Dynamic Duo - Diet and Exercise
Frequently I have clients who already have the exercise component in place when they come to me for their personalized food plan. They already exercise regularly with trainers but their weight always remains the same. The
problem is that they are doing one of two things.
One possibility is they are still eating too many calories to create a calorie deficit to lose weight. Exercisers commonly don’t realize how much activity it actually requires to lose a pound of fat. For example, it takes approximately 40 minutes of moderate to intense activity for a 130 pound, middle aged woman to burn just 300 calories. It’s amazing how many people believe they can simply exercise alone and still expect to lose 2 pounds a week.
It takes a deficit of 3500 calories (or 500 calories a day) in a week’s time to lose one pound of fat. Ideally it should be from both exercise and decreasing calories to create this deficit. (Also by not exercising you will lose muscle, tissue which burns the most calories.)
I strongly encourage you to utilize ND's Daily Needs Calculator to determine your calorie level and then use the Pantry to track your calories to achieve the results you want.
older posts
Posted by: laurajanecolorado | Aug 30, 2008 2:11:57 PM
I've been struggling for weeks, maybe even months, to figure out my plan of attack for getting back to my healthy weight of 118. I searched google for 1500 calorie diets and found this site. I feel excited and motivated....I now stand at 138 pounds. 20 pounds to go
Posted by: runrun ukiuki | Jul 17, 2008 5:53:33 AM
Nice site!
Myself, I, more and more sympathetic to the people want to
go and take them to Please, please link
Posted by: Pmax | Nov 29, 2007 9:11:19 PM
Incidently, the Biggest Losers participants were working about 28hrs/week. No wonder they had such incredible losses nearly every week.
I'd calculate that they were burning 3,000 calories per day exercising (800 cals/hr), and 21,000 calories/week.
With a 1500 calorie per day diet, they had a calculated deficit of 3,000+2000, or 5,000 calories/day deficit, which comes out to about 35,000 calories per week deficit. (10 lbs).
Since some people actually lost 20-25lbs some weeks, their deficit had to be closer to a 70,000 calorie per week deficit.
You have to wonder how they survived, but apparently it's not that difficult if you are heavily motivated (teams) and heavily supervised.
Posted by: Pmax | Nov 29, 2007 9:01:52 PM
Good points on why exercisers don't seem to lose weight.
I've found that it takes approximately 14 hours of moderate exercise per week for the average person to see weight loss using exercise, since they are fighting the body's attempt to maintain homeostasis. (frequently when you exercise your appetite increases)
In fact one early diet researcher made the puzzling comment that he found his sedentary patients were more successful at cutting calories and dieting than those that were exercising also. It might be that he was on to something. (see the recent news articles on this).
I would say that unless you are doing something along the lines of 3-4 hours per day, 5+ days per week, though you will generally get in better 'shape', you will probably not see a big change in your body fat percentage, nor your weight (beyond the initial 10-15lb loss).
So a 250lb person who goes out and jogs 2-3 miles/day 3 days a week will probably drop to about 235lbs and then stop losing (unless they start tracking diet).
The additional food intake (which may be subtle) will compensate and they'll achieve their 'maintenance' level and then stop losing. Further, since they are now 20lbs lighter, their 'resistance' (their body weight) is less, so the intensity has actually dropped unless they speed up.
Obviously, if the person is running 6:30 miles they probably will continue to lose on 10 hours/week, because the intensity will be so much higher than the typical 250lb jogger. But until you hit about 14 hours of exercise per week (depending on the routine), then exercise has a relatively minor effect on weight loss. (at least in my experience).
It may require slightly more hours for routines like cycling or swimming, and slightly less for weight trainers.
By far, successful calorie tracking has the most substantial effect and I'd say it might account for as high as 95% of the effect.
One thing the 'Biggest Loser' shows did was to rapidly get up to 4 hours per day, 5-6 days per week. In addition they tried to burn as many calories as they ate. (the numbers I've heard were 1500 calories in exercise, accompanying a 1500 calorie diet, closely tracked).
If you've ever tried to get a 1500 calorie day jogging and cycling it's not easy. (we're talking riding 2 hours/day at about 16-17 mph).
So essentially I agree with your comments about exercisers underestimating the effort needed.
On the 'undereating' causing the body to hold on to weight...that's utter nonsense.
You put people in a concentration camp and cause them to 'under eat' and you will not find ANYONE who 'holds onto their weight'. Period.
The Biggest Loser show sort of proved this. You see overweight 50 year old females losing 8-10lbs/week right along with the men under the intense supervision (and strong motivation) they receive. (There were a few who didn't lose a lot, but I believe they somehow found a way to sneak food).
