diet vs. exercise for weight loss

luvmylocs · 08-02-2012, 03:44 PM

did ya'll see the ny times article and revised weight loss calculator? thoughts? i'm not really sure what to make of the calculator.

iroc · 08-02-2012, 04:03 PM

I want to do it but it wont let me on my phone

I don't have the energy to get to a regular computer. I'll check back.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using CurlTalk App

NetG · 08-02-2012, 04:27 PM

The idea that your overall metabolism slows is to antithetical to what we've always been "taught." Very interesting.

It could explain why I lost 10 lbs while unable to ride my horse because of my sprained back. I didn't allow myself any snacking or splurges and otherwise ate like normal. With so much less activity I expected to gain weight.

diaspora · 08-02-2012, 04:51 PM

The general idea of this article makes sense to me-- my favorite health and fitness MD/guru (Mercola.com) has said that while he urges everyone to exercise, and that most of us who already do it need to do so more or need to make some corrections in the way we are doing so, that our weight/fat/muscle is 80% due to our diet.

He doesn't believe we should restrict calories though, but eliminate as much grains and fructose other than in fruit, particularly HFCS, as possible. In those who are obese, have certain health issues, or otherwise want to lose weight, he recommends decreasing your fruit intake too and focusing on vegetables, meat from naturally-raised animals, raw milk cheeses, nuts, and cage-free eggs. And of course, little-to-no processed foods should be consumed. Mercola thinks this diet is not only good for the way our bodies look, but also helps our bodies decrease the inflammatory process that leads to most illnesses.

I was already eating well and avoided fructose other than in fruit, but eliminated most grains a few months ago (not for weight loss but because I realized I don't digest some of them well, and because I have inflammatory diseases) and lost over 10 pounds in a month or so without increasing my intensity or frequency of exercise. And I eat much more than I was before, because bread and flour-based products are so filling I guess, it takes more food to make me feel full.

I'm experimenting adding some grains back; corn tortillas and rice in small amounts seem ok.

sleepymeko · 08-02-2012, 08:53 PM

I took a human development class with a physical anthropologist that has set up a healthcare system for the hunter-gatherers of Belize, etc. He has worked for two decades in the field.

We had to look at WHO standards and basically, there hasn't been a huge increase in caloric intake, but there is a huge increase of certain foods... Like grains, cereals, sugars, etc.

I even wrote a detailed research paper on the effects of the American diet. Caloric intake and exercise is not the main factor to the obesity rates in Western society, the problem is that humans in developed countries are consuming foods that we are not biologically programmed to consume.

Hunter-gatherers eat a traditional diet that is similar to our paleo-lithic diet. As I stated before in this forum, it takes a very long time for evolution to take place since it's a gradual thing. Agriculture is basically, the cause of most if not, all our problems. Hunter-gatherers live a life with less work than farmers do (but who is farming these days?).

The problem is, physical anthropologists have found that traditional hunter-gatherers do not have age-related degenerative diseases that Westerners have. It's safe to assume that this is due to diets. Their hair doesn't turn white either, it turns a blonde color, which is rather interesting.

After my research, I think it's safe to assume a lot of the problems are the THINGS we eat. Grains, dairy, legumes, etc. As the article stated, if they ate the way we did, they would be overweight too!

But you know, the article is basically repeating the same thing that nutritionists have been repeating for years. Eat a healthy diet of lean meats, fish, veggies and fruits. Cutting out grains seems difficult, so I would restrict the amount you eat, but whateves.

I'm kinda forced to eat that way now anyway because of my current condition.

Also, think about. Think about all the people feeling better after going gluten-free and the large amount of people that are lactose-intolerant (70%+). There's a problem here. We're even eating foods that are not naturally found in nature. I'll say, try to cut all that crap out of your diet. Try to figure out if you have gluten problems or it you're lactose intolerant. I'm sure you'll feel better in time.

Also, they did studies on a few people with diabetes, etc. and putting them on the tradition diet. A lot of the problems they were having began to go away (not saying it went away forever, it's hard to reverse things). But diet is a huge.

As for me, since changing my diet I've lost 20lbs without doing much in the exercise category.

KookyCurl · 08-03-2012, 01:24 AM

Ahh but the trade off is the domestication of grains and animals and the ability to store food for longer periods of time freed people from the constant hunt for food and food preparation etc that they could begin to invent, think, and create which eventually helped to lead to the world we know today (good and bad).

Reminded of this after reading Jared Diamond's response in the NYT to Mitt Romney misquoting the ideas put forth in Guns, Germs, and Steel.

