We all know how Ryan loves his conspiracy theories. Well, he’s got another one to throw on the pile – gyms. Yes, gyms. Apparently, Ryan is convinced that gyms are just a big rip off, and you don’t need them to lose weight. He’s lost a ton of weight without going to the gym.
Ryan is also quick to point out that there are tons of people who eat like crap and go to the gym all the time, and don’t lose any weight. He believes it’s all about what you eat. Stan, Nicole and Rich think he is out of his mind. Of course the gym helps you lose weight. Not only does it help you lose weight but, more importantly, it gets you in shape.
Ryan is a firm believer that if you eat right, and do other physical activity that does not involve going to a gym, you can achieve your healthy and physical goals.The rest of The Morning Mash Up agrees that healthy eating habits are important, but in order to really get into great shape you do need to get to the gym, or else you will just be slimmer, but not have any tone to your body that lifting weights and other gym exercises/equipment can give you.
Do you agree with Ryan that you don’t need the gym to lose weight and be healthy? Or do you side with Rich, Stan and Nicole and think that working out at the gym is an important part to losing weight and being healthy?
I would have to agree with Ryan. To start losing some weight you would need to change your diet. (Ex. Drink water instead of pop, Instead of McDonalds Breakfast *YUM* eat a granola bar, etc.)
What the gym does is it helps to gain muscle. Which weighs more than fat. So if you are working out in a gym, and step on a scale. It will look like you have actually gained weight. Which isn’t good for peoples psychological stance because they want to lose weight not gain. And you think that working out isn’t working for you.
So to actually lose weight, you need to change your diet. On the biggest loser, they limit them on their diet first. And if you notice sometimes when they get to go home they gain weight because they have all that food in front of them again, even if they are working out the same, they gain weight.
I gotta go with Ryan on this one. You don’t need a gym to lose weight and be healthy. You just need a good diet and exercise. The exercise doesn’t have to be at a gym. In fact I think exercising at a gym just makes it seem more like work and less enjoyable.
Just heard you say that if you’re trying to lose weight and like to party that you should avoid tequila. Such a bummer, but very true.
Kudos to Ryan!
You don’t need a gym to lose weight…to build muscle yes. It is all calories in /calories out. There are so many things you can do to lost weight..walking, stairs, and lets not forget sex..lol
I disagree wigh Ryan. I recently lost 140 lbs and couldn’t have done it without working out. I believe both changing your diet (drasticaly) and working out go together when losing weight. For me 1200 calories per day combined with minimum 60 minutes of exercise helped me acheive the results I wanted. I have 20 lbs to go until I reach my goal weight and won’t acheive it without the gym. Regardless of how Ryan lost the weight kudos to him for being successful and doing what so many people can’t.
No doubt nutrition is 50% of it but exercise is equally as important unless ofcourse you are ok with being “skinny fat”. I am a female and have lost 100 pounds over the last 11 months due to changing my diet but more importantly I have gone from 48% body fat to 19% and that is wholly a result of resistance training and cardio. I am also now a certified trainer and can tell you the more muscle you have the more calories you burn..come on Ryan it’s not about the lbs. it’s about being healthy…I assure you without exercise if you deviate from your diet plan too much you will put the weight back on quickly.
Congrats on the weight loss.
I would have to disagree with Ryan. I don’t necessarily think you NEED the gym to lose weight, but its easier with the gym. You can do cardio without the gym to burn calories, but the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. So in order to build the muscle, you need the gym. I find it really hard to lose weight with diet alone, personally I need to hit the gym to lose weight.
Gym /No Gym argument aside, you really need to encourage anyone who wants to “lose enough weight to brag to friends” to consult a physician before starting any weight loss regimen. Cutting caloric intake to 1200-1500 calories per day can actually be detrimental. Many doctors state that men should not take in less than 1800 calories per day. Also, the food containing the calories is an important consideration. Five Hostess cupcakes are 1200 calories. Eating only five cupcakes per day isn’t going to do anything good for anyone.
Bottom line, visit a qualified physician prior to beginning any weight loss regimen. They’ll be able to tell you what to eat and how much. They’ll also tell you that muscle burns more calories than fat and tell you if you are healthy enough to exercise, regardless of whether that exercise occurs in a gym or not.
After reading the series of comments above I have to completely agree with Ryan. Diet is by far the most important aspect of living a healthier lifestyle and losing weight. A gym is not needed, however, you do need to workout. In this day and age not everyone can afford a gym or get to a gym, so you need to be creative. Go for a run, mix up your run workouts. Do long runs, short, and sprint workouts. For toning you do need to work weights, but a gym is still not needed. You can do push-ups, pull-ups, wall squats, lunches, and any number of other exercises without weights. Google search how POWs kept in shape while in confinement. Gyms are not needed, just a good mental attitude, some creativity, and the will power to get it done.
I’m with Ryan on this one too! You so do NOT need a gym to lose weight. For some people though, they need that motivation of going to the gym, because they’ve paid for the membership, they feel they should go, however what you do and how intense your workout is is solely dependent on YOU!
Running…outside on pavement….WAY different than a stupid Treadmill. Weight loss is HUGELY diet related…and that doesn`t come from the gym!!!!!
