I quit the gym to lose weight
Mistraal1981
Posts: 453 Member
Little bit of back story; a few years ago I lost weight and gradually over time it has crept back on. It's worth noting that I have been going to gym 5 days a week every week during that whole time - lifting, no cardio.
I'm getting back on top of my diet again, but to do that I had to quit the gym. I just couldn't sustain the deficit and workout. It just made me too hungry.
Fear not, I will return to the gym once I hit my goal weight again!
The moral of the story....you definitely do not have to exercise to lose weight!
I'm getting back on top of my diet again, but to do that I had to quit the gym. I just couldn't sustain the deficit and workout. It just made me too hungry.
Fear not, I will return to the gym once I hit my goal weight again!
The moral of the story....you definitely do not have to exercise to lose weight!
36
Replies
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Unless your obese and can’t physically get there, I don’t understand this post. You have freedom to do what you want, but there’s more benefits to exercise than just losing weight. Also, muscle burns more calories than fat, you get epoc from weights and hitt cardio...etc. being in a deificit isn’t easy, otherwise everyone would be skinny. Yeah it sucks to feel lethargic, but you buckle down and push through those workouts. Have fun being in a deficit with no weight training, it’s a great way to not only lose fat, but muscle as well43
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Yes you don't have to exercise to lose weight, but you usually need exercise to look good and have a nice toned body. If you're losing weight for aesthetic reasons, then exercising will probably do more for you then deficit without exercise. Moreover, muscles weight more then fat, so at the same weight you can gave more or less fat depending on how much muscles you have. With a smaller deficit but continuing your exercises you probably would have better results, even if maybe a litlle slower.
But then, this is my opinion and you are obviously free to do what you feel is best for you. If this is what works for you, then you're lucky you found it out!11 -
I think, OP, that having an all or nothing mindset is a bit problematic.
A lot of people lift in a deficit.
Were you going balls to the wall heavy lifting and trying to aggressively cut? That's a recipe for disaster.
There's a middle ground where you can still lift on a decent progressive program and at least make strength gains while cutting.
A reasonable 3 day a week program that you enter into the MFP exercise data base and eat back some exercise calories for while dieting down towards goal? Totally doable.32 -
Mistraal1981 wrote: »Little bit of back story; a few years ago I lost weight and gradually over time it has crept back on. It's worth noting that I have been going to gym 5 days a week every week during that whole time - lifting, no cardio.
I'm getting back on top of my diet again, but to do that I had to quit the gym. I just couldn't sustain the deficit and workout. It just made me too hungry.
Fear not, I will return to the gym once I hit my goal weight again!
The moral of the story....you definitely do not have to exercise to lose weight!
This is a bad idea, and certainly not something I would promote. People lift in deficits all the time. Maybe you need to adjust the lifting you are doing but you shouldn't drop it. One of the most highly promoted things is to strength train while losing weight in order to retain muscle.18 -
How much of a deficit are you creating? Is your deficit too large?12
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I've heard a number of experts say exactly what you're saying.... during the weight loss phase exercise can be counterproductive because it makes you hungry and you end up eating way more than you burned off. If it is working for you that's fantastic! We all have to get to know our own bodies and what works for us.44
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Hey all, glad to read all your input and concerns for me losing my gains!
I completely understand that I will be losing muscle as well as fat right now, but I am only looking at dropping another 10lbs (so not a massive amount and shouldn't take too long) and I have very little wiggle room when it comes to calories as I'm only 5ft3.
Personally I just find I can adhere to my calorie allowance better and make more informed adjustments when I'm not exercising as it remains constant. As opposed to trying to factor in exercise calories which will differ every day depending on what I do.
My story is more to highlight to people that they don't have to exercise to lose weight.