This has has not much to do with the whole should we eat this way thing. I just put it forth as an response to the paleo - thing.

frau · 08-03-2012, 02:08 AM

Quote:

“It’s been known for some time that, calorie for calorie, it’s easier to lose weight by dieting than by exercise,” he says.

....As in the Hadza study, human metabolism appears to be less revved by activity than was once believed.

SEE!!!!!!!

for years i've been telling you all, like a hundred times, how to lose weight and you all yelled at me.

i told you!!! egg for breakfast, salad with chicken for lunch, meat and veggie for dinner, 20 minutes on treadmill 4x's a week and you're losing like 10 lbs a week. i swear!
you guys have been like, "that's unhealthy!"
whatever, you lose weight though.

sleepymeko · 08-03-2012, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KookyCurl

Ahh but the trade off is the domestication of grains and animals and the ability to store food for longer periods of time freed people from the constant hunt for food and food preparation etc that they could begin to invent, think, and create which eventually helped to lead to the world we know today (good and bad).

Reminded of this after reading Jared Diamond's response in the NYT to Mitt Romney misquoting the ideas put forth in Guns, Germs, and Steel.

This has has not much to do with the whole should we eat this way thing. I just put it forth as an response to the paleo - thing.

Hunter-gatherers lived more of a life of leisure compared to people now and farmers. Hunting didn't take up a huge portion of their day and because of their lifestyle, they formed agreements with groups. Say, family B didn't find food today, but family A did. They share because there is plenty and the food that family A would spoil after a few days. Therefore, everyone benefits and gets their daily caloric intake and the food doesn't spoil. The next day, Family B catches food, but family A doesn't. Does this make sense? It's like a trade-off.

It's true that mortality is higher for hunter-gatherers, but this is probably due to the lack of healthcare in place for them.

What I'm sayin' is, we all could've been lying on the beach drinking from coconuts, happy and naked and slim and living da' life. Women usually did the gathering men spent time hunting. Hunting doesn't take as long as most people think. It definitely does not take more than half of the day for them. I would rather be lazy and gather fruit than be living dis lifestyle LOL!

frau · 08-03-2012, 06:25 AM

well, this explains why i hate going to work everyday.
clearly i am the offspring of hunter gathers.
i'm being totally serious.
i work like a dog (you might not be able to tell because i'm online so much) and i often think, "this can-not be what life is all about. i need a break!"

Josephine · 08-03-2012, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau

Quote:

“It’s been known for some time that, calorie for calorie, it’s easier to lose weight by dieting than by exercise,” he says.

....As in the Hadza study, human metabolism appears to be less revved by activity than was once believed.

SEE!!!!!!!

for years i've been telling you all, like a hundred times, how to lose weight and you all yelled at me.

i told you!!! egg for breakfast, salad with chicken for lunch, meat and veggie for dinner, 20 minutes on treadmill 4x's a week and you're losing like 10 lbs a week. i swear!
you guys have been like, "that's unhealthy!"
whatever, you lose weight though.

Really, how is this unhealthy? I know I would lose at 5lbs the first week if I did this. It's just hard for me to not having a filling lunch. I'm working on it now..I've now gained 4 additional lbs over my 10 that I've been trying to lose since January. Urgh.

I'm not a bread person. I don't even own a toaster, haven't had cereal in years, rarely eat pizza and now I don't eat pasta often although I love it. I eat rice on the regular though. I only eat basmati or jasmine and I believe those are better than other kinds but I forgot why. I also eat large amounts of food but I don't like junk or package foods and don't drink much other than water(besides liquor).

legends · 08-03-2012, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepymeko

Quote:

Originally Posted by KookyCurl

Ahh but the trade off is the domestication of grains and animals and the ability to store food for longer periods of time freed people from the constant hunt for food and food preparation etc that they could begin to invent, think, and create which eventually helped to lead to the world we know today (good and bad).

Reminded of this after reading Jared Diamond's response in the NYT to Mitt Romney misquoting the ideas put forth in Guns, Germs, and Steel.

This has has not much to do with the whole should we eat this way thing. I just put it forth as an response to the paleo - thing.

Hunter-gatherers lived more of a life of leisure compared to people now and farmers. Hunting didn't take up a huge portion of their day and because of their lifestyle, they formed agreements with groups. Say, family B didn't find food today, but family A did. They share because there is plenty and the food that family A would spoil after a few days. Therefore, everyone benefits and gets their daily caloric intake and the food doesn't spoil. The next day, Family B catches food, but family A doesn't. Does this make sense? It's like a trade-off.

