3 Keys for Weight Loss You Need to Know Now

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3 Keys for Weight Loss You Need to Know Now

Erik Taylor
by Erik Taylor
April 20, 2018
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3 Keys for Weight Loss You Need to Know Now

Cardio work, strength training and counting calories and macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat) are the three big components of weight loss. You should be doing all three, but each of these is not created equally when you’re trying to lose weight.

Here’s how you should rank these three elements to achieve your weight loss goals:

1

COUNTING CALORIES AND MACROS

Logging your food is one of the most important components of weight loss. Figure out what a safe calorie deficit is for you (MyFitnessPal can help you do this), follow these guidelines consistently and the weight should come off. Make sure to readjust your daily goals as you lose weight.

Case in point: In 2010, Mark Haub, a professor at Kansas State University, lost 27 pounds in two months by eating mostly processed snack cakes and other junk food. His normal, pre-“diet” caloric intake was roughly 2,600 calories per day. When he went on his “Twinkie diet,” he limited himself to 1,800 calories per day and didn’t alter his daily activities or exercise.

Neither Haub nor I recommend the Twinkie diet or anything that’s equally non-nutritious, but the idea of eating less by being aware — by counting your calories — means it’s unlikely you’ll overeat.

Technically, you don’t have to exercise to lose weight. But, this approach isn’t optimal for overall health. Counting your calories and macros is vital for weight loss, but it takes more than that to be strong and healthy. Keep in mind, we are organisms that are dependent upon work — or, in other words, exercise.

WATCH > ASK A TRAINER: ON LOSING WEIGHT

2

BUILDING STRENGTH

Strength training is the best form of exercise you can do, no matter your age or whether you are trying to lose weight. While not everyone loves the weight room, the return on investment — denser bones, stronger ligaments and tendons, better posture and, most importantly in this context, more muscle to burn calorie — is incredible.

READ MORE > 10 OF THE BEST WORKOUTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Your strength has a direct effect on how you interact with your environment. The stronger you are, the easier daily tasks become, such as climbing the stairs, carrying a full laundry basket and raking leaves. Strength train for the future: Preserving muscle for your 50s and beyond will help delay the need for assistance with everyday activities. Did you know that many people who have to check in to assisted living homes do so because they are unable to get off the toilet, open a door or dress themselves? Muscle is what keeps us moving, and it needs to be fed a steady diet of weight training. An optimal, efficient way to strength train: complete compound exercises like squats, shoulder presses and deadlifts two to three days a week.

3

CRANKING OUT CARDIO

Cardiovascular exercise is often thought of by the mainstream media and even some doctors as the best way to lose weight. It’s not. That’s not to say that it isn’t important, it’s just not at the top of the list.

I’m a big believer in being balanced, so every single one of my clients does some sort of conditioning work, whether it’s running on a treadmill, riding a spin bike or pushing a sled. I suggest twice-weekly sessions of 10–20 minutes of lung-scorching, high-intensity interval training. You can do these types of workouts at the end of your strength-training sessions or on the days in between.

Another option is to do low-intensity, steady-state cardio. It’s the perfect place to start if you are new to the exercise game or in the early stages of losing weight. Walking or using a recumbent bike are also acceptable for such workouts. Try doing this two times per week.

Remember: The best place to start when trying to lose pounds is counting calories. Make sure your daily caloric allowance is a safe deficit. Even if you don’t count your daily macros, your body does. Adding strength training will help you maintain your muscle mass for today and for the future. And, since no one likes to feel winded walking up a flight of stairs, round out your program with  cardio conditioning work. Good health comes at a cost: time, energy, money, sacrifice and hard work. Keep in mind that the cost is even greater if you don’t commit.

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About the Author

Erik Taylor
Erik Taylor

Erik is a NASM-certified trainer who works with clients online to build their fitness and nutrition plans. He works with people at all levels, from first-time exercisers to weekend warriors and endurance athletes. Erik lives in one of the beach cities of Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters. Connect with Erik on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat (eriktaylorsfit) and Taylorsfitness.com.

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149 responses to “3 Keys for Weight Loss You Need to Know Now”

  1. Avatar rjc1008 says:
    March 15, 2016 at 10:38 am

    A problem I still have is trying to compensate for exercise Calories, which I don’t think are very accurate. I’m tending instead to stick to 1600 non-climbing, 1800 if rock climbing days or long run days which seems to be working on average.

    Now does rock climbing count as “strength” or “cardio”? MyFitnessPal calls it cardio, and it can be done as cardio if you choose a low grade and go for distance. But at higher grades or on the circuit wall?

    Reply
    • Avatar Christy says:
      March 15, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      It’s both. Rock climbing is a great workout. Weight bearing cardio is some of the most efficient exercise out there. 200 calories extra on the day sounds low for an extended rock climbing session. I use a heart rate monitor to gauge my exertion and refuel afterward with whole grains or potatoes and lean protein. Good luck and have fun!

      Reply
      • Avatar rjc1008 says:
        March 19, 2016 at 2:36 am

        Thanks.

        I think at the moment my muscles are getting a good workout. Not sore today at all, but felt I’d worked hard after the session.

        Reply
    • Avatar Keryn Vella says:
      March 17, 2016 at 6:06 am

      I agree with Christy – using a heart rate monitor to gauge exertion is the way forward. I tried losing weight with Myfitnesspal a number of times using their estimates of calorie burn and lost nothing. Then I got a Fitbit HR and paired it with Myfitnesspal. I got a much more accurate measure of my calorie burn and, hey presto, lost 9kg in six months and hit my goal weight. Accurate info is everything…

      Reply
      • Avatar rjc1008 says:
        March 19, 2016 at 2:34 am

        I’m finding that my Garmin is reporting lower Calorie burns than MyFitnessPal would for the same exercise, especially for something like rock climbing where you may spend a reasonable amount of time not moving. Also for cycling HR based is consistently lower than speed/distance based.

        Reply
  2. Avatar Karlo Garcia says:
    March 15, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    Creating a calorie deficit while logging foods & exercise will lose weight!!!

    Reply
  3. Avatar Anthony hurst says:
    March 16, 2016 at 2:09 am

    I am on my 6th day of 800 calories a day for 8 weeks. Have lost 7 kilos or 15 pounds so far. I have a pretty severe disability so cannot exercise anywhere near as much as I used to. After the first couple of days I have found it surprisingly easy. Cannot emphasize enough the need to drink a lot of water, which I have always naturally done. Check out Dr Michael Mosely the Brit behind the 5/2 diet. He has suggested the science is beginning to support the idea of losing weight fast. 800 for 8 fights off type 2 diabetes onset. I had my Dr take my bloods 6 days ago and we will get them done again at the end of the eight weeks. I intend to switch to 5/2 fasting after the 8 weeks to maintain my goal weight. I see 5/2 fasting as a lifestyle change for the remainder of my years.

    Reply
    • Avatar Eddie says:
      April 5, 2016 at 4:55 am

      Bad idea. You are starving yourself and burning muscle for fuel. Eventually the lbs will creep back up. Do some strength training so you can put on muscle and eat a little more. Do some cardio so you can eat a little more. A 500 calorie deficit per day is recommended.

      Reply
  4. Avatar Symone says:
    March 16, 2016 at 10:44 pm

    Hi just a question. For 3 weeks I was sticking to 1200 calories and only lost 1 kg in 3 weeks so I figured I wasn’t eating enough so I used an online bmr calculator and it shows my body needs 1400 calories. So now (1 week so far) I have been only eating 1400 calories everyday including my rest days and focusing on my macros 45% protein, 30% fat and 25% carbs.
    I do boot camp twice a week and HIIT once per week. Does this sound right or should I be eating more on bootcamp and HIIT days?

    Reply
    • Avatar Bobby Rowland says:
      April 5, 2016 at 9:26 am

      Your percentages need to represent your lifestyle. Right now you are eating like a bodybuilder. Increase your carbs to 50-55% and your body will thank you and reward you with weight loss. I am degree certified trainer with 10yr experience in the field just FYI. My name is Bobby.

