Does exercise really make any useful mpact on weight loss?

[Ledkr]

You see lots of "celebs" having lost stones having "hit the gym" but they then go on to say they exist on a few leaves and some water

A woman at work has been doing 5-2 and has lost a bit over a long period but also has been doing loads of exercise classes but I'm sure that her loss would have happened with just the5-2.

I go to 2 Zumba classes and a step class each week and myself and all the other attendees look no different! I'm now starting to think my time and money would be better spent simply on a healthy diet.
I do think exercise lifts my mood but I'm unconvinced it affects weight loss.

For me, it only helps indirectly.

I find that if i'm doing some exercise, I have a bit more energy, which means i'm not reaching for sugary snacks to boost my energy as much.

There's also the element that if i'm out walking, i'm not on the sofa eating cheesecake!

IME it's both. Some people do well and enjoy running, weights etc. others lose weight just walking more and stretching. I reckon it's doing what you enjoy, because it means you actually DO it .

I found just dancing around the kitchen for 10 - 15 mins (or doing strenuous gardening) before , a healthy breakfast following the Paul Mackenna way of eating and the Blood Type by Peter D'Adamo, works especially well for weight loss.

Yes it has worked for me. But I did hardly any exercise before and I needed to move more because I like eating and I like wine.

I run about 5km a week and lost a dress size over 6 months. I'm also massively healthier.

My diet is pretty good though with the exception of the booze. If I had a bad diet then eating more healthily would no doubt make a big difference.

Would you recommend Jillian Michaels DVDs then Sheusedtobesomeoneelse? I've got a Davina 7 minute fit one, which is fine, but I'd like some variety.

I started with 30 day shred (after having read about it here!) which is a good place to start, I think i've done it twice though I prefer her Ripped one which is the same format.
6 week 6 pack is also pretty efficiant but quite hard..
I havent tried the killer buns n thighs yet as i'm going through different levels of Ripped whilst i'm doing alot of running, don't want to overdo it!

I'd never tried any exercice DVDs before so have no comparison, but i do enjoy her workouts! Have a look on Youtube if you fancy giving them a try?

Yes, but that's because I eat when I'm stressed, and exercise stops me from emotional eating so much, and makes me happier and feel like taking better care of myself. And it suppresses my appetite.

Before I had DD I was going spinning 3-5 times a week and I did find I was losing weight without having to worry overly about my diet. But I think the exercise made me have a more healthy outlook and subconsciously make better food choices, if that makes sense? The only way I've ever successfully lost lots of weight was weightwatchers.

I'm not an expert but IME exercise can make a difference to body size/shape if it's either really intense HIIT for brief periods several times a week hard enough to blast your metabolism or loads and loads of lower intensity walking/general activity built into every available waking hour of your day. Or something mad like marathon training of course which goes without saying. But a couple of hours of phoning it in at the gym (spot the Jillian Michaels fan ) isn't going to cut it.

Fad diets, quick fixes , starvation... Nothing has more impact and longevity than healthy eating and exercise. Organisation and commitment . Getting fit and healthy doesn't mean endless hours training and starvation but to really lose weight and stay fit you have to eat right and exercise

I think it definitely does.

I have never been on a diet and eat all sorts of crap but am a size 8 because I do quite a lot of running (an hour a day), plus a 5 mile round trip walk to work.

I gain weight if I don't exercise. I need to exercise several times a week for my small build to cope with my normal appetite.

Exercise makes a difference to the look and level of toning, even if it's not reflected on the scales.

I agree about people overestimating exercise calories and underestimating food, or using exercise as an excuse to over indulge. My experience of exercise in my 20s included a yoga class and step class with fixed routine. Definitely of benefit to my health, but of considerably less fitness or calorie burning benefit than I believed. All exercise is worthwhile for general health, but many people are in a fixed routine that their body is well adapted to which is disappointing if you're looking for certain results.

Yes it does but only if you eat well too. I go to the gym probably 5 times a week. I diet also. The diet helps with the weight loss, the exercise helps with the shape change. I also tend to eat better if I exercise. I also use my Fitbit to record how many calories I burn each session. It is surprising how little that is when you are bright red and dripping in sweat. But it does help you see how much exercise you need to do to burn off different food.

I don't tend to gain weight, (I don't eat a lot , as I have various food intolerances, and can't eat cake). BUT, when I started regularly exercising this year to improve strength in my back, I went down a dress size quite unexpectedly.

Exercise doesn't burn that many calories, but it does boost your metabolism. You burn calories faster after exercising (short term benefit) and if you build muscle you will have a quicker metabolism (long term benefit).

Aaaand anyway

Exercise is good for you in all sorts of ways other than weight loss (heart health, lung function, bone density, back strength, endorphins... list goes on)

which diet can't do.

I walk five miles a day normally, if I can't then I will gain a pound or two until I stay walking again.

I used to run, I could eat what I liked (within reason) and not gain weight.

So yes for me exercise does make a difference.

i swim 4 x hour a week since May which burns around 600 calories. I have also cut back on food and have lost 10kg since May 25. I also do around 10k steps on the other days when i go to work, walking to and from stations and at lunch time. ( dont carry phone around during the day so doesnt included walking round office or house)

I think so, but I'm REALLY active. Ie I've run 13 miles today, and have walked a couple on top of that. That's fairly typical. I find I can eat whatever I want and stay slim

It's easier to change your diet and just try and walk more.

Oh, and find an exercise that you actually like! The gym feels like prison to me.

It changed my shape but not my weight. Spin classes and lifting (very!) heavy

For many people exercise amplifies the disconnect between appetite and energy expenditure
You overeat even more...

I don't understand the whole 'can't out exercise a bad diet' idea, it's simply not true. I know too many people for whom their exercise (generally running but also some cyclists) is one (among many other worthier) reason to make indulgence in booze and pretty terrible food possible whilst staying enviably lean. It gets to a point where it's an effort and a genuine headache to make sure you're taking in enough calories to support the workload and maintain a reasonably healthy weight.

Are those people generally pretty young ?
I see an ex premier league footballer pretty regularly who's 40's now I guess, clearly eats what he wants, I've seen his order and he is fat lol

Exercise has made a big difference to me and makes me hold back from overindulging. I can look at a cake and think how many calories I burned off yesterday and think "nah" and I end up not having it.

I use a jawbone and do 10,000 steps a day and it has made a big difference. Dieting alone was a very slow process, but doing both has got results.