Debunking Time Magazine's "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin"
TIME Magazine dropped a bomb shell article last week called, "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin". This piece has ignited discussions and debates in blogospheres, talk shows and water coolers alike. I'm hoping to accomplish 2 goals with this entry:
- Briefly explain why this fluff piece belongs in a magazine that features Jon and Kate (whoever they are), Octomom, and the stars from that literary-turned-box-office disaster, "Twilight."
- Set the record straight about exercise and fat loss once and for all (for now, anyway).
In my mind there are a handful of crucial pitfalls the media tend to fall victim to when reporting on matters of health/fitness/nutrition:
- The use of anecdotal evidence to support claims.
- The haphazard use of blanket statements and universal qualifiers.
- Keeping things vague in order to support said claims.
- Eliminating the nuisance of fact checking.
In summary, the article essentially claims that exercise won't help you lose weight, and may in fact be responsible for people GAINING weight. Hmmm... The author, John Cloud (ooh the irony in that surname) goes on an anecdotally-based tirade, side-stepping contradictory evidence and common sense on route to his perplexing hypothesis.
Instead of droning on about the shortcomings of this article, I'm going to dole out some point-form bits about exercise and fat loss, hopefully undoing some of the misinformation that John "head in the" Cloud has created.
Exercise and Fat Loss: The Facts!
- Everybody should exercise for the health benefits first and foremost - there is no debate here - exercise is good for you. (In fairness, this is touched on in the article).
- Exercise in the absence of healthy eating and calorie control will not be very effective for fat loss.
- The term "exercise" is extremely broad in its definition, and hence we need to specify what kind of "exercise" we are talking about in order to draw a conclusion about its efficacy. I think we can all agree that there is a pretty substantial difference between walking on a treadmill at 2.3 mph, and doing barbell complexes and HIIT (high intensity interval training). This is where John Cloud looks to have graduated from the Gary Taubes school of ambiguity.
- Type (resistance vs. cardio), duration, intensity, frequency - these all have varying impacts on muscle tissue development, hormonal response, calorie expenditure, and henceforth the ability to burn fat.
- The familiar rhetoric that "overweight people eat no more, or exercise no less, than thin people" needs to be scrutinized, as obese people tend to underreport food intake, and over report physical activity.
- In the meta-analyses (compilation of studies) regarding exercise and weight loss, exercise typically has a "modest" effect on weight loss. Again, it's not going to do much in the absence of dietary change. Please note that "modest" does not mean "useless" or "counterproductive" or "a waste of time".
- On studies that have a diet only, exercise only, and exercise plus diet groups, the exercise plus diet groups (with scant exception) come out on top when it comes to weight/fat loss. Diet only, almost always beats out exercise only.
- One very well conducted 12 week study by Kramer et. al., which included both aerobic, strength training, and a dietary control, showed the following results. Fat mass losses - diet only: 6.7kg, diet/cardio: 7kg, diet/cardio/resistance: 10kg. Most noteworthy - the D+C+R group lost almost no lean tissue whatsoever, whereas the diet only group lost almost 3kg worth of lean tissue.
- Putting on and saving muscle tissue will have a lasting impact on your body's ability to lose fat. Plus you will look much better.
- Exercise becomes more important once you have lost the weight. Exercise should be a central strategy in preventing a re-gain.
- Pertaining to the above, the National Weight Loss Registry (which tracks those who have lost and kept off at least 30 lbs), shows that high levels of physical activity are a primary predictor of success.
What About Exercise and Hunger?
Does exercise cause people to eat more? Before we even get into the science, let's apply a little common sense here. Going to Starbucks for an oat fudge bar, and a caramel macchiato after you walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes WON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE.
Many people are under the delusion that they can eat more if they are active. Again, these people don't tend to lose fat. Dietary restraint is needed whether you are exercising a bit, a lot, or not at all. People who get this don't deliberately sabotage their efforts by indulging in sugar/fat/salt bombs. And guess what? They see results.
Insofar as exercise compelling us to eat more and crave junk? Not very convincing when you comb the literature. In fact, there are a great deal of studies that show exercise DOES NOT make you hungrier, and/or lead to eating above and beyond what you've burned.
Of course, there are those who are more susceptible to overeating in response to exercise (the so-termed "overcompensators"), and women in particular have more of a tendency towards this. But again, it comes down to a little restraint and common sense.
Moreover, research has also shown that athletes and lean people experience more of an increased appetite in response to exercise than do overweight individuals.
And further still, timing also has a lot to do with hunger and exercise as well. Another dose of... you guessed it, common sense! Don't go too long without eating before you exercise or you will be very hungry afterwards. Genius.