      Reply
    • Avatar Jerry VanSickle says:
      April 9, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      Just FYI. Look at Type I diabetics. There are groups on Facebook and I belong to a few of them that I joined after my daughter got juvenile diabetes. Dr Richard Bernstein is also a T1D and was diagnosed at around 12 years old. Nearly loss his legs and life eating a USDA recommended diet. In his early years he was an Engineer. He became a Dr after experimenting on himself and reversing all of his complication and finding that he only needs 6 grams of carbs for breakfast, 12 for lunch, and 12 for dinner. The group focuses on those guidelines. Most T1D are pretty thin. They are not fat like a majority of the population. He discovered we don’t need carbs to survive really. At least not what the USDA recommends. That is a whole other story as well regarding the USDA and FDA. They basically completely turned the food pyramid upside down against the opinion of the many of experts they hired to put it into place. The govt allowed big business/Corp to come in and that messed the whole thing up. Anyways, your body and and does convert fat and protein to fuel the body. One of the biggest prob is that Americans have replaced good fats in the diet with carbs and the crap that they put into our food now makes us overeat. I just moved back to the US after living in Germany for 3 years and I can count the number of obese people on my hands and feet that I saw in Germany during that time. Their food is so much more healthier than ours and they eat lots of fat. Pork and Chicken is primarily consumed,because beef is so expensive,but even with all the pork and fat sausage they eat,they are still skinner than Americans. THey don’t eat GMO and eat lots of veg. Most foods you find in American stores that are packaged wouldn’t even be allowed in Germany. :: Mountain dew, fruit loops,etc. No GMO. I actually dropped from 205 to 178 after living in Germany. I came back in June of 2014 and went from 178 back up to 206. Now, I cut out the processed food and don’t eat anything out of a box and since Jan 1, 2016 and I dropped back down to 182 lbs.

      Reply
  5. Avatar Rebecca Dawkins says:
    March 17, 2016 at 12:14 am

    The best way to lose weight is to cut back on what you eat and increase your burn through exercise. I need better portion control. more consistent cardio exercise, although I have been very consistent with stretch and tone exercises. I had stopped tracking and when I restarted I saw where I was eating more then I realized, even if most of it was the right things. I have recommitted to tracking my nutrition and exercise.

    Reply
  6. Avatar Thomas Lynch says:
    March 19, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    like it good advice!

    Reply
  7. Avatar epickett says:
    April 5, 2016 at 5:49 am

    1800 calories of snack cakes is what, *6*? 🙂 Doesn’t seem like a lot to eat at ALL..

    Reply
  8. Avatar DetroitSinkhole says:
    April 5, 2016 at 7:29 am

    I don’t count calories. I eat when my body tells me to eat but only eat nutritious, unprocessed foods. When I got rid of sugar, processed foods, and most grains, the pounds melted away and I never felt hungry or deprived. I am amazed how good “real” food tastes after getting rid of all the cr@ppy food. Happy and healthy!

    Reply
    • Avatar Katya Tsaioun, Ph.D. says:
      April 7, 2016 at 4:32 am

      As a Registered Dietician Nutritionist I applaud your approach. This is the foundation that I base my approach with my patients. I don’t tell anyone to count calories nor dramatically immediately change their activity level. I teach gradual adjustment of their “normal” lifestyle to be in tune with our natural reflexes that we lose in this society.

      Reply
  9. Avatar Losingweight says:
    April 5, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    I started on a high protein, low carb and fat diet about 3 months ago. I eat about 1500 calories per day and burn 3500 (per fitbit) about 5 times per week. I know this is an incredible deficit, but I have lost about 25-30 lbs so far. I do a core DVD workout in the mornings and then hit the gym after work (45 mins of running + strength exercises afterwards). My question to you is this: Is this lifestyle sustainable for maybe another 6 weeks (I have a beach trip at the end of May) or should I increase my caloric intake? What is the toll on the body? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Avatar Brian Masters says:
      April 7, 2016 at 5:49 am

      A 2000 calorie daily deficit if not sustainable. 750 per day deficit is more reasonable for loseing a lot of weight, it takes longer, but isn’t as taxing on the body. Once you’ve reached your goal maintaining becomes the optimal lifestyle. To maintain you’ll want to eat as much as you burn. I would highly recommend talking to a professional and setting clear goals and a solid program.

      Reply
  10. Avatar Ruth Duckless says:
    April 6, 2016 at 6:04 am

    This is discouraging for someone in their late 60’s with very little stamina left. At 1200 calories a day and walking on treadmill at 3 mph for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week I have only lost 3 lbs in 2 months. At 50+ lbs overweight my efforts seem pointless.

    Reply
    • Avatar Brian Masters says:
      April 7, 2016 at 5:51 am

      That’s actually great progress. The weight gain was a slow long term lifestyle change, any progress is good this is life not a race.

      Reply
    • Avatar Sarah says:
      April 7, 2016 at 7:36 am

      Actually, that is not very good progress for such a low calorie diet. You might try going up to 1500 or 1600 calories and see if you feel better. Are you drinking lots of water, not just sipping throughout the day? Instead of doing the treadmill, can you go outside and walk, a nice park with hills? Are there steps in your house? Instead of going up and down once, do it twice. Maybe dance for 10 minutes at a time in your living room? There are many ways to get moving that are going to be more effective than a slow treadmill pace. Don’t be discouraged!! XO

      Reply
    • Avatar Jerry VanSickle says:
      April 9, 2016 at 2:22 pm

      Slow walking is prob the least amount of burn calorie exercise you can do. Riding a bike as fast as you can for a few min and then taking like a 1 min slow pace or break and repeat over and over is prob better. HIIT programs would be better as well. I agree with this article a lot. For the first time in my life at 44 years old with a bad back. I went from 206lbs down to 182lbs in 3 months. I mixed it up all the time and did what my back would allow. Weights, treadmill, bike, HIIT,etc. I lost over 5″ off my waist and I’m starting to show my 6 pack. I am 5’11”. I went into a strict caloric deficit between 1000 and 1200 calories for the first month. No carbs.Just vegetables, protein, and lots of water. I lost about 9 lbs and hit a plateau perhaps so I mixed it up started eating more and exercising more. Then lost another 9 or so lbs. Body will get use to what you are doing. You need to constantly mix it up. As a father of a Type I diabetic and keeping blood sugars under control, I learned to eat low carb foods that don’t spike blood sugars def help keep the wait off. I agree that if anyone was to be basically starved to death, you will lose weight. Its not healthy to do it real fast, but I did and took a multivitamin and ate lots of good fats. Fat is needed to fuel the brain and it can also feed the body. I eat things like fish, chicken breast, deer meat, broc, cauliflower, cabbage, mixed vegetables, etc. Drink only filtered water. I only use himalayan salt and use lots of spices on my food. Curry: pepper, turmeric, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, ginger, italian seasoning. Once I got down on my weight, then I started to slowly add fruits. Mostly berries, oranges, grapefruit, and bananas once in a while. Now I eat yogurt with berries, oatmeal with protein powder, and my starch is sweet potatoes.Nothing with white flower, nor bread, nor white or red potatoes, rice, etc. Those things spike blood sugar and can cause weight gain. I’ve seen first hand what certain foods do to blood sugars. You want things that are complex carbs that won’t spike blood sugar. I don’t drink anything but water and a little milk now with a protein shake. Oh, sorry, I do drink green tea plain and I will use black coffee to make the tea. That away I get a little bit of an energy boost from the caffeine and weight loss benefits of green tea.

      Reply
  11. Avatar Rochelle Walela Black says:
    April 6, 2016 at 7:19 am

    I am 55 years old, I have been in a high intensive sport since I was 6 years old till I was 46 years old. I have lifted weights since I was 12 years. I became a zumba and MMA instructors in 1998 and stopped about 4 years ago (2011). I worked out a total of 6 days a week for 4 hours a day I don’t want to do that anymore. I have started jogging and walking up steep hills at least 5 days a week and watching what I eat (1200 cals) but I really am done with all the weight lifting and high intensive cardio. I can’t do yoga because of the strain on my wrists. I only want to lose about 20 lbs (a little less) I am 4′ 9 1/2″ tall. Is not lifting weights really going to be so detrimental to my weight loss and over health?

    Reply
    • Avatar Sarah says:
      April 7, 2016 at 7:46 am

      Just a little plug for yoga…if you want to do it, find a good instructor who can help you with your wrist problems. Many yoga poses put no weight on the wrist at all! =)

      Reply
  12. Avatar robinbishop34 says:
    April 6, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    I think the most important thing to take from this article is the idea that “you do NOT have to exercise to lose weight,” calorie intake is all that really matters for gaining or losing weight.

    Now, of course it is beneficial to be active for overall health, and your calories should be made up of high lean protein, low glycemic carbs, and healthy fats, BUT like the Twinkie diet mentioned in the article… it isn’t absolutely necessary.

    The reason I emphasize this over and over in other article comments is because until a person figures their total daily energy expenditure, and then regularly consumes a reasonable amount below that total, you will stay overweight.

    Forget all the shortcuts, the supposed “fat burning foods,” “not eating at night,” etc. It doesn’t matter if you eat right before you go to bed, or if you eat 3 meals, 6 meals, or 20 meals a day… as long as you stay in a calorie deficit.

