Losing Weight without Working Out?

24

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 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.
    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...)
    Well, that wasn't the nicest thing she could've said.

    I hope you fit into it, but if you don't this year, you will next year, assuming you keep at it.

    It takes a long time to lose weight, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't come off as fast as you hope. You'll get there in the end. :)
  • JPIDGLEY
    JPIDGLEY Posts: 5 Member
    edited July 2015
    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...

    I'm prob gunna get so hated on for this post, but I really don't care.

    I originally lost 40lbs by diet alone.
    The thought of exercise is not my favourite thing in the world, especially when the fat person inside me wants to play xbox with some mates.
    Weight loss, if everyone is honest, boils down to basic math. If you are living in a calorific deficit then you lose weight. Eating 1350 Cals a day with no exercise may be why you are seeing slow results.

    TLDR skip this bit
    For example we know 1 pound of fat = roughly 3,500 calories, so we need to burn 3,500 more calories than we eat to lose 1 pound of fat.
    When it comes to diet alone, you have to figure out your Basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of calories you burn a day just by living.

    Mine for example is roughly 1,700 calories a day. So if I was to eat 1,350 calories a day It would take me:
    1700(BMR)-1350(Calories A Day) = -350 (calories deficit)
    3,500(Calories in 1lb of fat)/350(Daily deficit) = 10 days to lose 1 pound


    If you are shorter and/or weigh less than me it would take even longer, and if you estimate your food intake and don't weigh it as was mentioned before, even longer than that. Adding work outs ups your calorie burn.

    To summerize, yes you can lose weight through diet alone, I did it through Intermittent Fasting and a 500Cal budget (pre workout) a day diet of rice and chicken. Rice filled me up super fast and has relatively low calorie count for he amount of space it took up on my plate and in my stomach haha.


    (add on: Including today there are 91 days left until October 1st, you would need to be in a calorific deficit of 962 calories a day for those 91 days to lose 25 pounds, completely doable, but much easier with exercise, even if you just walk a dog or something for 30-45 mins a day)
  • M30834134
    M30834134 Posts: 411 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    Are you using a food scale to weigh your diary entries?
    A food scale? What do you mean?

    That means weighing the food you eat. All of it. How do you know how much chicken you just ate? Or broccoli, or anything for that matter? If you are not weighing your food with a scale, then you are not logging correctly.
  • ThatMouse
    ThatMouse Posts: 229 Member
    If you eat below whatever caloric burn you have during the day without exercise, you will lose weight.

    But don't think you'll look great if you do your entire weight loss this way without working out. You'll lose weight, but you'll also lose muscle and you won't look "fit". You'll be thin, yes. But not fit.

    Working out is important, especially if you don't have the motivation to do so. Here's a few reasons why:
    • When you lose fat, you'll reveal the muscle beneath - if you don't train, you'll have nothing to reveal. You'll just look thin and you won't be able to lift your own groceries without help.
    • Doing resistance training helps with bone density, which, especially for women, helps make sure we have healthy and strong bones into old age.
    • Resistance training while on a calorie deficit (eating less than you burn) helps preserve your existing muscle mass so that you don't get weaker as you lose your weight.
    • Builds a *kitten*-ton of confidence.
    • Helps you work out stress and you'll feel like a proper beast when you can deadlift the equivalent of your mother's weight - trust me, as someone with a *kitten* up mother, being strong enough to lift how much she weighs off the ground is as satisfying as punching her maw without all the legal trouble.

    I'm assuming your goal isn't just to lose weight, but to look good after. Even if you just to bodyweight stuff at home (push ups, sit ups, invest in a chin up bar and work your way up), you'll look and feel better than just cutting your consumption alone.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    edited July 2015
    JPIDGLEY wrote: »
    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...

    I'm prob gunna get so hated on for this post, but I really don't care.

    I originally lost 40lbs by diet alone.
    The thought of exercise is not my favourite thing in the world, especially when the fat person inside me wants to play xbox with some mates.
    Weight loss, if everyone is honest, boils down to basic math. If you are living in a calorific deficit then you lose weight. Eating 1350 Cals a day with no exercise may be why you are seeing slow results.

