Do I have to exercise?

Sweetredpoison

When I first began MFP I didn't exercise for months and was only watching what I ate. After losing 30 pounds though my body had adjusted to eating at a calorie deficit and I needed to incorporate exercise to continue seeing results. It's more difficult to exercise when you're heavier anyway, in my opinion. But once the weight starts coming off you're going to be physically lighter and more energetic naturally, and you're going to WANT to start exercising to get quicker results. Just go slow and don't jump into anything, in my experience people who do this crash and burn really quickly, get frustrated and give up. Incorporate the changes little by little and they become a part of your new lifestyle rather than a "diet" or temporary phase just to lose weight.

I have a friend that is really motivating but she's always pushing me to do something intense, meanwhile I'm not even used to walking! I guess I have to find my own pace. Thanks for your help.

TeaBea

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to MFP. I'm really out of shape, and frankly lazy. I have one of those 9 to 5pm desk jobs. I really don't like exercise but I know I have to incorporate it in my daily life. I am not a morning person, and the thought of having to wake up extra early to exercise is looking impossible. Do you think it would be okay just to watch what I eat first and then start exercising? What did you all do?

You don't have to exercise (but you know that you should). It's fine to get a start on your eating (and logging) habits first. But you will want to incorporate exercise at some point for a number of reasons.

Dieting without resistance training will lead to muscle loss. Your body will hang on to muscle when it knows that you are actively using it. Your goal should be decreasing your body fat % ..... muscle loss goes against this.

Maintenance. Think of lifestyle change here. After the weight comes off you will require fewer calories .... forever (you will be a smaller person). If you add some exercise and make it a lifestyle change, you will have some extra breathing room when manitenance rolls around.

Mood. If you find something that you like to do, exercise can elevate your mood, relieve stress, help you sleep better. I exercise after work..... directly after work.

A couple of suggestions..... I had a Netflix (by mail) subscription. This allowed me to get a new workout every week. I figured out what I liked to do. Also, for DVDs collagevideo.com is an excellent resource..... they give video clips, reviews, list impact level, fitness level, equipment required ...... this makes buying the wrong DVD less likely.

yowla

I have a desk job and 3 teenage kids, 3 dogs a cat and a huband. PURE zoo at my house. I can't exercise everyday and it get hard to watch what I eat at times, but I have been making it a point to try to get up earlier and earlier everyday. Some days I can get up to get a 3-4 mile run in some days I get up just to have enough time for myself. But I am trying to change my body to get use to going to bed on my family time and getting up on what I need to Time. I did ask my daughter the other day if she would like to take a 1/2 hr slow bike ride with me and she said yes. It was great bonding time with just her and I burned over 300 calories. Sometimes it is just the little things that matter. But I do know that when I exercise I feel much better and when I don't I feel like I am in a bad mood and cranky. Plus the scale doesn't move as fast as I want it to for me either.
I really think you need to do both and you can. Even if you try for 10 mins a day and start adding another 1-5 mins a week. You will get there.

skinnymalinkyscot

Hi there, I do think you can lose weight without exercise. Back when I was 41 I lost 5 stone ( 70lbs) and did no exercise whatsoever and I had no saggy skin, no fat, no wobbly bits and once i had lost about half of it I had more energy and wanted to get moving more. I loathe exercise even now, but just like before Ive so far lost 15lbs in the last 5 weeks at age 54 and already im enjoying walking for long distances. You are wayyyyyy younger than me and I would put money on you having tons more energy when the weight starts to come off, so much so that you will WANT to get out there and strut your stuff and do fun things. You dont have to do worthy things like the gym zzzzzzzzz you could do something fun like trampolining or skateboarding, rollerskating, ice skating, bowling, There a lots of sporty things you can do as a group with your friends like beach volleyball or even throwing a frisbee around the park, going to a country park and climbing hills , walking as far as you can along the beach, taking an impromptu swim in a lake. If it is winter and you dont have a lot of money you can put on some 1970s disco music on youtube and boogie along to a few tracks. there are plenty of owl activities, im definitely not a lark, i dont function well until gone midday and can happily stay up till 3am most nights. Do you have a golf course nearby? you could play a round of 18 holes even as a beginner and walk round the whole course. You can stay healthy without "exercising" eg the gym, swimming, lifting weights, running.(...hell, I couldnt even run for a bus when I was 20 never mind 54), as long as you keep active, to keep fit and healthy doctors recommend 45 mintues 2 or 3 times a week and that can be broken down into smaller amounts, thats al you need to do, if you walk to town on a saturday to meet friends to go shopping and have lunch and walk back that counts too. I want to be fit and active and dont care if I dont have abs or a washboard stomach

ctalimenti

I was told my a weight loss doc not to exercise more now than I intend to the rest of my life.