There are references below demonstrating that exercise does not cause overeating, but here is a quote from a noted researcher on the subject, C. Alan Titchenal:
Energy intake in humans is generally increased or unchanged in response to exercise. When energy intake increases in response to exercise it is usually below energy expenditure, resulting in negative energy balance and loss of bodyweight and fat. Thus, if energy intake is expressed relative to energy expenditure, appetite is usually reduced by exercise."
Don't Jump
I think this sort of issue needs to be addressed, as it only serves to inundate the public with half-truths and mistruths. I've scanned a few discussion boards on the topic and a typical response will read something like this:
OMGTHISISSOFREAKINGTRU! I werkout like all teh tyme and I'm not loosing any wait. I think I'll just do teh master clenz and stop going to teh gym FTW."
I'm all in favour of questioning conventional wisdom, but you must look at the totality of the evidence and adjust to your specific situation.
Next up: How to properly maximize exercise in a fat loss plan.
References:
- Franz MJ, VanWormer JJ, Crain AL, Boucher JL, Histon T, Caplan W, Bowman JD, Pronk NP. Weight-loss outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of weight-loss clinical trials with a minimum 1-year follow-up. J Am Diet Assoc 107:1755 -1767, 2007
- McGuire, M.T., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., Lang, W. and Hill, J.O. (1999). What predicts weight regain in a group of successful weight losers? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(2), 177-185.
- Blundell JE, cross talk between physical activity and appetite control: does physical activity stimulate appetite? Proc Nutr Soc, 62, 651-661. 2003
- Donahoo WT, Variability in energy expenditure and its components. Curr Op Clin Nutr Metab. 7: 599-605. 2004.
- Titchenal A., Exercise and Food Intake: what is the relationship? Sports Med, 6: 135-145. 1988
- Yoshioka M, Impact of high-intensity exercise on energy expenditure, lipid oxidation and body fatness. Int J Obes. 25, 332-339. 2001
- King NA, et al, Individual variability following 12 weeks of supervised exercise: Identification and characterization of compensation for exercise-induced weight loss. Int J Obes, 32, 177-184, 2008.
- King NA, effects of exercise on appetite control: Implications for energy balance. Med Sci Sport Exer, 29(8): 1076-1089. 1997
- King, NA, The relationship between physical activity and food intake. 57: 77-84. 1998.
- Lluch A, Exercise enhances palatability of food, but does not increase food consumption, in lean restrained females. Int J Obes, 21: supp a129.Melzer K., effects of physical activity on food intake. Clin Nutr, 24: 885-895. 2005
- Slentz CA. Effects of the amount of exercise on body weight, body composition, and measures of central obesity. Arch Intern Med. 164: 31-39. 2004
- Ballard TP, Melby CL, Camus H, Cianciulli M, Pitts J, Schmidt S, Hickey MS. Effect of resistance exercise, with or without carbohydrate supplementation, on plasma ghrelin concentrations and postexercise hunger and food intake. Metabolism. 2009 Jun 2.
- Dermott M, McDaniel JL, Weiss EP, Tomazic TJ, Mattfeldt-Beman M J Nutr Elder. Is physical activity associated with appetite? A survey of long-term care residents. 2009 Jan-Mar;28(1):72-80.
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I'm not going to refute any of the facts of your article because I honestly believe you've done a TON of research.
But:
1) To be fair, it seems like you should add a disclaimer to this article that you make money getting people to exercise. While everything here may be factually accurate, you do have a potential bias.
2) There's no need to use an ad hominem attack by insulting the magazine in which the article appeared or the author's surname. Your research should be able to stand on it's own.
ReplySorry, I don't see anywhere that he insults Time Magazine, deserving as it is of heaping piles of scorn and ridicule not only for this article but for other frequent and repeated abuses of journalism.
ReplyThe following would probably classify as an ad hominim attack, and I certainly almost did not read any further but decided to see if he could put a cogent argument together.
" 1. Briefly explain why this fluff piece belongs in a magazine that features Jon and Kate (whoever they are), Octomom, and the stars from that literary-turned-box-office disaster, "Twilight." "
The following is an attack by implication and generalisation, once again not backed up with any specific instances (though I must say I agree with its substance):
In my mind there are a handful of crucial pitfalls the media tend to fall victim to when reporting on matters of health/fitness/nutrition:
1. The use of anecdotal evidence to support claims.
Reply2. The haphazard use of blanket statements and universal qualifiers.
3. Keeping things vague in order to support said claims.
4. Eliminating the nuisance of fact checking.
Anya,
I thought it was when I implied that his last name was appropriate given where his head was (and that's being polite... I'm not really allowed to say where I REALLY think John Clouds head is). I agree that this is ad hominem.
The examples you give as ad hominem are a stretch at best, IMO.
