Comments on Cranky Fitness: Exercise? Why Bother? (a rant)

Kristin that is such a great testimonial I'm gonna...

2009-07-12T13:24:32.518-04:00

Kristin that is such a great testimonial I'm gonna keep it in mind the next time I'm tempted to skip my workout! Thanks!

Well, I don't pay much attention to studies when m...

2009-07-12T13:20:26.863-04:00

Well, I don't pay much attention to studies when my personal experience provides such a direct counter-argument.

I (unknowingly) had Type II diabetes and was about 40 pounds overweight. I ignored the weird, buzzy-shocky sensation I always had in my feet (among other telltale signs), but couldn't ignore the belly fat that would NOT budge.

I was seeing frustratingly slow results until I doubled the cardio and began lifting weights 3-4 times a week--very heavy and slow so as to build muscle.

And my efforts suddenly began to pay off. All the new muscle (VISIBLE, mind you!) busted the plateau right out of the water.

When I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, the doc told me I could avoid all but one low-dose med because the exercise and weight loss (about 30 lbs.) handled it.

He's a well-known endocrinologist and explained that exercise burns the sugar that insulin resistance leaves behind. Without it, those sugar calories strongly favor loading up on the midsection, and you keep producing more insulin...and it's a vicious cycle. Without costly meds, exercise (well, plus cutting down on sugar) is the ONLY means of countering insulin resistance!

So don't give me a bunch of bullshit about exercise being a waste of time. I'll take my doctor's considerable expertise over a bunch of corporate media types any day. They clearly don't always exercise such great judgment in choosing what to prioritize for coverage. If I see another Michael Jackson piece, I may give my TV away.

kellie i like your post very much. exercise is goo...

2009-07-08T03:21:59.857-04:00

kellie i like your post very much. exercise is good to lose the weight and to look graceful. its a really good point.

um, it's pretty simple science. Moving burns calo...

2009-07-08T01:06:47.277-04:00

um, it's pretty simple science. Moving burns calories, not massive amounts of calories but calories nonetheless. Like, I walk about 45 minutes a day and at 241 lbs that burns about 340 calories (at a 3 mph pace). I have never assumed after taking my walk, that my metabolism is set upward the whole day. I would say it lasts about an hour after...I sweat easier and my body is still fatigued. I count calories. walking and counting calories leads to a nice calorie deficit. If you are using exercise to lose fat, think of it as a nice way to add an additional calorie deficit to your nutritional calorie deficit, and you should be fine.
chris

I find that the more I do cardio (especially notic...

2009-07-07T22:05:33.717-04:00

I find that the more I do cardio (especially noticeable when I'm running more), the hunrier I get and the more I eat.

I am so boggled by everyone who claims to have lost xlbs from running because if I eat less, I don't have the energy to run, and if I run a lot, I gotta eat SO MUCH MORE. Which is good, because losing weight makes me bad at exercise. heh.

Oooh, I've been steamed about that too. It's one ...

2009-07-07T21:49:11.892-04:00

Oooh, I've been steamed about that too. It's one thing to acknowledge that weight/fat loss is complicated/difficult; that NYT writer implies it's impossible and pointless. Hate her stuff. I guess all that healthy, fit-looking exercisers have not had the benefit of reading the NYT.

Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that I'm li...

2009-07-07T18:28:17.393-04:00

Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that I'm linking you now cause I love your posts. I look forward to reading more in the future!

Yeah, I can see both sides of it. There are misco...

2009-07-07T18:08:55.292-04:00

Yeah, I can see both sides of it. There are misconceptions out there, but leaving the final impression "What's the point?" is not good either. I do love how I feel and LOOK with a habit of exercising.
Path to Health

You should give seminars on the art of the rant. ...

2009-07-07T17:04:33.241-04:00

You should give seminars on the art of the rant.

Why can't we just all agree that exercise is good for our health and leave it at that? Seems like those "experts" are just wasting their time.

I also agree 100% on the rant. I learned recently ...

2009-07-07T16:14:48.523-04:00

I also agree 100% on the rant.
I learned recently NOT to equate exercise with weight loss. I work out because I enjoy it and it makes me feel good. There are tons of health benefits, but we narrow it down to how many calories we burn, and that's a shame.
Maybe some good will come of these articles: maybe folks will focus less on calorie burn and more on overall health.
But I doubt it.

The way I read the articles is that exercise is go...

2009-07-07T15:00:02.830-04:00

The way I read the articles is that exercise is good but it's not the only thing. I've always had an issue with the idea that someone is supposed to lose weight by going for 3x 10 minute strolls over the course of the day and think that it's the cure-all. Exercise is great for many, many things but it's part of the lifestyle that makes you lose weight and be healthier.

The NY Times article is good that way I think - pointing out that it has been oversold but that it is beneficial - you get stronger and healthier and happier.

I think it's all in the reading - you can take it positively or negatively quite easily.

Hey Leth G! I checked the rulebook, and it is per...

2009-07-07T14:27:35.044-04:00

Hey Leth G!

I checked the rulebook, and it is permissible for you and Charlotte to completely disagree with me :)

I think what we're disagreeing about is more the overall impression that the reader is left with after reading this article. There are facts there, but the way they're presented is somewhat misleading and, in my opinion, hella depressing.