    The old “stick and rudder” method of weighing everything you eat and recording the calories in a notebook is the best way. Read labels, understand the portions, use a food scale, and get started.

    Reply
    • Avatar Katya Tsaioun, Ph.D. says:
      April 7, 2016 at 4:39 am

      i understand what you are trying to do: attract attention by being controversial, but as a health care professional and a scientist I hope that this message is going to be lost among other more in line with evidence.

      Reply
      • Avatar Sarah says:
        April 7, 2016 at 7:48 am

        Not sure I see the controversy here…Robin is correct!

        Reply
      • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
        April 7, 2016 at 7:50 am

        What exactly about a reasonable calorie deficit isn’t in line with scientific evidence? You are probably not looking past the fact that I said you don’t need to exercise to lose weight and making a reflexive assumption that I’m discouraging people from doing so… which I’m clearly not.

        Reply
        • Avatar Katy says:
          April 7, 2016 at 2:40 pm

          Then there must be something “wrong” with me then. I think all bodies are different, and one thing does not apply to all. It doesn’t matter how long I eat a deficit, I will not lose. Sure, say I am counting my calories wrong, say there is no way, that it is physically impossible. To me, anything is possible, and there is no one way or the highway for anyone. I do think some people need exercise and calorie deficit. In fact, I do not lose weight until I eat more, AND exercise. It is weird, I know, in fact I am bewildered by my own body. But I guess what I am trying to say is, there is no way to blanket everyone into one lump. No matter what science says as being definitive – sometimes we don’t know everything there is to know, and things can be proven wrong.

          Reply
          • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
            April 7, 2016 at 11:01 pm

            I’m not claiming to know everything there is to know, but as you correctly guessed, I’m going to speculate that you are not actually in a deficit. I disagree that there is not “one way for everyone.” If I were to lock you in a room for 30 days and only slide 500 calories worth of food under the door everyday, you’d be significantly thinner by the end of that month. The reason you’d be thinner is because the calories provided is below the amount needed by your body to maintain a heavier than normal weight. This is a terrible way to go about it but the point is you’d lose because you’re in a true deficit.

            I talk to a lot of people who say the same thing as you… and while they are making admirable efforts to cut back, they are almost always overestimating the # of calories burned, and underestimating the # of calories consumed. A strict log of what you eat, complete with accurate portion and calorie count is vital. This isn’t nearly as tedious or hard as it sounds. After just a week or two you’ll have accumulated a pretty comprehensive log of the things you eat most often which you can use over and over as a guide.

            Start by googling “TDEE calculator” to figure a good estimate of daily calories burned, and then begin with a 20% deficit. For example if your TDEE is 2500 calories/day, reduce that amount by 20% and max out at 2000 per day. Remember though… the TDEE calculator only gives you a good estimate of total energy expenditure. You will be able to get a more accurate gauge of it by monitoring your rate of loss.

            WHAT YOU NEED: Notebook, pencil, calculator, digital food scale.

            WHAT YOU DO: Read labels (ALWAYS look at serving size/portions), write down everything you eat along with accurate # of calories for each thing, weigh once a week in the morning before you eat and after you use bathroom, monitor progress.

            DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE ANY OIL/BUTTER USED FOR COOKING, CONDIMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS, LICKS OF SPOONS, ETC.

          • Avatar Merry Collop says:
            April 12, 2016 at 9:03 pm

            As reasonable as your argument is, Robin, I need to disagree. Several years ago I was very ill with IBS and ulcers. Constant diahrea, and for several days I didn’t eat. I also didn’t lose any weight. At that point I was on several medications, one for epilepsy, that made an enormous impact on my weight. My weight doubled within a few years. According to the Epilepsy Center, that particular medication affected some, but not all, with weight gain that would never plateau as long as they were on that medication. That medication altered my entire health system, being instrumental in diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, thyroid dysfunction and numerous other issues. When a person goes with NO food for days, without weight loss, it is not reasonable to say that they are not in calorie deficit. I am not trying to be argumentative; it is only that each person has been created differently, and what works for one does not necessarily work for others. Evidently, eating more works for Katy. I do remember when Johnny Carson was still on tv; he made a comment that when he did NOT exercize he would inexplicably lose weight. At this point, I am no longer on that particular medication, but still struggle with my weight. I have no thyroid, am on numerous meds, faithfully do cardio and resistance training, and do pretty well to eat healthy foods. I finally had my metabolism checked to find out just where I need to set a calorie level. That is very helpful, because, we are all created different. The amount you eat might blow me up with additional pounds. I also had food allergy testing done, and removed food sensitivities from my diet. My doctor is helping my gut to heal with supplements, and she feels that when my gut is healed, it will be much easier for me to lose weight. I am feeling much better, so I am hopeful that will prove true. I encourage people not to beat themselves up; research medications that you take to see if they could affect weight loss/gain, have your metabolism checked (mine was $30.00 through our local hospital), and find a doctor who can and will check the health of the entire body, especially the gut. Even if you don’t lose weight quickly,
            you can make changes to benefit the health of your body, which we know makes a huge difference in how we feel on a daily basis.

          • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
            April 13, 2016 at 1:23 pm

            This part… “I finally had my metabolism checked to find out just where I need to set a calorie level,” is whats important. If you maintain a moderate deficit from that level, you will lose, as you’re finding out. I encourage you to use a TDEE calculator and see if the results aren’t near what the doctor/dietician set for you.

            Obviously you are dealing with conditions that most people trying to lose fat are not dealing with so that, combined with a cocktail of medications, may be what is causing you to have difficulty. Despite this however, you still have a maintenance level that you can either go below and lose, or exceed and gain.

          • Avatar LauraBeth Culbert says:
            June 20, 2017 at 4:26 pm

            WOuld you be willing to be my partner in my weight loss or my helper? I already have been using MyFitness Plus and have a good record of what I’ve eaten for about a month I think now. Can you and will you please help me?

            If you could talk to me on video chat, give me ideas, let me be accountable to you, I’d so appreciate it.

          • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
            June 21, 2017 at 6:43 am

            What are you need ing help with?

          • Avatar Megan says:
            April 19, 2016 at 11:39 am

            Katy – I am in the same boat as you. I’ve used My Fitness Pal religiously for several months. In February, I cut out alcohol, coffee, added sugars, any fast food, and ate an avg. of 1200 calories a day. I also tracked my calories in Excel so I could calculate average and see a day-to-day comparison chart. I worked out 1-2 times a week. I didn’t lose any weight. In March, I upped my work outs to 4-5 times a week for at least 1 hour, and started eating an average of 1500 calories a day. I now also allow myself the occasional alcoholic drink, piece of cake, etc. That is when I started to see changes. For me the mixed of eating a healthy amount and working out was more successful then cutting way back on calories. I’m not saying this works for everyone, just sharing my personal experience. 1500 calories a day is still pretty low. I obviously wouldn’t see results from working out daily and eating a 2500 cal/day diet.

          • Avatar Bur1yman says:
            June 19, 2017 at 11:11 am

            I feel it takes time for the body to understand what you are trying to accomplish. Usually after 3 weeks of starting to exercise, I finally start to see results. I don’t really think you are eating “more”, but more often. This makes sense. As long as the body is busy burning something eaten, it doesn’t go into “conserve” mode and burn less calories for the same amount of work. As long as the end tally of calories is lower than what is needed, you should lose. I don’t believe that calories before bed are the same as calories before a walk. Finding that personal sweet spot is the tough thing to do. All I can say is LOG EVERYTHING…. Eventually, it will become obvious what balance works for you and your body..

          • Avatar Corinne says:
            May 5, 2017 at 5:37 pm

            Katy, this discrepancy comes about possibly because of blood type. Eating Right For Your Type by Dr D’Adamo is very informative. I absolutely agree that eating less calories loses weight, it works for me, but if your eating the wrong foods for your blood type the lectins in the food will cause weight gain amongst other things. If your blood type O like me, we work best on high physical exercise whilst eating beef increases our metabolism, but Os can still lose weight without exercise via calorie counting. I highly recommend his books. His following book Live Right For Your Type follows on with even more information..all the information makes a lot of sense. I also have his specialized books on Arthritis & Cardiovascular Disease.

          • Avatar EJ says:
            June 19, 2017 at 9:06 am

            I agree with the eat more, lose more theory. As long it is the right food. The calorie deficit method seems to rely on the human body’s calorie burning engine being something static. I think that nature and gotten very good and making the systems smart and to alter the settings to best survive hardship. Some people’s bodies are better at turning down the metabolism during a deficit than others, as it should be. Ensures survival of species. These would be the people that would last the longest during a prolonged time with no available food.

