I asked Robb Wolf this question, not to troll, but because I really value his opinion on this subject. This ideal is out there and you can find studies that say exercise does not cause weight loss. Yesterday, I listened to Gary Taubes on a podcast (from Underground Wellness) talk about this exact issue. I believe Taubes has been painted as a heretic for this very thought. But, I agree with Taubes, exercise does not cause weight loss.
The whole ideal of exercise causing weight loss is based on the ideal that if you "burn" additional calories during exercise and if, you continue to only the exact amount of calories you needed without exercise, you will have a net caloric deficit and weight loss will occur.
First, I do not accept the hypothesis that weight loss equals calories in, vs. calories out. I accept the hypothesis, weight loss from an obese state requires repair of a broken metabolism. The biggest way this happens is to control the body's response to insulin. This is done though dietary alterations, controlling carbohydrate intake and possibly controlling excess n-6 fat in the diet.
Next, how many people consume the exact amount of calories their body needs? Is that even possible? What about the increase in appetite exercise causes? Will that increase in appetite cause access calorie consumption leading to weight gain?
Finally, I think exercise can augment a proper eating plan. I think exercising correctly and eating correctly can cause a hormonal shift in the body that results in the body adapting to the specific stress of the exercise, but this is not the same as saying exercise cause weight loss. Exercise may also have some psychological affect, people train hard, so they chose to eat correctly, so the exercising is not in vain.
What do you guys think? What do you think Robb Wolf will say? Thanks,
Pat
10 comments:
"weight loss from an obese state requires repair of a broken metabolism" This is what I think. Repairing a broken metabolism (minimizing neolithic food influence) can take a very long time.
The Eating for Life plan revolves around five small, high protein meals Monday through Saturday and taking Sunday off to eat whatever you want. Here's how it works - if you diet every day of the week, your body goes into "starvation mode" and actually starts retaining fat to keep from starving. When you give yourself one day to eat anything (and I mean anything) it wards off "starvation mode" and helps your body keep shedding fat.Here's what a sample of my diet will look like:Breakfast: 2 eggs, two slices of peanut butter toast and a glass of Kefir Snack: cup of lowfat yogurtLunch: grilled chicken salad with lowfat dressing and water Snack: Apple wedges with peanut butterDinner: Chicken breast, veggies, brown rice and waterThe above is a very basic example of what I might eat throughout the day. The recipes in the Eating for Life book really are delicious. Check out a few of them at this website to see for yourself. Also, I feel the need to mention how important portion sizes are. You can eat as healthy as you want, but if you eat too much of it, you won't lose weight. As a general rule, portions should be about the size of your fist.So, if you've stuck with me this far, what are you waiting for? Let's get our diets on track so we can start shedding the pounds! Good luck to everyone! I'll be posting workout plans next week.
Lose weight,
I did not realize this post would trigger this type of response. I am 999.99% sure lose weight was a auto post because of the blog title, but man reading this stuff:
"starvation mode", "low fat", the ideal you need a cheat day, "five small meals", is really, really not what anyone really needs. For the record, I eat:
2 meals a day (fast 14-18hour a day).
High Protein, High Animal Fat, low (probably 50 or so grams a day). I really do not care about losing weight until an olifting meet comes up and I need to cut to 77kg (I walk around about 79kg).
Lose weight, if you are out there, please learn about Gary Taubes. You do not have to read the book, read the NYT essays, listen to one of the many podcasts out there and please, evolve. Thanks,
Pat M
I think a lot has to do with the person but not addressing metabolic derangement will stop any progress made with exercise. But I do think there can be some weight loss made with exercise alone with some people.
When I go away for 14 days on the rig I tend to eat like shit but work my ass off and lean out over the period i am gone.
I have see people just cut out major junk food (pop, chips, bars) and have dramatic weight loss.
i think it is funny this post got spammed by lose weight.
Sean - I think you're totally correct in saying Pat's post got spammed and the timing was unbelievably perfect.
I used to follow the "Eating for Life" principles which is the nutritional portion to "Body-for-LIFE" created by Bill Phillips from EAS back in 1999. I followed that contest, worked my butt off for 12 weeks, followed the nutrition plan to the "T" and showed good results.
However, my CBC from my doctor was good, but not great.
Then I changed the training program to CrossFit and followed the Paleo diet (with some cheats as well) for the same period of time. I then went back to the doctor.
My CBC was outstanding, the doctor was amazed and asked me 3 times in a 15 minute physical and review if I was taking any PED's such as HGH or Steroids. I was leaner, my health more sound and much much stronger.
So much for the "Eating for Life" lifestyle for me.
According to the Doctor and the overall Physical and Blood work, Paleo is a much healthier option.
