Losing Weight without Working Out?

Hey guys! I don't come to this forums often, but I was wondering, is there a way to lose weight without exercising but eating well? What tips/food suggestions would you suggest to help with that? I would really appreciate your help, for I need to lose at least 25 pounds by October...
«134

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn—period. No exercise necessary. Exercise for fitness; log to lose weight.

    A healthy, sustainable loss is .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight. So you can lose 25 lbs. in 3 months if you're 100 lbs. overweight.

    Read the Sexypants post to understand how MFP works: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    The calorie goal MFP gives is without exercise - if you eat that and log accurately you should lose weight.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited July 2015
    It's just about eating less calories than you burn naturally doing day to day stuff.... The big advantage of working out is that you get to eat more.
  • nikkidoodleee
    nikkidoodleee Posts: 11 Member
    I've been counting calories for almost two weeks now, only eating about 1,350 cals a day, and yet nothing as happened...
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Are you using a food scale to weigh your diary entries?
  • nikkidoodleee
    nikkidoodleee Posts: 11 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    Are you using a food scale to weigh your diary entries?
    A food scale? What do you mean?

  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    I agree with this. It may not be strictly necessary but it sure makes a big difference...
  • melaniefave41
    melaniefave41 Posts: 222 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    Exactly. You're cheating yourself out of a real accomplishment and lots of great endorphins. I get the wanting to lose weight, but weight loss alone does not create better health. Mental or physical.
  • melaniefave41
    melaniefave41 Posts: 222 Member
    And two weeks is barely a drop in the bucket. I think you may want to make an appointment with a dietitian who can help you set some healthy and realistic goals.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    Exactly. You're cheating yourself out of a real accomplishment and lots of great endorphins. I get the wanting to lose weight, but weight loss alone does not create better health. Mental or physical.

    ...Yes it does. Someone who loses weight but doesn't exercise still gets many of the benefits of weight loss, such as better mobility, less chance of cancer, diabetes etc. And I've not done much exercise (lost my first 40lbs without exercise) but I still feel better about myself because I look better. Go figure.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Ofc as they said you dont need to workout in theory, but I think fitness is an equally as importnat as simple weight loss. Why dont you want to be fit and healthy?
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    I mean this is funny, but not true across the board.

    For very obese folks, like I used to be, working out was really not in my day. I walked a bit more (like, wouldn't take the elevator "walked"), but really it was changing the eating habits that helped me drop the first 30-50 lbs.

    I didn't start working out proper until after that. So...it's relative.

    If you're not obese or morbidly obese, exercise is great because it seriously reduces your cravings.

    Also, OP - a food scale is just what it sounds like. A scale to weigh food. It's small and sensitive enough (usually down to 1 gram) that you can't cheat. If you're not losing after two weeks, the likely culprit is that you're not being strict enough with measuring your portions, or you're just "Eyeballing" and over-estimating.

    Best of luck!
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    It's just about eating less calories than you burn naturally doing day to day stuff.... The big advantage of working out is that you get to eat more.

    I disagree with the bolded. I don't get to eat a whole lot more. Maybe a few hundred calories per day. I think that the two main benefits to exercise is cardiovascular health (cardio/aerobics) and body composition (progressive resistance training program: my fav = heavy lifting). I've got to do something to retain my muscle mass while I'm losing weight. I look a lot better now that I'm maximizing fat loss and minimizing muscle loss. My shape is more important to me than what the scale says. Just my thoughts. :smile:

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Of course you can lose weight without exercise.

    I don't know about losing 25 pounds by October - that's a lot in a very short time - but you can lose weight without lifting a finger.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...


    If you're not obese or morbidly obese, exercise is great because it seriously reduces your cravings.

    This isn't true for everyone. Some people get reduced hunger/cravings, other people get more hungry. Sadly I'm in the latter category :(
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    I mean this is funny, but not true across the board.

    For very obese folks, like I used to be, working out was really not in my day. I walked a bit more (like, wouldn't take the elevator "walked"), but really it was changing the eating habits that helped me drop the first 30-50 lbs.

    I didn't start working out proper until after that. So...it's relative.

    If you're not obese or morbidly obese, exercise is great because it seriously reduces your cravings.

    Also, OP - a food scale is just what it sounds like. A scale to weigh food. It's small and sensitive enough (usually down to 1 gram) that you can't cheat. If you're not losing after two weeks, the likely culprit is that you're not being strict enough with measuring your portions, or you're just "Eyeballing" and over-estimating.

