Do you have to workout daily to lose weight?
violetpurdy
Posts: 39 Member
I'm a tad obsessive, so during my 6 month journey of weight loss so far, I've probably only missed two or three workouts. I do 40 minutes daily of cardio, burning about 300ish calories. Due to that, I eat 1500 calories.
I'm find it hard to workout every single day and I'd like to drop that to 6 times a week instead. My family also suggests I go to a therapist because of my obsession with weight loss and I have a funny feeling I'll be told to tone it down, so mind as well prepare.
What's tripping me up is how much I should eat and if it's possible to still lose weight. I'm 19, 109lbs, and 5'3 if this helps. I also have moderately active days excluding workouts. Just regular steps through the day are anywhere from 5000 to 7000 for me.
If I don't workout one day a week, should I lower my calories to 1200 since I won't have the 300 exercise ones? If I still eat 1500 even on a day I didn't workout, am I still getting a great enough deficit?
I'm just confused and stressed about this all, so some support is very much needed. Do you guys workout daily?
Thank you.
I'm find it hard to workout every single day and I'd like to drop that to 6 times a week instead. My family also suggests I go to a therapist because of my obsession with weight loss and I have a funny feeling I'll be told to tone it down, so mind as well prepare.
What's tripping me up is how much I should eat and if it's possible to still lose weight. I'm 19, 109lbs, and 5'3 if this helps. I also have moderately active days excluding workouts. Just regular steps through the day are anywhere from 5000 to 7000 for me.
If I don't workout one day a week, should I lower my calories to 1200 since I won't have the 300 exercise ones? If I still eat 1500 even on a day I didn't workout, am I still getting a great enough deficit?
I'm just confused and stressed about this all, so some support is very much needed. Do you guys workout daily?
Thank you.
0
Replies
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No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.21 -
janejellyroll wrote: »You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
This.
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Like person above. Some people lose all their weight without exercise at all. You need days to rest and muscle recovery
Just cut back a day to start with2 -
You're 19, 5'3, and weigh 109 pounds? That puts your BMI at 19.3, at the very low end of 'normal weight', almost to underweight. I'm really concerned that you would try to cut your calories down to 1200 to lose weight.
As to working out, you should be taking at least one or two rest days a week to let your body recover. If you don't, you're going to start breaking down, not building up. Please listen to the concerns of those close to you and take good care of your health and your body.8 -
janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
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You don't need to exercise at all to lose weight.
It appears you don't need to lose any more weight. I suggest replacing some of your cardio with weights.5 -
OP:
Your BMI is 19.3 This is the lower percentile of the healthy range.
I second @janejellyroll and @MissusMoon. Why are you trying to lose more weight ?4 -
violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
I think you need to see a doctor for an opinion on your body fat.11 -
violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
Do you do any resistance training? That's going to do way more to "fix" what you don't like than losing more weight. Lots of cardio and eating at a deficit are only going to target more of your muscle. You might continue to lose weight, but you probably aren't going to like what you see in the mirror any more than you do now.
I'm not sure what "armpit fat" is, but are you sure your expectations are realistic?7 -
ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »You're 19, 5'3, and weigh 109 pounds? That puts your BMI at 19.3, at the very low end of 'normal weight', almost to underweight. I'm really concerned that you would try to cut your calories down to 1200 to lose weight.
As to working out, you should be taking at least one or two rest days a week to let your body recover. If you don't, you're going to start breaking down, not building up. Please listen to the concerns of those close to you and take good care of your health and your body.
Thank you for the words of advice. I'm going to try and allow myself rest days and stay with 1500 calories a day.
This may be a stupid question, but do we burn pretty much the same amount of calories a day? Like, for example, if I'm active most days, will I still burn the same (or close) on a less active day?
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Buying a proper fitting bra gets rid of "armpit fat"16
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What's your goal weight? MFP wouldn't let me set a goal weight for your height under 104 pounds. To lose 0.5 pound per week, it gave me 1300 calories before exercise.
What's your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp
If you have anything bigger than a small frame, you're already at a good weight for you and your family is right to be concerned. You can certainly take a rest day and switch to maintenance calories.
