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It really depends on how many calories one is burning. A body adapts and becomes more efficient. That is why it is essential to up the intensity. Running is going to give you a much better calorie burn than walking twice as far. Or walking at a quicker pace. Pumping arms and getting the heart going.
If someone is trying to lose weight they need to challenge themselves. A stroll is just not going to cut it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick
A stroll, if it's a challenge, will cut it. It's as you said, Luckydog. They need to challenge themselves. For some people, walking for a couple of blocks IS a challenge. My dad can't walk more than half a block without stopping. My mom can't go more than two blocks, and that's only if she goes at a leisurely pace of maybe 2.4MPH. They claim it's because they're old (they're in their late 70's). But I know it's just an excuse. They're unfit because they've rejected physical exertion in exchange for driving down the block to the clubhouse to play bridge. Their idea of an "active" community, is meeting half the neighborhood in the clubhouse on Pizza night and watching a movie together. Or picking up their friends and going to the all-you-can-eat senior special buffet.
That's what happens to people who refuse to exercise when they're able. They cease to be able to exercise, because their bodies just can't handle the physical challenge of simple movement. Mom even gave up swimming because it was too stressful. It's pretty sad, but there's nothing I can do about it other than to vehemently refuse to follow in her footsteps.
You two are talking about two different things. Exercise for weight loss just means burn more calories. Every bit of physical activity of any intensity counts. More intense activity burns more calories, but it all counts. Every step. Every stair climbed. Walking the dog. Mowing the grass.
Exercise for fitness must be of a higher intensity. That gets into training, raising your heart rate, improving cardiovascular function.
Someone may be overweight and fit and able to exercise more strenuously from the beginning. Others may be normal weight but not fit and still need to start off more slowly.
My mother in law just turned 89 years old. She has only recently become a bit frail and has slowed down physically.
At one point, she had joined a club that had a young man to assist the ladies with an exercise program. Apparently, he had been instructed not to ask them their ages. Let us just say he underestimated her age by about ten years and the program he suggested was a little too strenuous.
She exercised regularly but was not a fitness extremist. She played tennis, she hiked with her husband on weekends, but most recently she just walked, pretty much every day that the weather permitted.
So do not underestimate the benefit of just walking.
Anon, keep after your parents. Remind them that increasing their fitness even a little may protect them from falls and possible broken hips. But make sure there is not truly a medical issue that is slowing them down first.
I was not referring to the elderly. I guess I should have clarified that. A lot of overweight people will go on a diet. They will reduce their caloric intake and then do some exercise. They will eventually hit a plateau. If they do not up the intensity they will lose weight very slowly or not at all. I am saying one needs to keep up with what the body needs. Losing weight is difficult and requires a mental and physical commitment. People who think they will succeed by just walking a bit will be in for a disappointment. Of course everyone needs to start somewhere and walking is an excellent starting off point. For the obese it may be all they can handle. But at some point even they have to either walk faster or incorporate different types of exercise if they want to succeed in the long run.
Obese are the only ones who "need" to lose weight. So if the obese can't handle more than walking, then that proves the point. It doesn't have anything to do with my parents being elderly. It has everything to do with them overeating for years, and refusing to exercise at all for years. If they had been more cautious, more often, and moved more, more often, 20 years ago, they wouldn't be in the predicament they're in now.
That's why I'm making the effort to do it now, for myself, so that I don't end up where they are, when I'm their age. I don't need to increase my speed, or shift from walking to running, or jogging, to lose weight. No one does. The weight comes off, as long as you are burning more calories than you're consuming. As you get thinner, your body doesn't have to work as hard, as it did when you were heavier. And so, you might need to walk another half mile. OR increase your speed. OR add some other exercise to the regimen. OR hit the incline button on the treadmill so you're walking up at an angle. Running is an option for people who don't have to worry about their knees, and who aren't worried about the -future- of their knees. I'm not in that set of people; I already had surgery on one knee, I'm trying to avoid having it on the other one. So no running for me. Probably not ever. And yet I'll still be able to lose weight. And no, I'm not elderly - I'm only 50
Why are obese the only ones that need to lose weight? Carrying extra weight is not good for anyone. Losing weight before one becomes obese is really more optimal than waiting for it to be an extremely long and hard task.
I am 50 and I constantly push myself to the next level. It keeps me interested in what I am doing. I am in the best shape of my life and I would not be here if I just settled for a stroll. Plus I would be bored out of my mind. I went to my doctor the other day and he said he wished his 50 year old daughter had my attitude about diet and fitness.
Of course you can lose weight by just doing the minimum. But why not try and do more? If knees are bad there is swimming, one of the best exercises out there. Bike riding is another great option for bad knees.
Obese are the only ones who "need" to lose weight. So if the obese can't handle more than walking, then that proves the point. It doesn't have anything to do with my parents being elderly. It has everything to do with them overeating for years, and refusing to exercise at all for years. If they had been more cautious, more often, and moved more, more often, 20 years ago, they wouldn't be in the predicament they're in now.