            Satiating that survival mechanism with the food it needs to feel safe allows for a greater burn rate during exercise. There was the Michael Thurmond diet that was based on that theory.

          • Avatar Dawn Martin says:
            June 19, 2017 at 9:24 am

            I had the same issue as Katy…until I stopped eating white starchy or fatty foods…pasta, breads, cheese, pop…I literally lost 30 pounds in 3 months and never went to the gym. I did calorie counting and made a diet up for myself that really finally worked without the gym. I couldn’t even believe it. I ate 5 times a day while keeping my snacks at 200 cal or less and meal times at 350. I had a pretty good deficit going. I started sharing my menu with my mom too, she lost 25 lbs. Couldn’t be happier!

          • Avatar Lori Carter says:
            June 19, 2017 at 10:21 am

            I too gave up sodas breads and pasta and in 5 months have lost 60 lbs. Went from size 18 to size 10. My fitness pal is my life. I love the articles and keep my journal here everyday, no matter when I cheat or not it goes in my fitness pal app. I Don’t have a exercise routine yet. My town is putting in a fitness center and I can’t wait. By end of July I will be working out alot. Where i work has a free fitness center 24 hrs a day but when im off on a swing shift its hard for me to get it together..calories and my fitness pal have been a life saver for me. Off my bp meds and heartburn meds and feeling great.

          • Avatar Dawn Martin says:
            June 19, 2017 at 11:20 pm

            That is awesome! Congrats and keep up the good work! It sure pays off!

          • Avatar Happy Camper says:
            October 18, 2017 at 10:22 am

            I totally sympathize with you Katy. Not all bodies seem to respond to reducing calories alone. Obviously we know that eating 200 calories of protein does not equal 200 calories of fat or sweets, but it is extremely important to keep moving with as much activity in our fat-burning heart zone as we can handle. Higher protein, less bread etc., weight training and fat-burning cardio have finally begun to move that scale for me. In my desperation, I had also made the mistake of eating too little and of course the body just goes into famine mode – scale did not move. But I stopped looking at the scale numbers and started measuring my waist, hips. With the weight training and fat burning cardio – I had finally lost a size, but the scale hardly moved. Meanwhile I added muscle. So I rely more on the measurements than the scale. The biggest trick to weight loss is lacing up the sneakers – after that – staying in motion (I count my steps too I admit!)

        • Avatar Dan Martin says:
          June 14, 2018 at 1:05 pm

          Nobody online seems to know how to conduct a cogent argument and anyone that tries is bombed with opinions until they give up. A sad state of affairs….I guess this will just become another facebook for hurling insults at each other and just believing what we want. There is so little reliable science in nutrition information doled out on line that if the actual gold standard of nutrition information (nonexistent though it is) were to be floated, no one could tell it from BS.

          Reply
      • Avatar Diane Tincher says:
        May 31, 2016 at 12:32 pm

        I lost 150 lbs over a 2 year period of time without incorporating many fruits and vegetables into my diet. I did tons of strength training and cardio. I also very strictly counted my calories every single day. I have maintained my current healthy weight for the last 2 years by continuing to do strength training and counting my calories religiously. I occasionally have a cardio session, but my job is so physically active that I rarely get to the gym to do anything more than strength training. I am trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet now, but it’s really hard because I just don’t enjoy eating them.

        Reply
    • Avatar Animal SoulBonder says:
      April 7, 2016 at 6:16 am

      It absolutely matters if you eat right!

      Reply
    • Avatar bill says:
      April 9, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Yes you can lose weight without exercise, but you would kind of be missing the whole point! Exercise is VERY important for a healthy, well functioning body and MIND. Understand what exercise is. It certainly is not limited to sweating bullets grunting in a gym. Walking, dancing, gardening, house cleaning, yard work, snow shoveling….in other words MOVING is exercise. Better yet if it raises your heart beat. Stay active. Eat efficiently-in other words, choose foods with the most nutrition per calorie. Yes, that does pretty much eliminate donuts! Real food (not processed) is often high in nutrition and low in calories. A lot of it is really inexpensive as well!

      Reply
      • Avatar Anonymous Is A Woman says:
        March 28, 2017 at 9:56 am

        Yes, yes, and yes, Bill. Exercise is just moving. There is a whole body of research on non exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT. It basically posits the theory that one significant difference between lean and overweight people is that lean people are more active during the day. They get up and walk around more, choose to take steps rather than escalators or elevators, and park their cars a little further when they shop, etc.

        Just learn to be active. And of course count calories. That still is the most important part of weight loss. Can’t get around that.

        Reply
        • Avatar Henrik Powell says:
          May 7, 2017 at 11:54 pm

          I discontinue working at shopritte and now I’m getting $75-97$ p/hour. How? I’m working on the net! My employment did not actually make me delighted thus I made a decision to take a chance on something new…after 4 years it wasn’t simple to drop out my day job but now I couldn’t be more happy.>>> OKNO.UK/r/279j3

          Reply
      • Avatar Phil Bowman says:
        March 2, 2018 at 3:43 pm

        I went on my fitness pal and it says shoveling snow burns minimal calories. What gives?

        Reply
        • Avatar Kerry Flitter says:
          August 24, 2018 at 7:23 am

          Yeah, I wonder why gentle bouncing on the spot and hardly breaking sweat apparently makes my heart rate go up to 170 (thus zapping lots of calories) while a hard workout on a stationary bike dripping with sweat and breathing hard only puts my heart up to about 115 . . . .?

          Reply
    • Avatar Lo says:
      May 7, 2016 at 10:58 pm

      If you eat less then your body needs to maintain your current weight, YOU WILL lose weight even without exercise. HOWEVER, what exactly are you losing? Muscle! The most important part of your body that keeps you going day after day. To increase and optimize those muscles, for your sake, you NEED to exercise! Period. Eating healthy grown foods will nurture your body, and mind. Sure you could eat whatever you want, but you definitely won’t feel as well as eating wholesome grown foods.

      Reply
      • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
        May 8, 2016 at 10:29 am

        “HOWEVER, what exactly are you losing? Muscle! “
        Nope. When I say “current weight,” I’m talking about a person’s current overweight status. A moderate calorie deficit w/o exercise (or moderated activity like walking) is the best way to ensure a higher percentage of fat loss. As a person’s body fat % gets down around 20%, some resistance training and an increase in the proportion of protein intake would be encouraged to prevent muscle loss.

        When it comes to building muscle, a person should cut to the point of seeing a soft 4 or 6 in their abs, at which point they would begin a heavy lifting/progressive overload, full body split type workout, in conjunction with a moderate calorie surplus.

        Reply
    • Avatar TrainerRon says:
      May 6, 2017 at 8:33 am

      If you only lose weight by counting calories and completely excluding exercise outside of your daily activities you will also lose muscle mass. This also causes your body to require less calories daily. That means you will constantly need to decrease your daily intake just to maintain your new weight. That is exactly why the article referenced weight training. Adding lean muscle not only looks better, but it makes the ability to maintain the thinner, leaner you all that much easier.

      Reply
      • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
        May 6, 2017 at 1:49 pm

        Most people who comment here are significantly overweight, and a good percentage of those who are complain of limited mobility, knee/back problems.

        These people… and anyone really, only need to be in a reasonable calorie deficit with proper proportion of macros to lose. Yes.. of course the caloric limit is constantly re-adjusted UNTIL a person gets to their ideal weight. They are then simply eating maintenance at where they should of been all along.

        You’re speaking of cutting after a bulk which is different insomuch that the person will maintain lifting heavy weights, but decrease volume in conjunction with a high protein, moderate calorie deficit.

        Reply
        • Avatar Jack says:
          February 22, 2018 at 3:54 pm

          You can eat in a deficit and still not lose any weight. There is a ton of reasons why this could happen.

          Reply
          • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
            February 22, 2018 at 4:55 pm

            Okay… only 999 out of a thousand will lose in a deficit. The other person is either a genetic freak or on medication.

          • Avatar Jack says:
            February 22, 2018 at 5:03 pm

            Not necessarily. If you’re significantly undereating your body can go into starvation mode where it holds onto as much weight as possible; extracting the most amount of nutrients from food and expending the least amount of energy possible.

            If a calorie equation was the sole factor, then if you were to continually eat in a deficit for a long enough, you’d literally die from a complete loss of body fat.

            There’s also the whole issue with weight rebound, suggesting the calorie in/out approach wasn’t effective long term.

            So many issues; the problem is so complex.

          • Avatar robinbishop34 says:
            February 22, 2018 at 5:14 pm

            Lol… there is no such thing as starvation mode. Calorie limits have to be continuously lowered as one continuously loses fat. What you are asserting is laughable nonsense.

