When did you begin exercising in relation to losing weight?

cocates

I understand that you do not need to exercise to lose weight, it's CICO. I'm trying to figure out when is a good time to begin exercising. I guess some of it may even be personal preference.

I'm just starting to lose weight (maybe 1.5 months ago). Initially, I started out doing some sort of exercise (albeit a very small amount - walking for various periods of time).

This week, I had to hit the 'reset' button because I was derailing my weight loss progress (making excuses, not logging/weighing food accurately, etc.). It led me to rethink exercising right now.

I guess I'm looking for some insight. When did *you* add exercise (at the start of losing weight, a couple of months in, when you hit a plateau, etc.) and knowing what you know now, would you have changed that?

usmcmp

I added exercise after a year of trying to lose weight. If I had known how much it was going to help me I would have done it from day one. I also would have done strength training from day one in the gym, instead of spending months doing cardio. The day I started lifting changed my life for the better.

cwolfman13

i started exercising right away. it wasn't much, just walking...i knew that given the health issues i was facing, getting some regular exercise was just as important to my health and well being as getting my diet right.

i started out just walking for an hour a few days per week...then i bumped it to six days per week. after a couple of months i started C25K to incorporate some running...then a bit later i started hitting the weight room. it was a slow and gradual build up, and i think that's where people tend to go wrong...they think they need to go balls out from 0 to 100 overnight and they get overwhelmed...when in reality, making dietary changes and incorporating exercise can be baby steps.

in my experience, baby steps tend to work best over the long haul. i'm more than 3 years now into this thing i call good livin'...those walking baby steps have translated into me riding about 80 miles per week on my bike, getting into Olympic weight lifting and hitting that weight room 2-3X per week...doing some hiking and swimming and a little running here and there and just being a more active person in general...but it all started with baby steps.

theawill519

I started working out and modifying my diet at the same time. My journey has always been about being healthy, not just being thin. I wanted to be able to run for my life if I ever needed to, and to run around on the play ground with my future children, and to take a shower without feeling winded (yeah, it was THAT bad, lol). I knew exercise was important for overall health, so I decided to do both from the start and it's really made things a lot easier. Exercise puts you in a better mood, you see results quicker, and it helps you stay on track- for example, if I go to the gym and work my tail off for an hour, I'm way less likely to "ruin it" by stuffing my face with an entire package of Oreos.

As you said, exercise is not necessary for weight loss, but I do find that it's very beneficial to weight loss.

seltzermint555

I started at the same time, but I am not a workout fiend at all. I walk a lot. I did that and lost my first 45 lb without counting calories. I then continued walking and lost another ~90 lb while counting calories, and added in bicycling and "serious" hiking along the way.

gdyment

Exercising an hour a week can HALVE your chance of getting dementia when you're older. That's a pretty scary thing to witness and there's few other fates worse. Cutting risks of heart disease, blood pressure, etc etc etc. All that, AND you get to eat a bit more in a day.

You also retain more muscle mass (running or weights doesn't matter) while losing fat lbs.

Also, while you can lose lbs and look better in clothes with just diet, you'll look better naked with exercise.

jemhh

I started exercising the month after I started losing weight. I focused on eating less the first month (didn't count calories until 4-5 months in) and then I added walking 3-4 times a week. The next month I started C25k and some bodyweight work. Eventually I moved on to running and lifting weights in a 50/50 mix. Now I lift and walk or run with a bit more emphasis on lifting.

I wouldn't change what I did at all. Easing into it worked really well for me.

ValerieMartini2Olives

Immediately. Even if it was just walking.

BigGuy47

too late

yusaku02

Day 1. I was about 50 pounds overweight and started with a daily 5k. I didn't discover MFP until I was working on the last 10 pounds.

aarar

I started running about 4 months after I joined MFP (I was about 40lbs down). I was feeling myself start to slip back into my old ways (I've never been able to get past the 4 month mark of any 'diet') so I needed to try something new.

smithie092015

I focused on everyday lifestyle changes for the first six months or so (walking for transportation when possible, cooking healthy meals at home, decreasing alcohol). I started running three times per week after that, and then slowly started experimenting with strength training (yoga, TRX, and free weights). This was just me flying by the seat of my pants, but it worked out fine.