My plan, once I shift these 10lbs is to work with a coach on a lifting programme specifically tailored to my personal physique goals while eating slightly over maintenance for those lean gainz21 -
you lose weight in the kitchen.
you better your fitness and HEALTH in the gym.
but do what you want.18 -
sollyn23l2 wrote: »I've heard a number of experts say exactly what you're saying.... during the weight loss phase exercise can be counterproductive because it makes you hungry and you end up eating way more than you burned off. If it is working for you that's fantastic! We all have to get to know our own bodies and what works for us.
Please post a links to "experts" telling you this.
Complete horse poo.28 -
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Mistraal1981 wrote: »Hey all, glad to read all your input and concerns for me losing my gains! I completely understand that I will be losing muscle as well as fat right now, but I am only looking at dropping another 10lbs (so not a massive amount and shouldn't take too long) and I have very little wiggle room when it comes to calories as I'm only 5ft3.
Personally I just find I can adhere to my calorie allowance better and make more informed adjustments when I'm not exercising as it remains constant. As opposed to trying to factor in exercise calories which will differ every day depending on what I do.
My story is more to highlight to people that they don't have to exercise to lose weight.
My plan, once I shift these 10lbs is to work with a coach on a lifting programme specifically tailored to my personal physique goals while eating slightly over maintenance for those lean gainz
Were you eating to fuel your workouts?
If NEAT doesn't work for you, then do a deficit from TDEE if you think your exercise is stable. Or was.
Or, hey. Lose your fitness. That's cool.8 -
Mistraal1981 wrote: »Hey all, glad to read all your input and concerns for me losing my gains! I completely understand that I will be losing muscle as well as fat right now, but I am only looking at dropping another 10lbs (so not a massive amount and shouldn't take too long) and I have very little wiggle room when it comes to calories as I'm only 5ft3.
Personally I just find I can adhere to my calorie allowance better and make more informed adjustments when I'm not exercising as it remains constant. As opposed to trying to factor in exercise calories which will differ every day depending on what I do.
My story is more to highlight to people that they don't have to exercise to lose weight.
My plan, once I shift these 10lbs is to work with a coach on a lifting programme specifically tailored to my personal physique goals while eating slightly over maintenance for those lean gainz
?????
That's no reason whatsoever to stop lifting.
If fluctuating calories because exercise one day and not the next is a problem, switch to the TDEE method since you have a consistent exercise routine.
As for having to lose only 10 pounds, there are plenty of us who are only working on losing a bit of vanity weight who still exercise.
You're being really foolish, and frankly, I'd highly advise you never to undertake any form of bulk/cut cycling with as little understanding as you're seeming to demonstrate of the process of weight management and caloric intake and training.18 -
Mistraal1981 wrote: »
The moral of the story....you definitely do not have to exercise to lose weight!
You're right that you only need a deficit to lose weight, but you're also putting aside all the health benefits that comes with lifting. When you're losing weight and not lifting, you're not only burning fat, but you're also saying goodbye to muscles. For optimal health, you need both especially as we get older.12 -
Mistraal1981 wrote: »
The moral of the story....you definitely do not have to exercise to lose weight!
You're right that you only need a deficit to lose weight, but you're also putting aside all the health benefits that comes with lifting. When you're losing weight and not lifting, you're not only burning fat, but you're also saying goodbye to muscles. For optimal health, you need both especially as we get older.
^Not only this. I just don't understand the mentality at play here.
This is someone who obviously understands the importance of exercise and weight training.
I don't know for sure, though, if this is someone who understand the significance of calorie management and that it's going to be an ongoing process.
There will always be a need to balance her lifting with her calories in order to achieve her goals, whether those goals are to lose or maintain weight.
That she seems to think that lifting is incompatible with managing her weight is a red flag for any future prospects regarding her wanting to bulk. I don't see her making any subsequent cuts and keeping gains and making this whole thing work in any coherent way.
In other words, she doesn't seem to understand how to calibrate her activity and her intake to mesh with each other, and until she does, she's just going to be spinning her wheels.11 -
Packerjohn wrote: »sollyn23l2 wrote: »I've heard a number of experts say exactly what you're saying.... during the weight loss phase exercise can be counterproductive because it makes you hungry and you end up eating way more than you burned off. If it is working for you that's fantastic! We all have to get to know our own bodies and what works for us.