          • Avatar Jack says:
            February 22, 2018 at 5:20 pm

            This is completely false. The body has innate mechanisms that detect when it’s under threat of starvation (because starvation used to equal death). It will then lower caloric burn, increase the extraction of energy from the foods you eat (increased efficiency), and spike appetite. Your lack of common sense is quite surprising here.

            Also, continuously lowering calories isn’t always a valid solution. Are you not familiar with the effects of under eating?

          • Avatar pollywallydoodle says:
            April 12, 2018 at 2:21 pm

            …starvation still equals death.

          • Avatar Jerome Barry says:
            April 20, 2018 at 7:45 pm

            When people starve, they lose weight. When they starve a long time, they die.
            No one ever starved and got fat.

          • Avatar Major says:
            July 28, 2018 at 8:56 am

            you may not be old enough to remember the starving african kids with big bellies on the commercial. kwashiorkor

          • Avatar Jerome Barry says:
            July 29, 2018 at 4:13 pm

            Please, do not consider the distended abdomen of kwashiorkor as a sign of health, or even a need to lose weight.

          • Avatar Phil Bowman says:
            March 2, 2018 at 3:45 pm

            Don’t judge me,I like being unusual

      • Avatar Nick Fergadis Giannakopoulos says:
        May 9, 2017 at 6:24 am

        Long sessions of cardio while on caloric deficit will also eat up muscle mass.

        Reply
      • Avatar Vicki Canon says:
        September 5, 2017 at 7:51 am

        Not true. I lost 103 pounds in 18 months by dieting and using protein supplements. Protein is the key to maintaining muscle mass. I only lost 10% of muscle mass while losing 72 pounds of fat. If you are morbidly obese sometimes losing weight first motivates that person to move more.

        Reply
        • Avatar Jerome Barry says:
          April 20, 2018 at 7:44 pm

          When we lose weight eating plenty of protein and neglecting to exercise, we do lose muscle mass. It’s not a trivial amount, either. Lift because your life depends on it.

          Reply
    • Avatar Phil Bowman says:
      March 2, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      You are out to lunch,exercise builds muscle which burns calories.

      Reply
  13. Avatar Sarah says:
    April 7, 2016 at 7:43 am

    If you can live and be happy off 800 calories, go for it, but nothing extreme is going to be sustainable. Slow and steady wins the race. Type 2 diabetes doesn’t creep up overnight, and the risk is not going to go away overnight, either.

    Reply
    • Avatar Anthony hurst says:
      April 7, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      800 cals x 8 weeks. 2 months is a sustainable duration and certainly not extreme. I am then only fasting two days per week as I said. The concept is to quickly get down to were you need to be then intermittently fast to maintain weight. I didn’t say I was on 800 calories for the rest of my life and I didn’t say diabetes was my main motivator I said that is what this Dr is espousing with his diet. I’ll go with the latest science thanks and rapidly lose my 20 kgs, (8 more to go), then stay there. Slow and steady will work too just not anywhere near as well. If you are happy doing that, go for it but nothing too slow is going to work, you are leaving yourself open to lapses in willpower, or just giving up. It’s not rocket science, losing the weight in 8 weeks not 12 months is better any way you look at it.

      Reply
      • Avatar Sarah says:
        April 7, 2016 at 2:14 pm

        Relax, Anthony…I wasn’t attacking you! I wish you well. Different things work for different people. I hope it works for you and that you are able to maintain good health with it.

        Reply
  14. Avatar Patrick Henry says:
    April 7, 2016 at 10:15 am

    I can tell you from experience that losing a large amount of weight with diet only will leave you in an unhealthy state, you will lose muscle and fat with diet alone and you will be a weak skinny fat guy in the end.
    I would highly recommend incorporating strength training during your weight loss, it is much more inspiring and motivating to see an athletic and fit body pop out as you lose the fat.
    Also, as you build muscle it allows you to push your cardio harder and scorch more calories as you operate those larger muscles.
    Just my 2¢

    Reply
  15. Avatar Paul Harris says:
    April 7, 2016 at 10:58 am

    I find that all of the above is important, but so is the need to stay hydrated. I am 62, was weighing 175 pounds and with monitoring carb intake, walking 3+ miles a day and drinking 2+ liters of water a day I have lost 20# on 5 months. I think the water is a big contributing factor!

    Reply
  16. Avatar Tim Stout says:
    April 9, 2016 at 10:25 am

    Great stuff–thanks for the article!

    Reply
  17. Avatar Jeanne M. says:
    April 10, 2016 at 10:05 am

    After a full year of exercising virtually every day, and rarely eating more than 1500 cal., I put on 15 lbs. Needless to say, I’m fed up with the whole thing.

    Reply
    • Avatar Kia Crawford says:
      April 12, 2016 at 9:15 am

      Go to the doctor. If you are tracking and doing everything right and you have gained weight then there may be something else at work in your body.

      This is assuming that that weight is fat and not muscle. Remember: body fat percentage is an almost better way to measure your progress. Look up the navy body fat calculator and see if your measurements show a decrease is fat, despite the increase in weight.

      IF you have indeed not lost any fat when you are eating right and exercising talk to a doctor. I had a hormone imbalance that kept fat on me and made me feel like I was starving all the time. A simple pill once daily and I am down 40 pounds.

      Reply
      • Avatar Lo says:
        May 7, 2016 at 10:55 pm

        If you eat less then your body needs to maintain your current weight, YOU WILL lose weight even without exercise. HOWEVER, what exactly are you losing? Muscle! The most important part of your body that keeps you going day after day. To increase and optimize those muscles, for your sake, you NEED to exercise! Period. Eating healthy grown foods will nurture your body, and mind. Sure you could eat whatever you want, but you definitely won’t feel as well as eating good wholesome foods.

        Reply
  18. Avatar Krissy says:
    June 12, 2016 at 8:02 pm

    To those of you who are saying weight loss can be achieved without exercise. Well, yes and no. If you want to look like a skinny saggy untoned walking piece of string- YES… If you want to get lean- NO…
    Example: Back when I was overweight, I started reducing calories without exercising. Eventually, I had lost over 60 pounds but was soft, weak, and almost underweight. I began strength training along with cardio HIIT and toned up quite a bit. I still eat the same way and count calories, but the only difference is now I exercise and am a lot more solid. I’m even slowly forming abs. EXERCISE MATTERS!

    Reply
  19. Avatar Krissy says:
    November 9, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    OR… you can just listen to your body. I lost over 60 pounds by learning to eat intuitively and listening to REAL hunger cues. No calories counted. Am now a healthy 125 at 5’7.

    Reply
  20. Avatar Gina Camp says:
    March 29, 2017 at 10:04 am

    If a person eats too little for their height and gender (yes gender it definitely plays a roll) your body will try to hold onto fat not lose it but if you literally only have what your body truly needs for your height and gender & are otherwise on the fairly healthy side (no thyroid issues etc) you should always be able to lose when there is a caloric deficit cuz your body will burn fat for energy cuz there are no extra calories there as a buffer so to speak.

    Reply
  21. Avatar Elle317 says:
    May 4, 2017 at 5:10 pm

    The most important thing to do is ignore all these people who tell you there is only one way to do it. That gets in your head and then you decide that you are a failure. Do it your way. Calories in/calories out, that’s all it is.

    Reply
  22. Avatar Kelleygurl74 says:
    May 4, 2017 at 6:30 pm

    I eat about 1100 calories a day. According to MPG I should be eating 1900+. Eating 1100 a day is mostly forced eating. I eat light, salad twice a day, a few snacks a day. And a veggie/fruit blend shake daily. I’m a teacher of 25 – 5 year olds. We are moving and dancing and playing outside all day. I rack about 7k steps a day. I haven’t lost a pound. I am gaining. I have been doing this for 5 months now. What am I doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Avatar Shawna Hoffman says:
      May 4, 2017 at 8:23 pm

      Your not eating enough calories. Not eating enough can be just as detrimental to your weight as over eating. My doctor advised me that as I women I should not cut calories to less than 1200 calories a day.

      Reply
    • Avatar bountifulwoolley says:
      June 19, 2017 at 8:13 am

      Shawna is right. You’re probably eating at 30, 40 or even 50 percent below your total daily energy expenditure. You should never drop below 25%. If you do, for any length of time, you’ll do some serious damage to your metabolism and really add to your weight gain problems. You can fix all that by doing this:

      Once you find your sweet spot you will feel and notice metabolic changes in your body. Your sweet spot is between 20% and 25% below your total daily energy expenditure. Once you find your sweet spot, you’ll be losing about half a pound of fat per week until you reach your percent body fat goal.