SweetPeasMom55

Day one but I change up the routine every so often so as not to get bored.

niniundlapin

At the same time.
I started by cutting my calories and by walking/ using a second-hand home stepper. Lost 14 lbs in two months. Unfortunately, I also used to think exercising as a good excuse for me to eat recklessly. I didn't really enjoy the benefit of exercising afterwards (cuz I slipped back to binge eating) until I really know how to control what I eat & make working out as a routine habit a few years later.

yesimpson

The first two changes I made were swimming and not having pudding every day just because.

italysharon

At the same time.

I find it very difficult to stay within my calorie goal if I do not exercise.

Adc7225

I joined a gym at the same time I changed my eating habits, loss a few and then discovered MFP. I would suggest maybe just think about being active, as opposed to exercise if the idea is not where you are right now. I do cardio as my activity, walking and using the machines at the gym but I do bodyweight strength for other things like a strong core and tone legs. Just try various things, gradually until you find something you like.

pondee629

I was doing some form of exercise well before I was losing weight. Last year got my 5 K time to around 32 minutes, but wasn't losing much, if anything. It really wasn't until I started my calorie counting, and restriction, that I started losing. Sadly,it's true, you can't outrun a calorie surplus diet. Calories in are real important, probably more so than caloires out.

Once intake was placed under control, with the same amount of exercise, (maybe a little more as I've improved my performance) I've lost 24 pounds since July 4, 2015,down to 196. A 5'10" male 60 years old. ;-)

jessiruthica

Everything started on the same day: signed up for MFP, started counting calories, and started the C25K. I didn't know all the benefits of exercise at that point, but I knew it meant I could eat more and still lose (because I could maintain a deficit at a higher calorie count), and that worked for me. Now I exercise more for the fitness levels I can reach and to get to goals that I never thought were possible. I mostly do cardio because running (it turns out) is my thing, but I do strength training on my running-rest days.

concordancia

I returned to logging my calories when I was being very active and even doing a couple of intense workouts a week, but eating it all back at McDonald's and Wendy's.

akboy58

I started an exercise program about six months before starting my diet. I had been in and out of physical therapy for back problems, and after one series I met a trainer at the PT facility who specialized in taking people "of a certain age" from post-PT to a higher level of fitness. I was 255 lbs at the time. The sessions did me good, but I didn't lose a single ounce, and my trainer kept telling me how much more progress I could make if I took off some weight. Finally, after a diagnosis of sleep apnea (the day after, actually), I made a deal with my doctor that if I lost some weight we could take the CPAP machine off the table. I've never looked back. The training sessions have been incredibly rewarding, in that I am closer to being "fit" now than I have ever been in my life; and they have helped me keep (and increase) muscle mass as I lost fat. But for me, it was a months of calorie deficit that really did the job. After two years this November I am 80 lbs down, and holding pretty steady since July at 175 lbs. I continue to work with my trainer on a slow recomp, the goal being to get ever leaner and stronger within a range of 175-180 lbs.

stircrzy

I think it is always a good time to start a good exercise regimen. Whether it be walking, jogging, workout DVDs, or going to the gym I think it's an essential part of any good weight loss plan. If you develop good habits now, you'll be less likely to regain the weight later.

Need2Exerc1se

Immediately

TeaBea

Right away, but I had really small goals at first......like 60 total minutes a week. I used to log it in a spreadsheet. Then I gradually increased the number of minutes. It took awhile to make it a habit.

You don't have to start with long or arduous workouts. Start small & build. Nothing like injuries to set you back, and then back again.

Machka9

cocates wrote: »

When did *you* add exercise (at the start of losing weight, a couple of months in, when you hit a plateau, etc.) and knowing what you know now, would you have changed that?