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You dont seem to have much weight to lose0
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You can workout 3-4 days a week. As long as you enjoy it do it. If you don't enjoy your workouts I would suggest finding different exercises you like. If your not ding any resistance training like bands, weights, calisthenics, yoga, trx, or anything do it.1
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violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
You should start lifting instead of doing cardio only, you'll see better results. Start out with something like Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength, get your form down well, and then keep adding weight.
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violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
If you're concerned about armpit fat I would consider if your bra is correctly fitted or not- a small fitting bra can make armpit fat appear in people who don't actually have any. I say this because I know I was definitely wearing the wrong size at 19 as do a lot of women.
Re: the actual number I would definitely talk to your doctor. If you actually have weight you can stand to lose they'll tell you.5 -
janejellyroll wrote: »violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
Do you do any resistance training? That's going to do way more to "fix" what you don't like than losing more weight. Lots of cardio and eating at a deficit are only going to target more of your muscle. You might continue to lose weight, but you probably aren't going to like what you see in the mirror any more than you do now.
I'm not sure what "armpit fat" is, but are you sure your expectations are realistic?
I do a variety of push ups, if that counts. Ultimately, I want skinnier upper arms. However, I've read online before that simply lifting weights and push ups and such won't make smaller arms, just muscle under fat, which is why I'm hesitant to tone down the cardio.0 -
Where is your profile picture? I'm suspicious someone is trolling for some anorexia site.5
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violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
Do you do any resistance training? That's going to do way more to "fix" what you don't like than losing more weight. Lots of cardio and eating at a deficit are only going to target more of your muscle. You might continue to lose weight, but you probably aren't going to like what you see in the mirror any more than you do now.
I'm not sure what "armpit fat" is, but are you sure your expectations are realistic?
I do a variety of push ups, if that counts. Ultimately, I want skinnier upper arms. However, I've read online before that simply lifting weights and push ups and such won't make smaller arms, just muscle under fat, which is why I'm hesitant to tone down the cardio.
Do you have a trusted person in your life who can help you understand if your expectations are realistic? The potential problem with saying "I'm going to lose weight until I'm happy with my body" is that it doesn't consider if your goal is consistent with health. It's possible that your arms *are* thin, you just don't have the perspective to see that right now. This is nothing to be ashamed of -- it's really common and you wouldn't be alone in this.
Your current weight and height make it seem unlikely that losing weight is the solution to "fixing" what you see in the mirror.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »What's your goal weight? MFP wouldn't let me set a goal weight for your height under 104 pounds. To lose 0.5 pound per week, it gave me 1300 calories before exercise.
What's your frame size? http://www.myfooddiary.com/Resources/frame_size_calculator.asp
If you have anything bigger than a small frame, you're already at a good weight for you and your family is right to be concerned. You can certainly take a rest day and switch to maintenance calories.
It's saying I have a broad frame, which I'm assuming is bigger.
I don't really have a goal weight, I just want to look thinner in certain places, such as my arms.
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JessicaMcB wrote: »violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
If you're concerned about armpit fat I would consider if your bra is correctly fitted or not- a small fitting bra can make armpit fat appear in people who don't actually have any. I say this because I know I was definitely wearing the wrong size at 19 as do a lot of women.
Re: the actual number I would definitely talk to your doctor. If you actually have weight you can stand to lose they'll tell you.
I'm definitely going to look into finding a better fitting bra, as my current ones have always been a little too small. Thank you for this tip and also thank you to the others who stated it as well 0 -
Mavrick_RN wrote: »Where is your profile picture? I'm suspicious someone is trolling for some anorexia site.
I'm not trolling from an anorexia site. I never really thought to add a picture, but if I did, no one would think I looked anorexic.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
Do you do any resistance training? That's going to do way more to "fix" what you don't like than losing more weight. Lots of cardio and eating at a deficit are only going to target more of your muscle. You might continue to lose weight, but you probably aren't going to like what you see in the mirror any more than you do now.
I'm not sure what "armpit fat" is, but are you sure your expectations are realistic?
I do a variety of push ups, if that counts. Ultimately, I want skinnier upper arms. However, I've read online before that simply lifting weights and push ups and such won't make smaller arms, just muscle under fat, which is why I'm hesitant to tone down the cardio.