      Find a good online total daily energy expenditure calculator or use this Katch-McArdle formula (its the formula all calculators use): (lean body mass in kilos or take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2) x (21.6) + 370 = Basal Metabolic Rate or what they refer to as your Resting Daily Energy Expenditure (RDEE). To figure our your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) you have to add in your exercise/movement. Its a bit of a guessing game to hone in on the right number. If you’re not losing .5 pounds of body fat per week, then you’ve got your exercise number up too high. Lower it. If you’re losing more than half a pound of fat per week, you’ve got your exercise number too low. Raise it.

      Here’s the formula: RDEE (resting Daily energy expenditure) x Exercise Level = Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

      You get your RDEE from the formula above. You get your exercise level by estimating it based on the following:

      6 hours per week enter: 1.45

      You may be familiar with exercise formulas that have as many as nine multipliers ranging as high as 1.9, essentially almost doubling your daily calorie intake by doubling your basal metabolic rate or RDEE (Resting Daily Energy Expenditure) to 190 percent.

      Those calculations are bogus. They make you believe that you can eat as many calories as you can burn. That simply is not the case. Once you get to the 1.45 multiplier (which most of us reach when we get to the 6 or more hours of exercise per week level) your body doesn’t show any significant fat loss, so stay with these ranges and don’t let faux science confuse you into thinking there is an unlimited upside to the “I can eat as many calories as I can burn” meme.

      So if your Resting Daily Energy Expenditure is, say 1,700 calories. And your exercise level, selected from the above list is 1.35. You can calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) Using this calculation:

      1,700 x 1.35 = 2, 295

      Now comes the fun part. How much of these 2,295 calories should be protein. How much should be carbs. And how much should be Fat?

      If you’re a woman and you’re around 25% body fat, then you should eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Once you get below 20% body fat you should up that to 1.1 grams.

      Using the above example of 2,295 calories as the TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), and throwing out a number like 145 pounds as the weight of this individual. The protein target should be: 145 grams per day.

      The Fat should be 20% of total calories.

      Carbs is everything else: Total Calories minus your fat and protein calories.

      * remember that there are four carb and protein calories in every carb or protein gram, and nine calories in every one gram of fat)

      Reply
    • Avatar Tiffany Bradshaw says:
      June 19, 2017 at 10:53 am

      probably not enough calories…Your body may think it’s starving a bit and storing the calories you are eating in your fat. Or the moving and dancing and playing outside is causing you to build muscle which weighs more.

      Reply
    • Avatar Tiffany Bradshaw says:
      June 19, 2017 at 10:53 am

      also, how much water are you drinking?

      Reply
  23. Avatar abc says:
    May 4, 2017 at 8:41 pm

    this article is pure bullshit, I eat shit and I am Fat, I eat less shit, I lose weight and is still Fat. I dont buy the number games for weight, bottom line, eat shit and become shit and a pile of poos

    Reply
  24. Avatar Janella Rollert says:
    May 6, 2017 at 6:27 am

    I just have dummbbells and a very small kettle bell. What are optimal exercises for strength training for me?

    I also walk and hike.

    Reply
  25. Avatar J says:
    May 6, 2017 at 8:28 am

    New supplement to lose 10 lbs in a week email me for details: jsnjthibod at gmail . com

    Reply
  26. Avatar Alexandria Ellison says:
    May 9, 2017 at 6:10 am

    For God’s sake, be consistent with the level of sodium/sugars/fats/calorie range you take in each day too. I’ve had trouble for months with my weight bouncing up an down because of it. Just completed a month of general consistency (with maybe a couple of errors on the radar), and dropped seven pounds. I am pushing to keep up the tightness and make myself do some activity 7 days a week to see if I can get a consistent weight loss for at least a couple of more months before I start to see a plateau.

    Reply
  27. Avatar Alexandria Ellison says:
    May 9, 2017 at 6:46 am

    I’m doing something similar. I’ve been eating between 1300-1800 calories a day since I’ve started controlling the consistency of my intake (instead of eating 1100 cals one day, 3000 another, 2000 another) and of sodium/sugar/fats/etc. I lost 7 pounds the last month and am going to be watching myself like a hawk over the next couple of months to see if the loss stays consistent, even if I start to lose less. I am trying to get myself to be ultimately active every day via walks, cardio and strength training. I think with that I’m going to set an ideal calorie limit at 1700 given that a burn a few to several hundred calories a day power-walking and using the elliptical. Of course the cap would only be that high if I don’t go over more than 30% of the calories/nutrients I burn. I definitely think you’re onto something here.

    Reply
  28. Avatar Kate says:
    May 9, 2017 at 6:57 am

    Was there not a better example than the “twinkie diet” to prove how limiting your calorie intake can be helpful in weight loss – or a healthier example??!! Sure, not eating food at all will help you lose weight, but you’ll end up getting sick and losing a lot of energy. I know MFP is a weight-loss site/app, but shouldn’t it be encouraging healthy eating at the same time?

    Also, being active is part of a healthy lifestyle. Working out may not help you lose weight, but it will help strengthen your heart and reduce the risk of disease. Even if it’s just walking for 30 min. a day, it’s important to keep it up.

    This article makes me very confused. I’m not an expert by any means and I have a long way to go with my weight loss goals, but even I know that eating nothing but twinkies and not exercising is a terrible way to see results.

    Reply
  29. Avatar Windy Weaver says:
    May 9, 2017 at 9:51 am

    “Did you know that many people who have
    to check in to assisted living homes do so because they are unable to
    get off the toilet, open a door or dress themselves” WRONG. In order to qualify for assisted living you MUST be able to do all of those things. You must be referring to nursing homes?

    Reply
  30. Avatar ImaMe says:
    May 15, 2017 at 5:08 pm

    I’ve started logging my food, again. I’ve done it a few times in the past but can’t seem to get past the part of not knowing the nutritional info since I make the majority of the food I eat and breaking down the nutritional value seems an impossible task, but now I’m logging the food to keep track of junk food. I had ice cream tonight for the first time in 3 weeks 🙂 Before I’d have ice cream a LOT more often lol I did feel excited when I read “you do NOT have to exercise to lose weight” cuz I hate it more than anything else in life, but I do. I use my treadmill and started Tae Bo again.

    Reply
  31. Avatar ahealthyyou7 says:
    June 12, 2017 at 9:31 am

    Moderate caloric intake, exercise and consistency working in tandem usually produce desired weight goals.

    Reply
  32. Avatar Pam Flowers says:
    June 13, 2017 at 8:26 am

    i have a friend who was morbid obease , she started exercise ing and lost all the weight ,, she ate mounds of food ,, never gave no kind , type of food up

    Reply
  33. Avatar Carol says:
    June 14, 2017 at 7:16 am

    This is a great article! Hope some people who need it, read it. It truly is this simple but I’m not sure why some folks who want to lose weight so bad are so against counting their calories. At least until they are aware how many calories are in all the things they eat. Once you know you may not even have to track all the time. I’ve been counting for almost 3 years now and I’m a little afraid to stop yet but it is my goal to someday be able to just do it in my head (and with a watchful eye on my fitbit).

    Reply
  34. Avatar jmc says:
    June 19, 2017 at 8:24 am

    The link for this article doesn’t match the topic. This is supposed to be a keto article.

    Reply
  35. Avatar sh7562 says:
    June 19, 2017 at 8:56 am

    > Click email to read about Ketogenic diet, title reads “Is the Ketogenic diet safe?”
    > Article has nothing to do with Keto and never mentions it.

    Thanks Under Armor.

    Reply
  36. Avatar Jaime Lynn says:
    June 19, 2017 at 9:22 am

    I think it’s misleading to click on a link that asks “Is the Ketogenic diet safe for weight loss?” but not mention Ketogenic at all. Alot of people don’t even know what it is. I am Ketogenic and I have lost 20 lbs and 2 pant sizes. That’s all I have to say….I’m not posting more in depth than that.

    Reply
  37. Avatar Brandi says:
    June 19, 2017 at 9:25 am

    Everyone can NOT lose weight simply by reducing calories. There are lots of medical reasons why someone could eat lower calories and still not lose. I happen to be one of those people. It’s more what I eat than how much. I don’t mean I can eat certain foods with reckless abandon, but I’ve done everything possible and nothing ever worked. Until I figured out some hormonal imbalances and other things going on inside my body and began feeding myself to deal with that, that is when things started going the right way for me, and my calories are not lowered compared to what I had been taking in.