BTW…holy shit Ryan…your before and after pics are Wow! What a difference. Good for you!
I’m totally against not going to the gym. I have lost 55lbs in the past 10 months and I have been working at the gym and watching what i eat. You need to build muscle to burn more calories
Ryan, you are looking at it too simply. Its not just about calories. Going to the gym and doing cardio also burns fat and builds muscle. It takes both eating right and working out to be completely healthy. Look at it this way, if you workout in the morning your body doesn’t have any food to burn for energy, therefore its going to burn your fat for energy. This is fat that wouldn’t have been burned otherwise.
I’m with Ryan on this one, you do not need a gym to lose weight or tone down. If you have 50 pounds of fat on your body, lifting weights and doing crunches is not going to make you appear toner. Straight cardio i.e. running and biking only makes you lose the fat. Once that’s gone, then you can tone. And it really should be up to the person where they work out… I’d rather run outside right now then be stuck in a stuffy gym. Also, CALORIES IN vs. CALORIES OUT equates to weight loss, simple as that. The more cardio you do(burning calories), and less you eat(less calorie intake) the more weight you will lose, so in that respect, your both wrong or both right. ha ha
Ok… now from the professional point of view… I am a personal trainer and it will surprise you to know that Ryan is correct. Nutrition is 80% of losing weight. You can significantly lose more weight with the right kind of exercise, but nutrition is paramount. I have a Bodybugg and I can burn 700 calories in an hour when I teach an indoor cycling class. Someone in not as good shap would burn much more.
All you need is a 500 calorie deficit per day to lose 1 lb per week. It is plain and simple. You can get thin with diet but you can get in shape with exercise. It all depends on what your goals are.
It’s personal commitment, not a gym or even a weight loss program membership, that makes a person lose weight.
Ryan is right…for the most part,I have been a bodybuilder for over 20 years, …lift year round as well as the cardio, and never lose weight until i start a strict diet getting ready for a show! i then lose over 60 pounds in 16 weeks. Most Bodybuilders agree…that diet is 90% of losing weight!
I am totally disagreeing with Ryan on this one. Since January I have lost 62lbs and am in the best shape of my life. I did this through diet (weight watchers) and the GYM! I started out by working out 92min a day and now I am off the weight watchers program and successfuly maintaining my weight by going to the gym 30min a day. I think to successfully lose weight, keep it off and tone your body – you need the right diet and exercise. You need a combination of cardio and strength training to tone your muscles. Sorry Ryan !!!!!
Ryan is correct.
Good job Ryan….the results are plain to see! Cut down on the carbs, and reduce portion size, and you will lose weight sitting on the couch.
Sorry guys, Ryans right on this one. The only way to lose serious weight is by dieting right. It doesn’t hurt to diet AND goto the gym, but if your eating crap and going to the gym it wont do anything. Sure the gym helps boost your metabolism but you can boost it alot more with healthy foods (And sunlight, so your actually better to do you running outside on sunny days)
I will add, diet alone will just make you lose weight,if you included a fitness plan alone with your diet your more out to stay with the lifestyle instead of going back to the pizza diet!
I definately agree with Ryan, you should change your diet in order to lose the majority of the weight, then hit the gym later. I run all the time and don’t lose weight while eating the same as before I began running. If I try to cut back on my calories while running, I don’t have the energy to run. So losing weight is much easier when you aren’t working out.
I am a physical therapist and in all actuality there is truth to both sides. A person could lose a significant amount of weight with small to no changes in their diet. However most people don’t have a lot of success with this because they typically overeat after a workout. So the best solution would be to either closely monitor what you eat or do light exercise that doesn’t leave you starving. You know pretty recently Time magazine did an article on this with some good science behind it…
I have to disagree with Ryan. I have in last while lost 80lbs through regular exercise and healthy eating. I have since lost the weight become and Nutrition and Wellness Specialist. As much as eating is a huge part it is only complimented by going to the gym to tone, build muscle that helps burns fat, as well as to just be healthy. Going for 30mins is a minium to go, 60 mins is better though to get better results. You NEED to change up what you do though. Just going for a run 30 mins will only work for so long. Incoprorating cardio, strength and streching (such as yoga) will give and overall results. A person that wants to better the loss at the gym can benefit by changing their routine up to every 6 weeks by making it harder and keeping muscles guessing and burning the fat around them.