ReplyThanks for your comments, Jon.
To be clear, yes part of my profession is prescribing exercise but it is also teaching people how to eat well, how to change habits through a sound mindset. My formal education is in exercise science, but my "job" is to find the most effective and efficient ways for people to reach their goals of which exercise is only part of.
Ad hominem? Probably guilty - I was fired up when I wrote this so it probably manifested itself on an attack of John Cloud.
Biased? You bet I am. I am biased against misinformation, quackery and other such nonsense. I have a bias towards good science, common sense and logic. Please note that having a bias is not the same as having a prejudice.
ReplyWhile i think that exercise will help you lose weight, i think the Time article is a bit more pragmatic. ie. ppl dont exercise while in controlled research studies, they are vulnerable to basic social pressures of daily life.
So, someone who does a bit of exercise may end up eating more (than they burn), this happens all the time... or they may give up and gain weight again, etc. Its the one peeve i have with exercise guides that list gardening and walking as exercise.. ppl do those activities and expect to get some cardio or weight loss benefit.
So, exercise will help you lose weight in absolute, scientific terms. But, people dont live in bubbles and other factors will come into play. Also, its the one article on exercise that i did read.. since most preach exercise as good, this was the opposite and caught my interest.
ReplyYes, real life situations may be different than controlled studies, however the point I tried to hammer home was this;
Whether or not we exercise, dietary restraint must me practiced. We need to stop blaming the lack of restraint on exercise - like John Cloud does.
ReplyVery nicely stated! I did a similar research-based rebuttal on my blog. Hopefully intelligent commentary will make people realize that just because something is published in a magazine doesn't make it true.
Also, it's important to note the extreme variability in subjects when looking at studies. If one subject loses 8 pounds from exercise/diet and another decides to compensate and "reward" himself/herself by raiding the fridge so that they gain weight, it will nullify much of the true effects of exercise. This has been shown in several studies.
Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS
ReplyGood points, Brad. Thanks for chiming in!
ReplyGreat entry with a lot of research!!
Jon, although you may think this post is biased, but I agree with it 100%. Although I do not have any background in nutrition or fitness, I read Time's article and thought it was false.
If you'd like to see an average Joe's take on the Time article, please click the link below. I try to explain how a lot of Mr. Clouds facts are false by using my exererience of losing 31lbs this year.
ReplyI think the time article is spot on. I tried for 5 years to lose weight in the gym. My weight went down and back up again. Honestly, I didn't take a complete or should I say "whole" approach to my weight loss. Now, I am. I eat healthier at work and have cut back considerably on mindless snacking. I invested in a Basikbox (its new). It is a simple yet very functional portion control lunch box I can take with me to work. It is great for storing fresh vegetables, fruits, vegetables, snacks and other food items I can snack on through out the day. I love it because it makes sense when you're super busy and don't want to eat junk food at your desk.
ReplyIndeed: The term "exercise" is extremely broad in its definition.
ReplyAnd therefor it *CAN* be true that you can / must eat more if you are active. Half an hour of jogging can burn 500 kcal, that depends on various factors like your fitness and your speed. So if you stop exercising, you have to reduce your calorie intake.
My husband and I have been debating this for DAYS. I still stand by the idea that whether it actually helps in fat loss or not (I believe it does), it's still important for disease-prevention, balance, mental health, cardiovascular fitness, etc. etc. Great piece, Mike.
ReplyI totally agree with you Bethany, I think we need to consider our health as a whole, it shouldn't just be about weight loss or looking good, etc. Without a doubt exercise improves our health, that's a good enough reason for me to keep doing it.
Good work on this piece Mike!
ReplyThanks for your comments, Bethany and Melanie!
ReplyI wrote a whole post on this so I will just say that I am with you, Mike. I think that people will use this study as an excuse not to exercise. I have always said that food is a huge part of weight loss BUT exercise is also important as well. PLUS, as you said above, the health benefits & that is something I talked to in my post as well.
AND, people that get weight loss surgery. It comes down to food AND exercise to keep the weight off.
I really disliked that article because it essentially gives people an "excuse".
I have found that food is at least 65% of the battle BUT without my exercise & weights, I would not be where I am now at almost 52 years old.
Thx for your great commentary!
ReplyI think a large part of the equation is that many people do not know how many calories they are indeed truly using when they exercise. Walking around the block at a leisurely pace is not a "workout" and maybe burns 150 calories. If you count that as your "30 minutes of cardio" and eat an extra 500 calories that day, you'll gain weight...it's not exactly rocket science. But if you indeed are training hard, you'll burn some calories. Michael Phelps obviously hasn't heard of this study...during the training season, he eats 12,000 calories a day and he's not exactly what I'd call "fat".