Please post a links to "experts" telling you this.
Complete horse poo.
Lol I was thinking the same thing. I’m sure all physique competitors stop working out while they diet and that’s why they look so good!! Lol. Yeah exercising makes you hungry cause you’re burning more energy, but never have I heard an “expert” say “don’t exercise so you’re not as hungry!” Lol, you’re on a diet putting your. Body in a deficit no *kitten* you’re Gonna be hungry we all are....
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this is not smart
you do what you wanna do but when you lose more muscle and less fat and end up softer thn you want your going to regret it. Its one thing to not be ready for the gym, Or want a break. But to actively choose to stop because it makes you hungry is just ...silly. Have fun getting back into the gym routine, Its hard to do when you stop for a while, Especially when you stop and lose muscle. 7 -
Seriously, chill out people. Nobody's here saying exercise is bad for you, but there's a whole bbc documentary, I believe its called the truth about calories, where they talk about this. Most people will eat back more calories than they worked off in the gym. And why does that idea bother you so much you want to waste your time trolling in an Internet argument about it? Once again, everyone just needs to do what works for them and their body, not what works for YOU and YOUR body.43
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Mistraal1981 wrote: »Hey all, glad to read all your input and concerns for me losing my gains! I completely understand that I will be losing muscle as well as fat right now, but I am only looking at dropping another 10lbs (so not a massive amount and shouldn't take too long) and I have very little wiggle room when it comes to calories as I'm only 5ft3.
Personally I just find I can adhere to my calorie allowance better and make more informed adjustments when I'm not exercising as it remains constant. As opposed to trying to factor in exercise calories which will differ every day depending on what I do.
My story is more to highlight to people that they don't have to exercise to lose weight.
My plan, once I shift these 10lbs is to work with a coach on a lifting programme specifically tailored to my personal physique goals while eating slightly over maintenance for those lean gainz
There are many people incapable of exercise due to limitations and medical issues. So yes the good news is they can lose weight through a deficit alone. I am not sure why you would create such a thread as this to be honest. If you were one of those not able to exercise and found success losing weight without it in this regard and merely wanting to encourage others to not give up in the respect I could understand.
However just because exercise made you hungry and you quit the gym, this was merely a choice. The issues you have are purely adherence related and lack of balance.
For those lurking these threads I hope that they know strength training is one of the best types of exercising they can add to their weight loss. There are plenty of things that can done to achieve a comfortable deficit and lift weights and no one has to lift 5-6 days a week to get plenty of muscle sparing benefits for example from a 3 day strength training program. Minimizing muscle loss during weight loss is one of the best things that we can do and be healthier for it, not just look better.
I bring to question if bulk/cut cycles are the way for you go. If you cannot lift weights now being in a deficit, how will you cut later again after gaining weight through lean bulk? You need to learn to cut properly and still lift.
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sollyn23l2 wrote: »Nobody's here saying exercise is bad for you, but there's a whole bbc documentary, I believe its called the truth about calories, where they talk about this. Most people will eat back more calories than they worked off in the gym.
That’s because most people aren’t actually tracking their calories.
The simple truth is that exercise, and particularly strength training, is really good for your health; so to give that up while you’re dieting because you can’t be bothered to track exercise calories is just a bad idea.
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The piling on effect of the negative responses in this thread is an example of what can go wrong in the MFP forums specifically and the Net generally.
It is evidence of a lack of reading comprehension at best and raging insensitivity and hubris at worse.
The OP has said that she (I assume she) has been lifting daily at the gym but feels that she can best lose the weight she has gained by taking a hiatus from lifting to reach her goal weight before returning to lifting again.
So, why harrangue her about not lifting until she reaches her goal?
Her health, strength and fitness will not go into the toilet just because she does this and she has already said she will go back to lifting as soon as she reaches her goal weight.