I made it easy on myself and tackled one thing at a time; reducing my intake. I lost weight that way indeed. I will now add exercise.....soon.

Deeptisingh

Even if you do not exercise initially, but please get used to exercising as desk jobs will give you much endorphins as you grow older. You are young and it only takes 6 weeks to get to like serious exercising. join a walking, running, or hiking, biking group...they are all fun and motivating.

ninerbuff

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to MFP. I'm really out of shape, and frankly lazy. I have one of those 9 to 5pm desk jobs. I really don't like exercise but I know I have to incorporate it in my daily life. I am not a morning person, and the thought of having to wake up extra early to exercise is looking impossible. Do you think it would be okay just to watch what I eat first and then start exercising? What did you all do?

Trust when I say, that if you don't want to exercise now, then you aren't going to do it once you lose some weight without it. Exercise if for fitness, health and enhancing one's body. One can definitely lose weight without having to exercise. And I think that's the answer you're looking for.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SHHitsKaty

I tried the whole just dieting thing, you'll lose weight, if you do it right and stay strict on yourself about it but you'll feel worlds better and look better when you start exercising.

TeaBea

When I first began MFP I didn't exercise for months and was only watching what I ate. After losing 30 pounds though my body had adjusted to eating at a calorie deficit and I needed to incorporate exercise to continue seeing results. It's more difficult to exercise when you're heavier anyway, in my opinion. But once the weight starts coming off you're going to be physically lighter and more energetic naturally, and you're going to WANT to start exercising to get quicker results. Just go slow and don't jump into anything, in my experience people who do this crash and burn really quickly, get frustrated and give up. Incorporate the changes little by little and they become a part of your new lifestyle rather than a "diet" or temporary phase just to lose weight.

I have a friend that is really motivating but she's always pushing me to do something intense, meanwhile I'm not even used to walking! I guess I have to find my own pace. Thanks for your help.

Definitely go at YOUR own pace. Doing something really intense (when you're not ready) might lead to injury...... one step forward & two steps back.... not good.

Re: walking. That's what I do (part of it anyway). A great place to start is with some "indoor walking" .... this can be done at your own pace. Just build up speed and miles as your fitness improves.

Here's a youtube video (not advanced as title says) ...... there are lots of DVDs, I bet even your library has them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjduJjO1pLg&feature=related

thrld

I started by watching what I eat (logged everything in on MFP). Then I began to take 20min walks at work before or after lunch.

After that I added in the 30 Day Shred tape in the morning (4 days a week) - including warm up/cool down, the whole workout takes 24 minutes.

Working out definately helps lose the weight faster -- it allows you at add in more calories for the day, so you can eat the ice cream/cookies/chips and still lose. It also helps boost your metabolism and helps reduce fat, not muscle. And finally, working out gives you better posture, better skin and confidence -- which can make you look like you've lost weight - even if you haven't.

simsburyjet

I know a lot of skinny/fat people.. They are thin but stomach is flabby, arms flabby cause they do not exercise.
Exercise is for the mind and body we were meant to move not sit.

airant

No. You don't have to shower, brush your teeth, or wash your underwear either.

Good answer!!

TheBitSlinger

Saw an article yesterday featuring Bob Harper (Biggest Loser trainer). He believes diet trumps everything. I'd post the link, but it's a Fox News article and would therefore cause liberals seeing it to start spitting blood.

The article went on to quote Dr. Mark Kelly, an exercise physiologist at the American Council on Exercise. He believes that once you lose weight, exercise is critical to keeping it off.

Bottom line... eat less, move more, repeat.

Sweetredpoison

You don't have to in order to lose weight as long as you lower your caloric intake.

I started by doing both...exercise and caloric deficit.

