Exercise more for weight loss

[drkcgoh]

If you've watched Oprah Winfrey's "Biggest Loser" tv program, you will notice that
Oprah has a weight problem
Exercise is featured in all the weight loss programs
Dieting is totally ignored
Let us look at these issues one by one:

Oprah has been alternatively thin & fat, & has gone through Marathon running and endorsed many other weight loss programs, but the fact remains that she is still fat.
Why listen to someone who is still searching & constantly switching , when there are many others who never seem to gain any weight because they steadily follow just one program?
Why is conistent Exercise, the answer, & not Dieting?

I ask some of these questions because I practise what I preach, and
never suffer from any sore body parts because I think I row properly, and this is backed by my constant high rankng among the top endurance rowers in the World.
I always eat many times what others consume at meals
I Exercise around 4 hours a day, burning some 2,000 Calories daily, or 14,000 Calories per week. That is humanly possible, and there are charts to show no cheating.

So, if you want to lose weight, just exercise consistently, & record every little bit of exercise you do. It is no use imagining that you exercise 6 times a week. Just show it on your chart, and I can produce my hardcopy charts for the past 10 years or so. If you burn >2,000 Calories a day, and consume around 1,500 Calories, you are sure to lose weight.

Indoor Rowing slowly & gently never causes any sore body parts (escept a sore bottom from sitting down too much), and the inteligent monitor in front of you faithfully records all the Calories you are burning objectively, if you do not cheat, and inflate the figure shown in front of you. If you think you have done too much, then you can see from your old records that perhaps you have done actually done too little, for 1,000 Calories a day is certainly less than 2,000 Calories you used to burn some years back when you were really thin.

Besides this, think of your fluctuating Resting (or Basal) Metabolic Rate. Do you ever meaure it, or even estimate it? I have seen it done in a Metabolic Chamber (at the Baylor Medical Center, Children's Hospital), and it is too expensive and laborious to measure on everyone. But the fact rtemains that if you DIET, your BMR goes way down, whereas if you Exercise consistently, this BMR is raised,
When the BMR is lowered, it may be too big a figure for you to catch up with by Exercise, and the more you Diet, the lower it is going to get, as the Human Body struggles prevent this Starvation it is going through.

Then again, Dieting is a form of Punishment, and no one is going to endure this self-inflicted punishment just to lose some weight.

In short, if you want to lose weight, accurately record the total # of Calories you burn at each exercise session, and be consistent & truthful to yourself about it. Never punish yoursel, but enjoy what you do, and get rid of that old adage "NO PAIN NO GAIN".
Dr.K.C.Goh,Sports Medicine Physician, 68+ 5'9.5" 148 lbs

[hjs]

"I Exercise around 4 hours a day, burning some 2,000 Calories daily, or 14,000 Calories per week. That is humanly possible, and there are charts to show no cheating. "


This is ok for an olympic athlete, but for a normal human being imposible to fit in a daily routine. I try to train 5/6 times a week, 75 min av. I think that is plenty enough, no need to work out 4 houts a day.
The dieet is indeed the main point and Oprah is certainly not someone to follow on this, no control whatsoever.

[drkcgoh]

I disagree entirely. Try it, & you will find it extremely boring, & even scorn this form of exercise. I am no Olympic athlete, & could never qualify for even school additional sports, but I can row 4 hrs comfortably every day. Anyone can do it- just don't fall asleep. I still rank among the top endurance rowers in the world, but I never push myself hard at all. I NEVER DIET, & I am very much against that idea, & show by example on myself & those who are willing to try it! My subjects are normal human beings, and we are all capable of that simple discipline.

I don't see why anyone must suffer from exercise & complain of injuries after that. Be PATIENT, & you will achieve anything. Don't think you must pay for your health, or punish yourself to achieve any goal.
Regards,
Dr.K.C.Goh

[hjs]

I disagree entirely. Try it, & you will find it extremely boring, & even scorn this form of exercise. I am no Olympic athlete, & could never qualify for even school additional sports, but I can row 4 hrs comfortably every day. Anyone can do it- just don't fall asleep. I still rank among the top endurance rowers in the world, but I never push myself hard at all. I NEVER DIET, & I am very much against that idea, & show by example on myself & those who are willing to try it! My subjects are normal human beings, and we are all capable of that simple discipline.

I don't see why anyone must suffer from exercise & complain of injuries after that. Be PATIENT, & you will achieve anything. Don't think you must pay for your health, or punish yourself to achieve any goal.
Regards,
Dr.K.C.Goh

If you have 4 hours on your hand to sit on the erg, I think you should take a good look at your life

You never diet? so you eat chocolate and icecream all day

Erging for 4 hours is a utter nonsens and a waste of your life. Al you need is to active and eat a sane and relative healthy diet. You will never get fat and overweight doing it this way. Only when you stuff yourself sitting on the couch this will happen.

[drkcgoh]

Just had a whole day of Church outing with friends & social dinner with friends-ate half of what the other 4 could not eat up, & drank a whole lot of wine. Also take chocolates & ice cream whenever it is offered, without complaining about the Calories that it is supposed to contain. Just have a healthy outlook, & never diet or complain- just do what is sensible, & stop wasting time complaining that it is impossible. Nothing is, if you ever do it instead of just talking. Your life is what you make of it, and balance it the best way you can. If others can do it, it is not impossible, & you should be the one to examine your own life if you can't do many things, & think others can only do things your way.
Dr.K.C.Goh

[Tinus]

...I disagree entirely...

