Lose weight from exercising Alone

Tjs8819

If I don't change my diet and just add exercise a few days a week will I lose weight?

Lewisg51

It is too broad a question, if you are eating at maintenance and run 5 miles a day three times a week then yes you would lose some weight. But if you are over eating then the excercise won't make a difference.

Arucard5

I believe you should eat less and work out. Be on a strict calorie diet and you should lose weight. I eat what I like and have lost 6 pounds in 3 weeks

malibu927

Maybe, maybe not. If you're eating at maintenance before exercise, sure. If you're in a surplus, it's going to be tricky to impossible depending on how much over you eat and how much you burn.

EddieP50

You have to be in a calorie deficit, calories burned greater that calorie intake. To loose 1 pound per week you need to burn an additional 500 calories per day. So if you are consuming 2000 calories then you need to burn 2500.

nadler64

Unless you're a professional or elite amateur athlete, no, you won't lose weight just by exercising. You can't outrun your fork.

Lewisg51

nadler64 wrote: »

. You can't outrun your fork.

This really made me laugh

itsbasschick

it depends on how much you eat, how tall you are and some more variables. there are plenty of people on MFP who work out regularly but don't lose weight. on the other hand, i had a very thin friend who eats a LOT of calories, but he runs 5 miles up and down hills while carrying a 5-pound weight in each hand every single day.

concordancia

If you are currently maintaining weight, then a new and consistent exercise program would cause you to lose weight, if you were eating the same. The problem is that most people will eat more than they burn in their new exercise if they do not track what they eat.

Merkavar

Depends, how long is a piece of string?


Losing 1lb a week requires you to burn 500 calories more than you eat each day.

Which will be easier for you, cutting back on some food or running for 40-80 mins every day? Of every week? Of every month till you are at goal weight?

I suggest you do a combination, cut back on the food plus increase your exercise.

Nicklebee93

nadler64 wrote: »

Unless you're a professional or elite amateur athlete, no, you won't lose weight just by exercising. You can't outrun your fork.

I've been laughing at that for 5 minutes now. But they're right. Unless you eat at maintenance (where you dont gain nor lose weight) and then do intense exercise .. well even then you'd probably only lose .5-1 pound a week.

My favorite quote is "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym" and it could not be more true. You need to eat less in order to really lose weight. Sorry. Your eating is the problem and you could workout till you're blue in the face, but you wont lose unless you go into a calorie deficit.

Lounmoun

It is possible but harder to be consistantly work hard enough. Adding exercise a few days a week will probably not do it.
The easy way to lose weight is to reduce your calorie intake. You can eat the same food just smaller portions.
If you combine eating less and moving more you will most likely be happy with the results.

Christine_72

My opinion. . Eat less and move more.

Suzanne106

The question is so vague. Who knows what you eat and how much. I kept the same eating habits and exercised once, sometimes twice a day and never lost a pound until I changed my eating habits and learned portion control. Good Luck!

SusanUW83

Agree with above, in addition, if you increase exercise too much to fast without supervision, you might be subject to overtraining injuries. Then that sets your plan back much more than if you diet and exercise.

scolaris

Using just my personal experience, no. I spent my 40's overweight but 'fit fat.' Increasing exercise always seemed more attractive than decreasing food & drink, but the math never pencilled out to a sustainable deficit. Maybe there are some who've succeeded with this path but it never worked for me.

minniestar55

nadler64 wrote: »

You can't outrun your fork.

That's perfect!

I would have to agree; depends on what you eat, but you will only lose weight if you take in less calories than you expend.

jandsstevenson887

Yep, the answer is maybe. It is pretty likely though that increased activity will lead to increased hunger and you will eat back all the calories you are burning if you aren't watching what you eat.

Machka9

Tjs8819 wrote: »

If I don't change my diet and just add exercise a few days a week will I lose weight?

Possibly.

It depends.

yirara

Possibly, but it really depends. I tried it in the past. My weight was stable and I did spinning classes 3 times per week. I wasn't going as hard as others, and being very optimistic I might have burned about 350kcal per lesson. Thus that's a calorie deficit of around 1000kcal per week. Losing 2 pounds would have taken me 7 weeks. But then I was more hungry from the workout. Thus no, I didn't lose any weight.

LivingtheLeanDream

Exercise helps create a deficit...but weight loss happens first and foremost in the kitchen. Track your calories, keep a deficit and weight loss happens.
Some people think when they exercise that gives them carte blanche to eat more and they might end up fitter but not necessarily losing weight.