    Best of luck!
    Working out is relative to ones fitness level. It can be as simple as taking a short walk. Do what you can, just do something...
  • nikkidoodleee
    nikkidoodleee Posts: 11 Member
    edited July 2015
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    Exactly. You're cheating yourself out of a real accomplishment and lots of great endorphins. I get the wanting to lose weight, but weight loss alone does not create better health. Mental or physical.
    I'm not obese or anything, and I CAN technically work out, but I have the most terrible motivation ever and so I thought that trying to lose some with just counting my cals better would be a good start. If I lose the weight, I will get a real accomplishment, because the whole reason I want to do this is so I don't hate myself, so I can fit into a size 8 again SOME DAY, and so my mother can stop making fun of me and my weight like she usually does. So, it will help mentally, big time.
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Of course you can lose weight without exercise.

    I don't know about losing 25 pounds by October - that's a lot in a very short time - but you can lose weight without lifting a finger.

    Okay, yeah, that is quite a big number of weight to lose, you are completely right with that. :) But honestly I just want to lose enough so I can fit into a Halloween costume that I had handcrafted when I was like, 15/20 pounds lighter. (And back then even then my mother told me that I needed to lose weight to look good in it...)
  • accidentalpancake
    accidentalpancake Posts: 484 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    Exactly. You're cheating yourself out of a real accomplishment and lots of great endorphins. I get the wanting to lose weight, but weight loss alone does not create better health. Mental or physical.

    ...Yes it does. Someone who loses weight but doesn't exercise still gets many of the benefits of weight loss, such as better mobility, less chance of cancer, diabetes etc. And I've not done much exercise (lost my first 40lbs without exercise) but I still feel better about myself because I look better. Go figure.

    Weight alone does not contribute to any of the issues you mentioned. You can be skinny while eating crap food and be at higher risk for cancer, diabetes, etc. than a heavier person who eats whole food. The content of your diet is more important to health than your absolute weight, unless you're at an extreme (morbidly obese or severely underweight).
  • matchbox_girl
    matchbox_girl Posts: 535 Member
    My doctor (an MD who has specialized in weight loss for the last 20 years) says despite the benefits of exercise, it does nothing for weight loss. It's all about what you put into your body nutrition wise. (Exercise is amazing for you, just not for losing weight.)
  • accidentalpancake
    accidentalpancake Posts: 484 Member
    My doctor (an MD who has specialized in weight loss for the last 20 years) says despite the benefits of exercise, it does nothing for weight loss. It's all about what you put into your body nutrition wise. (Exercise is amazing for you, just not for losing weight.)

    I'd get a new doc.

    The physiological benefits from exercise absolutely impact weight, in both directions, depending on diet and goals.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member

    Okay, yeah, that is quite a big number of weight to lose, you are completely right with that. :) But honestly I just want to lose enough so I can fit into a Halloween costume that I had handcrafted when I was like, 15/20 pounds lighter. (And back then even then my mother told me that I needed to lose weight to look good in it...)

    Body recomp can help you with this also. Granted, it would require you to work out but it would allow for you to change your body, without actually loosing weight, to help you fit in that outfit.
  • ladybarometer
    ladybarometer Posts: 205 Member
    I've been having trouble losing either way, but working out changes my body even when the scale isn't moving at all.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    My doctor (an MD who has specialized in weight loss for the last 20 years) says despite the benefits of exercise, it does nothing for weight loss. It's all about what you put into your body nutrition wise. (Exercise is amazing for you, just not for losing weight.)

    Your doctor is wrong...
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    I've been having trouble losing either way, but working out changes my body even when the scale isn't moving at all.

    agreed. I was discouraged this morning seeing the scale skooch back up again. but I took out my measuring tape and I've lost an inch and a half, but the scale hadn't shown that
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    Are you using a food scale to weigh your diary entries?
    A food scale? What do you mean?

    A scale to measure your food on, your logging will be much more accurate if you know exactly how much your food weighs. Do you use a scale at the moment, if not, how can you be so sure you're sticking to your calorie goal?
  • cleanbulk_hatersgfy
    cleanbulk_hatersgfy Posts: 31 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Trying to lose weight without working out is like trying to have sex with your clothes on...

    :)
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,498 Member
    My doctor (an MD who has specialized in weight loss for the last 20 years) says despite the benefits of exercise, it does nothing for weight loss. It's all about what you put into your body nutrition wise. (Exercise is amazing for you, just not for losing weight.)

    Nothing? So those calories burned by exercising are just phantom calories?

    I agree that losing weight only requires that you consume less calories than you burn, but there are two parts to the equation...what you consume and what you burn. If you exercise, your calories burned increases. If you don't eat more to compensate, you have a greater deficit. Simple math.

    A calorie burned is another calorie to add to your deficit.

  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 229 Member
    you can, I lost 40lbs on diet alone. but I also lost all my muscle. I didnt like how weak I felt or how I looked still so now I workout.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    IMO, exercise should be considered a 4th macronutrient...