Hip Redux
Personally I agree that I feel better when I do exercise higher amounts, and fuel that with extra food, but thats not a message for the general population. If you walk a couple of miles and guzzle an Gatorade, you may well have consumed more calories than you walked off.
People generally overestimate the amount of calories they burn and underestimate the calories they eat, for sure.
We have increased our intake, but not enough to account for the soaring obesity rates, according to these articles/studies. The study I linked stated from 1971 to 2000 the average increase was 168 kcal/day for men and 335 kcal/day for women. The study the RW article referenced suggested less of an increase, but it was also for a shorter and more recent period of time. Both articles/studies point to the lack of exercise/activity as being the main factor, not overeating.
335 calories more per day for women over what was consumed 40 years ago is huge. It's the equivalent of 35 lbs extra after one year. Since we know that we are certainly not more active in our daily life compared to 40 years ago, it's normal that the average weight for North American women has gone up so much. And 35 lbs extra on a woman is big... So yes, exercising IS important, but those 335 calories extra per day should be eliminated as well.
EDIT: But like I said before, for a lot of us here who are in the middle of a healthy weight range, I agree that it's important to keep a sufficiently high calorie intake. This is why I have never dieted even once in my life. Even now, with the weight loss challenge, I try to achieve a loss by running a bit more and cutting only the really obvious, such as extra dessert, etc... I do not count my daily calories and never have.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
People generally overestimate the amount of calories they burn
Apparently one of the more obvious mistakes a lot of people make is just considering the amount of calories burned by the workout, rather than subtracting the amount of calories they would have burned doing whatever they would be doing if not working out.
Despite all my naysaying, I am cognizant of the fact that D2 has dropped more weight & runs more miles than most people on this forum, so anything he has to say on the subject has a certain amount of cred.
Dave
I do not count my daily calories and never have.
+1. (Of course you know all about my borderline high BMI....)
But I have been fortunate to never have to. I am sure there is a lot of genetics to all this.
+1. (Of course you know all about my borderline high BMI....) But I have been fortunate to never have to. I am sure there is a lot of genetics to all this.
I do? If I recall well, you are my SO's height and weight and that gives a BMI of between 23 and 24. So normal range, not borderline high...
5-10, 170 lb = 24.4 BMI. (25 = "overweight")
Although thanks to the weight loss thread, I am edging closer to 24.
5-10, 170 lb = 24.4 BMI. (25 = "overweight") Although thanks to the weight loss thread, I am edging closer to 24.
My SO cries like a little baby every time he goes below 170. It's really hard for him to maintain that weight. He was 140 lbs in his 20s and he hated it. He increased his weight and changed his body shape by lifting and a strict diet with lots of calories. Still, he wears size 30 jeans, so it's not like he's fat at all. Or even borderline fat. To each his/her own goals. Runners want to be as light as possible, I guess.
Runners want to be as light as possible, I guess.
This is the only reason i have any interest in being <170. Although I suppose I shouldn't bother at this point since I am not, you know, running.
BMI numbers are a terrible tool to determine if your are overweight. My husband is also 5'10", and just under 170, so like you point out, very close to "overweight" according to the BMI tables. There's just no way; he's in great shape. My BMI is much lower than his but I have way more visible body fat . I think BMI is a blunt instrument that doctors and statisticians use, but as Lily pointed out upthread, the best way for each person to figure out if he's fat is to use the "objective pair of eyes."