Don't Try to Lose Weight by Exercising

[Vinny]

Interview with an American researcher - 0820 BBC R4 today. No doubt widely reported elsewhere online. Book - "The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism".
His conclusions are largely influeneced by studying Tanzanians still relying on a broadly hunter-gatherer lifestyle, but not exclusively so.

Simple logic - the great majority of the calories that we eat (apart from being deposited as fat), get used for basic bodily functions such as keeping warm, breathing, maintaining the CNS. Very little, as a %, gets used for movement.

If people exercise the body tends to rob the small amounts of energy needed for the exercise from the basic uses.

Want to loose weight, eat less. Want to stay fit, supple etc., take exercise.

It seems that the common throw-away comment that you can walk/jog for a mile and not work off a cream cracker, was wildly opptimistic.

 

[White Zombie]

Kind of nonsense but at the same time bang on.

If you want to lose weight take in less calories than you burn in a day.

Doing a bit of exercise will help burn a few calories.

End of the day just eat healthy and you'll be fine.

I learned all that without studying Africans relying on a hunter gatherer lifestyle.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

I just think hard thoughts. The brain is the biggest single consumer of energy, I think?

 

[mandryka]

My exercise bike shows me how many calories I’ve used. Is it bullshit?

For example it quite often tells me that I cycled 1000 Calories, but if I calculate my food intake (which I could be doing very wrong!) I’ve eaten maybe 2000 Calories. But I’m fit and well, a healthy weight, certainly not underweight.

 

[Vinny]

Is it bullshit?

No, I'd say not. The interview is no more than 2-3 minutes, so is hardly in-depth, but iPlayer will let you listen now.

I would say that burning 1000 EXTRA calories when eating only 2000 is more likely an error. and supports the proposition outlined in the article/book.

 

[MikeMA]

The perfectly logical proposition that the way to lose weight is by eating less doesn't go down well with some people.

I remember at least one lengthy and heated thread on here where certain pfm members appeared to be in denial about the laws of thermodynamics.

 

[Big Tabs]

I just think hard thoughts. The brain is the biggest single consumer of energy, I think?

Depends which brain...

 

[mandryka]

No, I'd say not. The interview is no more than 2-3 minutes, so is hardly in-depth, but iPlayer will let you listen now.

I would say that burning 1000 EXTRA calories when eating only 2000 is more likely an error. and supports the proposition outlined in the article/book.

Its just so hard to get a view on how many calories I’m consuming!

 

[Vinny]

I remember at least one lengthy and heated thread on here where certain pfm members appeared to be in denial about the laws of thermodynamics.

Not uncommon on numerous topics - reinvention of physics, chemistry, maths, ypu name it.

 

[John Phillips]

My exercise bike shows me how many calories I’ve used. Is it bullshit? ...

You can check online for plausibility such as (Harvard Medical School) here.

"Bicycling, Stationary: moderate" from 210 to 311 calories per 30 minute session, depending on weight.

I agree with the premise that for most people weight planning is mainly about planning calorie intake. Exercise is mainly for fitness, and any additional weight loss is a bonus.

 

[Vinny]

Its just so hard to get a view on how many calories I’m consuming!

How long do you want to spend on doing that? The US FDA calorie calculator is very good, but slow to use, but once you have run common foods through it and noted them or printed them off, you're done.

If you are a reasonable weight, why worry anyway? (Although your figures posted above make little sense - burning half your calorie intake on an exercise bike..................)

 

[blossomchris]

I just think hard thoughts. The brain is the biggest single consumer of energy, I think?

Hard stares (Paddington style) may use more energy and seem to work

 

[Vinny]

"Bicycling, Stationary: moderate" from 210 to 311 calories per 30 minute session, depending on weight.

But the contention of the latest research is that that is not additional - most of the calories are redistributed from base metabolism.

 

[mandryka]

The reason I’m worrying is that sometimes I think - I’ve eaten 2K calories and I’ve burned 1K on the bike alone. But I am sure I’m a good weight and I feel great!

 

[White Zombie]

The perfectly logical proposition that the way to lose weight is by eating less doesn't go down well with some people.

I remember at least one lengthy and heated thread on here where certain pfm members appeared to be in denial about the laws of thermodynamics.

Fatties are always looking for excuses. It's very easy, just eat a healthy balanced diet and if you want to do some exercise as well then even better.
Change your eating habits to one that's sustainable.

Don't need fad diets, fasting, cutting out carbs every Tuesday, personal trainers, fit bits, etc

@mandryka if you're fit, healthy and not over or underweight, I wouldn't bother with how many calories you're taking in/burning. Stick to what you're doing if it's going well. I doubt you're burning 1000 calories on an exercise bike though unless you're on it for hours.

 

[dweezil]

I suspect that exercise bike may been measuring to the nearest 0.01 calories.

I'm knackered after 50 nominal calories on our cross trainer. Use it as a target rather than an absolute guide.

You can be grossly unfit and thin; i was at my heaviest when also probably at my lowest %fat. Over the last 45 years
most of that weight has turned into fat and fled from arms and legs to abdomen.

 

[mandryka]

Fatties are always looking for excuses. It's very easy, just eat a healthy balanced diet and if you want to do some exercise as well then even better.
Change your eating habits to one that's sustainable.

Don't need fad diets, fasting, cutting out carbs every Tuesday, personal trainers, fit bits, etc

@mandryka if you're fit, healthy and not over or underweight, I wouldn't bother with how many calories you're taking in/burning. Stick to what you're doing if it's going well. I doubt you're burning 1000 calories on an exercise bike though unless you're on it for hours.

I often do two 40 minute sessions, about 500 calories each. Crazy I know, but I have got in the routine and it’s addictive! And it gives me a chance to listen to French radio.

 

[alanbeeb]

My exercise bike shows me how many calories I’ve used. Is it bullshit?

For example it quite often tells me that I cycled 1000 Calories, but if I calculate my food intake (which I could be doing very wrong!) I’ve eaten maybe 2000 Calories. But I’m fit and well, a healthy weight, certainly not underweight.

Sure its calories and not Kilojoules? (my exercise bike displays kilojoules and it take me about 15 mins to burn 420KJ - which is about 100 calories) so it would take me 2.5 hours to use 1000 calories on that bike!

 

[White Zombie]

I often do two 40 minute sessions, about 500 calories each. Crazy I know, but I have got in the routine and it’s addictive! a and it gives me a chance to listen to French radio.

I wouldn't worry to much about calories then. If you're a healthy weight and doing a bit of cardio that you enjoy and doesn't feel like a chore that's ideal.

Biggest mistake folk trying to lose weight make is overlook the obvious and come up with all these nonsensical unstainable plans on how to do it. Or think they can eat what they like but if they muck about on a cross trainer for an hour a week that the weight will fall off.

 

[ff1d1l]

But excercise raises your metabolic rate, raising the base level of calories consumed keeping the body going, and depresses appetite, making it highly likely that your intake stays within target, so is more useful than not.
I've lost a stone without any real difficulty since the new year by:
Walking the dog for at least an hour most days. It's hilly around here, so can be quite strenuous walking.
Sticking to three meals a day, all smallish portions except breakfast which is as much fresh fruit (except banana) as I want, small amount of museli, two shredded wheat, no sugar.
Nothing last thing at night.