can i skip the gym?

hnic76
hnic76 Posts: 22 Member
edited November 26 in Fitness and Exercise
i’m trying to lose weight and have been eating “healthy” and going to the gym. but for me i’m not the type of person who enjoys working out, at all. if i continue to eat good and weigh my food and stay under my calorie limit will it have an impact on my weightloss if i don’t go to the gym everyday? (i usually end up going 3 times a week) (this may sound silly to some people but i know nothing when it comes to dieting or working out hah)

Replies

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  • olyamhc
    olyamhc Posts: 60 Member
    ^ What she said. Also...you don't have to go to the gym to get some exercise in. You can do 15-30 minutes exercising to free YouTube videos or walk outside. Hiking, swimming are also good.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Weight loss is all about calories.

    Exercise is important for overall health. Try new non-gym things. Do you like dancing? Walking? Hula hoping? Active video games? Swimming? Kayaking?
  • LeeBo_Photo
    LeeBo_Photo Posts: 14 Member
    Going to the gym is a personal choice. While I enjoy my evening walks and bike rides in the neighborhood, I also like being able to "walk" and "bike ride" in a gym on rainy days.....and during the triple digit heat days.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Exercise is not necessary for weight loss.
    Eating less calories than your body burns = weight loss.
    How you arrive there is your personal choice.
    Exercise is beneficial to overall health.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    You don't have to workout to lose weight. It helps creste more of a deficit, so you can eat a little more during the day, but it's not neccessary.
    However, it isn't good for the rest of your body to be too sedentary either. Maintaining and improving muscle tone and flexibility will help keep you from losing muscle and looking and feeling healthier over time. But the gym is not necessarily for everyone. Find a couple things you personally enjoy (or at least tolerate well) that get you moving, and do them several times a week. Even if it is just taking walking laps around the building on your lunch breaks, or for half an hour before work, it will help a lot.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    if you dont like the gym dont go. You can lose weight sitting on the couch all day. But exercise is good for you and your body so try and find something you enjoy that requires you to be a little active, it can be as simple as a half hour gardening each night, or as complex as joining the local baseball team. Or anything that has you up and moving around.
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    Call a friend and go for a walk together. It's nice exercise, it's outdoors, you'll get in a nice visit with your pal, it's free, it's low impact, and the scenery isn't necessarily boring.
  • RaymondKnight
    RaymondKnight Posts: 42 Member
    I don't recommend skipping the gym. I find I am way more health conscious when I work out, because I realize the value of eating healthy and how much work I have to do to burn 100 calories. Try it for 90 days, every day. It will become a habit and you will not want to miss working out.
  • Leannep2201
    Leannep2201 Posts: 441 Member
    I used to go to the gym a few years ago, but don’t anymore, and I’ve lost weight just fine by just mainly watching my calories. I walk occasionally, and as I lose more, I find I’m more motivated to move more, too. I’ve heard a few other people say the same thing.
    I agree- exercise isn’t necessary for weight loss- creating a calorie deficit is- but exercise is good for health and general well being.

    I used to dance, and I’m looking forward to going back to that when I lose a bit more weight- I’m too self-conscious to dance now!

    Until then, my focus is on the calorie deficit, and on moving more often in general.
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    hnic76 wrote: »
    if i continue to eat good and weigh my food and stay under my calorie limit will it have an impact on my weightloss if i don’t go to the gym everyday?

    Nope, if you eat at a deficit, you will lose weight. Gym/exercise isn't required.

    However, IIRC research shows that most people who successfully maintain their weight loss long-term exercise regularly. It makes weight managemnt easier on yourself if you increase your calories out (whether that's through deliberate exercise that you don't despise ;) or more steps throughout the day or calisthenics while you wait for your food to cook, etc.).

  • 100_PROOF_
    100_PROOF_ Posts: 1,168 Member
    You lose weight by creating a calorie deficit.
    If you want to skip the gym, that's totally up to you. You'd still lose weight as long as your consistently creating a calorie deficit.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    sarahbums wrote: »
    You don't have to work out if you're already creating a deficit with just your eating. Exercise is recommended, but not required, for losing weight.

    Exercise is recommended for good health, both physical and mental. It's not needed for weight loss though.
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