Of course, following a healthy diet is probably about 80% of the weight loss equation for the majority of the population, you can't discount the obvious benefits of exercise: building muscle, increasing bone density, improving heart health, better skin tone, better sleep, etc.
ReplyExercise without weight training is not exercise.
ReplyI am a bit taken aback by this statement: "Many people are under the delusion that they can eat more if they are active."
From my own experience, after I workout at the gym, within an hour or two, I am very hungry; thus I eat. The time.com article is stating exactly what I experience. There is nothing "delusional" about eating when you're hungry, especially when becoming more active.
I used to wonder why I was not losing any weight, as I did treadmill about 45 min per day, was not over-indulging in food, but after my workouts, I was really, really hungry.
I also found that I did NOT crave sweets after a workout, as I felt good that I had exercised well (so no caramel macchiatos for me!).
I have, however, found that I am one of those people who do not respond well to carbohydrates. Once I significantly reduced them, I lost 15 pounds in just a few weeks and, ironically, was not doing much of the treadmill.
This is not my opinion... it's my experience.
ReplyI think you misunderstood what I was saying there, Mark - allow me to clarify.
Many people are somehow under the impression that they can stuff their faces simply because they exercise. These people don't tend to lose any weight and often gain.
In terms of your experience, sure you may be hungry after you workout and you should eat. What I'm saying is eat responsibly. How long before you exercise are you eating? As I mentioned this is often the problem with people being "starving" after a workout.
ReplyI believe I did understand what you had originally written... it's just that I disagree.
Your quote: "Many people are under the delusion that they can eat more if they are active."
From my experience, people DO eat more BECAUSE they are more active. If one believes in calories in-calories out theory, then burning more calories will, of course, result in being hungry more often.
It's like taking your car for a trip... if you use up gas, you'll need to refill more often. The Time article just simply make sense. Obviously, it's a bad idea to fill up on Snickers Bars and chips, but the basic concept of eating more because you're hungrier more (because you're burning off more calories) make sense.
ReplyOk - then I suppose we disagree. Again there is a pretty substantial body of research showing that even if you do eat slightly more in response to exercise, this doesn't mean you'll overcompensate to a point where you will eat more than you have burned.
It's this nonsense of exercise preventing us from losing weight I find absurd.
ReplyI believe that you have used every bit as much if not more anecdotal information in your article than Cloud did. I'm on a weight loss quest personally and the article rang true for me. I was absolutely famished when I got home from a workout, it was being counter-productive so I'm still tinkering with my program. I'll get it figured out and it will work for me ultimately. A very good friend of mine ran daily but couldn't lose weight, only tore up his knees. He quit running, went on the South Beach Diet and today is 92 pounds lighter and runs to help maintain his weight. There is a timing element to this and the Time article called that out in my opinion.
ReplyHi Don,
Yeah - I believe you do have to "tinker" as does everyone to find what works best. I wish you all the best in that pursuit.
Which aspect of my thoughts did you find I was speaking anectdotally? I would want the opportunity to try and offer some evidence.
ReplyI can't find a source for the 12-week Kramer research. Could you post a link to an abstract?
ReplyHere it is, Harry..
Replyhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10487375?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Sorry, but Mike Howard bashes the Time article, and then proceeds to basically AGREE and REHASH the Time article.
ReplyPeople can eradicate the benefits of exercise by overeating. What a totally useless blog entry.
Hmmmmm...
TIME article: Exercise makes you hungry, therefore you eat more, therefore exercise is the very thing keeping us fat and making us fatter.
Me: Exercise aids fat loss and in most studies does NOT show compensatory eating to the point of weight gain.
Therefore, no I don't agree with the TIME article. There are some aspects where I don't disagree - yes. Unchecked dietary diligence can (and usually does) cause weight gain - even when you exercise.
ReplyFirst, you don't cite your sources where "most studies do NOT show compensatory eating to the point of weight gain" So, you are guilty of the very same 4 things you accuse the Time author of!
Second, your 2nd bullet point of facts was: "Exercise in the absence of healthy eating and calorie control will not be very effective for fat loss." That is basically the whole point of the Time article. Nutrition trumps exercise. Your reading comprehension is poor, read it again.
ReplyFirst: Did you actually read the entire piece - including the references? Please read references 3 through 13 which address the studies that I supposedly didn't cite.
Second: I never disagreed with the fact that diet trumps exercise and I stated so. However, this was NOT the premise of the article. If Cloud would have stated this somewhere, I would have acknowledged my concurrence with him. The issue (which I've already explained) is the premise of the article was that exercise is unhelpful for losing weight and in fact is keeping us fat - because it causes us to eat more junk. To wit;
The subtext of the title reads;
"Whether because exercise makes us hungry or because we want to reward ourselves, many people eat more — and eat more junk food, like doughnuts — after going to the gym."
