Exercise vs Eating Plan: Which should you start first?
 

I just read an article in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING by Bob Greene who has been Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer. He said that people who need to lose weight should begin an exercise program first and not think about changing the way they eat until later. Then he said they should gradually change the way they eat a little at a time. I was wondering what others think of this idea?

I think you should start eating right and exercising at the same time. IMO!

However, I didn't start exercising regularly right away cause I would get so tired all the time due to being so heavy. I did try though and only got very little done, but something was better than nothing.

:)

I see the logic in beginning an exercise program first.. you will burn more calories at a heavier weight and it's good to change one thing at a time.

That being said, study after study shows that exercise alone will not contribute to significant weight loss. When I finally decided to the get the fat off, I wanted to see results and somewhat quickly. I changed my food plan... and honestly, I just began to exercise regularly 2 weeks ago.

If I had to do it all over again (and God willing, I NEVER will :lol: ), I would change my food plan and start moving more at the same time - light walking, maybe a little bit of hand weight action while watching the tube. After I got my food plan down and was comfortable with what I was eating (shopping, preparing, etc.), I would go into a more structured regiment like classes and/or a gym membership - with no more than a 6 week break between food plan and exercise start.

JM2C! :idea: Paris

I can see advantages to doing it both ways. If you change your eating habits first you have time to get over the carb withdrawls (or accustomed to lower cal depending on your diet). This way you are more adjusted when you start exercising.

If you start the exercise program first your body will be more accustmed to working out. So while it will be hard at first when you change diet, getting back into your rutine won't be aproblem. Also with exercising already you can tolerate a higher level of claories or carbs and won't risk doing yourself damage by adding exercise while taking in too much energy.

Regardless of which is started first, i think they both should go together in any any attempt to improve health. Exercising will increase lean miscle mass which means higher metabolism, better circulation for less cellulite and a more toned and lean look. Dieting alone can't do this and for many no matter how low they go they always have problem areas they hate unless they exercise them.

I voted for "doesn't make any difference". Specifically, I would say, "do it whichever way is going to keep you in for the long haul." Some people prefer to dive right in and do it all at once. Others have to ease themselves in and make one change at a time. Do what you can without getting overwhelmed or resentful. :thup:

I didn't start exercising until I changed my eating plan because I didn't want to fall into the same trap I did before my wedding some years ago (when I wanted to go down a dress size and went up instead!) when I thought a good workout was licence to eat whatever I wanted afterwards!!! It was only after I saw the initial results with Atkins and was convinced the only I wanted to go (weightwise) was down that I got the discipline to continue eating right and exercise three times a week. This has worked for me as I continue to work out at least three-four times a week which was completely unfathomable to me before (this is the person who paid for a year's gym membership and went three times!!!)

I voted for eat right first then start exercising. It worked for me!

Well, you really will find your don't lose much weight by exercise alone. And losing weight can make exercise easier. So I voted start the diet first.

Both! Both! Both!

I voted food first, exercise second, because when you have extra weight, it can be really tough to be active. (When I think of all the pants that got the insides of the thighs rubbed away, it's no dang wonder!)

My first week on Atkins I was lucky to make it upstairs to my apartment, much less more exercise on top. Once I got into the swing of my LC eating, I had much more energy, and exercise would become more interesting and attractive.

I voted food first, exercise second. For me one thing at a time was the way to go. And starting out with the food was less threatening. Then I slowly started adding in more exercise, and as my energy increased, more exercise.

It's working!

I voted for doing both together. However, a lot of folks who low carb need the effects of a low carb diet to control blood sugar & insulin. Exercising with uncontrolled low blood sugar doesn't work really well.

I still think start them both at the same time, working within your current abilities for exercise and increasing as blood sugar gets stable and your body gets healthier.

Lynda

Many times when people are overweight, you are dealing with weight, psychological issues, and food issues. I think Bill is right on target with the exercise, because if you truly are going to make this a lifetime change, then exercise needs to be part of it. Also, making a lot of changes all at once can be very frustrating to people, changing a little at a time is usually much more doable for most people, guess it's like quitting smoking, does one have better luck just quitting cold turkey or gradually weaning themselves off cigarettes?

hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I feel exercise is key, and I agree with Bob Greene that exercise should come first.

LL :)

I voted not sure. I started exercise first hoping it would help me shed some weight. I did lose a good percent of body fat this way, but the scale only dropped about 1# a month. Six months of this and I figured out I need to get serious about a diet plan as well. Combining both has been great!

I am hardly the best example
 

but I believe in theory that its a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and you have to have the right WOE and EXERCISE. I've been exercising for years. I walk 10km everyday yet I am still obese. I need to do the diet as well. I can't even imagine what it would be like not to exercise. I would feel awful.
I was talking to a friend who has been going to the gym for 4months and has lost 12kgs(26lbs) (grrrrr I hate her LOL). She is eating her normal way (very unhealthy donuts/chocolate biscuits/coffee with two sugars etc). She doesnt have to changed her diet to lose weight.
some ppl are just lucky. I am not unfortunately :( .
I believe that even if I got down to goal I would still walk 10km a day. Heck maybe I'll be running it!

I would like to change the question from what "should comes" to what "have you started" first. I do not think there is one good way and one wrong day. Everybody has to find the best way:-)


For me to start with an exercise program seemed to be the best choice of all time:-)
Last January I started a running program (actually starting with walking/jogging) - to fight back the first signs of aging. It was such a surprise for my body and metablism, that I lost 8 lbs - without any dietary changes. Followed by an LC diet only one month later. This way I avoided the scale related frustration. From the first day I have seen literally day by day improvement in my walking/jogging as well as in my general health - my insomina, headache etc. disappeared in days. This very visible exercise success has been my biggest motivation for this new WOL. Both during weight loss and now during maintenance.