    Reply
  38. Avatar Shay says:
    June 19, 2017 at 9:44 am

    Good article, but like Katya, I tend to lose more weight when I eat more and work out. I’ve tried long term runs of both eating an 1,800 calorie diet and burning 600 calories or more in the gym 5 days a week, and restricting to an 1,000 calorie plan with 400 calorie workouts. I lose more when I aim to net 1200 calories a day, and plateau much faster if I eat less than that. Severe deficits can make the body think it is starving, and it will hold on to as much fat as possible.
    Also, the foods that I’m eating play a big part in my ability to lose weight. I have PCOS, so 1,000 calories of carb-heavy foods will actually make me gain weight because my body will overproduce insulin. Honestly, if I stick to a ketogenic diet and avoid foods that are high in carbs (alcohol, breads, pastas, fruits, starchy vegetables, etc.), I can eat to my heart’s content without counting calories and still lose weight.

    Reply
  39. Avatar Mango says:
    June 19, 2017 at 9:48 am

    Yes, exercise is a way to stay healthy and fit. Most of us know that. But what’s not mentioned here to defend the need for exercise for weight loss, especially strength training and HIIT cardio, is that it boosts your metabolism. Doing these things regularly will naturally increase the number of calories you burn even while at rest thereby increasing your calorie deficit without eating less. Controlling calories and adding regular metabolism-boosting exercise will accelerate weight loss. I had no interest in weight machines at the gym until I understood that bigger muscles makes my metabolism faster. I’ve been able to go on a couple of trips and indulge in my favorite foods without coming back to the scale telling me I gained 5 pounds in 3 days.

    Reply
    • Avatar Fischer Bacher says:
      June 19, 2017 at 12:53 pm

      If you research this you will find that the notion of training to lose weight did not exist before the 1960s and 1970s. Kind of goes along with the George McGovern folly of the food pyramid and the (SAD) standard American Diet.

      Reply
      • Avatar La Bandita says:
        September 9, 2017 at 1:33 pm

        It works for certain people. Ex athletes that build muscle quickly. It doesn’t work for everyone. Nothing works for everyone.

        Reply
  40. Avatar Scott says:
    June 19, 2017 at 10:00 am

    The article DIDN’T address the topic

    Reply
  41. Avatar Michael Ibach says:
    June 19, 2017 at 10:09 am

    This article has nothing to do with keto.

    Reply
    • Avatar x_ray_tech says:
      June 19, 2017 at 10:43 am

      I replied to you with the correct link Michael but it is on hold because of the link address I assume.
      So just type in ketogenic diet into their search engine and you will find it.

      Reply
    • Avatar Tiffany Bradshaw says:
      June 19, 2017 at 10:53 am

      agreed and this ticked me off a lot

      Reply
  42. Avatar Laura Meece says:
    June 19, 2017 at 11:15 am

    Stop counting calories! They are not all created equal! Carbs are what stimulate insulin production. If you are sensitive to insulin, the insulin will help transport the glucose into the cells for energy production. If you have more glucose than you need for energy the insulin will help by storing it as fat, to use later. When you go on a calorie restricted diet, you slow your metabolism. This is a safety measure for times of famine so you won’t die. During this phase you will lose weight. But it will be 40% fat stores and 60% muscle. When your calorie restriction is over, you will gain weight back, just in case there is another famine. So you will be more prepared for the next famine, you will put the weight you gain on in the proportions of 80% fat and 20% muscle! That is a process for gaining overall more body fat than you had before. If you increase your protein intake, and cut your carbs, not worrying at all about calories, you will lose only the fat. If you keep lifting weights with enough protein intake, you will build more muscle, which will keep increasing your metabolism. Eat fats to satiate your hunger. Fats are not stored as fat. There is no way to completely balance the energy expenditure/intake equation so tightly. Just count carbs, increase protein and keep lifting heavy weights!

    Reply
  43. Avatar OleDad48 says:
    June 19, 2017 at 6:17 pm

    Sorry.
    This is the same tired “advice” that my doctor gave me every check-up for 25 years. “You need a calorie deficit. Eat less, move more.” The result was a weight gain of 65 lbs and Type 2 diabetes.

    A calorie is not a calorie because carbs, fats, and proteins affect hormones, and hormones — especially leptin and insulin — control fat burning and metabolism.

    My first life-saving discovery was Dr. William Davis and Wheat Belly. The elimination of refined sugar and most carbs, increasing healthy fats, led to 1) elimination of severe joint pain in 2 weeks, 2) reversal of gum recession in 6 months, 3) drop of 40-50 points in fasting blood glucose, 4) a lost of 51 lbs in 13 months. When my weight loss plateaued in the summer of 2015, Davis encouraged me to look into a ketogenic diet, actually wheat belly plus. I did and while difficult to maintained, helped me lose weight. Through 2016 I gained back slowing into the 230s and in early 2017 the 240s. A month ago I discovered I was eating too much protein — as much as twice too much. I have adjusted my macros and have lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks.

    Insulin is the key. Carbs (grains and sugars) spike insulin and exacerbate insulin resistance and causes incessant fat storage and weight gain.

    Intermittent fasting — 16-24 hours at a time 3-5 times a week — reprograms the weight set point and allows for additional weight loss.

    “Eat less – move more” is a myth. For 70 year old guys like me, who have followed USDA guidelines and their Food Pyramid all my life (“6-11 grain servings per day, at least half whole grains” ~ first declared by South Dakota Senator George McGovern and his “Select Committee” in 1977, bolstered by one of his greatest political contributors, the National Wheat Growers’ Association), I became fat, obese, diabetic, and nearly unable to walk or stand due to joint pain. Wheat Belly, Ketosis, and Intermittant Fasting have freed me from all of this.

    My blood readings are normal. My FBG has dropped from 160s to 1-teens. My weight is again heading down from 249 to 230. Fat satisfies hunger naturally and provides all the nutrients we need (Eskimos never ate fruits, vegetables, or bread ~ just fat and protein. When they started eating what we eat, they got fat and sick, just like we are).

    With all the research being produced today, one would think that these kinds of articles would begin to die. I have damaged myself and need therapeutic levels of fat to overcome the damage. But slowly my body is beginning to heal itself from the “all things in moderation” false promise.

    Sorry for the blast, but you would do well to not criticize what you obviously do not understand. For your reading pleasure, read
    Davis, Wheat Belly
    Davis, Undoctored (most recent and best IMHO)
    Dr. Jason Fung (Obesity Code)
    Dr. David Perlmutter (Grain Brain)
    Dr. Joseph Mercola (Fat for Fuel)
    And books by Jimmy Moore (Guide to Fasting, Cholesterol Clarity, Keto Clarity)

    Nothing is more frustrating to us fat people who have strained and struggled to “eat less and move more” and still gain weight, only to be accused of “cheating” in between visits. It is not just a lie, it is a damned lie because it is sending thousands to early deaths due to obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic disorders, and the resulting cancers, kidney disease, dementia, and diabetes.

    My 91-year old diabetic mother-in-law (tough old bird) went into the hospital recently and was put on a “diabetic diet” which included ice cream, bread, biscuits, orange juice, mac n cheese, potatoes, and skim milk. Then the medical staff wondered why her blood sugar shot up! And so they INCREASED HER INSULIN DOSAGE!! (Until we got their ear and changed her foods — her BG dropped immediately.

    Old myths due hard, even when they are causing people to die early needlessly.

    Reply
  44. Avatar jeff_in_brooklyn says:
    June 19, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    I highly recommend people read “What Makes Us Fat” by Gary Taubes. He looks at studies that show that simply staying in calorie deficit for long periods of time–i.e., being hungry–is just not sustainable for most people. Yes, you can do it for 3 or 6 or even 12 months, and you’ll definitely lose weight; but very few people can maintain that. Being hungry all the time sucks.

    SPOILER ALERT: What makes people lose weight is reducing the amount of fattening (simple) carbohydrates they eat. Some people will disagree and say, no, they’ve simply done calorie reduction, and they’ve kept off weight for years. However, they’ve also reduced their overall intake of simple carbohydrate (including sugar) quite a bit. In fact, most people, when they diet, naturally cut out the worst of these carbohydrates. That’s what leads to the weight loss.

    Anyway, the data and science behind it are in the book. Trust science–it is your friend! Happy reading.

    Reply
  45. Avatar Sharon Hainsfurther says:
    June 20, 2017 at 5:07 am

    This article was not about ketogenic diet – but it was titled “Is the ketogenic diet safe for weight loss” (?)

    Reply
  46. Avatar kristin hegazi says:
    June 20, 2017 at 5:23 am

    The email from MFP had a headline about keto diets and the link brings you to this article which doesn’t even mention keto. Please either give more relative headlines or create correct links.

