Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

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Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby ETeSelle » Tue Oct 18, 2016 2:22 pm

We know this, but it still really struck me.

I have been going to the same gym for years. For years, 2 pretty darn obese people (one male, one female) have been there almost every day that I am there. They go great guns on the elliptical, over and over and over. And they never lose an ounce as far as I can tell. It's sad, because if they just changed their way of eating, they would reap the benefits like the rest of us do, and with all that exercising, they would lose weight quickly. I don't know them, so am not about to say anything, of course. But it always makes me sad. I wish this info were more acceptable to people.
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Weight now: 124 (20.0 BMI)
Weight in 2010: 207 (33.4 BMI)
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Trust me on this: One day you'll wake up and realize that it no longer feels like "being strict." It just feels GOOD. :)
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Re: Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby Lesliec1 » Tue Oct 18, 2016 5:28 pm

I hear ya'. There's a guy at my old gym who, years ago, lost a lot of weight by doing low carb. He had a little success story poster on the bulletin board and was so proud. He was there every single day working hard. Two years later, still there every day, still working hard but he looked like he gained it all back. Very sad! He's a very nice guy too.
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Re: Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby roundcoconut » Thu Oct 20, 2016 1:40 pm

Yeah, it is interesting, because it really depends on what kinds of results are expected, and what kinds of other behaviors become possible from that first learned behavior of getting the ball rolling with their exercise.

Like, while exercise alone has limited power to beget weight loss, i think it may have a substantial amount of power to combat depression, to combat boredom and to combat anxiety. (I mean, I have no direct experience with clinical levels of depression or anxiety, but I think that exercise MAY have these powers.).

I remember reading Tom Peters saying that the only thing that cured his chronic depression was five miles of brisk walking, every single day. Somehow, the chemical changes that happen in the body when one moves briskly can help to change the mindset from one of hopelessness and helplessness, to one of pathways and opportunities. So I would not discourage anyone from starting with an exercise program.

Also, when I look at people who start with exercise, I think that can snowball. So, maybe for the first two months, one is just walking, and trying to get one's pace from 3.0 MPH to 3.4 MPG. And maybe that leads to saying, "What would it take to get me to 3.8 MPH?" And maybe that leads to saying, "How do I get a light jog to happen?" So, there is always the possibility that someone who begins with exercise will take it and run with it, even if other people miss the boat.

The other thing that occurs to me, is that exercise is an excellent alternate activity that can take the place of previous self-destructive activities. Like, say I am someone who likes to get up in the morning and drink a pot of coffee. And then, over time, I begin to say to myself, "Self, if you need something to help you wake up, you can go for a walk." So my 4-mile walk every morning may be JUST the thing to help me break bad patterns of glugging coffee in the AM, and then "crashing" at work, and then glugging more coffee, and then "crashing" again in the late afternoon.

So maybe exercise has its place? I actually think exercise is a really effective modality for improving health, although if all you see is weight, then it would be easy to say, "Exercise is stupid." But it's not! People's health improves by exercising, and I think there are probably thousands of data points indicating same! It just depends what you mean by something "working."
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Re: Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby dailycarbs » Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:22 pm

It's pretty obvious to me that exercise doesn't work for weight loss but it is still a powerful medicine for physical and mental health. I bet anyone determined to prove this could dig up multiple links to studies that bear this out.
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Re: Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby bbq » Fri Oct 21, 2016 2:46 am

https://www.facebook.com/drgarth/posts/1268393089848263
Dr. Garth Davis wrote:One of my patient's weight logs. I see this all the time. Did low carb, lost weight, got sick, gained weight, low carb again, lose less weight gain even more. End up heavier than ever.

This is just one person but I see it all the time.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Image

And then we've got some interesting comparisons below:

Diet vs. Exercise for Weight Loss
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/diet-or-exercise-whats-more-important-for-weight-loss/

Is It the Diet, the Exercise, or Both?
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-it-the-diet-the-exercise-or-both/

Arteries of Vegans vs. Runners
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/arteries-of-vegans-vs-runners/

How Much Exercise to Sustain Weight Loss?
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-much-exercise-to-sustain-weight-loss/

Diet vs. Exercise: What’s More Important?
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/01/17/diet-vs-exercise-whats-more-important/

Paleo Diet May Undermine Benefit of CrossFit Exercise
http://nutritionfacts.org/2016/09/06/paleo-diet-may-undermine-benefit-of-crossfit-exercise/

Fad diets don't work after a little while but that's good enough to fool many people.

Not everyone would figure out how to establish a healthy relationship with foods. Just taking shortcuts and hoping that's gonna be the answer.

Actually exercising too much could result in an enlarged heart:

Athlete’s heart
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1767992/

Some tragic examples:

https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=48638&p=500926#p500926

I'd rather say that exercises could complement or enhance good health when it's paired up with the right foods. Maintaining the routine of exercising regularly also serves as a smaller goal before we're achieving bigger ones in our lives.
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Re: Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby katgirl55 » Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:15 am

Exercise can be a good thing while dieting because it establishes a mind-body connection that could be missing from someone that has been mostly sitting or lying down for many years. I think many obese people learn to disconnect from their bodies, live in their minds and shut off from the reality. Feeling your body move can be very powerful. Exercising on a full stomach is uncomfortable so someone can change eating habits to avoid that. And then there are the multiple physical and mental benefits.

I get mad at weight loss shows that emphasize exercise and mislead people into thinking they need hours and hours to lose weight. They do not show the food much - I guess that wouldn't make good TV.
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Re: Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby bbq » Fri Oct 21, 2016 10:39 am

'Biggest Loser' winner talks regaining the weight
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/27/entertainment/ali-vincent-biggest-loser-weight-gain/

After 'The Biggest Loser,' Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html

‘Biggest Loser’ drugged us so we’d lose weight
http://nypost.com/2016/05/22/biggest-loser-fed-us-illicit-drugs-to-lose-weight-ex-contestants/

Former Biggest Loser Contestant Looking To Sue The Show After Gaining Back All The Weight — And Then Some!
http://perezhilton.com/2016-05-24-the-biggest-loser-contestant-fat-again-lawsuit-suzanne-mendonca-class-action-weight-gain-unhealthy-practices-allegations

6 Years after The Biggest Loser, Metabolism Is Slower and Weight Is Back Up
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/6-years-after-the-biggest-loser-metabolism-is-slower-and-weight-is-back-up/

Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after “The Biggest Loser” competition
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21538/full

Whole bunch of losers are making money off someone's misery while innocent victims are ruining their health afterwards. It's bringing a whole new meaning to the title of that show.
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Re: Proof that exercise alone doesn't work

Postby katgirl55 » Fri Oct 21, 2016 5:49 pm

bbq, you are reference link royalty! Yes, I was specifically referring to Biggest Loser. Even without all the controversial stuff about drugs and diuretics and eating disorders, I am appalled that this show has 400 lb. human beings running and doing strenuous exercise all day. Weight loss should not be treated as a contest and this show is irresponsible.

I like Dr. McDougall's moderate stance on exercise. I know some people who go out and do 5k's and marathons, and I am not against it. But for me, I am heavy and I do not do high-impact exercise because I believe it will make me more prone to injury or joint damage. Not to mention the strain on my heart. I walk and that is enough for me until I get down to a more reasonable weight.
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