How important is exercise?

(Jennifer M Palacios) #1

Hi guys! So I have been ketoing for about 5.5 weeks. I have lost 6 pounds from what was my heaviest. (170.0 to 164.0) I had been stressing over the scale not moving but you guys have helped me out on that front.
I feel so good lately. My mood has improved and my clothes are fitting so much better. I haven’t tried on any of my smaller size pants again just yet. Last time I tried them on, I could get them on but I wouldn’t be comfortable in them all day.
My question is how important is exercise? I haven’t worked out in almost a week and a half. (Usually, I walk about 3 miles, 4-5 days a week.) I noticed that when I was working out, I was losing weight very, very slowly. I have been dropping weight at the same rate as when I worked out. Now I know I should probably get out there and I have promised myself I would today.
But I am just wondering should I get out there and start doing a little more intense workout like jogging the 3 miles or should I just walk the 3 miles? I would like to start leaning out and feeling and seeing the difference in my clothes quicker. I don’t really care about what my scale says.

I’d love to hear from you guys! :hugs:

(Allan Misner) #2

Losing body fat is always going to come from what, how much, and when you eat. So, as your body feels safe releasing fat, you’ll lose weight.

You should exercise for two basic reasons:

  1. To be fit to do the things you enjoy doing.
  2. For the basic health benefits you get from physical activity.

How your body responds to exercise while you’re trying to lose weight is unique to each person. When I try to do moderate-intensity cardio (jogging), I get very hungry and end up eating too much. When I lift weights, my muscles retain more water and the scale isn’t my friend. That said, I do lift weights (maintain strength and muscle mass), do long walks, and occasionally throw in some HIIT. This gives me the health benefits and I can lose body fat.

How you feel and how your clothes fit are infinitely better for measuring health than the scale.

(Jennifer M Palacios) #3

Hi Allan,
I had been working out religiously when I started my keto journey. It was just walking but it was exercise. I made an 8 hour drive round trip to see my sister on very little sleep last weekend and I haven’t been able to recover. I have been exhausted. Also, my husband travels a lot, he will be in Georgia this week, he left on Sunday. When he is gone, I can’t sleep which doesn’t help the exhaustion. As soon as I get home, I cook dinner and rest if I am not running around with my kiddos.
I think I will start jogging again because I truly enjoy it and see how my body responds. Hopefully, I can get to losing body fat. Thank you for your input. :smiley:

(Joey) #4

@JPalacios What was said by @AllanMisner above is important to acknowledge.

Generally speaking, exercise is not a highly effective path to weight loss. It is, however, a vital component of a healthy lifestyle - which will reap you many benefits. It’s just that weight loss is not usually one of them (for a variety of reasons).

To take good care of yourself, a reasonable amount of personally-customized physical activity is absolutely essential. However, for weight loss, other paths (e.g., keto, for many) are much more effective.

Sounds like you’re heading in a great direction. Enjoy :vulcan_salute:

(Vladaar Malane) #5

I used to view exercise as not at all important.

And for losing weight it really is only about 5% impact. Most weight loss is from proper sleep and diet.

But exercise is super important in keeping your joints and body in general in good health state. Keep limber, keep mobile, stay strong and help avoid the curved spine lots of older people get.

(Jennifer M Palacios) #6

Thanks, Joey!

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #7

We are born to move. To move is to live. Exercise of any kind helps to keep us flexible and mobile. All to the good. But unless you’re doing really intense exercise, it’s affect on overall daily energy requirement is pretty small because we can do it very efficiently. It’s amazing how much you can ‘move’ before you burn significant calories doing so. That’s why it generally doesn’t affect weight/fat loss very much. One could even make the argument that you move because you’re fit, you don’t get fit because you move. Just like teens eat a lot because they’re growing, they don’t grow because they eat a lot. Anyway, exercise is important to help maintain overall health, but otherwise not so much.

PS: From an evolutionary perspective this is understandable as the longer you can walk/run hunting your next meal at minimal energy expenditure the more likely you will be successful. If it cost you a lot of energy just to find your next meal, not so much.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #8

How important is exercise for losing fat? Not very. How important is exercise for health? Very.

Exercise promotes mitochondrial healing and the formation of new mitochondria, so it is very helpful for metabolic health. Also, a lot of people take up exercise, so as to have something to do with the energy they get from eating a ketogenic diet. If you are physically active, you probably don’t need to go to the gym as well, unless you want to.