I too HATED exercising and have a full-time desk job but I made myself do it, no excuses. It's amazing what changes in 6 months. Now, I look foward to my workouts...I love them. I find they are such a huge stress reliever and I have so much more energy now than I used to have. Also, you will look A LOT better.

I started with pure cardio and that helped the weight drop but I was still flabby. Now that I have added weight lifting to my routine my body is starting to firm up a lot and the inches are coming off a lot quicker. I look so much better now and I have a confidence now that I haven't had in a long time.

Exercise is a bonus for your health, I would recommend it. Just start off slow, start with a walk and build from there.

Great advice!! Thank you!

raverhayley

eat healthily and I recommend buying ' Jillian Michaels 30 day shred' a intense 20min work out. your meant to do it every day but im going to do it week days only

Vicki8524

So much snark in this post. So I think she is looking for some advice from people on both sides. I have lost 50lbs by mostly changing my diet/calories. I have gone down 5 pants sizes. I do walk 30 minutes 5 days a week, but nothing strenuous and I barely burn calories doing that. So it can be done. However, I am not fit at all and really flabby. I am trying to motivate myself to start getting serious about exercise. I am just too lazy.

shushy70

exercise definitly helps , it will also in time give you more energy , better mental and physical health , I say it goes hand in hand .
You do not have to go balls to the wall at first , start out with some 30 minute exercise DVD's or walking , you will feel your energy go up and your head clear and be more confident , then you will want to increase .

truelove7

As someone who is pretty obese, I dreaded "exercise." A friend of mine introduced me to FitBit, which tracks my steps, calories burned, flights of stairs taken and total miles walked in a day. My step goal is 10,000 a day. It's a no-brainer...I just clip it to my bra in the morning and go. I check it periodically and if I need to get more "steps," I go for a little stroll outside or just walk up and down the stairs in my house. It is nothing dreadful at all.

I also bought a heart rate monitor so I can calculate my calorie burn on things like yard work, that I do anyway that wouldn't necessarily be classified as exercising.

I'm not saying you have to go out and buy a fitbit or a HRM. But by using these tools, I do what I can in the shape I'm in now...and it doesn't take killing myself or being miserable. Just get out and move more. It's that simple.

Good luck and feel free to add me if you'd like.

dandelyon

I ate at a deficit for 3 months before adding in exercise. If you don't want to exercise, don't let that be the reason you don't try to lose weight.

Also, exercise doesn't have to be a big, obsessive thing. Working up a little dainty sweat from a short walk is still better for you than staying at home

If you eat back the exercise calories, then it actually balances out in terms of laziness. A little bit of exercise = a little more food. How can you go wrong?

amsipub

When I first started to lose weight, I focused on just changing my eating habits. I can't do everything at once to change as it will discourage me from continuing. I have to get used to one aspect before incorporating another one. As for not liking to exercise you just need to find something you like to do.

Personally, I don't run and there are plenty of exercises I'd rather not do. But I love to dance and I found zumba that makes it fun and I look forward to doing it. I do it at home with my xBox Kinect. I dim the lights and it's like I'm partying rather than working out. I sweat buckets, but it's so worth it. I also like to put on my headphones and just take a walk for 30 min.

Music is a great way to get through things that you may not want to do (household chores is another instance that it helps with).

I follow what my t-shirt says, "Make Moves Not Excuses"

Danger2OneSelf

I think before you are prepared to make some major changes in your body, you must first get your head straight and find the ambition to pull through with it. I'm sorry bout the way your described your desire to get there just sounds like your setting your self up for failure. Just changing your diet for a little while may help you loose weight but in the long run you'll probably just gain it all back, because most people probably wont continue sticking to their new strict diet for life, which IMO is why so many women out there chasing fad diets and quick fixes never fix anything long enough to get a better quality of life out it.

I used to hate morning's and exercise as well, but I knew I hated it because I never did any, but that' wasn't an excuse because everyone starts somewhere and it's always hard at first but your body will adapt and that's when you see the real changes most people are looking for. Sometimes you just gotta put your emotions aside and focus on your goal above all else.

