Comment by josefrichter
3 years ago
It’s sad that majority of people hit the gym or go for a run when they want to lose weight. Without diet it’s pointless. But what’s worse, diet change is also about finding a new balance that fits your body. If you start exercising at the same time, you are throwing your body drastically off current balance and it’s probably much harder to find a new one.
I wouldn't necessarily advise someone to diet without starting exercise. Exercise encourages healthier eating in a few physical ways, and for many the two are part of a mental lifestyle self-image which admittedly shouldn't exist but can still motivate.
I'm also skeptical of that balance theory. A exercised body would produce more reliable eating and satiation signals to aid in balance, if 'balance' is even how the new diet is calibrated.
The twist is that if you get healthier by changing your eating habits, it will probably be easier for to start/increase exercise, and will continue to make you healthier while you take on exercising.
Better eating is I think the most impacting thing you can do, exercising being the close second.
Absolutely. I think starting with either is totally viable, and it sounds like we agree that the only combination that probably won't work is exercising but never getting around to changing a bad diet.
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> If you start exercising at the same time, you are throwing your body drastically off current balance and it’s probably much harder to find a new one.
This is for sure a [Citation Needed] claim.
Exercise has been shown in numerous studies to be health protective and also to be muscle maintaining.
I would love to know why you think exercising is not a net positive. I expect that greater than 99% off doctors, nutritionists, dieticians, and anyone else involved in human dietary health would agree that you should start exercising now if you are not already exercising, regardless of your diet (and absent specific contraindications).
The point is don’t try to change everything at once. I am not questioning health benefits of sports. But change of diet is a big change - not only biologically, but also mentally, logistically, practically, financially, etc. Change of exercise is equally massive change. It’s kinda logical that trying to juggle too many things at once is more likely to fail.
This is an entirely different thesis. You said that starting diet and exercise together is harder in terms of your body finding balance. Now you’re talking primarily about logistics and mental impact.
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exercise without diet is still good for your health even if it doesn't lead to lower weight