Exercise Is Overrated: To Lose Weight, Eat More Butter and Less Sugar
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If you read my blog regularly, you know I’m a big fan of butter and heavy cream, but not so much into things like jogging (shudder) or volleyball (God forbid! I avoid all sports with objects that fly through the air.)
While I think exercise is generally a good thing, I think most people put way too much emphasis on it. I like to swim occasionally, I love gardening and going for walks, and I even lift weights now and again. I enjoy riding a bike, too.
But you are never going to catch me spending all day at the gym wearing one of those itty bitty track suits. I’d much rather be doing something else — like making Hollandaise sauce or reading a book. (Actually that’s the one reason I like lifting weights — I can read while I do it.)
I found some really interesting articles on a blog I absolutely love, Whole Health Source. It’s written by a scientist named Stephan, a doctoral candidate in neurobiology. But he doesn’t write like a scientist. Most of his articles are very accessible and easy to read.
He has analyzed the topic of exercise and obesity in some depth and has come to some interesting conclusions. Conclusions that are in line what I have always suspected.
Let’s run through some of them. I’ll provide the links to his articles so you can click over and read more.
How Important Is Exercise For Weight Loss?
Not very. His findings are that exercise is not very effective for weight loss, that diet is much more important:
I think it’s clear that the relationship between exercise and weight is not very tight. In my opinion, diet has a much larger influence on weight than exercise. Doing low-intensity “cardio” on a treadmill is almost totally ineffective for weight loss. Source: Exercise and Bodyfat
In that same article, he writes about traditional cultures who were, contrary to popular belief, not as active as we think. Here he quotes anthropologist Dr. John Murdoch describing the Inuit Barrow:
“They are large eaters, some of them, especially the women, eating all the time…” …during the winter the Barrow women stirred around very little, did little heavy work, and yet “inclined more to be sparse than corpulent”
Is Inactivity To Blame For Obesity?
No. In the article, Exercise Didn’t Keep Us From Getting Fat, Stephan writes:
…from 1975 to 2006 is that the number of inactive people has diminished in that same time period from 50% to 24%.
So we’ve become more active over the past 30 years — and yet we’ve become fatter.
I’m certainly not blaming the obesity problem on an increase in physical activity, but I do think we can safely rule out inactivity as the reason we’ve gotten fatter. In my mind, this only leaves one major possible cause for the obesity epidemic: changes in diet.
If you’re still not convinced, check out this post: U.S. Weight, Lifestyle and Diet Trends, 1970- 2007. He compiled statistics on U.S. weight, health and lifestyle trends, and put the data on graphs. They span the period from 1970 to 2007, during which the obesity rate doubled.
In this post, Stephan points out that “The percentage of Americans who report exercising in their spare time has actually increased since 1988 (BRFSS).” Again, we’re getting more exercise but we’re still getting fatter.
So What Made Us Gain Weight?
We saw an increase in carbohydrates, specifically white flour and sugar (and high fructose corn syrup). We also ate less animal fats and replaced them with vegetable oils.
Between 1970 and 1980, something changed in the U.S. that caused a massive increase in obesity and other health problems. Some combination of factors reached a critical mass that our metabolism could no longer tolerate. The three biggest changes in the American diet since 1970:
- An increase in cereal grain consumption, particularly wheat.
- An increase in sweetener consumption.
- The replacement of meat and milk fat with industrial vegetable oils, with total fat intake remaining the same.
Mainstream America has done to itself what it did to native American and other indigenous cultures worldwide, with the same result.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t exercise, and neither is Stephan. What I am saying (and I believe his findings corroborate my position) is that diet is much more important.
Get rid of the industrial foods, go back to a traditional diet (eat more butter, animal fats and avoid refined, processed foods like white flour, sugar and high fructose corn syrup), and you’ll lose weight naturally, and keep it off — just like our ancestors did. And you won’t have to spend endless hours on a treadmill.
Should you still exercise? Sure! But do something you enjoy. Go for walks or play in your garden. Don’t beat yourself up because you hate going to the gym. Life is short and it should be lived to the fullest. And treadmills are not, in my opinion, a fun and rewarding activity.
Hollandaise sauce, on the other hand… I’d call that extremely fun and rewarding.
This post is a part of the Natural Cures Carnival on Hartke is Online. To read more posts about exercise, visit the Hartke Is Online blog.
Photo credit: Flickr
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31/03/2009 at 9:17 am Permalink
Agreed! I think exercise has it’s place but there is just so much exercise can do to combat all the unhealthy and fattening things we eat. My husband has lost about 10-15 pounds since we got married about a year ago…what changed? It wasn’t exercising more. It was less eating out and drinking less Coke. Just avoiding processed & fast food helped tremendously. I wouldn’t say that we eat healthy but compared to mainstream we do a lot better. Now if I could just stop craving all that junk!