There's no one right way to do things and it's presumptuous to suggest that you know better how to do what she desires to do, especially since she's already made clear that she understands the benefits of lifting.
The only thing that these such reponses will accomplish will be to make the OP reticent to post a thread or comment on MFP again and limit the participation on the forums to just the most aggressively vocal or thick skinned, which IMO is not necessarily for the better.
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OP, this is not a criticism of you, everyone needs to do what works best for them, but some points I'd like to add for lurkers:
1. Exercise "can" make you more hungry, but doesn't necessarily do that to everyone
2. Eating too much in response to exercise related hunger is not a problem if you're logging. The studies that suggest exercise hunger is a problem are generally tracking people who aren't logging their food
3. If exercise does make you really hungry, creative scheduling can help, like working out right before you would normally eat anyway, and making sure you're getting enough protein, fat, and fiber throughout the day.
All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit, and you can do that entirely through your food. But I would hate to have newbies think that exercise is a problem or something to be avoided if you're trying to lose weight.
We are very vocal here that depending on exercise for weight loss can be a bad idea, and that exercise isn't necessary. But this thread kind of made it sound like it's a good idea or tip to stop exercise while losing weight, and I think that's why it's getting the responses it is.21 -
We are very vocal here that depending on exercise for weight loss can be a bad idea, and that exercise isn't necessary. But this thread kind of made it sound like it's a good idea or tip to stop exercise while losing weight, and I think that's why it's getting the responses it is.
Reading is fundamental.
I didn't "hear" the OP assert that anyone "should" give up exercising in order to lose weight.
All she said that was she felt that it would be personally better for her to give up lifting temporarily so that she would be better able to focus on losing weight w/o feeling hungry.
Telling her that her hunger would not be a problem if she is she just eats her exercise cals back, logs her food intake better and/or schedules when/what to eat differently is not helpful, even though it is intended to be, because it denies the OP's experience (and what she knows about herself) and presumes whatever she is or has bern doing is wrong.
There is no proof of that.
So, I think that she should just do it the way the she thinks will work best for her and I wish her the best in this regard.
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We are very vocal here that depending on exercise for weight loss can be a bad idea, and that exercise isn't necessary. But this thread kind of made it sound like it's a good idea or tip to stop exercise while losing weight, and I think that's why it's getting the responses it is.
Reading is fundamental.
I didn't "hear" the OP assert that anyone "should" give up exercising in order to lose weight.
All she said that was she felt that it would be personally better for her to give up lifting temporarily so that she would be better able to focus on losing weight w/o feeling hungry.
Telling her that her hunger would not be a problem if she is she just eats her exercise cals back, logs her food intake better and/or schedules when/what to eat differently is not helpful, even though it is intended to be, because it denies the OP's experience (and what she knows about herself) and presumes whatever she is or has bern doing is wrong.
There is no proof of that.
So, I think that she should just do it the way the she thinks will work best for her and I wish her the best in this regard.
To be fair, there are responses from another poster that "experts" say exercise can be counterproductive for weight loss. My impression is coming from the whole thread, not just the OP. I agree the OP didn't say that and she should happily do whatever works best for her.2 -
sollyn23l2 wrote: »Seriously, chill out people. Nobody's here saying exercise is bad for you, but there's a whole bbc documentary, I believe its called the truth about calories, where they talk about this. Most people will eat back more calories than they worked off in the gym. And why does that idea bother you so much you want to waste your time trolling in an Internet argument about it? Once again, everyone just needs to do what works for them and their body, not what works for YOU and YOUR body.
I’m sure most of those people don’t track their cals...
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Tracked my calories while half marathon training. Logged my exercise. Ate back most of my exercise calories but not all of them. According to MFP, roughly 250 calorie per day deficit. Guys, I was *kitten* starving. Once or twice a week I would wind up on some crazy late night binge that totally wiped out my deficit and put me into a modest surplus for the week. I wound up gaining about 5 lbs over the months of the training plan, most of it in the last 6 weeks.