(I love Cranky Fitness readers -- even when we don't agree, I still think they're intelligent and worth listening to. Sadly, there are some blogs out there where that's not always the case.)

I'm going to have to go with Charlotte on this one...

2009-07-07T14:19:30.502-04:00

I'm going to have to go with Charlotte on this one. After having read the one article (I didn't read the NY Times one), I don't think the author is saying that exercise has no merit. That's not what I got out of it at all. But she's dispelling the myth that exercise will burn calories at a higher rate once we're done exercising. That's not to say that exercise is bad, just that it isn't the silver bullet that will solve all our problems.

I've seen people (and been one of them) who'll go work out for an hour on the elliptical, burn a couple hundred calories, then run and get a 500 calorie shake at the juice bar. There're a lot of people out there who think they can eat whatever they want when they're exercising because they forget the calories in/calories out rule (and yes, I'm guilty of it too).

So while I think the author could have been a little more supportive of exercise (and certainly at least mentioned all the other benefits of it), I think it is a story worth reporting that the metabolish does go crazy for the day after the exercise. And as a fitness professional, I need to stop telling people it does!

This all ignores the main point of exercise: when ...

2009-07-07T12:02:53.360-04:00

This all ignores the main point of exercise: when a serial killer is chasing the author, how much help will years of dieting with no exercise benefit her? Yeah, that's what I thought. Following the advice in the article is just going to make weak serial killer bait!

This article is so counter-intuitive and borders o...

2009-07-07T11:50:30.519-04:00

This article is so counter-intuitive and borders on indiocy. Of course exercise is going to help you lose weight. She even says that within the article, but she buries it with myth-busting moves.

I didn't lose 100 pounds by just eating salads. I lost it by exercising with healthy eating.

But you watch, this article is going to be used as a shield for those who will not engage in a fitness routine to reach and stay at a healthy weight.

*slams forehead onto desk*

Why bother exercising?! Well, FRAPP (I like that n...

2009-07-07T11:50:00.040-04:00

Why bother exercising?! Well, FRAPP (I like that new word too)I'll tell you why! I feel better, look better and that makes me more pleasant to be around.

I'm just glad we have outlets like these where we can rant and rave and get validation ;)

Is this from the same network/medium that brought ...

2009-07-07T10:28:09.661-04:00

Is this from the same network/medium that brought us the interview with Michael Jackson's chimp, Bubbles? 'Nuff said.

I'm so going to start using "frappuccino" as my ch...

2009-07-07T10:19:11.883-04:00

I'm so going to start using "frappuccino" as my chosen swear word. I won't mind if the 2 year old repeats that one... : ) Thanks Merry!

I've about given up on mainstream media. I'm tired of the sensationalism. I think I'll just lump these folks in with the "climate change is a farce" folks. Right at the top of my ignore list.

Amen! These reports drive me insane. And they wond...

2009-07-07T10:00:23.761-04:00

Amen! These reports drive me insane. And they wonder why obesity rates are up--conflicting reports like these only confuse people to the point that they give up. Argh!

Physical fitness is such an individual thing. I li...

2009-07-07T09:59:03.681-04:00

Physical fitness is such an individual thing. I like to exercise and it seems to work for me. The benefits are much more than weight control, although that is what seems to motivate most people. If you can get beyond that and just into the pleasures of being physical, I think it will all be a much more rewarding experience.

I totally would have loved these articles when I w...

2009-07-07T09:58:08.741-04:00

I totally would have loved these articles when I was at my highest weight and had no intentions to change - more justification for me to stay fat and lazy (not saying that every overweight person is lazy, just that I was - seriously lazy!).

Mainstream media - gotta take so much of what they say with a grain of salt - IMO, there are too many media outlets competing with each other and it seems that everything gets printed, whether it's been vetted or not.

That lolcat picture and caption? I love it so much!

Yah. Everyone told me that it's soooo hard to lose...

2009-07-07T09:54:04.735-04:00

Yah. Everyone told me that it's soooo hard to lose weight when you're over 50. I lost 40 lbs walking every night and cutting back on what I ate. I did this while eating Ben and Jerry's every night. I feel better than I did when I was 20.

Don't believe everything you read!

Well, Frapp! (Thanks for the new word I can say i...

2009-07-07T09:48:48.625-04:00

Well, Frapp! (Thanks for the new word I can say in front of the kids.)

This is one report I'm going to ignore. Exercise has done me too much good over the years.

So I should stop working my core and go back to ha...

2009-07-07T09:30:07.017-04:00

So I should stop working my core and go back to having a sore lower back and whacked out sciatica, is that the gist? Oh, and I suppose I should stop caring that I can carry my grandkids DESPITE my shoulder injuries, just stop exercising and let the scar tissue take over. Yes! I was looking for an excuse not to hold those kids anymore! Good grief...*bfer* (that's big Frappin' eyeroll :))

I'm getting the feeling you ladies are cat people!...

2009-07-07T08:57:02.041-04:00

I'm getting the feeling you ladies are cat people! Super cute pic! :)

Interesting article, but I think I'm going to take my chances and keep exercising! lol! ;)