I added exercise when I was first able to walk at, what, about 18 months old. I've always been active. About the only times I've been inactive is if I'm recovering from an illness or injury, and then I resume activity as soon as I can.

And I've been slender most of my life. My recent weight gain is just that ... a recent thing having to do with exercising less and eating more because my life has been in a state of upheaval for a few years, and I wasn't paying attention.

So, before I started here mid-Feb on a mission to lose that weight, I had already started ramping up my exercise. I spent Christmas and the first week or so of January cycling and walking more than I had in months. Then I was briefly sidelined with a pair of surgeries, but when I recovered, I was right back at it again ... and about the same time I signed on here.

One of the main reasons I signed on here and have made an effort to lose the weight is so that I can exercise more. One part of the upheaval I mentioned was moving to a very hilly city in another state. The heavier me had a great deal of difficulty cycling and walking up the hills. It was torture. Now, 24 kg lighter, those hills aren't nearly so bad. I'm still not impressed by hills, but they are definitely better than they were. And being able to ride hills means that I can participate in more of the events that interest me.

rankinsect

I started exercise the week after I started calorie counting. But then, weight loss was part of my goal, but my overall goal is fitness; the weight loss is a necessary piece, but not the only one.

I've found them to be mutually helpful, not just in terms of exercise burning calories - in terms of keeping me psychologically focused on fitness. In fact, the exercise so far has produced the more obvious results. Yes, I'm wearing several sizes smaller of clothes and I can tell I have lost a lot of weight, but when you're obese, I think it's harder for others to see the difference between different degrees of obesity. With the exercise, I can see big gains in both strength and cardiovascular fitness - which has had the biggest effect on the rest of my life so far.

FitOldMomma

I actually began a fitness program (lap swimming and water aerobics) five months before I joined MFP and started counting calories. Between Oct 2013 and March 2014 I ended up gaining 8 more pounds.
Once I realized how many calories I was actually consuming everyday, I realized I couldn't just rely on exercise.
Anyway, 18 months later I'm down 89 pounds and I've increased my exercise a LOT.

I've heard the adage 'you lose weight in the kitchen and gain fitness in the gym'. For me, it's a true combination of both.

tomatoey

First thing I did, didn't officially diet for a couple of months. However, I did kind of automatically start eating less, because of how it affected my appetite, and preferring food that felt like it could fuel my workouts and that felt truly satiating. The dieting (if you can call it that, it was such a minimal part of the deficit) consisted of doing phase 3 of South Beach, which was really easy to live with, eating less (but not no) fast food, then logging last. I lost consistently through all of that.

I liked the mood lift and feeling strong, and the two worked hand in hand to reinforce a commitment to health. (And bikinis.)

Would I have changed it, no, I much prefer it when I am able to exercise. Just dieting sucks, imo. I get hungrier and feel worse.

Actually, I would go back and modify my approach. I went from 0 to 60 and my body couldn't handle it. If I were to do it over, I'd stay away from impact activities like running or plyo, and I'd probably include Pilates along with strength training, and progress sloooooowly.

stealthq

After I hit my goal weight, and then went a couple of pounds below it. I'm not sure I would have been as successful losing weight if I'd gone after fitness while losing. Exercise makes me hungry, and I tend to be a bit obsessive. Can't think of a better recipe for disaster than getting too serious with calorie counting, obsessing over fitness improvements, AND wanting to eat everything that crosses my path.

FWIW, I was never overweight (almost but not quite), had no poor health or fitness indicators so there was no reason for me to jump in with both feet straight out of the gate.

hill8570

I've always been active, so I was exercising long before I started losing weight. Once I found out how easy it was to keep a food log these days is when I started to lose weight. Can't out-exercise a bad diet.

arditarose

I wanted to lose weight, so I started exercising more-not really understanding CICO at all. Once I understood that better, I started lifting and cut down on the cardio. Basically I tried running to lose weight, then learned about tracking/logging about 3 months later and gave up running because I hate it and started lifting because I love it.