Marsha_M’s last blog post..Reading the label
31/03/2009 at 9:49 am Permalink
amen. I believe that anyone struggling with weight has an insulin problem. There are two ways to deal with that:
1). low-carb
2). exercise
while exercise does help regulate your blood sugar, it is a small fraction (I think about 20%) of what helps you lose weight and regulate blood sugar.
Shannon’s last blog post..Real Food for Mother and Baby: review & a giveaway!
31/03/2009 at 10:05 am Permalink
Excellent post, and very true! Lots of research backs this up. They say that about 80% of our body composition has to do with diet, and only 20% has to do with exercise. It is sooo important for people to start eating REAL FOOD if they want to be fit!
FoodRenegade’s last blog post..How To Lose Weight Fast With Coconut Oil
31/03/2009 at 10:09 am Permalink
I feel the same way about sports where things are flying through the air. No, thank you.
Michelle @ Find Your Balance’s last blog post..Green wrap-up and a statement about vegetarianism
31/03/2009 at 10:13 am Permalink
Like our friend Mark Sisson likes to say, “Weight loss is 80% what you put in your mouth.”
Anna’s last blog post..A New Mission
31/03/2009 at 10:48 am Permalink
I’ve actually written about this in detail before…especially regarding animal fats, butter, and heart disease:
http://medhed.com/blog/2007/03/butter_yeahyou_heard_me.html
31/03/2009 at 11:36 am Permalink
I like the way you think, lady! I’ve always felt that activity is wonderful, exercise is torture.
Local Nourishment’s last blog post..Working up to working out
31/03/2009 at 11:46 am Permalink
Ha ha, I hate “flying object” sports, too! Unless I have a racket to defend myself with.
This is a great post! We all need to realize that the metabolism and hormones play a HUGE factor in weight/weight-loss, particularly the thyroid and adrenal glands. A friend of my husband has been obese for 10 years, and just tried for a month “exercising more” and “eating chicken instead of beef” and didn’t lose a single pound. Poor guy! Who wants to do that? That’s torture, and not healthy anyway. I mentioned he should have his thyroid and whatnot checked out.
And like you said, AnnMarie, the exercise (or other activities) has to be enjoyable. This is how the body makes more DHEA to balance out cortisol, the stress hormone which can lead to a slowed thyroid and metabolism.
31/03/2009 at 12:41 pm Permalink
I would also much rather make something to eat or read a book than exercise! And I’m not now, nor never have been a “team sports” or “sports that require a ball of some form” type of person. Just ask my husband, he is the opposite!
Great article, and one that I agree with!
Best,
Sarah
Sarah’s last blog post..Daybook
31/03/2009 at 1:10 pm Permalink
Though I do believe exercise is important, I do agree that we often put too much emphasis on it. What we eat very important. You can exercise a lot, but if you still eat junk you won’t necessarily be more healthy.
The way you think is very similar to what the French and Italians (and a lot of Europeans) already know — and they’re healthier, thinner, and happier than we are in many ways. You’d be hard pressed to find a French or Italian woman hitting the gym 5 days a week. Instead, they get out and walk, work in the garden, and get some general exercise, but not running on the treadmill.
Instead, they eat a lot healthier and more whole foods than we do. They also eat less sugar, less wheat, and less industrialized vegetable oils than we do (the 3 key recent changes you mentioned to the American diet).
Though they do eat wheat, (think Italians & their pasta – French with their bread) they do NOT each as much as we Americans do. I saw it, experienced it, and lived it. And every French & Italian person I know living in the U.S. agrees.
They also eat real butter, real cream and real sugar — no fake stuff.
All of this is exactly what I talk about in my Special Report and how the French & Italians stay slim. It is not by spending hours at the gym
Dinneen – Eat Without Guilt’s last blog post..A Meal Even Your Kids Will Love – in Less Than 30 Minutes
31/03/2009 at 5:02 pm Permalink
Very interesting! But I think it’s true too. How thin I am doesn’t seem to stay very connected to how much I work out (and these days it’s not very often!). However, I do notice that I will start to have blood sugar issues if I am not active enough. Too much sitting in front of my computer I find doesn’t help blood sugar levels! But taking a brisk 15 minute walk fixes it.
Kimi @ The Nourishing Gourmet’s last blog post..Nutrient Rich Snack: Dried Anchovies
31/03/2009 at 6:16 pm Permalink
Actually, for me, exercise is key. It’s not 100% but it is about 50! I found I can’t do one without the other; diet without exercise and vice versa. I find if I don’t do actual planned exciercise (not just a brisk walk – but more like something to get my heart rate up and muscles tones), I tend to fall apart (ie. gain weight and lose muscle tone). It’s also good for my emotional health.
I guess it depends on your body type and metabolism.
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31/03/2009 at 6:20 pm Permalink
I love this. It takes effort at first to pay attention to what you eat, but eventually it becomes habit and you actually start tasting food for the first time!