Food First
 

I voted to change eating habits first. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, as I do, I would get very tired in the gym. After being on Atkins for two months, my energy levels are so much higher and I can get a more productive workout in.

Do it all at the same time.

Changing your mindset about exercise will help you change it about eating as well.

I found myself eating better, simply because I didn't want to nullify the 30min I just spent cycling.

Why not start a light exercising early?

I started with 80lbs to lose and very low energy levels.

I could barely finish 10min of moderate cycling.

2 months later I didn't just have increased energy, I'd put on muscle and was now able to do 60min of cycling no problem.

When you're very heavy, cycling and swimming are great, because they're low impact. Jogging, running, etc is real bad on the joints when you're 75+lbs overweight.

I think it depends on the individual. I went to the gym 5x/week and worked out with a personal trainer for a year and lost a whole 18 pounds. I know some of it turned to muscle, but still. Ugh. If I only had a little to lose it wouldn't have seemed so bad, but when you need to lose 80 - 100 pounds you hope to see it go a little faster. I do better at changing the way I eat and getting comfortable with it, and then moving on to exercise, but like I said, every individual is just that - individual!

IMO exercising first without changing your way of eating first is a waste of time and may even cause you to gain weight if you eat excessive carbs. If you are obese you are more likely more prone to injury, and may become miserable trying to exercise. Lose a decent amount of weight first--as you become lighter and it becomes easier to move, gradually increase your activity. This is just common sense.

As far as "working off" those problem areas, I believe that is a myth. Most people fail because rather than lose the fat in those areas, they build up the muscles. You can't specify which fat in your body you want to burn. If you stick to a low carb diet you will eventually burn all the excess fat in your body.

I recommend changing eating habits first. The reason I recommend this is because diet is infinately more important in seeing fat loss results than exercise. Results give motivation, and motivation makes you want to not only stick with it, but push yourself further and harder. Plus, once you've lost a bit of weight, exercise is easier to do. This in of itself is motivating.

On the other hand, if you are one of those people who can't stand diets and would prefer to exercise, it might be easier for you to start that way. However, I think the general consensus (well, at least for me!) is that nothing is more uncomfortable, gross, and boring than exercise :D. At the very least, I think most people have an equal tolerance for caloric restriction as they do exercise so it just makes sense to start with whatever yeilds the best results.

I think the trainer is making the assumption that people would prefer to do exercise, and therefore one should "ease themselves into better health" by doing the easiest thing first. This assumption is not true, especially among those who are very heavy. Like I said, I think most people have a lower tolerance for exercise than they do dieting, plus exercise yeilds smaller results than dieting. I don't see the benefits of doing it that guy's way, other than if you happen to be the sort of person who likes exercise (in which case you probably don't have a weight problem anyway ;D).

Well that's a toughy and I think it depends on the person. For some, it is too overwhelming to start both at once, and a person might just give it up altogether or not want to even start. Baby steps is a good plan..
I think that first making a habit of exercise is a good plan and once you realize how hard you are working, you start to think about what you are putting in to your mouth and how it can affect your energy, performance levels, and results. When you are working out regularly you start to think of food more as a "fuel" and make better choices.

The first thing to do is to go see your doctor first, but that wasn't an option in the poll. I vote to change your eating habits first. I have read somewhere (it could be something Trainer Dan wrote on this forum, or it could be something I read in Escape Your Shape - sorry, I dont remember) that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

From my personal experience in my early 20's, I worked out 6 days a week while eating and drinking whatever I wanted. Yeah I was in pretty good shape, but I was still heavy. I think back to that time and wonder if I had changed my eating habits as well, maybe I wouldn't have spent the last 20 years overweight.

I voted to change eating first for 2 reasons. The first is what already has been mentioned, that eating has more of an affect on weight than diet. The other is that exercise places an additional stress on the body. That stress makes eating correctly even more important for health. Therefore I think you should already be in the habit of eating properly before you start exercising. Of course a very dedicated person could start both at the same time, but I think most people can only change one thing at a time.

Jen

I think the choice depends on the person. Everyone is different and for me
I had to change my eating habits first otherwise I would not have had the stamina to exercise at all not to mention I had very high blood pressure due to excess use of salt.

I started Atkins and Curves on the same day. Yes, I was concerned being so heavy and working out, being tired, etc., but I stuck with it. IMO starting both at the same time complimented each other. The results are:

In 11 months:

I have lost 59.5 inches
81 pounds

Started at 276, now at 195...

I started in a size 24...now wear a size 16/Misses Large. NO MORE PLUS SIZES FOR ME!

I had to have my wedding rings sized...I went down 2 ring sizes too!

Copngratulations!
 

Good for you, JCseaglass! I can't wait to have to resize my favorite turquoise ring. But at least I can wear it again and on a middle finger instead of ring finger.

I've not really done any formal exercise, but my activity level is no longer sedentary. I walk 1.65 miles most weekdays either to the train or home from it and I hike most weekends and I contra dance 2 or 3 times a month. I never can seem to get into an exercise program. I get bored. But if my activity has a purpose or a destination, I do it and love it.

I think for me it's low-carbing. And when I started low-carbing almost 2 1/2 years ago, there was no way I could exercise, I was that unwell.

I started Atkins first and then about 3 weeks into it was when I added in exercise. I had already lost 15 lbs and exercising really bumped up the results.

I did start the Diet first and exercise after, but if I could do it over I would start the exercise first and than the diet. The reason why is because since I started exersicing I fell less stressed and have more energy and stamina. That said I think I would benefit starting a Diet with No stress in my life instead of adding more stress to my life by tring to figure out what I have to eat and such.
Just MHO.
Miez