But Exercise Sucks
Lose weight through exercise, not through eating less, says this article.
"The current definition of overweight is not like the speed of light or pi. What was considered as the normal, desirable weight is too low... Researchers in Denmark and Finland found people who lose weight by eating less food were more likely to die early. The theory is that dieting results in a decrease in the amount of lean body tissue as well as fat and that this is damaging to health, although the reasons why this appears to happen remains unclear. Losing weight through exercise avoids this problem as it preserves or increases the amount of lean mass."
I'm going to go do some sit-ups now.
"The current definition of overweight is not like the speed of light or pi. What was considered as the normal, desirable weight is too low... Researchers in Denmark and Finland found people who lose weight by eating less food were more likely to die early. The theory is that dieting results in a decrease in the amount of lean body tissue as well as fat and that this is damaging to health, although the reasons why this appears to happen remains unclear. Losing weight through exercise avoids this problem as it preserves or increases the amount of lean mass."
I'm going to go do some sit-ups now.
posted by mo pie at 11:36 AM
7 Comments:
A combination of food modification and exercise is, from what I've read, the best way to keep lean muscle mass. A good number of people I know swear by weight training, since it increases lean muscle mass, which in turn burns more calories.
Excessive exercise with the wrong kind of nutrition can destroy muscle mass, as well.
Okay -- but what counts as "less food"? Because I lost weight by eating less until I got down to my goal weight (which is the only thing that has ever, ever, EVER worked for me -- exercise tones me up but doesn't result in weight loss). Now I'm sticking here by eating less than I used to but enough to leave me sated -- not full, not hungry -- so, I'm going to die early because I finally stopped overeating? That seems...unfair. Not that life is fair or anything, but -- still. Dude.
Well I believe that a balanced approach, like Patrick says, is probably the best thing. You just need to preserve your lean muscle by making sure that you exercise as well as eating more healthfully. As opposed to starving yourself so your body is eating away its stores of fat as well as its lean muscle mass. At least that's what I get out of it.
I think they're talking about the dieting definition of less food (i.e. starving) rather than the less than overfilling less food that you talk about.
Naturally we eat until sated - not full, not hungry - like you do. Children do that initially, it just kind of gets worked out of us as time goes on. (Think of parents making children clean plates and all.)
I'm pretty sure they are talking about some form of starvation.
I've had a handful of periods in my life where I've been significantly smaller than at other times, and every single time, I achieved that result the same way: a minimum of 3 hours of intensive, backbreaking exercise a day (and I don't mean 20 reps with 5-pound weights, no indeedy). I just accepted that this was what I had to do if I wanted to be the size I wanted to be. I'd never come across the phrase "anorexia athletica" at the time. Working out 3-4 times a week may keep me healthy, but it won't get me to a doctor-recommended goal weight.
I was an athlete running 5mi per warm up in the am. I did strength training as well and ate a healthy diet. I was 130 lbs at 5'6" until my financial help told me he wanted me to take antidepressants per my 1 day per month pms depression or else no $ help if I run into trouble. With no other help I said ok. --- mnth1 gained 20 lbs told doc, new pills, mnth2 another 20, new pills, month 3 another 20. Up 60 lbs in 12 weeks no knee muscle to support the rapid gain could not run w/o crushing my joints and had no clothes that fit. Stopped pills NO gain. Did low impact [=swim] 2hrs day making progress and then mono so bad, lasted 6 mos. so frustrated. Dr says mono often follows period of increased exercise in high-achiever middle age. Now if I exercise, the mono comes back and diet alone does not take the wt off. People treat me terribly as though I was sitting around eating chips and ice cream. It is hard to get work. I am fuming. Got any ideas?
I was an athelete running 5mi per warmup in the am. I did strength training as well and ate a healthy diet. I was 130 lbs at 5'6" until my financial help told me he wanted me to take antidepressants per my 1 day per month pms depression or else no $ help if I run into trouble. With no other help I said ok. --- mnth1 gained 20 lbs told doc, new pills, mnth2 another 20, new pills, mnth 3 another 20. Up 60 lbs in 12 weeks no knee muscle to support the rapid gain could not run w/o crushing my joints and had no clothes that fit. Stopped pills NO gain. Did low impact [=swim] 2hrs day making progress and then mono so bad, lasted 6 mos. so frustrated. Dr says mono often follows period of increased exercise in high-achiever middle age. Now if I exercise, the mono comes back and diet alone does not take the wt off. People treat me terribly as though I was sitting around eating chips and ice cream. It is hard to get work. I am fuming. Got any ideas?
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