Is it true that diet helps lose weight more than exercise?

Question

I'm not saying that I'm not going to do both but I just want to know which one to focus on more. 

Usually I exercise a lot but only see a few results. I can never get a perfect diet since my parents sometimes cook healthy and unhealthy food. I try my best to eat healthy but I can't really do that everyday since I live with them.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

It seems generally true, but each persons body is different. You could ask your parents if you could have a small allowance to buy your own groceries. I did that throughout high schools because I was phasing out meat. (I'm vegetarian right now, was vegan for 5 years) I've recently moved back in, to save money and stress during my current job and grad school, and I buy most of my own food. I still eat some of their food, but its a choice.

I'm overweight/obese and I struggle with weight loss so hard. Food is tricky because I love to eat.

I eat a lot of healthy food, but I also eat unhealthy food. I like to eat out at restaurants and thats part of the problem, because I'll go during the week instead of holding off until the weekend. I love food too much. Indian food, thai food, sushi, it's all problematic lol

I struggle even harder with exercise. I need to get into it either way, but it's not enjoyable for me, so its easy to drop it.

I've lost weight twice before. I lost 25 pounds a couple years ago, but gained most back when I lived in Europe and then the rest back recently. Kind of a buzz kill.

When I was in high school, my mom put me on a weight loss pill that reduced appetite. Sometimes I just wouldn't eat, and in general it helped me to be less hungry. I have a big appetite. My mom gets satisfied and full on smaller portions than it would take for me to get the same feeling. So the appetite suppressant helped. I lost like 40 pounds. Of course, when I ditched the pill, my appetite went up, I ate more, and gained all the weight back. Again, buzz kill.

Food played the only significant roll in my weight loss. The appetite suppressant is an extension of food as well, as I just ate less food. I've never been very serious about working out. In my case, food is a big part. I'm also prediabetic and may have pcos, which doesn't help. Pretty typical though. And a low carb diet just isn't realistic for me long-term.

Weight loss is just something I know I'm always going to struggle with. It is what it is.

Also note that you can eat healthily most of the time and still not lose much weight. I've done it. Calorie deficit or limiting some measurable amount of whatever (weight watchers points, for example) seems key. I can eat "healthy foods" all day without tracking calories or points and very easily not lose weight.

redeyemindtricks · Accepted Answer

Fun fact: To kill the calories in ONE slice of deep-dish pizza, I would have to walk around the city for TWO HOURS. Or do an elliptical AT A FAIRLY HIGH INTENSITY for an ENTIRE HOUR.

Note that I wrote that sentence in the first person ("I"). I am 6'2". That means you would probably have to walk/use the elliptical for even longer than I would.

You see my point. Cardio is just really, really not very effective. People who think they can burn off lots of weight by doing cardio are either /1/ dreamers, /2/ people who suck at math, or /3/ people who just don't do math in the first place.

You know what's worse? CARDIO MAKES YOU HUNGRY.
To kill one slice of deep dish, I need to walk around the city for two hours.
If I walk around the city for two f**kin' hours, you know what I'm going to want to do, right?
Hint: It involves my mouth, plus MORE than one slice of deep dish.

Let's not even get into the giant, black-hole waste of precious time that cardio is, either. Ahhhh, precious time.

--

TL;DR:
Cardio sucks as a weight-loss method. Don't do it.

If you can work some cardio into your day WITHOUT EATING A SINGLE BITE MORE THAN YOU WOULD *WITHOUT* CARDIO, then do it. Otherwise, don't do it, and enjoy your magical free time.

I am a figure and fitness model. I know what I am talking about.

AndrewTroy · Accepted Answer

It depends on the imbalance of energy between your diet and exercise. But the short answer is… diet is more important.

Once you get the total number of calories right, you should consider:
- Shifting energy source from fats and carbs towards proteins; and
- Spreading calorie intake evenly over the day in 6 or 7 tiny meals instead of 2 big meals like everyone does.
- Stevia is a good sweetener that you can use in place of sugar when cooking, by the way.

On top of that, just the normal housekeeping (i. e. hydration is important, sleep is important, as having poor hydration/sleep, statistically, leads to weight gain)

However, do not consume too few calories... your body will sacrifice muscle for fat to reduce resting calorie burn, and will damage itself.

ConsultantIsBack · Accepted Answer

YES. THE ANSWER IS YES.
Think about it. What is easier, to not put the 400 calorie donut in your mouth or run on the treadmill and slowly burn calories?

That is problem with the average American. They underplay their calorie intake, and overplay their physical activity level.

Losing body fat starts and ends with diet.

ShepherdOfFire99 · Answer

"I can't really do that everyday since I live with them."
Girl, hush! You TOTALLY can! I believe in you!! If I can, I promise you can.
Weight loss takes effort it has to be a priority-- a priority that revolves around diet.
You cannot out run a bad diet!!
America focuses too much on exercise. You could lose all the weight you needed by controlling what you eat.
Let me say it again--- You can't outrun a bad diet!
I've lost 15 lbs and so if you'd like some help on this go ahead and message me! :D good luck.