    Reply
  47. Avatar Happy Camper says:
    October 18, 2017 at 10:07 am

    Thanks for a great review! One thing I would like to add is that so many people who are trying to lose weight equate the word ‘cardio’ with just moving the legs (treadmill, stationary bike or a light walk) and they fail to check their heart rate. Take a look at a heart rate chart for your age – and if you are wanting to lose weight – make sure you work out in your fat-burning zone. For someone like me (65) that would be 110-120 beats per minutes. And while most exercise/health articles such as this one are geared for the younger generation, we really need to appeal to various generations. Even as a 65 year old gal, my workouts include a ‘full throttle” weight session combined with fat-burning cardio. I can’t run any more so I put the incline up on the treadmill until my heart gets in the zone. And yes – combined with watching my calories – the weight is coming off nicely. But exactly as you say – strength also makes you feel so much better. Cross training cardio + weight training also help us avoid injury. I took a nasty fall the other day and managed to get up and finish sweeping the leaves off the sidewalk. I guarantee had I not been so fit, I would have had to go to emerg. Keep working it everyone! Being fit is something you will never regret working at!

    Reply
  48. Avatar John Craig says:
    February 26, 2018 at 1:49 pm

    You have too make a decision either lose weight or lift weights, since muscle, weighs more than fat. You need to lose the weight first and then lift weights. I have tried, you can’t diet and lift weights and lose anything, just does not happen.

    Reply
    • Avatar Nick Fergadis Giannakopoulos says:
      March 6, 2018 at 3:03 am

      This is the worst thing you can do.

      Reply
    • Avatar Lori says:
      August 23, 2018 at 6:35 am

      I started exceeding daily after retirement doing nothing more than walking 3-4 miles a day at 3 mph or riding my indoor recumbent cycle for 45 minutes on days it is too hot to walk. In 7 months, I have only lost 10 pounds. BUT, I have gone down 2 sizes. Which is what most people care about.

      Reply
  49. Avatar Mark Weber says:
    March 10, 2018 at 1:10 pm

    Ah the old “caloric deficit” theory that doesn’t work in the long run….. 😉

    Reply
  50. Avatar Rick Boyer says:
    March 12, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    Is a low carb diet better?

    Reply
  51. Avatar Amy Durocher says:
    April 3, 2018 at 11:01 am

    This idea that eating alone can lead to weight loss ignores metabolic disorders, which is what a lot of overweight people are dealing with. It’s way more complicated than just countin caliories and a diet of junk food would lead to weight gain, even if the calories were low. The body with metabolic disorder processes glucose differently and therefore all energy consumption is affected. The relationship between insulin, glucose, and fat is not simple in this case.

    Reply
  52. Avatar Amy Durocher says:
    April 3, 2018 at 11:05 am

    Hey My Fitness Pal, why not get some endocrinologists to write on this blog? With so many Americans obese and pre-diabetic or actually diabetic, we need appropriate nutrition info!!

    Reply
  53. Avatar Daniel says:
    April 5, 2018 at 4:57 am

    Hello I have been stuck trying to lose my last bit of belly fat, let me feel you in a year ago I weighed 214 , last October I was down to 144 and right now I stick around 147-150 my monthly measurements since last October have stayed the same and I just don’t know what to do from here. I do ddp yoga 5 time a week and am burning 3,000-3,500 calories weekly doing it. I eat healthy food that is really close to my macros and in between 1300-1500 calories daily./ what should I do to get rid of this last bit of spare tire thanks

    Reply
  54. Avatar Kerry Flitter says:
    April 17, 2018 at 7:44 am

    How do you count calories? I’m losing weight by making sure I burn 3000 calories a day and then don’t eat ‘all that much’ but I’ve no idea how many calories there are in a home-made bolognese sauce or anything else I eat!

    Reply
    • Avatar Lori says:
      August 23, 2018 at 6:32 am

      How are you burning 3000 calories a day? I’m not even sure that is possible?

      Reply
      • Avatar kerryflitter says:
        August 23, 2018 at 10:17 pm

        I exercise first thing for about an hour, bike and jogging/jumping on the spot, that burns about 1200 (all according to the fitbit of course, whether that’s accurate I don’t know, but it can’t do any harm) a couple of dog walks will do another 3-400. Then if I play golf (4-5 miles) and carry my bag that easily gets to 3000.
        If I don’t play golf I have to do something else and admittedly I don’t always make the 3000!

        Reply
        • Avatar Lori says:
          August 24, 2018 at 3:56 am

          Great, but I wouldn’t rely on that 3000. A 150 person jogging for an hour burns approximately 1000 calories an hour IF they are jogging at the rate of 9.5 miles per hour. That same person walking a dog at the rate of 3 MPH burns about 150 calories. Walking carrying your golf bag is a little harder to calculate but it still would not do enough to get you to 3000. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing you. It’s just that it turns out that a lot of people lament that they’re not losing weight when they’re burning a lot of calories, and it turns out they are overestimating the calories they are burning. This is especially a problem if a person eats back their exercise calories.

          Reply
      • Avatar Kerry Flitter says:
        August 24, 2018 at 7:20 am

        I get up very early for a start, 05.00 usually, and then I do an hours exercise, stationary bike and jogging/jumping on the spot. So I’ve zapped 1200 calories by 07.00 before normal people have got out of bed and got a pretty good head start. Without this I’d start the day at about 500 calories burned.
        A couple of dog walks and a round of golf carrying my bag easily does it. If I don’t play golf I can miss it, but not by much. All this is of course assuming that the fitbit calorie counter is accurate which it probably isn’t, but I figure it can’t do any harm . . . . !
        For eg its 15.00 at the moment, I’ve walked the dog and played golf and burned 2522 calories, so even if I sat on a sofa for the rest of the day I’d still get to 3000.
        Very healthy breakfast and lunch, but likely to slip in the evening as I usually do when we have guests for dinner and drinks!

        Reply
        • Avatar WW says:
          April 30, 2019 at 2:14 pm

          MyFitnessPal is great for counting. I thought it’d be cumbersome and/or tough to get everything but it really does a great job.

          Reply
  55. Avatar Simonalyne says:
    April 28, 2018 at 3:01 am

    The sugar and chemicals alone would make me feel awful. Your skin and hair would look poorly. Less calories ingested….We understand the point that was made. Overall, your body will tell you NO MORE!

    Reply
  56. Avatar David Rapant says:
    April 29, 2018 at 7:27 am

    In my opinion walking at a brisk pace for a set distance and increasing that distance week by week is the best way to lose weight for obese people who can exercise. That coupled with life change in eating will get you where you want to go. These people are not going to change over night and a simple walking regiment and a decent calorie deficit will get a good start without getting hurt, and it will show on the scale quickly to motivate. Moving a 300+ lbs. body is weight training enough to start. So many people get hurt in gyms following the advise of (certified) trainers who treat all thier clients exactly the same. I’m speaking from experience. Just start walking. All you need is a decent pair of shoes. Dress for success and wear light breathable clothing. Walk early am and again before the sun goes down. Stop eating trash and get real with yourself. Learn to love yourself and cherish the journey. I’ve lost 30 lbs in 3 months. It will make a huge difference in how you feel. Then you can begin to do more. I swim an hour a day now as well. All low impact until I get to 250. By the way this has all been done with bilateral inguinal hernias that require surgical repair. I’ll get that done when I get to 250. After surgery I will recover and then begin to strength train as well. I keep my calories under 2000, and according to my fitbit I’m burning just over 4000 a day. I don’t know how accurate that is but it doesn’t matter. It’s a formula that is working for now. Main thing is just get out there and start moving. If you don’t use it you will lose it and that’s very true. I work as a respiratory therapist in the hospital. I see it all the time. Start with anything that you can do. Just do it!

    Reply
  57. Avatar Robert Christadore says:
    June 4, 2018 at 7:46 am

    It’s a simple formula: “eat better & less, move more.” How you use the formula is individual. No two people are alike, why shouldn’t how we each apply formula be personal and flexible? I have more, if any one wants to hear.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a32bbeb18ffca0285580922baf2eae7b0447cf814b0a0ecb82394cb5237ff574.jpg

    Reply
  58. Avatar cis says:
    June 22, 2018 at 5:05 am

    Haha. Rubbish!

    Reply
  59. Avatar Lung John says:
    July 31, 2018 at 12:44 am

    I walking every day 7 a 8 km, and i lose 1 kg per week. So i think it’s ok for me. To fast lose your wight is dangerous to get back your wight in double.

    Reply
  60. Avatar Kerry Flitter says:
    August 24, 2018 at 7:26 am

    Anybody noticed (if you’ve got a set of those scales which measure BMI, body fat and water % etc) how body water % ALWAYS goes up if you have lost weight and down when you put it on?
    I would have thought it would be the other way round, but it never varies.

    Reply

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