    TLDR skip this bit
    For example we know 1 pound of fat = roughly 3,500 calories, so we need to burn 3,500 more calories than we eat to lose 1 pound of fat.
    When it comes to diet alone, you have to figure out your Basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of calories you burn a day just by living.

    Mine for example is roughly 1,700 calories a day. So if I was to eat 1,350 calories a day It would take me:
    1700(BMR)-1350(Calories A Day) = -350 (calories deficit)
    3,500(Calories in 1lb of fat)/350(Daily deficit) = 10 days to lose 1 pound


    If you are shorter and/or weigh less than me it would take even longer, and if you estimate your food intake and don't weigh it as was mentioned before, even longer than that. Adding work outs ups your calorie burn.

    To summerize, yes you can lose weight through diet alone, I did it through Intermittent Fasting and a 500Cal budget (pre workout) a day diet of rice and chicken. Rice filled me up super fast and has relatively low calorie count for he amount of space it took up on my plate and in my stomach haha.


    (add on: Including today there are 91 days left until October 1st, you would need to be in a calorific deficit of 962 calories a day for those 91 days to lose 25 pounds, completely doable, but much easier with exercise, even if you just walk a dog or something for 30-45 mins a day)

    The problem with this is 3 fold...
    1. Weight loss is not as linear as you are making it out to be. Weight fluctuates normally and there is no guarantee (with or without exercise) that merely creating a 3500 weekly deficit will result in a pound of weight loss per week.
    2. It is much harder to meet nutritional requirements with low calories dieting. Exercise increases energy out calling for more calories. More energy in equates to more nutrients.
    3. Weight loss is merely a single side effect of exercise. There are so many more benefits that come along with it. If you diet without exercise you will lose a lot of muscle, believe that.

    Everything is better when you are fit...
  • JPIDGLEY
    JPIDGLEY Posts: 5 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    JPIDGLEY wrote: »
    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...

    I'm prob gunna get so hated on for this post, but I really don't care.

    I originally lost 40lbs by diet alone.
    The thought of exercise is not my favourite thing in the world, especially when the fat person inside me wants to play xbox with some mates.
    Weight loss, if everyone is honest, boils down to basic math. If you are living in a calorific deficit then you lose weight. Eating 1350 Cals a day with no exercise may be why you are seeing slow results.

    TLDR skip this bit
    For example we know 1 pound of fat = roughly 3,500 calories, so we need to burn 3,500 more calories than we eat to lose 1 pound of fat.
    When it comes to diet alone, you have to figure out your Basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of calories you burn a day just by living.

    Mine for example is roughly 1,700 calories a day. So if I was to eat 1,350 calories a day It would take me:
    1700(BMR)-1350(Calories A Day) = -350 (calories deficit)
    3,500(Calories in 1lb of fat)/350(Daily deficit) = 10 days to lose 1 pound


    If you are shorter and/or weigh less than me it would take even longer, and if you estimate your food intake and don't weigh it as was mentioned before, even longer than that. Adding work outs ups your calorie burn.

    To summerize, yes you can lose weight through diet alone, I did it through Intermittent Fasting and a 500Cal budget (pre workout) a day diet of rice and chicken. Rice filled me up super fast and has relatively low calorie count for he amount of space it took up on my plate and in my stomach haha.


    (add on: Including today there are 91 days left until October 1st, you would need to be in a calorific deficit of 962 calories a day for those 91 days to lose 25 pounds, completely doable, but much easier with exercise, even if you just walk a dog or something for 30-45 mins a day)

    The problem with this is 3 fold...
    1. Weight loss is not as linear as you are making it out to be. Weight fluctuates normally and there is no guarantee (with or without exercise) that merely creating a 3500 weekly deficit will result in a pound of weight loss per week.
    2. It is much harder to meet nutritional requirements with low calories dieting. Exercise increases energy out calling for more calories. More energy in equates to more nutrients.
    3. Weight loss is merely a single side effect of exercise. There are so many more benefits that come along with it. If you diet without exercise you will lose a lot of muscle, believe that.