01/04/2009 at 10:28 am Permalink
I didn’t have much success losing weight until I found an exercise that I would actually do. For me it was Jazzercise. Just the word makes me cringe it sounds so corny, so 80′s. But it’s a blast and a great workout. That said, I am not someone who would go to a gym and sit on sweaty equipment for hours. Yuck. I feel fortunate to have found a way of moving my body that is incredibly enjoyable. I walk too which gets me out in nature. Another love.
I am not obsessing over my weight anymore. I am accepting my shape and my size, so long as I am healthy and self-healing. I am slowly converting my eating to traditional foods, but I have one big giant problem: sugar. I am a total addict. I cannot get through a day without it. Any suggestions? Cold turkey, or is there a withdrawal “program” through slow food?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
01/04/2009 at 11:36 am Permalink
Finally, some evidence supporting my personal experience and belief! Thank you for posting! I love how I feel mentally when I’m in an exercise routine, but I have found that having a handle on my diet is really the only thing that allows me to manage my weight.
02/04/2009 at 4:02 am Permalink
OK KCAL’s in KCAL’s out – it is wonderful to eat rich raw butter and cream which I do and yes that is how traditional man ate – BUT – he did not sit in front of a computer or in traffic all day long. NOR did he run marathons. Our life styles are stress stress stress – and that can make you fat especially around the mid section. We do not get enough rest – we eat a CRAP diet and we sit in front of TV or a computer screen. All of those nonactivities increase cortisol
And this goes for kids too
Today Americans think more is better – but it is not. Prolonged steady state cardio actually can pack on the pounds because it stimulates cortisol.
But weight training for changing body comp and weight loss must be done if you are going to eat that way.
We can not keep our bones strong if we do not do some weight training – strong bones do not come in a bottle and there is no quick fix
I suggest you read How to Eat Move and Be Healthy by Paul Chek
Linda DeFever
CHEK Practitioner Level III
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Metabolic Typing Advisor
Volunteer Weston A. Price Chapter Leader – Wauconda, IL
02/04/2009 at 6:05 am Permalink
Hi, Linda,
I personally enjoy doing weight training. I think I mentioned that in my article.
And I am a big believer in the benefits of moderate, enjoyable exercise — especially weight-bearing exercise. But I think most people put too much emphasis on it.
My point of this article was to say that we are not obese/overweight due to inactivity. Exercise has increased over the past 30 years.
Most people think if they go to the gym more, they will lose weight. There is a thing called leptin resistance, which I’m sure you know about, that makes it very hard to lose weight unless you change your diet. I didn’t have time to get to that in this article but I will in a future post.
02/04/2009 at 7:20 am Permalink
Great post, my friends think if they go to the gym, they can continue with their bad eating habits. They are finally realizing they need to eat natural, and traditional type foods, and include good animal fats in their diets.
Thanks again!
Throwback at Trapper Creek’s last blog post..Saving seeds and saving seeds
02/04/2009 at 2:30 pm Permalink
I really love this, but my body doesnt! If I dont go to the gym, I dont loose weight….its that simple. I hardly eat carbs (except for a little sourdough) and I have cut down on my portion sizes and still nothing…but I have not gained any weight so this is a good thing. I am sure that more gardening and activities with the kids will make an impact, thanks for the reminder
03/04/2009 at 5:55 am Permalink
Great article! We can’t hit the gym or run an extra mile to burn off those Oreos. Ick!
This is my excerise: yoga stretches while the brown rice is cooking (I am vegetarian), biking to the grocery store or my child to school, and bending, squatting and shoveling in the garden.
Another great source that I just found is Gary Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health. It was endorsed by Michael Pollan (Food KingGod).
Be well, xo-Carla aka OneHealthyGirl.com
07/04/2009 at 7:31 am Permalink
What a terrific, thought-provoking post! Thanks for sharing the links and information you’ve found. Great stuff, and very compelling.
Lee’s last blog post..Whole Foods Up Close: Local, Organic Values (Part 1 of 3)
04/05/2009 at 12:54 pm Permalink
Are we talking about standard ( full fat) country crock butter
11/05/2009 at 10:20 am Permalink
How come I lose only a few pounds when I eat low carb and then it stops?
16/12/2009 at 12:02 pm Permalink
This makes a lot of sense.
Since we started eating more traditionally (and lately it has been more SAD just from a new baby etc. ) My body weight has not decreased or increased, but my body looked slimmer. However, I am quite overweight and stuck at 250 since birth (4 months ago) and I am BUSY! (4 daughters ages 6yrs-4months) I might spend all day running around just doing housework and childcare. I keep thinking I’ve got to exercise more, yet, if that were true, then why am I still so fat?
Weeding out all the bad things is quite hard, because it puts a much bigger workload on myself. I used to be very athletic and LOVED volleyball, ha,ha and LOVED weightlifting. I do miss that fit feeling and the work of team exercise and sports. It isn’t drudgery to me, but carving out the time to do it is almost impossible unless i don’t sleep.
Hmm, lots to think about here. Have you noticed if your body has become more slim just by eating more fats?