Sounds like he's saying exercise is unhelpful for losing weight and in fact is keeping us fat - because it causes us to eat more junk. NOT THAT DIET TRUMPS EXERCISE.
"But like many other people, I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don't. Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight?"
Again, sounds here like he's saying exercise is unhelpful for losing weight and in fact is keeping us fat - because it causes us to eat more junk. NOT THAT DIET TRUMPS EXERCISE.
"Could pushing people to exercise more actually be contributing to our obesity problem? In some respects, yes."
Know what this sounds like? Like he's saying exercise is unhelpful for losing weight and in fact is keeping us fat - because it causes us to eat more junk. NOT THAT DIET TRUMPS EXERCISE.
ReplyRealitytruchprozac,
Are you insane? You clearly missed the point of this blog if you are accusing the author of the same misleading info that Time magazine has circulated. John Cloud does not substantiate his argument and leaves many of his facts unsupported. The author of this blog attempts to list known facts and provides statements based on his knowledge of those facts.
ReplyHalf an hour of jogging is unlikely to burn 500 kcal, and Mike is right - most people over-estimate how much they exercise, and seriously under-estimate how much they eat.
We need to exercise and "burn" about 350 kcal a day to put or body in a self-regulating state. Without question, patients who come into hospital and can't eat for whatever reason, lose weight. The "input" side of the equation is easy. Once you exercise and discover just how much work it takes to burn off just 100 kcal, you realize it is easier to cut down on what you eat than it is to "burn it off". But people who are sedentary overeat - and that is a simple biological fact.
A simple change is avoid sugar, HFCS, and processed carbs (you know them - bread, pasta, pizza, cakes, biscuits whatever). Try going "wheat" free for a few weeks.
The real problem though is how many people lose weight and then "rebound" and regain most of it, and more of their body composition is then fat. That usually happens when they stop exercising, and have tried to lose weight too quickly.
Unfortunately in most "studies", people try to lose 0.5 kg a week. That is achievable, but for many it is not sustainable. For many, it is better to reduce dietary input gradually over a period of time by switching to more healthy choices, and to increase exercise gradually. Then the hypothalamus can adjust to the changeand actually help you achieve you goal instead of over-riding your will power!
ReplyA couple of things that act as roadblocks for dieters:
- Exercise can be difficult and unpleasant (at first) for fat people.
- The conventional wisdom is that losing weight is about exercise. Exercise gets about 75% of the attention when it's only really a minor part of weight loss.
A third roadblock is all the useless diet advice about magic food mixtures, magic calorie burners, magic cleanses, magic (evil) fat, magic "metabolism", magic "pure" foods, and a zillion other similar things that are either nonsense or (mostly) beside the point.
Dieters for weight loss mostly need to eat less. Exercise too, but mostly eat less. Then, after you've lost most of the weight, exercise some more and eat "better" for a satisfying diet, to be healthy, and to maintain weight loss.
It's a shame that most of the diet advice out there is bad, because it turns out to be counterproductive to people seeking to lose weight. Mike Howard should be praised for giving good advice, even though people want magic answers and they're happy to pay for them and then blame themselves when the magic doesn't work.
ReplyVery sound thoughts, Ben - you are absolutely right and your first point especially resounded with me. This is something I will address in my follow-up piece. Exercise can be uncomfortable for the overweight - and unpleasant. I'm of the thought that we need to start small and work up gradually with these individuals and really emphasize habit change with eating specifically.
I'm afraid I've been caught up in a pis*ing match on semantics and now I need to re-focus on my follow-up to this.
Thanks again!
ReplyThis entire matter mixes apples and oranges. I can't figure out why people always link diet with exercise.
No, you do not need to exercise to lose weight. That is proven fact (check in on any coma patient). If you restrict your calories to less than you need to maintain your current weight then you will lose weight.
On the other side, we have exercise. Exercise burns calories. So does breathing. Get over it. You can also lose weight by maintaining a constant calorie load and increasing exercise.
The whole thing is a very simple numbers game: Burn more than you take in and you lose weight. It doesn't matter how you do that as long as it takes place.
Now I'm not saying that people shouldn't exercise. They should. There are plenty of benefits that DON'T INCLUDE LOSING WEIGHT.
What I'm saying is that the two should be untied from each other. Worry about diet to deal with weight issues. Worry about exercise for the other health benefits.
ReplySorry, but if you don't worry about exercise while trying to lose weight, you'll do the same thing your coma patient will do: lose a whole heck of a lot of muscle. This is where we really need to talk in terms of fat loss rather than weight loss.
ReplyGood point Katie! I liken the "lose weight without exercise issue to the "guys who wear spandex" argument...
Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD.
ReplySomeone who is very overweight needs to worry about losing weight. Being 100 pounds overweight is a huge problem. Losing muscle as you go from 100 pounds overweight to normal weight is only a small to medium problem. You can get muscle back.
Losing weight is a huge problem and distracting people with "you'll lose muscle if you don't do it exactly the right way so don't even bother trying any other way" is counterproductive. Losing weight is hard enough. Stop telling people they have to achieve perfection in the method they choose. Maybe they want to just avoid getting diabetes rather than becoming a marathon runner -- at least to start with.
ReplyWhy should your very overweight person create more work down the line? Might as well exercise to maintain or build muscle now while working up to the point when cardio is more possible. Resistance training is better for joints if you have a lot of weight on them. Worrying about muscle later is counterproductive.
Reply"Why should your very overweight person create more work down the line?"
The reason: FOCUS.
ReplyI have read somewhere - that watching a television workout can make some people eat more.
I tend to get hungry or lazy after exercising. In order to over come this I disguise exercise as transportation or housework, gardening or dancing and playing with the children.
ReplyWhile I agree that exercise plays a big role in overall health, body composition, diabetes, etc., it totally makes sense to me that it doesn't really do much for weight loss. I dropped 60 pounds a number of years ago (before the exercise mania began) and didn't exercise once (as in go to a gym). I was a college student and walked, period. Now in my 50s, I have taken on a vigorous program of gym stuff (weight lifting, kick-boxing, cardio, you name it), and I haven't lost a pound in a year. My diet is good, and I've reshaped it for lower fat, higher fiber, lower calories, blah, blah, blah. Yes, I'm healthier, but no thinner. So while it is counterintuitive to burn more calories but not lose weight, it seems to be the case for me. As to the research--several primary sources are mentioned, so his research is not totally without merit. Remember, even Time wants newsworthy and entertaining articles. And if it stimulates discussion, it's a good thing.
ReplyI agree with Mike. All it takes is a bit of self-awareness, forethought, common sense, and advance planning.
Strolling on a treadmill for half an hour without even breaking a sweat is not license to devour french fries or doughnuts. Nor is Gatorade a "better" thirst quencher than water - it's little more than sugar water.
If you find that exercise stimulates your appetite, then either time your workouts so that you're not taking in extra calories, or plan lower calorie meals/snacks for when you absolutely have to eat. Personally, I find exercise to be an appetite suppressant. And I work out in the evenings so even if i were to get hungry, it's 10 pm - way too late for anyone to be eating.
As many people have mentioned, it's all about taking the time and effort to find out what works for you, and then sticking to a plan. There's no magic cure, and there are no instant results.
ReplyThank you for this appropriate rebuttal to Time's infuriating article.
I especially appreciate the emphasis on meta-analyses, in contrast with Time's knee-jerk reaction to a single study. It's frustrating to watch friends and colleagues eagerly reading Time's article and swallowing every word. Hopefully I can use some of your own research when this topic inevitably comes up in discussion.
In particular, the evidence that individuals have disparate responses to exercise rings true to my personal experience. When I am exercising (training for a race usually), I become lean (no noticeable fat) without dieting. I experience a reduction in appetite immediately following exercise, and feel psychologically incapable of eating junk food while I am training. This is not even to mention the obvious increase in mental functioning, concentration, and discipline in all areas of my life.
Between seasons, I sometimes stop exercising, and sure enough, I gain lots of weight. Conscious dieting (aside from just focusing on eating healthy food) has never been useful or sustainable for me.
It frustrates me that the Time article spoke in generalities, as if all people will experience the same appetite increase and weight gain following exercise. There are definitely some people (myself included) who do not experience any such effect.
ReplyI was salivating at the thought of writing something on my own blog regarding the TIME article. I no longer have that desire after reading this post. Mike touched on many of the thoughts I experienced after reading John Cloud’s piece. Great job Mike!
I remember while reading the TIME article, I couldn’t help but think of that guy that comes into the gym, doesn’t warm-up, and immediately starts hammering out curls with bad form. Or that gal that does the same thing while hammering out leg presses on the machine. It made me think the article was talking about the people in the gym who clearly lack any type of direction.
I agree with bijou, I think timing your workouts is the way to go. But to me, planning your workouts around your meals is more important. I can’t imagine not re-fueling my body for upwards of two hours after I workout. If you were a pilot, would you fly a plane without knowing what course you were going to take or without having a “blueprint” that will ensure your safety while taking off and landing? (Probably a bad analogy since planes do crash). But I’m hoping you see my point.
Eating every few hours and planning your nutrition, in advance so you don’t guess where your next meal comes from, would significantly reduce the chances of binge eating after a workout.