Now my half is over, my running volume is a bit lower, and I'm sustaining a deficit. Overeating is generally planned (i.e. birthday party) and just results in a smaller weekly deficit rather than a weekly surplus.
With aggressive and intense training it can be hard to maintain a deficit and stay sane no matter how well you track. That's all the OP is getting at I think.18 -
Tracked my calories while half marathon training. Logged my exercise. Ate back most of my exercise calories but not all of them. According to MFP, roughly 250 calorie per day deficit. Guys, I was *kitten* starving. Once or twice a week I would wind up on some crazy late night binge that totally wiped out my deficit and put me into a modest surplus for the week. I wound up gaining about 5 lbs over the months of the training plan, most of it in the last 6 weeks.
Now my half is over, my running volume is a bit lower, and I'm sustaining a deficit. Overeating is generally planned (i.e. birthday party) and just results in a smaller weekly deficit rather than a weekly surplus.
With aggressive and intense training it can be hard to maintain a deficit and stay sane no matter how well you track. That's all the OP is getting at I think.
Which is why there's a middle ground to be found.
The OP is experiencing pushback because weight lifting doesn't have to be pursued at such a level that it makes you so hungry that you can't lose weight.
Furthermore, the OP has expressed a desire to pursue lifting to the point of gaining muscle and then cutting again, and if she can't get a handle now on how to balance a certain level of lifting with a cut, she won't be able to do it while running bulk/cut cycles which is her stated goal.10 -
Op just out of curiosity, have you attempted taking a diet break, and lifting at maintenance? If so, how did it work for you?1
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The piling on effect of the negative responses in this thread is an example of what can go wrong in the MFP forums specifically and the Net generally.
It is evidence of a lack of reading comprehension at best and raging insensitivity and hubris at worse.
The OP has said that she (I assume she) has been lifting daily at the gym but feels that she can best lose the weight she has gained by taking a hiatus from lifting to reach her goal weight before returning to lifting again.
So, why harrangue her about not lifting until she reaches her goal?
Her health, strength and fitness will not go into the toilet just because she does this and she has already said she will go back to lifting as soon as she reaches her goal weight.
There's no one right way to do things and it's presumptuous to suggest that you know better how to do what she desires to do, especially since she's already made clear that she understands the benefits of lifting.
The only thing that these such reponses will accomplish will be to make the OP reticent to post a thread or comment on MFP again and limit the participation on the forums to just the most aggressively vocal or thick skinned, which IMO is not necessarily for the better.
Amen!!!!13 -
OP, you do what's best for you.11
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jefamer2017 wrote: »The piling on effect of the negative responses in this thread is an example of what can go wrong in the MFP forums specifically and the Net generally.
It is evidence of a lack of reading comprehension at best and raging insensitivity and hubris at worse.
The OP has said that she (I assume she) has been lifting daily at the gym but feels that she can best lose the weight she has gained by taking a hiatus from lifting to reach her goal weight before returning to lifting again.
So, why harrangue her about not lifting until she reaches her goal?
Her health, strength and fitness will not go into the toilet just because she does this and she has already said she will go back to lifting as soon as she reaches her goal weight.
There's no one right way to do things and it's presumptuous to suggest that you know better how to do what she desires to do, especially since she's already made clear that she understands the benefits of lifting.
The only thing that these such reponses will accomplish will be to make the OP reticent to post a thread or comment on MFP again and limit the participation on the forums to just the most aggressively vocal or thick skinned, which IMO is not necessarily for the better.
Amen!!!!
So take the OP's thread and substitute "going to do a juice detox" for "going to stop lifting" until I reach my goal. Does this change you perspective of trying to talk her out of it?
Science, physiology, and people with a TON more experience say that strength training is very important at this stage, and will leave her much farther ahead in the long run, especially when she has the goal of improving her physique when she reaches her goal. Why would anyone here encourage someone to follow a very sub optimal plan?24
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