit in daily exercise into a schedule that's already full is needlessly setting them up for failure.
- runamok 12y ago
  > time you almost certainly don't have. As a runner for the past 23 years, you really, really do have a whole hour a day to dedicate to moving. I assure you that your body will fall apart sooner than later if you dedicate no time to keeping it strong and limber. I'd also say consumption is closer to 120 calories per mile. 3600 calories per lb. of fat so ~30 miles = 1 lb. I usually advise 5 times a week x 3 miles as a beginner program (after a moderate buildup of walk/run and less days per week). So every two weeks our subject would lose 1 lb. That's 26 lbs. in a year. Assuming these are 12 minute miles (which is just a bit faster than a walk), 12 x 15 miles = 3 hours a week. That is really a bare minimum of activity. If people start doing this at age 25 or so instead of trying to start at 45 when they are 60 lbs heavier than they should be it's not too difficult.
recalibrator 12y ago
Don't get me wrong. Exercise is good. But from personal experience and the advice of very smart people, diet is at least 80 percent of losing body fat. Even in Taub's book "Why We Get Fat", he lays the blame squarely on eating highly-refined carbohydrates.
cschmidt 12y ago
I disagree. Walking is good, but if you're really overweight then lose it by diet first, before really focusing on excercise. It will be so much easier when you're not carrying all that weight around. I lost 30 pounds this summer on a keto diet with almost no excercise. I now have a ton more energy, and I'm starting to get into shape. Gary Taubes points out in Why We Get Fat that exercise builds muscle, but doesn't lose fat. He argues you do that best by cutting carbs.

by rsync 12y ago

autarch 12y ago

I've lost about 50 pounds over the last two years by reducing my food intake without any additional exercise. In fact, I can't really do much in the way of exercise because of chronic knee problems, which is one reason why I wanted to lose weight in the first place.

rayiner 12y ago

Exercise is important for fitness, but it's really irrelevant for weight loss. For a male, running burns about 100 net calories per mile: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-ar... (depending on weight). To achieve a weight loss of one pound per week, you have to run five miles a day every day. If you're out of shape, that'll take an hour a day, every day, time you almost certainly don't have. Exercising your way to weight loss is an incredibly inefficient use of time. And telling people that they shouldn't even try to lose weight until they can fit in daily exercise into a schedule that's already full is needlessly setting them up for failure.

runamok 12y ago
> time you almost certainly don't have. As a runner for the past 23 years, you really, really do have a whole hour a day to dedicate to moving. I assure you that your body will fall apart sooner than later if you dedicate no time to keeping it strong and limber. I'd also say consumption is closer to 120 calories per mile. 3600 calories per lb. of fat so ~30 miles = 1 lb. I usually advise 5 times a week x 3 miles as a beginner program (after a moderate buildup of walk/run and less days per week). So every two weeks our subject would lose 1 lb. That's 26 lbs. in a year. Assuming these are 12 minute miles (which is just a bit faster than a walk), 12 x 15 miles = 3 hours a week. That is really a bare minimum of activity. If people start doing this at age 25 or so instead of trying to start at 45 when they are 60 lbs heavier than they should be it's not too difficult.

recalibrator 12y ago

Don't get me wrong. Exercise is good. But from personal experience and the advice of very smart people, diet is at least 80 percent of losing body fat. Even in Taub's book "Why We Get Fat", he lays the blame squarely on eating highly-refined carbohydrates.

cschmidt 12y ago

I disagree. Walking is good, but if you're really overweight then lose it by diet first, before really focusing on excercise. It will be so much easier when you're not carrying all that weight around. I lost 30 pounds this summer on a keto diet with almost no excercise. I now have a ton more energy, and I'm starting to get into shape. Gary Taubes points out in Why We Get Fat that exercise builds muscle, but doesn't lose fat. He argues you do that best by cutting carbs.