Those who maintain without exercising...

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  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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    For me, exercise is the key to maintaining. You can't eat at a low calorie amount forever. burn out.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    edited April 2019
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    DonM46 wrote: »
    Sure you can.
    If you have to.
    A bad back (2 surgeries) & a 'dead' right leg prevents me from being active.
    Walking (even with a cane or a walker) 100 feet makes my back ache for 10-15 minutes.
    Zero exercise.
    So, I maintain by budgeting calories.
    Period.
    About 1870 per day.
    I've been at my goal weight, well +/- 3 pounds, since 2011.
    Right now, I'm ONE under goal.

    I think a no-exercise maintenance budget of 1870 calories would make things better for many sedentary maintainers. For me, no exercise means about ~1400-1500 calories for maintenance, with 1500 meaning I actually managed to take a few thousand steps. 1870 is still a bit too much for even a lightly active level of 10k steps.
  • KatyCSTinPNW
    KatyCSTinPNW Posts: 28 Member
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    I lost 30lbs since last May (5’4”- start 167, maintenance at about 137). I never added additional exercise, however my job is physical involving standing, moving, walking, and lifting things almost all day long (surgical technologist).

    I’ve been maintaining since about November. I stopped logging MFP in March. I still weigh daily and eat about what I was when logging all the time. I’ve been maintaining just fine.

    For my cals to lose weight I was eating about 1430 and maintenance says 1800ish. But just logged today out of curiosity and I ate well under that without trying. And I eat calorie dense foods.

    So am I the healthiest?, no. But I’m healthier now then a year ago and more aware of what I eat and how much. Maybe someday I’ll finally join a gym.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited May 2019
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    I've been maintaining for 6 years, I have a desk job but keep my NEAT up by being active outside of work and getting up from my desk often. I 'only' do 30 mins of legitimate exercise a day (biking/strength training/walking).
    I'm 5ft 2 /range 125-130lbs and maintain on 1900 cals approx. (only loosely count cals now so that's an estimate).
  • ladyzherra
    ladyzherra Posts: 438 Member
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    Exercise is important for health but in my personal experience, it isn't required for weight loss or maintaining weight. Diet is actually the most important aspect of the many facets of these. You may not have a body that you love (I have found that an atrophied body just feels and looks yuck to me when I stop moving for long periods of time) if you don't move it much, but the diet portion is really what matters most here. I don't do much movement -- I do yoga and meditation and walking primarily. But just moving my body in these ways feels good.

    Jenn
  • kathryn1391
    kathryn1391 Posts: 100 Member
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    I've pretty much maintained since the new year, and most definitely the last month without exercise. I was exercising up until a month ago really, but i cut back on calories to make up for it and its worked fine, but im on about 1200cals a day. I do general walking and stuff as part of my routine but thats all.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Exercise isn't necessary to lose, maintain, or gain.

    Hopefully all in all one should be developing good habits where counting calories is something not needed on the daily.

    I would highly recommend to do some form a resistance training for there is overwhelming evidence that it not only extends life but creates a better quality of life. When you get advanced age you'll thank yourself that you did. I also highly recommend some form of activity at the very least LIIT for the same reasons.

  • dogWalkerTX
    dogWalkerTX Posts: 49 Member
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    A friend of mine lost about 70 pounds when he was in high school. He's in his 40s now and he hasn't regained. He never exercises. Ever. He eats 2 meals a day. Snacks rarely. If he eats a heavy meal, he skips the next meal or makes it pretty light.

    It's weird. But that's what he does.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
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    Exercise, for me, is essential to maintenance, but life comes around sometimes and stops it, i.e., when you are having surgery or when something unforeseen happens and you aren't able to exercise for a while. For me, I have always loved any form of exercise, even at my top weight, and also avoid things like escalators or elevators when I can walk instead. Parking far away from wherever I'm going is a favorite trick, as well. But exercise is about more than weight ... it's about health, all kinds of health, and I think it's a part of building a healthy lifestyle.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
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    You’d have to workout for an hour every day to maintain at your original calorie intake and that’s if you don’t go over at all. You should try varying your calorie intake - look at your week instead of a day, so one day you might eat 1500 calories and The weekends eat more, etc. I dont know anyone who is at maintenance without exercise.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    I have maitained for over 5 years doing little excercise. I walk, on average, about 20 minutes per day and I do have a job where I am lightly moving.

    The calorie restriction is not onerous - I maintain on net of 1710 with a few extra calories for the little bit of exercise I do.
    Fairly easy to keep to average of slightly above 1710 per day.

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