    Everything is better when you are fit...

    I agree with you, everything is better when you are fit, and i'm not against exercise, I was just pointing out *in a very simple way* that 3,500 calories = 1 pound of fat and if you don't weigh your food, and know your BMR then you are fighting a losing battle if you eliminate exercise.
    i did leave out the variables of fluctuation, especially water weight which accounts for 0 calories, even though the water you carry obviously has a weight.
  • msfoxy_25
    msfoxy_25 Posts: 40 Member
    I lose more by just eating less and walking. Just stick to your set limit and you should lose weight, make sure your being honest with your logging. I've been on here for 11 days and I lose 4 pounds already, it says 1 on my profile because when I made the account I thought I was a certain weight but when I checked it was higher so I have the wrong starting weight.
  • msfoxy_25
    msfoxy_25 Posts: 40 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 :(

    Exercise makes me ravenous and stresses me out.
  • JPIDGLEY
    JPIDGLEY Posts: 5 Member
    msfoxy_25 wrote: »
    I lose more by just eating less and walking. Just stick to your set limit and you should lose weight, make sure your being honest with your logging. I've been on here for 11 days and I lose 4 pounds already, it says 1 on my profile because when I made the account I thought I was a certain weight but when I checked it was higher so I have the wrong starting weight.

    try going here if you want to update your start date and/or weight http://www.myfitnesspal.com/measurements/edit
  • SparkyJess3
    SparkyJess3 Posts: 625 Member
    Even if you only walked 20 minutes or biked 20 minutes it would help tremendously. If you just want to have a calorie deficit maybe go down to 1250 and see how that works and also eat lots of fruits and veggies and drink LOTS of water.
  • DuckReconMajor
    DuckReconMajor Posts: 434 Member
    edited July 2015
    msfoxy_25 wrote: »
    I've been on here for 11 days and I lose 4 pounds already, it says 1 on my profile because when I made the account I thought I was a certain weight but when I checked it was higher so I have the wrong starting weight.
    You can change your ticker settings (the slider that shows "x weight lost" "x lb to go") and make the starting weight whatever you want it to be.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    JPIDGLEY wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    JPIDGLEY wrote: »
    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...

    I'm prob gunna get so hated on for this post, but I really don't care.

    I originally lost 40lbs by diet alone.
    The thought of exercise is not my favourite thing in the world, especially when the fat person inside me wants to play xbox with some mates.
    Weight loss, if everyone is honest, boils down to basic math. If you are living in a calorific deficit then you lose weight. Eating 1350 Cals a day with no exercise may be why you are seeing slow results.

    TLDR skip this bit
    For example we know 1 pound of fat = roughly 3,500 calories, so we need to burn 3,500 more calories than we eat to lose 1 pound of fat.
    When it comes to diet alone, you have to figure out your Basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of calories you burn a day just by living.

    Mine for example is roughly 1,700 calories a day. So if I was to eat 1,350 calories a day It would take me:
    1700(BMR)-1350(Calories A Day) = -350 (calories deficit)
    3,500(Calories in 1lb of fat)/350(Daily deficit) = 10 days to lose 1 pound


    If you are shorter and/or weigh less than me it would take even longer, and if you estimate your food intake and don't weigh it as was mentioned before, even longer than that. Adding work outs ups your calorie burn.

    To summerize, yes you can lose weight through diet alone, I did it through Intermittent Fasting and a 500Cal budget (pre workout) a day diet of rice and chicken. Rice filled me up super fast and has relatively low calorie count for he amount of space it took up on my plate and in my stomach haha.


