DH has out-exercised a bad diet. How is this possible?

It depends what you mean by bad diet.

If he was maintaining his weight before, ups his excercise significantly then he will lose weight, because he is burning more calories. Its too simplistic really to say you cant out excercise a bad diet

You cant out excercise 3 large dominoes a day, but you can out excercise a slice of cake. Surely we have all known cyclists, swimmers, dancers who have all needed to eat a lot more to maintain their weight. All that saying means is that excercising doesnt burn as many calories as we think, and you cant eat unlimited food just because youve gone for a run. But it doesnt mean excercise burns no calories

You can out exercise a bad diet, it just involves doing a hell of a lot more exercise than people are actually prepared to do. A wee half hour stroll isn't going to get you where you want to be.

My DH used to be able to eat anything and everything without putting on an ounce. He was doing a job that involved being on his feet and walking for 7.5 hours a day. When he put on a step counter, he was walking a good 20-25 miles a day.

Now he drives for a living and sits on his arse for 10 hours a day, he is putting weight on.

Body type does matter.
I'm an endomesomorphe so although I gain fat easily I also gain muscle easily once i start exercising. It's annoying because although I'm healthier and more toned, I end up just as bulky either way.

The reason people were slimmer in the past was because they did far more physical work and drove less not because their diet was any better. In fact it was probably worse.

I've got my diet and exercise in an even balance - i'm still overweight but I don't like dieting so I don't.
Luckily I LOVE exercise so I do a lot of that.

That means I am fit and strong underneath a decent covering of fat, which I am happy with.
So I am exercising enough to keep up with my bad diet ;-)

I watched a Jillian Michaels video about it and she explains it really well. I'm the same with really having to watch what I eat. Lost 6lb since lockdown but was doing Joe wicks every day and yoga or Pilates every day. Now I've eased up a bit as work is too busy I'm putting it back on. So I need to raise by BMR again or cut way back on food

You can exercise enough to create a calorie deficit, which it sounds at though OP’s DH has done. From her OP it sounds as though he eats three healthy meals a day, and then has “extra” calories in the evening - and if he’s exercising he may be subconsciously holding back on portions etc.

He’s created a calorie deficit, nothing more. And done very well by the sound of it!

I run 40km p/week and walk a ton which takes my daily calorie needs from 1588 (sedentary BMR) to around 2,300. Psychologically, that’s the difference between needing to really watch what I eat, and not having to worry about it much at all.

In short, exercise helps, but you have to understand what you’re actually burning and how much you can eat because of it.

Thank goodness for that!

No that’s a week!!!

“Today
Yoga
Kettles
Long walk

Hiit

Tabata
Bootcamp

Piyo
Kettles

Bootcamp

Piyo”

Is that all in one day?

The Fitbit seems to say that if I had a sedentary lifestyle I would only need about 1400 kcal/day.

Instead I routinely burn thru about 2500. Couple hours / day of exercise is my normal. Mostly cycling or walking but sometimes it's hours of gardening or DIY.

@GlassOfFizzPlease
Monday - 6mile run
Tuesday - open water swimming/stand up paddle boarding - more fun than serious exercise
Wednesday - 8mile run
Thursday - weights class
Friday
Saturday - hard and fast 5k, 30mins home workout.
Sunday - 6mile run

If I’m training then I move things around and swap the Sunday run to a long run (13+ miles)

I also walk the dog for 1.5hours every evening.

I outrun my diet but I do train a lot. It’s possible he’s countering the calories with his new exercise routine?

I know I’ll never outrun diet. Run to fat easily, low natural musculature, lazy. So it’ll never be an option for me. But I think you can do it if you exercise a lot and build muscle easily. Though even then I suspect his diet is ok - assuming largely home cooked and not constant eating?

I lost 12 kg 2 years ago through exercise. I did do 12 gym classes a week! Plus running and cycling.

Yes it’s possible. But it happens a lot on here that people start weight watchers or some fad diet of low calorie pizzas / sweets etc and just add 1 slow walk a day and wonder why they aren’t in better shape. Then everyone piles on to say muscle weighs more than fat which is why the scales aren’t changing and anyway, BMI is a load of crap just look at Arnie

Basically the general public cannot be trusted

I think "natural shape" has little to do with it, and even less when you get older. In my case, my family are mainly fat. I used to be fat. I'm now not fat because I run a lot.

You say natural shape has nothing to do with it, then say the exact opposite ie your family shape and the lengths you've gone to in order to counter that. It's not inconceivable that there are families that are naturally slimmer, and the lengths they have to go to in order to stay slim would be less.

Of course it's possible.

The key is knowing that food is energy dense, and that your body is energy efficient.

Which means you need quite high levels of exercise to compensate for a modest over consumption of food. But it's more than possible.

I don’t watch what I eat. I exercises a lot and am a solid size 8.

I exercise everyday, sometimes twice

Today
Yoga
Kettles
Long walk

Hiit

Tabata
Bootcamp

Piyo
Kettles

Bootcamp

Piyo

I walk lots too. And I’m “busy” in general. Can’t sit still.

Interesting thing about the different impact of exercise on different genes.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/health-17177251

He is male, his body has high levels of testosterone. He needs far more calories than you, his body pre programmed to building muscle

As a (i presume) female you have oestrogen. your body is predisposed to store fat.

Yes, you say you exercise A LOT. How much exactly is that m?

If he’s eating less calories than he’s burning off then he will lose weight.

Exercise is my form of weight control and it works.

I eat healthily (mostly!) but have big portions and snack if I’m hungry. I pretty much eat what I want.

I work out every day though - sometimes twice a day - and have done for some time. I combine cardio (running) with weights and Pilates/yoga. If I was inactive and eating what I do then I would be overweight because I would be eating more than I was burning off. As it is, I get away with it!

How specific do you want me to be, @GlassOfFizzPlease? I can talk about running til the cows come home

But put v briefly, 40-50 miles a week of proper targeted running (some long runs, some hills, some speedwork).
One or two days off, which will involve a bike ride or a long walk with the kids instead.
Weights and Joe Wicks style bodyweight stuff as well, but not as much as I should!

Testosterone