It's true that mortality is higher for hunter-gatherers, but this is probably due to the lack of healthcare in place for them.

What I'm sayin' is, we all could've been lying on the beach drinking from coconuts, happy and naked and slim and living da' life. Women usually did the gathering men spent time hunting. Hunting doesn't take as long as most people think. It definitely does not take more than half of the day for them. I would rather be lazy and gather fruit than be living dis lifestyle LOL!

That's a huge oversimplification. There was never one monolithic hunter-gatherer group. With such a diversity of ecosystems how could there be? And many of those groups could spent up to 6 hours a day on acquiring food. It most definitely wasn't--and isn't, because there are still a few hunter-gather groups left--a life of leisure for the vast majority.

The reason agriculture exploded the way it did was because before agriculture, people starved. When times were good, great, but there was always a possibility of famine right around the corner.

I'm not arguing against the healthfulness of the paleo diet--which is a bs term anyway, since there's a huge range of hunter-gatherer diets and the paleolithic cover an enormous span of time--but the ideal hunter-gather lifestyle that many paleo-diet fans like romanticize never existed.

Nej · 08-03-2012, 09:24 AM

ETA: not gonna go there

NetG · 08-03-2012, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josephine

Quote:

Originally Posted by frau

Quote:

“It’s been known for some time that, calorie for calorie, it’s easier to lose weight by dieting than by exercise,” he says.

....As in the Hadza study, human metabolism appears to be less revved by activity than was once believed.

SEE!!!!!!!

for years i've been telling you all, like a hundred times, how to lose weight and you all yelled at me.

i told you!!! egg for breakfast, salad with chicken for lunch, meat and veggie for dinner, 20 minutes on treadmill 4x's a week and you're losing like 10 lbs a week. i swear!
you guys have been like, "that's unhealthy!"
whatever, you lose weight though.

Really, how is this unhealthy? I know I would lose at 5lbs the first week if I did this. It's just hard for me to not having a filling lunch. I'm working on it now..I've now gained 4 additional lbs over my 10 that I've been trying to lose since January. Urgh.

I'm not a bread person. I don't even own a toaster, haven't had cereal in years, rarely eat pizza and now I don't eat pasta often although I love it. I eat rice on the regular though. I only eat basmati or jasmine and I believe those are better than other kinds but I forgot why. I also eat large amounts of food but I don't like junk or package foods and don't drink much other than water(besides liquor).

While that doesn't sound unhealthy, it also doesn't sound like any of the dietary advice Frau has given in the past which at least came across more as "starve yourself and don't worry about eating enough calories to survive."

Plus you wouldn't lose 10 lbs a week, which is a very unhealthy amount to lose...

spiderlashes5000 · 08-03-2012, 01:35 PM

hmmm, so maybe I won't buy that pizza stone and pizza cookbook afterall...

redcelticcurls · 08-03-2012, 01:52 PM

Well, I feel more justified in finding that low carb is the only approach that works for me.

inheritedcurls · 08-03-2012, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redcelticcurls

Well, I feel more justified in finding that low carb is the only approach that works for me.

exactly...just as long as you are eating lean meats...not a big fat juicy steak and burger at every meal. LOL

I had lots of family knocking this diet...but it worked for me. Granted...I'm not nearly as strict now...but I did notice my stomach is flatter when I avoid chips, bread, cookies...bad carbs..

redcelticcurls · 08-03-2012, 02:24 PM

Well, I lose best on a plan that is 60-65 percent fat. Go figure. Good blood work on that as well. I still manage about 30 grams of fiber per day on that as well.

Layali · 08-03-2012, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redcelticcurls

Well, I lose best on a plan that is 60-65 percent fat. Go figure. Good blood work on that as well. I still manage about 30 grams of fiber per day on that as well.

I'm intrigued. What do your typical meals look like?

redcelticcurls · 08-03-2012, 03:45 PM

Tonight's dinner is chicken thighs with eggplant and zucchini. I have a side salad of herb greens with marinated mozzarella and a couple of cherry tomatoes.

Last night was a ground beef patty with avocado on top and green beans on the side with macadamia nuts as an after dinner snack.

Breakfast is almost always bacon and eggs on a low carb tortilla with a spread of herbed chèvre.

redcelticcurls · 08-03-2012, 03:46 PM

I also add a hemp protein shake (hemp powder in almond milk) and a flax meal muffin somewhere in my day.