The Fitness Thread

[analimpaction]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

This is why I do think the math is important. Based on what I've read online (after trying to cut through most of the broscience), weight loss is mostly a function a diet anyway. Exercise is just there to help maintain pre-existing muscle mass.

A few people IRL know I am going on a diet and think I am overthinking the whole thing by focusing so much on the math. I just fail to see how it's considered overkill when it seems so crucial to understanding what's going on.

Otherwise you run into the kind of scenario you brought up before -- people signing up for gym memberships, working out for 2-3 weeks, and seeing no progress/giving up because they didn't have a diet plan.

Without understanding the math, it's too easy to work out, get hungry, and eat way more than you actually worked off, thus resulting in a net gain instead.

Your friends are right.

Also not having a diet plan is not why these people fail. They fail because they expect progress in 2-3 weeks and give up because it's easier to do nothing.

All your math and obsessing over macros doesn't matter right now. If you're actually 35% body fat, you're obese. Consume fewer calories than your body needs and you'll lose fat. Stop worrying about your exact BMR or what multiplier to use. All you need to know are your approximate caloric needs -- then eat at a deficit and do a bit of exercise. Neither has to be done to an extreme. You're setting yourself up for failure if you try to be a hero.

If your current 100m sprint time is 16s and you want to get it down to 11s, what would you do? Obsess over what shorts to wear to minimize drag? Or sprint, lift weights, and work on your form? You're overthinking things. Sweat the details later.