Is losing weight without exercise feasible?

JuliBiGoolee

I recently had my gallbladder out and I'm on a 3 week no strain no lifting anything heavier than 8-10lbs limit. I just got back on MFP being that I'm at my heaviest and the gallbladder was a wake up call I needed. I plan to get back to exercise eventually, I do go for walks, usually with my 2 year old daughter, but that's it. Can I still realistically lose weight without exercise?

seska422

I lost the majority of my excess weight, over 100 pounds, without exercise.

Purplebunnysarah

I didn't start exercising regularly until 11 months ago. Lost almost 70 lbs in the 18 months prior.

zyxst

You just need a calorie deficit for weight loss.

bobshuckleberry

Yes 90% of losing weight is what you eat. You cannot out exercise a bad diet.

tbright1965

JuliBiGoolee wrote: »

I recently had my gallbladder out and I'm on a 3 week no strain no lifting anything heavier than 8-10lbs limit. I just got back on MFP being that I'm at my heaviest and the gallbladder was a wake up call I needed. I plan to get back to exercise eventually, I do go for walks, usually with my 2 year old daughter, but that's it. Can I still realistically lose weight without exercise?

Yes, it's about 80:20. Eighty percent what you eat and eventually you'll pick up your exercise to get that last 20% or so.

JorrunFulhelm

Yes, you certainly can lose weight without the exercise component. It all comes down to basic math, CICO or calories in, calories out. Does exercise help you burn more calories in a day, sure....but it isn't the only way. Make sure your settings are reflecting your activity level.

try2again

You absolutely can. You will need to be extra careful & accurate with your logging. However, depending on how recent your surgery was, a calorie deficit isn't wise until you are done healing.

JuliBiGoolee

try2again wrote: »

You absolutely can. You will need to be extra careful & accurate with your logging. However, depending on how recent your surgery was, a calorie deficit isn't wise until you are done healing.

My doctor didn't really give me any specific directions other than the first 2 days after surgery (the usual jello, soup, juice, applesauce, crackers, etc). But since life after gallbladder makes digesting fats difficult, I've just been eating low fat (healthy fats when I do eat them), high fiber, lean protein diet. I've been feeling good, no digestive issues yet.

cwolfman13

Yes, it's just harder because you have to eat less than you otherwise could if you exercised more.

Carry_That_Weight

You don't need to exercise, of course, but if I sit around all day I find it really hard to stick to my calorie goal. Food generally makes you happy. Less food = less happy (at least in the short term). Exercise also makes you happy. So it compensates a little.

But by no means does "exercise" mean you have to go lifting a bunch of heavy things or taking up marathon training. Walking is a great exercise! Or having a dance party with your daughter. General household chores, grocery shopping, taking the stairs. Just look at all the small ways you can move around more every day and start incorporating them - those changes really add up. For instance, I walk to and from work each day, and this has just become part of my daily routine rather than considering it intentional "exercise." But it adds up to 5-600 cals burned every day! Far more than I'd burn through my morning hour of strength training. In fact, very prolonged or intense exercise, like a lot of running, can really sabotage your weight loss efforts by making you ravenously hungry. Just moving around more throughout the day isn't going to send your appetite into overdrive.

So, you can absolutely lose weight without exercise. Have good, consistent, honest logging and you'll get there.

try2again

JuliBiGoolee wrote: »

try2again wrote: »

You absolutely can. You will need to be extra careful & accurate with your logging. However, depending on how recent your surgery was, a calorie deficit isn't wise until you are done healing.

My doctor didn't really give me any specific directions other than the first 2 days after surgery (the usual jello, soup, juice, applesauce, crackers, etc). But since life after gallbladder makes digesting fats difficult, I've just been eating low fat (healthy fats when I do eat them), high fiber, lean protein diet. I've been feeling good, no digestive issues yet.

I wasn't referring to the make-up of your diet, but rather that your body needs energy (calories) to heal, and so it may not be a good time to deliberately *cut* calories.