ReplyI didn't see any comments on "dehydration". "Dehydration" is sometimes mistaken for "hunger" - ie, being dehydrated can make you feel as if you are hungry when you are actually thirsty; so sometimes after an exhaustive workout (whether in the gym or out running etc), people could actually be dehydrated, rather than hungry. They should try drinking water before eating, and wait a short while to determine whether or not they were actually hungry for food, or hungry for WATER!! I find that if I eat the wrong things (LOVE date loaf for instance) and am inactive, I put on weight. I now regularly do 5-10 minutes cardio then 20-30 minutess weight bearing exercise 4-5 days/wk, before starting an active day, eat good food 6 times daily, drink plenty of water, and am very healthy and happy. I have done this mostly for about 45 of my 60 years. I have found during this time that the things that cause the biggest problem are: excess sugar consumption (eg the date slice etc!), fried and over-processed foods, and inactivity.
ReplyPardon me - I should have said that I put on "FAT", not "weight", with excess consumption and inactivity. I find that after regular weight bearing exercise, I now weigh the same as I did after I had my 4th child 28 years ago, BUT am slimmer and more toned.
ReplyExercise by itself will not take off weight, but exercise coupled with wise food choices certainly makes a difference for me. When I was unable to exercise because of a bum knee (now replaced) I put on 22 pounds. Not all because of lack of exercise--I fell back into sugar-eating habits---but when I exercise I feel energized and this motivates me to practice better food choices.
ReplyWhen I don't exercise, I gain weight. I might not lose weight from exercising, but without a doubt I gain it when I stop. I also feel better with exercise, my mind is sharper and skin healthier.
ReplyThis comment "The familiar rhetoric that "overweight people eat no more, or exercise no less, than thin people" needs to be scrutinized, as obese people tend to underreport food intake, and over report physical activity" annoyed me with it's massive overgeneralization. But overgeneralizations are nothing new when it comes to weight and body types.
I really enjoyed the Time article, and the comments here. Now everybody seems to settle down, so I would like to say my opinion.
Weight Problem is actually really simple, so the problem is JUST that you consume more than you burn the calories, that leading the people FAT.
It does not matter how you define the exercise, such as moderate, vigorous, whatever. Exercise is one aspect of energy expenditure. In my opinion, it is nonsense to bring the discussions over whether the exercise causes strong appetite or not.
Both food restriction and exercise cause appetite, so It is not important which causes stronger one. You should talk about how you can deal with the appetite, so the problem is that you go in fast food restaurants to eat up greasy flies and sugar sweetened smoothies after exercise.
I am really sorry for the people in the US, because you are living in the middle of junk food environment, so it is hard for the average Americans who are unconcerned about their eating habits to come through this situation.
There are depressing mood through out the people who tried to exercise as hard as possible for a long time...
I guess that Mr. Cloud thought so, and one idea came into his mind that lots people were thinking the same way, 'Why I could not get rid of the fat around my berry? so, exercise should be blamed for creating appetite.' then, he was qualified to write an article on Time magazine, and he could have created the sensation by his article.
When I read the Time article, I felt that way. As my excuse, I have a stereotyped idea about the nationality of the american: The american people love debating and being the center of attention.
So, I do not know who is Mr. John Cloud, but I thought that he made a success to write the sensational article for his high profile.
His chosen topic is OPPOSED to the accepted assumption. So People love the different type of ideas when they have already tired of hearing the same thing many a time that could not change anything...
I said that Weight Problem is very simple, but it has lots of aspects that influence the condition, so exercise is just one of them and it is really important to promote overall health condition. I'm really sorry for the obese people who stopped exercise after reading this article.
Stop searching for the excuse that you can not lose weight! Exercise is not problem. Your food culture is culprit. Don't you think that McDonald CEO is eating own burgers everyday? I doubt it. He must eat healthy foods.
This is JUST my OPINION. EVERYBODY has different opinion.
PS. Sorry for my bad english, english is my second language.
ReplyI have been over 200 pounds this whole decade. I have been as high as 255. The lowest that I could ever get by mostly diet was about 227. Recently, I have started to ride a bicycle to work, which is about 5.5 miles from where I live. I am now down to 206 and still falling. I am almost 49, so my weight loss has been slow. I make sure that I ride everyday. I also try very hard not to reward myself for exercising. I also try to ride vigorously, and up some hills for at least an hour total each day. I really don't find that exercise causes me to overeat, but I am very cognizant of the kinds of foods that can cause me to eat more, such as sweets, fast foods, refined foods, etc. I try to eat vegetables and fibrous food, so that the exercise does not cause me to overeat. I find for myself, that I can increase my calories from what it would take for me to lose weight if I was not exercising, that is, I can consume about 2000 calories a day, if I exercise vigorously everyday vs. 1500 if I don't exercise, or only sporadically exercise. REGULAR, vs. sporadic exercise has been a godsend for my weight loss. I also don't agree with the Time article that BLAMES exercise for weight gain. I don't think it is a good idea to go on a starvation diet when exercising vigorously, and maybe people who attempt doing this end up eating too much. I think moderate eating, combined with regular exercise is the way to go. I also find that I must exercise at least 5 days a week at least an hour, for exercise to make a difference in my weight loss. Reading these comments really demonstrates that everyone is different and what works for one person won't work for another.