Ryan I am with you on the gym is a rip off. I am going thru a weight loss program and they stressed to me to drop the gym membership….I only take in about 1200 calories a day and was told to just go for a walk….in 5 weeks I have lost over 23 pounds and 38.5 inches. I walk with my daughter every other day 2.5 miles…. In the past I did watch what I ate and went to the gym every other day and only lost a few pounds. You don’t need to spend big bucks at a gym to lose weight just walking and using an exercise ball is all you really need. It is all about the diet first…
resistance training very beneficial in regards to weight reduction muscle is 50 times more metabolically active than fat and therefore has a higher caloric need more muscle more calories burned resistance training ,aerobics,quality foods,portion control,and eating 5-6 times per day maxamize caloric consumption and stimulate metabolism
Here’s the deal,
most people think that if they go to the gym and work out then they can eat what ever they want. That’s is so wrong. You want to lose weight you need first change your diet then work out if you want to . You don’t need a gym membership all you need is going out walking , stand as much as you can just move around the house , gardening, what ever turn you on … calorie in /calorie out and to make it wors, older you get less food you can have . I love working out because it make me feel good about myself so do what make you feel good and you’ll be happy…
I agree completely with Ryan. I went to the gym to loose weight. Only after many hours and months (aprox 4) did I manage to loose 15 pounds. By the time this occured I had no motivation left. A few months ago, i decided to take a different approach. I changed my diet. I did portion controll and cut down on the junk. I ended up loosing 20 pounds and 5 inches in less then 2 months at a healthy 2-4 pounds per week. Also, I started to park my car further from entrances to get in small amounts of cardio. and increased my fruits and veggie intake. I was amazed by the results. once I hit my ultimate goal, I will use the gym to tone and maintain, not to loose weight.
Ryan is right In order to lose weight you MUST diet Working out will help tone and speed up metabolism which in turn makes you feel better but the real way to lose is diet I’ve tried it all and you must cut your calories Bottom line
I weighed 135 pounds in high school and played many sports. I had two daughters born 9 months and 2 weeks apart. My youngest turned one Monday. Along with two pregnancies came 120 extra pounds. I am proud to say that a year later I have lost 168 pounds and am still going. All but 12 pounds of it which turned out to be baby I lost with doing a simple diet and eventually ankle weights in the morning and afternoon. I never stepped foot into the gym. I constantly change different foods in my diet to achieve the goal I want. I have plenty of skin on my midsection but I have even been to the plastic surgeon and been told that its nothing like what they imagined it would be. So I’m glad to say that after two kids and within a year I lost it and am still losing at home without the gym and am even toning up without expensive gym equipment.
Thanks and wishing everyone else success with their weight loss this year,
Amanda
I totally agree with Ryan! I needed to lose about 50 pounds and all I did was cut down on carbs (the low cal thing didnt work too well for my body type). And within 9 months, I did indeed drop 40+ pounds. The gym is great to make your body “feel good” (endorphin rush, etc) but in terms of dropping pounds…it is all about the diet. Kudos to Ryan for keeping it off. And thanks for posting the pic. He is a cutie at any weight!!
Ryan, exactly how long did it take for you to reach your goal? I do believe one can drop weight by changing your diet alone. However, I think you can reach your goal much much faster if you hit the gym. The “Morning Mash Up” should host a challenge. Rich, Nicole, Ryan and Stan can pick three volunteers for their team (12 total). One who does no exercise just change the diet, one who does just cardio and changes the diet, one who does cardio, changes diet, and lifts just body weight (pushups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, etc.), and one who does all three using heavy weights when lifting. The “Morning Mash Up” winner gets bragging rights, and free beverages of their choosing, from the losers, for a month. The winner of the weight loss gets a new body!
I agree with Rich, Nicole and Stan. I think in order to successfully lose and maintain your weight, you need a combination of watching your diet as well as exercise. The gym is the best way to push yourself to reach your ideal shape/weight.
I’m with Rich, Nicole & Stan. I used to walk 2 miles everyday come home and do tae-bo and 100 sit-ups (not crunchs but actual sit-ups). I never changed my diet and i went from 125 to 110. Which only took about 2 months (I only did this in the summer I’m from Canada so its to damn cold to do it in the winter lol). So you can get in shape without changing your diet but you also don’t NEED to ever step foot in the gym (its just not for some people).
Ryan is right. To lose weight, all you need to do is increase your activity level and decrease your food intake. It is a combination of diet and exercise, but that exercise doesn’t have to be in a gym. I lost 30 lbs and never stepped foot in a gym.
You don’t need to go to a “gym” but you gotta work out AND eat healthy. There are plenty of unhealthy thin poeple are to prove that.
Diet is important and you can lose weight by just changing it. If you want to be soft that is fine. To say you can’t lose weight by going to the gym is absurd. Why do you think athletes have to eat so many calories to maintain their weight? I was a strength and conditioning coach at a major university and we used to pump the calories in our football players so they could keep their weight up.
What Ryan should be saying is “You can’t excersise your way out of bad eating.” Nobody can stay on the treadmill long enough to elimnate a 2,000 calorie entree at TGI Fridays. You see countless people at the gym that show up daily but show no improvement becaus their diet is terrible! You will lose weight quicker with a heathy diet & excerise but I concur diet is key!
It’s 80% diet & 20% gym!!!
I CONGRATULATE ALL THE people who have lost weight however people forget about the natrually big boned people like me.I used to eat a lot of junk food when I was a kid but now I only eat maybe 2 meals a day and snacks.I eat healthy food and junk food because I only have this body for 1 lifetime And besides with acid reflux and lactose intolerance I’d be eating nothing and that’s not even including my allergies.I am fine at a size 18 I would like to be a size 16 again though.Diets arent my thing.
I totally agree with Ryan. Ever see someone who works on a farm. No gym in site but some have the best bodies. Of course eating right is the key as well.