How to avoid weight gain when you stop exercising

Tanie98

I love to exercise but I have been very busy lately so there for I have been exercising regularly. I usually for a run outside but its getting cold where I live so I am looking into buying work out dvds.

I still track my calories since I still have few pounds to lose. I set my settings to lose 0.5 a week so my calories are enough even when I don't exercise. I struggle to reach my goal calorie when I exercise.

I am just worried that the pounds might start creeping back since I haven't been exercising regularly. So would I be still oaky as long as I still watch my calories

ninerbuff

It's still about CICO when maintaining weight. Eat more than you burn and you'll gain.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

beamer0821

what he ^ said.

I_Will_End_You

Exercise doesn't make you lose weight, a calorie deficit does. Working out can help you create a deficit, but it is not necessary to do so. Just stick with your goal and you'll be fine.

SueInAz

As long as your activity level in MFP is set correctly for your activity level without exercise, and you stay within your calorie goal, you should continue to lose weight. Weight loss is mostly about your calorie intake, not about exercise. There are many people who've effectively lost weight without an exercise regimen.

SLLRunner

Tanie98 wrote: »

I love to exercise but I have been very busy lately so there for I have been exercising regularly. I usually for a run outside but its getting cold where I live so I am looking into buying work out dvds.

I still track my calories since I still have few pounds to lose. I set my settings to lose 0.5 a week so my calories are enough even when I don't exercise. I struggle to reach my goal calorie when I exercise.

I am just worried that the pounds might start creeping back since I haven't been exercising regularly. So would I be still oaky as long as I still watch my calories

Tanie,

Congratulations on your weight loss, and being near your goal! Just keep counting those calories and you will be fine.

quellybelly

Eat less than you did when you were exercising, since you're not burning the extra cals anymore.

cwolfman13

You have to eat less...your activity has decreased...thus your total calorie requisites have decreased.

Exercise and working out simply increases your activity level and thus your calorie requirements...i.e. without exercise I maintain on roughly 2300 - 2400 calories per day...with regular exercise I maintain on roughly 2600 - 2800 calories per day...more when I'm training for something.

Suffice it to say, given the aforementioned numbers above, I can eat more and lose weight when I'm exercising regularly than I could if I was sedentary...it all comes down to the appropriate intake as per your activity and stats for your given weight control goals.

segacs

Even by eating less, you may find you gain inches in the short term since some of your lean muscle mass might convert back to fat mass if you slow your exercise levels significantly. Also, your body gets accustomed to a certain level of exercise, and when you stop, you may see a short term gain. But that should balance out over time if you're eating the right calorie intake.

I_Will_End_You

segacs wrote: »

Even by eating less, you may find you gain inches in the short term since some of your lean muscle mass might convert back to fat mass if you slow your exercise levels significantly. Also, your body gets accustomed to a certain level of exercise, and when you stop, you may see a short term gain. But that should balance out over time if you're eating the right calorie intake.

No. Lean muscle doesn't "covert to fat" and fat doesn't turn into muscle. They're two totally different things. You can add or subtract one of the other, but that's it.

segacs

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

No. Lean muscle doesn't "covert to fat" and fat doesn't turn into muscle. They're two totally different things. You can add or subtract one of the other, but that's it.

Okay, I should've clarified: You are technically correct that one doesn't 'turn into' the other. But if you exercise less, you may find yourself losing some lean muscle and gaining some fat, so it will seem for all intents and purposes to have done so.

Athletes go through this a lot when they stop training.

I_Will_End_You

segacs wrote: »

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

No. Lean muscle doesn't "covert to fat" and fat doesn't turn into muscle. They're two totally different things. You can add or subtract one of the other, but that's it.

Okay, I should've clarified: You are technically correct that one doesn't 'turn into' the other. But if you exercise less, you may find yourself losing some lean muscle and gaining some fat, so it will seem for all intents and purposes to have done so.

Athletes go through this a lot when they stop training.

You can lose LBM, but you aren't going to gain fat if you are eating under or at maintenance. Athletes who gain fat when they stop training do so because they still eat like an athlete who is training.

Regardless, OP, you don't have to exercise to lose weight, but if helps create a calorie deficit and it's good for your health and well being. If you'd like to continue, check out some exercise DVDs if it's too cold to run, or look into a gym membership. There are also a lot of body weight exercises you can do at home. Check out fitnessblender.com for ideas, I know a lot of people who like that site.

johnnylakis

eat less

lemurcat12

Like others have said, just make sure you adjust your calories.