That's why I'm making the effort to do it now, for myself, so that I don't end up where they are, when I'm their age. I don't need to increase my speed, or shift from walking to running, or jogging, to lose weight. No one does. The weight comes off, as long as you are burning more calories than you're consuming. As you get thinner, your body doesn't have to work as hard, as it did when you were heavier. And so, you might need to walk another half mile. OR increase your speed. OR add some other exercise to the regimen. OR hit the incline button on the treadmill so you're walking up at an angle. Running is an option for people who don't have to worry about their knees, and who aren't worried about the -future- of their knees. I'm not in that set of people; I already had surgery on one knee, I'm trying to avoid having it on the other one. So no running for me. Probably not ever. And yet I'll still be able to lose weight. And no, I'm not elderly - I'm only 50
And too, I think there are many people who exercise to maintain a certain level of fitness for health reasons, but who don't necessarily want to or need to really drastically reduce their body weight or train like an athlete. And it's hard for lifelong athletes and fitness buffs to understand that. Maybe a person may not be the thinnest they can possibly be, but their doctor is happy with their choices and their blood work is healthy, and that's fine.
It does not matter whether it is carbohydrate, fat, or protein.
Although this might be a literally true statement, it doesn't take into account how these various macro-nutrients effect your body. Gary Taubes and others have written books recently about how insulin is the hormone that controls fat accumulation in our bodies. This is not a new or particularly controversial idea.
Of the three types of foods on a macro nutrient level, the only one that impacts (i.e. increases) insulin production are carbohydrates. Of course, not all carbohydrates are created equal. The glycemic index is useful for determining which carbohydrates have the most adverse impact on blood suger and insulin production. It should no surprise that the leafy green type of vegetables have a minimul impact while sugar, white flour, and starches like rice and potatoes have a great impact.
For the vast majority of people who are overweight, it is verly likely they are eating too many refined carbohydrates which is causing their bodies to produce too much insulin which in turn causes their bodies to accumulate excess fat. They are probably not overweight because they are eating too many ribeye steaks.
Although in theory its possible to lose weight simply by cutting calories and exercising more, in practice that advice has proven woefully inadequate for most people.
Following a proper carb restricted diet is a great way for overweight people to lose weight and get healthy.
As we speak, there is a low carb frenzy going on in countries like Sweden and Norway. An awful lot of people are figuring out that carb restricted diets work.
Also, I put quotation marks around the word "need" to emphasize. People who are moderately overweight, or slightly overweight, do not "need" to lose weight. They are not at high risk for disease or sickness, and a little padding can't hurt.
People who are obese *need* to lose weight, because obesity is the #1 risk factor for several common deadly illnesses.
The only people who *need* to lose weight (meaning, more than just wanting to look good or feel perfect or be at optimal fitness, which is desireable but not medically necessary), are people who are obese.
Although this might be a literally true statement, it doesn't take into account how these various macro-nutrients effect your body. Gary Taubes and others have written books recently about how insulin is the hormone that controls fat accumulation in our bodies. This is not a new or particularly controversial idea.
Of the three types of foods on a macro nutrient level, the only one that impacts (i.e. increases) insulin production are carbohydrates. Of course, not all carbohydrates are created equal. The glycemic index is useful for determining which carbohydrates have the most adverse impact on blood suger and insulin production. It should no surprise that the leafy green type of vegetables have a minimul impact while sugar, white flour, and starches like rice and potatoes have a great impact.
For the vast majority of people who are overweight, it is verly likely they are eating too many refined carbohydrates which is causing their bodies to produce too much insulin which in turn causes their bodies to accumulate excess fat. They are probably not overweight because they are eating too many ribeye steaks.
Although in theory its possible to lose weight simply by cutting calories and exercising more, in practice that advice has proven woefully inadequate for most people.
Following a proper carb restricted diet is a great way for overweight people to lose weight and get healthy.
As we speak, there is a low carb frenzy going on in countries like Sweden and Norway. An awful lot of people are figuring out that carb restricted diets work.
All the macronutrients --- carbs, fats, and protein --- feed into the body's energy production mechanism. As you consume food, some will be used for immediate needs and some will be stored as glycogen. Once you max out glycogen, the rest is stored as fat, whether it started as carbs, fat, or protein. If you take in too much energy, you will store some as fat.
Which approach to reducing calories is best depends on the individual. Telling someone who likes carbs that the only way to lose weight is to reduce carbs sets that person up for failure.
I was with my brother at a restaurant once when he was doing Atkins. He looked at a man at the next table and told the guy he could tell the cops he was mugged for the bread on his plate.
It is possible to lose weight by reducing carbs or reducing fat or reducing protein --- though many people do not eat a lot more protein than is good for them.
Or, you can reduce portion sizes and keep pretty much the same diet you always eat, presuming it is nutritionally reasonable overall. Increasing fiber and veggies helps you feel fuller.
There is also no point in a diet that cannot be maintained permanently. The weight just comes back when you stop the diet. Which is the big problem with Atkins.
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