Melirain · Answer

Yes. Exercise is important but it's useless if your diet is bad.
As advice, I'd say the best place to start is sugar (and also sugar substitutes, they're just as bad for you or even worse, sometimes). Sugar and sugar substitutes get converted to fat in your body, so even if you drink a "zero calorie" sweetened drink, it's basically like eating fatty food, except that you don't get to feel full. Sugar is also addictive, so eating sugar makes you crave more foods with sugar, even when you're not actually hungry.
As advice, I'd say cut out all sweetened drinks. You can still eat whatever your family cooks, but instead of soda or juice, just drink water or unsweetened tea, and if you have dessert, try to keep the portion size small. That way it won't matter what your family makes, you can still eat with them and still feel full, but you're also likely to lose weight.

KaidenKass00 · Answer

Diet is critical for your health in general, and not just for losing weight. It should be your #1 concern.

Exercise is also essential, especially for losing weight because it's really the only way you can burn enough calories and get your heart rate up. I'd say it's pretty equal when you're looking to lose weight but in the long run, no matter what you do, your diet matters most.

Anonymous · Answer

A good, balanced diet is always good. If you eat foods with more water in them (like broccoli, grapefruit, radishes, etc.) that will help you lose weight.

www.health.com/.../0,,20306719_3,00.html

I lost 150+ pounds over a year. I cut out all sodas, ate smaller meals more often (usually brown rice, half a cup of broccoli and a piece of oven baked chicken breast, no skin). Then 2 1/2 hours later, I would eat a salad with baby spinach in it. Then 3 hours later a grapefruit, and so on. I do not eat junk food at all.

Starting out, I did my 45 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week. I gradually went up and now do almost 2 hours every day. The important thing is the diet, though.

Arthur1970 · Answer

Yes, but you must do exercise as well. Nothing too much heavy. But body needs move. Or, you will stop diet and you will be very quickly back in the sama point. And of course, you must watch what you're eating. This is not only problem of the people over 40 or 50 but young ones as well.

Anpu23 · Answer

It's much more complicated then that. Most people overestimate the amount of calories that they burn when they exercise (especially if they rely on the counters on most machines) so they have a tendency to "reward" themselves with more calories then they burned. As an example a 150 pound woman running a 9 min mile for 30 min will burn roughly 150 calories. Or roughly 1/2 a bagel. And as weight loss is as simple as calories in vrs calories burned you can see how difficult that can be.

Mesonfielde · Answer

My friend lost 30 lbs just by eating healthily with zero exercising. No, he was not undereating or starving himself or anything, he just cut out the junk and the pizza and the hot pockets and the crap like that.

phil2 · Answer

Yes, I think this is true. You can eat but in moderation. I encourage you to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Sjeggy · Answer

the problem with diets is that they are temporary, you will stop eating something for a while and lose some weight because of it, but it will not hold

changing of habits are better since they are meant to be permanent, and exercise is better because of the same reasons

John_Doesnt · Answer

No never. You can eat whatever fattening food you want as long as you burn it off. However it doesn't matter how good your diet is if you never move around.

Doing cardio 1 hour a day for a week will lose more weight than a month of a perfect diet.

WeaponZero · Answer

If you aren't in a calorie deficit you won't lose weight. Period. Regardless of exercise.

Anonymous · Answer

Learn how weight loss or gain works. You have to be in a caloric deficit. Exercise burns calories thus helping you be in a caloric deficit. However, if you look at the whole picture you're probably only burning a few hundred by exercising and if you eat 2000 calories, what's 200 or 300? that's only ~10%.

Diet does the most work, exercise is just a little extra bonus to help you.

FrenchEmma · Answer

Yes, it's 70% about the diet and 30% about exercising. You can loose weigh with changing your diet and not exercising. it's harder with exercising and not changing your diet.

523206720 · Answer

Its true unless you are building muscle. If you are doing cardio - dieting is a lot more effective then exercise.

admles · Answer

Nutrition is about 90% of the battle. If the food isn't clean, eat less, it's that simple.  Have a read :)

RedAmulet · Answer

They are both super important. Don't focus on one, split the attention.

sean1234 · Answer

No, it's only easier to diet... all you have to do is eat less, but exercise involves hard work which lots of people are just to lazy to do and when they do workout, it's either no where near enough or they are doing it wrong.

ichot · Answer

"healthy and unhealthy food" that's not the point... it's calorie deficit. Learn the difference.

Kelsea701 · Answer

well you can lose weight with just diet but you'll look skinny-fat, so its best to do both.

Dubhlann · Answer

It's a combination of both diet and exercise, if you truly want to lose weight.

Memora · Answer

You know you have exercise to lose weight. Diet is only half the problem

jacquesvol · Answer

Exercise can replace fat by muscle and fat has a lower density.

Polocrew · Answer

I can cut alone on diet winout working out (however its not ideal if you wanna save muscles) But you can't do same when you packing up

TheOldMan59 · Answer

You can either take in less calories (diet) or burn more calories (exercise). Doing both would be optimal.

Anonymous · Answer

I don't eat much and then I exercise a lot, it gives good results but it's a really bad idea-- have anorexia

AngusG · Answer

Both together works best

Foreverconfused21 · Answer

Getting fit is roughly 70%diet and 30% exercise

nileve · Answer

yes losing weight has to do with dieting

apple24 · Answer

I think eat healthy must be key!

blondfrog · Answer

No not really

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