I finished the 3-months of taking Chantix a couple weeks ago. Since then, I have had the urge to smoke and have gained weight. I know I have been eating more and more because I want a cigarette. I finally shaved my chin, yet it made no difference, I just found another one!It gets harder and harder to lose weight the older I get. Most often it happens when I'm sick. That's usually in winter and I'm usually really miserable. Not a good diet, in all. Gaining, on the other hand, seems to happen easily anytime, but especially now. The most I have ever weighed happened the last time I quit smoking (for 5 months, about 2 years ago). That was just a half stone more than I weigh now. I do miss smoking, but not enough to start again just to lose weight. I can breathe deeper, cough deeper and laugh deeper than I could in a long time. Mornings I still have some clearing out to do, but it is getting easier. My sense of smell hasn't really improved much, maybe that comes later.
Pat,
Robb addressed this awhile ago here.
http://robbwolf.com/?p=34 (right now his site is down for some reason)
One can eat high carb and lose weight, if calories are low enough. But there is a substantial difference between losing weight, and losing fat. If you take the biggest loser for example, they are eating crazy low fat, counting calories, eating franken-foods and losing weight. They are also losing a ridiculous amount of lean body mass though. You will also notice, even the ones who should not have alot of excess skin, never get very lean around the middle. This is where the issue with controlling insulin & cortisol comes into play.
I also do not believe in th carbohydrate hypothesis ala Primal Blueprint, that above 150g/carbs a day one will experience "insidious weight gain." I think Kurt Harris has done a good job pointing that out. Glucose alone will not damage your liver. The Kitavans are a prime example as well. Why do they get away with this? Because they eat little fructose, no wheat and not an abundance of L.A.
So, obviously exercise must be coupled with an effective diet to help you lose fat, not just weight. If you want to keep eating the SAD you will have to starve yourself to see anything shift on the scale. That cannot be fun at all.When these people fall of the wagon (they will, nobody can starve themselves their whole life), they will gain all the weight back and more. It should also be noted, that in a sever caloric deficit, you will lower your insulin levels...is this the real reason they lose any weight?
As I coach I have had several people come up to me and tell me they haven't lost any weight with crossfit, and they have been doing it for 6+months. I've had my dad following the PaNu plan since December and he has lost 35lbs, he has done minimal exercise during this period.
When it comes down to it, I could care less about the mechanism, I just know that the best results have come from following the PaNu approach.
Thanks for the good post.
Now, usually when I go to my girl it costs me about 75 bucks. I get a couple different colors put in, my hair is dark so it takes a long time, I get a cut. I understand why it so expensive. But, I didn't really think because she's at a salon now things would be different.My hair took about 5 hours, which I expected, especially since my hair had to lift. I enjoyed my time, she was adorable and just talking to someone different really helped me in gaining perception about somethings. I also said screw it and had her do my eyebrows. I also bought some new shampoo to help take care of my hair and some new product, which I didn't mind because product last me a good 6-8mths. I felt like a new me and dug out my atm card ready to pay. And then the price tag hit me.
To lose weight ant thus abdominal fat, you must first ensure that you are not increasing the amount of fat in your body. Achieving this will require tracking your daily calorie intake and eat only the amount of food your body needs to function properly. The more you weigh the more calories your body requires. Thus if you want to reduce your weight, you must also reduce the amount of food you eat.It is important to note that a diet is not affected by the amount of foods you eat, but by the amount of calories food contain. A bar of chocolate is not very big but, in fact, it contains a great number of empty calories. Therefore, people should not eat processed foods and instead should stick to more healthy foods that are rich in fiber. Eating this will make you feel full, but will not fill your body with extra calories. This is exactly what you need to lose weight and thus abdominal fat.Exercise more: Despite the fact that your diet will allow you to lose some unwanted kilograms, you should never forget about a good exercise regime. There are major forms of exercises that can be done and each contributes greatly to the weight loss process.
Ben,
Thanks for pointing out Robb Wolf's response to Gary Taubes. My 2cents is the same as Robb's (and I think yours).
Body composition changes result from hormonal alterations. Obesity is caused by excess insulin. Getting insulin under control, done by limiting CHO) is what matters in weightloss. However, developing a lean, muscular physique requires more hormonal alteration (testosterone, growth hormone, whatever else). Exercise done smartly, combined with the proper diet is the way to achieve the hormonal response associated with a lean, muscular physique.
Why do I care? Because, overweight people watch "The Biggest Loser" and think to actually lose weight and fat they need a trainer, they need to train 2hours a day at a fancy gym. These people need to lose excess fat and that will reduce their overall health risks. To lose this fat, they need to cut carbs. Instead, they are fed the ideal they need to train 2hours a day.
Pat
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