...I can row 4 hrs comfortably every day...

You are omitting the fact that people can be very different in their personal behaviour, attitudes and environment. The idea that a professional Physician is promoting to exercise 28 hours a week, only based on personal and anecdotal information, is quite alarming.

- There is ample evidence that you can do with much less exercise. It may not be very wise to choose the high end of daily needed exercise (or whatever other good behaviour, e.g. fruit and vegetable consumption). Especially when communicating to the general public. It may have a discouraging effect.
- It is unclear how you derive your numbers. BMR is already very close to 2000 kcal. So you burn this amount of energy without exercise. 4 hours of Exercise would increase the total daily energy expenditure a lot more and result in a daily energy expenditure between 3000 or 6000 kcal depending on the activity.
- The 'because I can do it' argument is very egocentric and does not show a lot of empathy. Many people have something like a job which takes them a little bit more than 8 hours. Many also need to sleep 8 hours or at least it would be healthy for them. This leaves only 8 hours open for other activities. I don't believe that many people would like to spend 50% of this time on rowing or other exercise. Few people are able to "Just have a whole day of Church outing with friends & social dinner with friend" in only 4 hours. You do realise a day consists of 24 hours?

...if you want to lose weight, accurately record...

This is also based on egocentric believes. It is not clear if it works also with other people. Recording calories has been shown not to work.
- It is inaccurate and/or people over report.
- Also it has a discouraging effect as well.

[johnlvs2run]

This sounds more like religious dogma, i.e. if you exercise 4 hours a day by "going to church" you won't get fat etc.

I love to exercise, but diet is the #1 thing that affects one's weight and physiology. A terrible processed food type of diet is the worst. A healthy diet is the best. After that, then sure exercise all day if one has the time. But exercise is movement, not sitting around gabbing eating muffins.

Exercise is movement, period. The more movement the better. People who eat healthy and exercise the most through the day are going to be leaner than others who do not. The type of exercise is also important. Obviously lifting (some) weights or running up and down hills have different effects than playing tiddly winks.

[hjs]

This sounds more like religious dogma, i.e. if you exercise 4 hours a day by "going to church" you won't get fat etc.

I love to exercise, but diet is the #1 thing that affects one's weight and physiology. A terrible processed food type of diet is the worst. A healthy diet is the best. After that, then sure exercise all day if one has the time. But exercise is movement, not sitting around gabbing eating muffins.

Exercise is movement, period. The more movement the better. People who eat healthy and exercise the most through the day are going to be leaner than others who do not. The type of exercise is also important. Obviously lifting (some) weights or running up and down hills have different effects than playing tiddly winks.

a bit scary, I have nothing against this posting

[Citroen]

I Exercise around 4 hours a day, burning some 2,000 Calories daily, or 14,000 Calories per week. That is humanly possible, and there are charts to show no cheating.

Nice work if you can get it.

Most of us have to spend 8 hours a (week)day working 6 hours a day sleeping and can fit about an hour and a half of gym time round everything else. What you're suggesting is not realistic. I have better things to do in my four hours.

The only way to lose weight is to stop eating junk and reduce the calories in the stuff you do eat.

[Bob S.]

Diet? Exercise? Who needs them? I lose 4-6pounds a night - every night - with no more exercise than an occasional trek to the loo.

Bob S.

[drkcgoh]

As I said before, people are good at talking, arguing & complaining, One can arugue very cleverly that "the Earth is flat", etc. Therre is no point in trying to fight prejudiced thinking, & personal examples belong to the hermits & silent ones who achieve only for themselves. To each his own, & keep on complaining. Just look into the mirror, & keep on \complaining while some of us silently achieve.
Dr.K.C.Goh

[Tinus]

One can arugue very cleverly that "the Earth is flat", etc.

And one can argue very stupidly that one can argue very cleverly that "the Earth is flat".

One can also claim some bold statements and react on criticism with a red herring. Which is an example that people are not always good in talking and arguing.

[Bob S.]

As I said before, people are good at talking, arguing & complaining, To each his own, & keep on complaining.

Just look into the mirror, & keep on \complaining while some of us silently achieve.
Dr.K.C.Goh

Can you be more specific? To what complaints were you referring and who are you accusing of doing the complaining?

Bob S., WR holder for FM, HM, 60', and 10k - 80-89yr, both LWT and HWT in each.

[johnlvs2run]

personal examples belong to the hermits & silent ones who achieve only for themselves

Personal examples are real.

The are the only examples that count.

[jamesg]

As one real example, in summer when I can scull an hour, ride a bike for 3 or 4, then go kayak with the wife for an hour or so, my weight drops to 80-84kg. In winter, when I only do 3-4h erg a week, I reach 90. I never "diet" in the sense of low salt, low fat or whatever, just eat what I see in front of me; and try to remember tho', that one plate of Carbonara is just as good as two.

Basically, exercising is to get fit, eating to get fat. What actually happens depends on how much of each, but booze tips the balance heavily one way.

In ancient times, when a man's "work" consisted of chasing dinner all day across the pampa, savannah or whatever, and then sprinting for the kill, I'll guess there weren't many fatties around. Same when work consisted of hacking at the coalface for 8 hours, after an hour spent running undergound, bent double, to get there (Orwell, Down the Mine), or when there were canals to be dug by hand.

This was the life our civilisation didn't want any more; hence mechanisation. But we still have the energy to get rid of, and not doing so shows up not only on the waistline. Even the Greeks 2000 odd years ago and the Romans applied mens sana in corpore sano.