    (add on: Including today there are 91 days left until October 1st, you would need to be in a calorific deficit of 962 calories a day for those 91 days to lose 25 pounds, completely doable, but much easier with exercise, even if you just walk a dog or something for 30-45 mins a day)

    The problem with this is 3 fold...
    1. Weight loss is not as linear as you are making it out to be. Weight fluctuates normally and there is no guarantee (with or without exercise) that merely creating a 3500 weekly deficit will result in a pound of weight loss per week.
    2. It is much harder to meet nutritional requirements with low calories dieting. Exercise increases energy out calling for more calories. More energy in equates to more nutrients.
    3. Weight loss is merely a single side effect of exercise. There are so many more benefits that come along with it. If you diet without exercise you will lose a lot of muscle, believe that.

    Everything is better when you are fit...

    I agree with you, everything is better when you are fit, and i'm not against exercise, I was just pointing out *in a very simple way* that 3,500 calories = 1 pound of fat and if you don't weigh your food, and know your BMR then you are fighting a losing battle if you eliminate exercise.
    i did leave out the variables of fluctuation, especially water weight which accounts for 0 calories, even though the water you carry obviously has a weight.
    My bad. I re-read your post. Was a result of ready fire aim...

  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    Use it (your body) or lose it.

    It certainly is possible to drop weight, attain a healthy weight / body composition even, and be "unhealthy".

    Our bodies were meant to be exercised. Use it or you will lose it, some day.
  • tasheabarnes
    tasheabarnes Posts: 4 Member
    I've been roughly following 1,200 calories a day and I was barely loosing a pound every couple of weeks so I've started to pay more attention to the nutrition and weighing my food out more. I'm also leaving the car at home and running as many errands by foot as I can. And little things like doing steps on the bottom stair for one song on the radio during the day. And keeping myself busy so I don't eat out of boredom. I plan to start working out soon but I want to get comfortable with what I'm doing and slowly add something else to my routine.
  • vickyaldersey
    vickyaldersey Posts: 39 Member
    I'm in a vicious cycle. I have arthritis in my knees and know I need to lose weight to help with the pain, but I'm in too Much pain to exercise.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
    JPIDGLEY wrote: »
    try going here if you want to update your start date and/or weight http://www.myfitnesspal.com/measurements/edit

    You are my HERO! I had been going crazy over this for weeks! <3
  • orangevalkyrie
    orangevalkyrie Posts: 8 Member
    edited July 2015
    Cut calories and reduce carbs to under 20 grams a day (ketosis) to jump start your metabolism. Eat lots of protein and healthy fats instead for about 3 months. Drink 4 cups of green tea and a gallon of water daily. Don't work out on this diet or you will be too sore and tired, your muscles need carbs to uptake protein. Again, only do this for 3 months and cycle back to a balanced diet. Your heart will thank you. Your momma and you need to realize you can't take your looks with you after death -there is more to life than this. These bodies are impermanent, our souls are not. Be healthy and also please enjoy life's precious gift.

    [Edited by MFP Staff]
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited July 2015
    Cut calories and reduce carbs to under 20 grams a day (ketosis) to jump start your metabolism.

    That doesn't "jump start" the metabolism, it slows it down.

    Take ephedra (OTC asthma meds) with caffeine...

    Oh FFS....

    This is the PSMF protocol, and typically around 700-900 calories/day. Do NOT attempt this unless you actually know what you're doing.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited July 2015
    Well, to lose 25lbs in 3 months would mean 9 lbs per month (rounding up to be sure to hit "at least 25") and/or it is about 12 weeks.. so that's a little over 2lbs per week.. Let us say 2lbs then is your goal, per week. You would need 1000 calories less than you would eat to maintain your weight, per day.... I don't see that as being healthy. If you exercise to burn off 500 calories per day it would be a lot more reasonable. :/ However, that can be a lot of exercise.. If you PM me your info @nikkidoodleee meaning height, weight, and an idea of how active you are (do you sit and eat all day or walk around outside, play sports regularly, swim often etc?) I can help you figure out a calorie goal for each day and let you know how much you would *most likely* lose. It would be an estimate because every person is different and some are just blessed to lose weight easier/quicker when they diet....but it would be somewhere to start.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited July 2015
    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.)