Do you have a trusted person in your life who can help you understand if your expectations are realistic? The potential problem with saying "I'm going to lose weight until I'm happy with my body" is that it doesn't consider if your goal is consistent with health. It's possible that your arms *are* thin, you just don't have the perspective to see that right now. This is nothing to be ashamed of -- it's really common and you wouldn't be alone in this.
Your current weight and height make it seem unlikely that losing weight is the solution to "fixing" what you see in the mirror.
That makes sense, I do worry at times that I'll never be happy with my body. I go to my mother about this and she doesn't think I need to lose more weight, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so still seeing fat on my body makes me feel as though I still have work to do. But that's a psychological issue I'm sure, not a weight one.
Thank you for the words of advice by the way. 1 -
I think you should definitely take your families concerns seriously, you could be seeing things that other people just aren't. Another suggestion would be to stop with the weight loss and instead focus on a body recomp program and eating at maintenance.1
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Your daily calorie burn will vary with your daily activities.
You have the minimum amount of calories your body burns (BMR, basal metabolic rate) to just live. This would be as if your body was in a coma, the breathing, the heart beat, and other bodily functions. Average for your age/weight/height (according to scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ ) is about 1320. There are very few reasons to eat below this number if you're a healthy individual at a healthy weight.
Every time you move, even just living your life or moving around the home, you burn a little more than you would at rest. So, you need to fuel that activity.
Don't dismiss weight lifting/strength training so quickly. You don't have to give up cardio if you like doing it. Please look around on the forums (especially in success stories) for people who lift and use a program that adds weight progressively (such as the previously mentioned Stronglifts or Starting Strength.) They inspire me so much. I love seeing before and after pictures of people who haven't lost a pound (or have even gained weight) and are completely transformed over a period of months to a year and beyond. In my opinion, strength is way sexier than skinny.
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You can lose weight quite successfully without exercise. However, I believe maintainers tend to do better if they exercise regularly.0
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anyone can have skinny armpits.
how bout a killer goal like winning a SUP competion?
working out, just to workout is boring.
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violetpurdy wrote: »I'm a tad obsessive, so during my 6 month journey of weight loss so far, I've probably only missed two or three workouts. I do 40 minutes daily of cardio, burning about 300ish calories. Due to that, I eat 1500 calories.
I'm find it hard to workout every single day and I'd like to drop that to 6 times a week instead. My family also suggests I go to a therapist because of my obsession with weight loss and I have a funny feeling I'll be told to tone it down, so mind as well prepare.
What's tripping me up is how much I should eat and if it's possible to still lose weight. I'm 19, 109lbs, and 5'3 if this helps. I also have moderately active days excluding workouts. Just regular steps through the day are anywhere from 5000 to 7000 for me.
If I don't workout one day a week, should I lower my calories to 1200 since I won't have the 300 exercise ones? If I still eat 1500 even on a day I didn't workout, am I still getting a great enough deficit?
I'm just confused and stressed about this all, so some support is very much needed. Do you guys workout daily?
Thank you.
Sounds like if you really are focused on being in the gym change that cardio to lifting. That may help you with the aesthetics you are looking for. be prepared tho...You may see an increase in weight but that may assist in the appearance that you are going for.
I do agree with the others too. You may really need to talk to someone if you are feeling obsessive.2 -
violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
Ah, then what you want is body recomposition. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat
Also see The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess which was available through my library system, so perhaps yours as well.
4 -
kshama2001 wrote: »violetpurdy wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »No, you don't.
In fact, you can lose weight without working out at all.
Even if you like working out, your body needs days to rest and recover.
You're approaching the bottom of a healthy weight range. Why are you eating at a deficit? What is your specific goal? It sounds like your family is worried about you and that is worth paying attention to.
I suppose at this point I'm looking more to fix things I don't like that I still see instead of aiming for a number on the scale. For example, I have armpit fat and I want to get rid of it, so I know I still have weight to lose. That's my goal at the moment.
Ah, then what you want is body recomposition. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat
Also see The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess which was available through my library system, so perhaps yours as well.
Was going to say just this. Recomp. And also getting some help with your self perception and over-exercising. You don't need to lose any more weight, the aesthetic you want won't be achieved by doing what you are, unless that aesthetic is skeletal, in which case you most definitely need professional help and pronto.2
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