Fat loss is made in the kitchen. No amount of exercise will make up for a sh***y diet.

Fix your diet first. When that is under control, and you know how you're going to feel, start the exercise program.

That's how I did it, anyway.

I say change your diet for about a week and then exercise.

I know when I was eating high carbs everyday, exercise was IMPOSSIBLE with that sluggish, bloated feeling. I don't even feel like getting out of bad after a carb up day.

If you want to look like Oprah, start an exercise program first, and then get around to a healthy eating program.

Most overweight people are sugar-burners, and increasing their exercise (and dealing with the increased physical stress) will just lock them further into their sugar-burning ways. I know a lot of people who didn't change the sugar/carb-eating diets, started working out, and started to GAIN weight.

A lot of people who are regular exercisers have to start COMPLETELY OVER, and RELEARN how to exercise, when they switch from being a sugar-burner to a fat-burner. Many of them just give up and sentence themselves to an endless cycle of sugar-consumption and sugar-burning, never really getting the ideal body that they desire.

Kick the Sugar-and-Starch-Habit and develop a healthy way-of-eating. Then build on it with a healthy fitness way-of-life.

J

What a GREAT post.



<Hand goes up> That was me on lowfat, when I started jogging. I gained 30 pounds in two years

Personally, I just happened to start both at about the same time. But for the way I used to eat I would have to live in the gym to work off the calories I used to consume when I would go on my binges. But Atkins stresses to get moving even if it is walking for 30 minutes 3x's a week. I'm outta shape-I do curves 3x' a week it's fun and easy.

I think it really depends on the individual.

Theoretically I believe exercise is very important from day 1. In reality, not necessarily.

If you are a couch potato and pretty overweight, I say concentrate on the food first. If you are an active person, keep it up!

It's a big lifestyle change for a fat, sedentary person to change food and exercise at once. Plus, face it, exercise is a lot harder when you're fat. And there are all those issues about feeling like a sweaty blob in front of all the skinny folks at the gym.

Like WOO said, seeing the weight come off fast by eating to plan is very motivating. Some of us needed those quick losses to be able to find the determination to stick with plan. Exercise can lead to a TEMPORARY stall on the scale that can discourage SOME people. Only you will know if that could be a roadblock for you.

But take heart, losing weight and feeling great soon enough makes you WANT to get moving. When you see how good your bod can look, it makes you want to do even more to make it look better.

And after 10 or 20 or 30 lbs down, you'll be amazed to discover how much easier it is to workout, to take that swim or start a walk/jog program or get out on your rusty old bike. I felt so amazingly light. It was hilarious. My performance got an immediate boost --- more motivation!

Assess your own lifestyle, past issues and potential pitfalls. Set reasonable goals. If that means focusing on LC for now, so be it.

Slowly try to incorporate more activity into your life, but don't put huge pressure on yourself. You'll WANT to do it soon enough, when you realize diet alone isn't going to give you the look many of us are hoping for.

The key is to challenge yourself -- and be honest about whether you're really working hard. For some people, a 20 min walk is challenging. For others, you need to push yourself a little harder to see results.

I do stress if you're already an active person and exercising regularly, of course you want to keep it up.

My thoughts are aimed mostly at people like me for whom hefting a fork was their only physical activity.

Now I do HIIT biking 3-5 times per week and lift weights 2 x per week.

I've inspired my DH to get off his lazy butt too, and we bike together now. He just turned 40 and I'm 36 and we haven't felt this good since our 20s.

I think change always stresses the body and that's why it's not a good idea to start both together.

If you are eating rubbish then you won't be fit enough for exercise.

I think start a good diet so that you detox and then after you've lost some weight start exercise - gradually - strengthen the heart and blood vessels and get the lungs working properly slowly before building up to a more demanding routine.

This was the way forward my trainer put forward and it worked for me.

I'm sure people can do it both ways -- but I'd focus more on eating healthy first, then slowly add in exercise as you feel more into it and more capable...