    THIS is a load of crap. No offense. It really is though. We exercise to burn calories and when we exercise regularly our metabolism is often boosted, which means we burn more calories even at rest...as well as more while exercising. More calories burned = more weight loss/less weight gain. Also, if you want to maintain muscle and lose fat, exercising is even more important.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Cut calories and reduce carbs to under 20 grams a day (ketosis) to jump start your metabolism.

    That doesn't "jump start" the metabolism, it slows it down.

    Take ephedra (OTC asthma meds) with caffeine...

    Oh FFS....

    This is the PSMF protocol, and typically around 700-900 calories/day. Do NOT attempt this unless you actually know what you're doing.

    What the second person said. NO.
  • Horrorfox
    Horrorfox Posts: 204 Member
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    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.)

    THIS is a load of crap. No offense. It really is though. We exercise to burn calories and when we exercise regularly our metabolism is often boosted, which means we burn more calories even at rest...as well as more while exercising. More calories burned = more weight loss/less weight gain. Also, if you want to maintain muscle and lose fat, exercising is even more important.

    I don't think her doctor said that. I think she misinterpreted him saying that your diet is what is most important to losing weight. Which is what's true. You can work out all you like, but if you're consuming 9000 calories a day, guess what, you're not going to lose weight.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 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.)

    The Mayo Clinic agrees, with a caveat:
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/exercise/art-20050999
    Diet or exercise: Does one matter more?

    Both are important. However, while diet has a stronger effect on weight loss than physical activity does, physical activity, including exercise, has a stronger effect in preventing weight regain after weight loss.
  • Horrorfox
    Horrorfox Posts: 204 Member
    edited July 2015
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    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.)

    The Mayo Clinic agrees, with a caveat:
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/exercise/art-20050999
    Diet or exercise: Does one matter more?

    Both are important. However, while diet has a stronger effect on weight loss than physical activity does, physical activity, including exercise, has a stronger effect in preventing weight regain after weight loss.

    @Editorgrrl That's not the clinic agreeing. She claims her doctor said that exercise does NOTHING for weight loss. Which does not mean that diet is the more important part of the method to losing weight, which is what the clinic is saying.
  • This content has been removed.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    Horrorfox wrote: »
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    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.)

    The Mayo Clinic agrees, with a caveat:
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/exercise/art-20050999
    Diet or exercise: Does one matter more?

    Both are important. However, while diet has a stronger effect on weight loss than physical activity does, physical activity, including exercise, has a stronger effect in preventing weight regain after weight loss.

    @Editorgrrl That's not the clinic agreeing. She claims her doctor said that exercise does NOTHING for weight loss. Which does not mean that diet is the more important part of the method to losing weight, which is what the clinic is saying.

    *tap tap* This...
  • astrocosmiczoom
    astrocosmiczoom Posts: 86 Member
    I did it, but I wasn't a huge fan of the way my goal weight body turned out.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Cut calories and reduce carbs to under 20 grams a day (ketosis) to jump start your metabolism. Eat lots of protein and healthy fats instead for about 3 months. Take ephedra (OTC asthma meds) with caffeine if you aren't on thyroid meds or have heart trouble. Drink 4 cups of green tea and a gallon of water daily. Don't work out on this diet or you will be too sore and tired, your muscles need carbs to uptake protein. Again, only do this for 3 months and cycle back to a balanced diet. Your heart will thank you. Your momma and you need to realize you can't take your looks with you after death -there is more to life than this. These bodies are impermanent, our souls are not. Be healthy and also please enjoy life's precious gift.

    No, no, nooooooo

  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Horrorfox wrote: »
    Verity1111 wrote: »
    [quote=
    I don't think her doctor said that. I think she misinterpreted him saying that your diet is what is most important to losing weight. Which is what's true. You can work out all you like, but if you're consuming 9000 calories a day, guess what, you're not going to lose weight.


    I just read today that competitors in Tour de France eat 9,000 calories a day!

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    I'm in a vicious cycle. I have arthritis in my knees and know I need to lose weight to help with the pain, but I'm in too Much pain to exercise.

    swim?
    pain management?