ReplyI think one flaw in the Time article is that most studies that show that exercise does not aid weight loss studied people who only exercised AT MOST 4 hours a week. I find that for me to lose weight, I have to exercise vigorously at least 6 hours a week. I bet very few people can lose much weight on exercise if they only do it up to 4 hours a week. Some people who exercise quite a bit can find that the exercise actually becomes more important than diet. However, I would still watch much restaurant food, a meal at which can sometimes exceed 2000 calories. This can take a long time to burn off.
ReplyMy thoughts:
I read the Times article and loved/hated it.
I think there was a lot of truth to it but, to paraphrase; "Exercise makes you fat" is a bit uh sensational. Unfortunately the exercise gurus (e.g., "Body by Jake" ... I wonder what Richard Simmons had to say? :-) simply deny the premise rather than building, in a positive way, on the article's basic premises.
If you just skim the article you may come to the erroneous conclusion that exercise is a waste of time but if you really read the article you will glean cautionary nuggets that will make your efforts more effective.
Going from memory:
"Exercise stimulates your appetite"; When you first start I think that is true. There is both a spike in appetite and a tendancy to "reward" yourself for your efforts. To know that up front allows one to better cope. "Reward" yourself with an apple or one of those 100 calorie protein shakes.
"Exercise makes you lazy"; Again, when you first start you are tired and may want to "veg out" in your easy chair in deference to your normal, calorie burning, activities. 1st, knowing that upfront you might "force" yourself to maintain your normal activities. 2nd, I usually suggest that you break into exercise gradually so that you're not so exhausted. 3rd, the phenonenum is tempory and as you become acclimated to an exercise routine you often have more, not less, energy after a workout.
"Exercise doesn't burn enough calories to make a difference"; I must admit that, after "an eternity" on a machine, it is a bit frustrating to see that I've only burned off 3 light beers. On the other hand it is 300 calories that I normally wouldn't have used. And Mr. Cloud ignores the "after burn", that is you burn calories at a slightly elevated rate for another half hour or so after your workout. Or, if you were lifting weights, then the extra calories you burn during the body's "muscle maintenance" phase.
In a "doctor cleared" body losing weight simply demands input be less than output. Diet is "less input". Exercise is "more output". Diet, by itself, will work but exercise can, should, and will help. Work both sides of the equation.
I think there is an interesting parallel to be drawn with regard to some of the political discussions. John Cloud has selectively taken facts to make his point while "Body by Jake" selectively dismisses Mr. Cloud's facts to make his counter point. I wish sorting out Left vs. Right was so easy.
ReplyI too think the time article is right on the money. I see nothing here that "Debunks" the Time article. I lost about 60 pounds over 4 years ago. I lost the weight on a 1200-1500 calorie diet. After the losing the weight I started exercising. I increased duration and slowly started start jogging. Eventually running 5 marathons. Actually, since starting the exercise 4 years ago I haven't lost any more weight. I do lift weights regularly and I have lost bodyfat, but weight has not gone down. Like the person who wrote the Time article I too would like to lose the last 20 pounds of stubborn fat I have, but I have trouble doing it while exercising intensely. In fact, I have come to believe that while training for a marathon it is almost impossible to lose weight. The body craves calories following the long (or intense) bouts of exercise. I am still trying to find the right balance... I am not sure there is a "one size fits all" solution. However, the solution certainly lies in a mix of healthy diet and exercise. Diet without exercise makes "skinny fat" people and exercise without diet makes "fit but fat" people.
ReplyAs a postscript, I said previously my weight was 206 and falling. It is now down to 192, mostly thanks to exercise, plus now doing a food diary- eating as I said previously 2000 calories a day. I think the "hunger" that Cloud claimed that exercise causes is mostly in the mind- it is in no way physiological. I think Cloud's problem is that he didn't enjoy exercising and therefore he felt the need to reward himself. If someone does an exercise that one enjoys, like I do biking, then one doesn't have to exert as much self control and therefore this can be used in improving one's diet, which as I said, doesn't have to be quite as restricted in calories if one exercises. It still has to be balanced and healthy, however.
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