Good luck

Sweetredpoison

A couple of suggestions..... I had a Netflix (by mail) subscription. This allowed me to get a new workout every week. I figured out what I liked to do. Also, for DVDs collagevideo.com is an excellent resource..... they give video clips, reviews, list impact level, fitness level, equipment required ...... this makes buying the wrong DVD less likely.

Great Idea! I've tried Zumba. I'm horrible at it and i don't enjoy it. I did enjoy a spinning class I took but I was too out of shape to keep up.

husseycd

Of course not! But for me, to lose weight without exercise I'd have to eat about 1400-1500 calories/day. With exercise it's more like 1800-1900. I like food and I like muscles, so I exercise.

But you certainly don't have to.

BerryH

If you really don't like exercise, you just haven't found exercise you love yet. Exercise doesn't have to mean running until you're purple in the face, hefting massive weights or doing Insanity at 5am every day.

What do you do at lunchtime? Could you go for a power walk somewhere pretty (find a phone app and try to keep 4mph up - it's quite a challenge!), or a swim in a public pool? How about the next time you have a night out with friends go to a salsa class rather than a bar? Perhaps get a resistance band you can pop in your handbag and use during breaks at work. Or do some body-weight exercises like sit-ups, squats, press-ups and triceps dips during ad breaks while you watch your favourite TV show.

Not all exercise has to be an hour long and make you sweat ball bearings. Though in time you might find something that inspires you enough to do that!

TheBitSlinger

Great Idea! I've tried Zumba. I'm horrible at it and i don't enjoy it. I did enjoy a spinning class I took but I was too out of shape to keep up.

I've found that setting goals and then beating them is helpful for me. I started out being able to do barely 10 minutes on the elliptical, but now I can do 60 minutes. I recently set a goal to ellipt (is that a word :laugh:) 5 miles in under 60 minutes, which I've now done four times in a row. To switch things up, I mix in 30 minutes workouts and can now do 3 miles in 30 minutes.

chrisa8170

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to MFP. I'm really out of shape, and frankly lazy. I have one of those 9 to 5pm desk jobs. I really don't like exercise but I know I have to incorporate it in my daily life. I am not a morning person, and the thought of having to wake up extra early to exercise is looking impossible. Do you think it would be okay just to watch what I eat first and then start exercising? What did you all do?

My entire loss has been without exercise (with the exception of walking a bit faster) I split my journey in to three sections, put my first goal in to MFP and stuck to the calories, when I acheived the first milestone I readjusted the goal and off i went again. By brealing it up it was always mentally a short journey rather than the full 100+ in needed to shift. I have maintained for a couple of months whilst things have been hectic at home and now I feel ready for the final push so I have changed my ticker from 101Lbs lost to 11 to go.

You can do, just record everything, and stick to the daily targets. Good Luck in your journey

quiltlovinlisa

No, of course you don't "have" to exercise.

I'll tell you what though, you'll feel better exercising. You can eat more when you exercise. You're shape will be better with exercise. But you certainly don't have to exercise. Sometimes when making changes, you have to focus on just one thing at a time, and that's okay too. So if food is your struggle, focus on food. But I wouldn't completely discount exercise, maybe put it on hold for a few days while you get rolling.

amb0919

I'm not a huge fan of exercising either, but I've made it a point to do a little more walking, get out to the garden and, and even cleaning around the apartment & garage so that I can burn extra calories to help out as well as eat a little more during the day. Eventually I'll need to head to the gym so that I can tone as I lose, but right now I'm focusing on my food intake so that it really can become a long-term habit vs. just something to get some weight off and then not stick with it.

toutmonpossible

Yes, most of weight loss is owing to calorie reduction. If you feel overwhelmed by adding exercise, try to create a good calorie deficit and take a brisk walk several times a week for now.

AliciaStinger

WHAT I DID: I lost about 15 pounds by accident before I joined MFP. I wasn't consciously watching what I ate. After that, I wanted to keep it going. I joined MFP and lost a total of 35 pounds just through watching my diet. Then I stalled/plateaued. Now just watching what I eat doesn't work; if I want to see any more results, it seems like exercise is necessary - which is good, because I want to tone up and actually be in better shape (I'd be happy right now if I could run for a solid half mile - but it's not going to happen right now with my allergies).

WHAT YOU "SHOULD" DO: whatever works for you! I would say that watching what you eat is a great way to start. It is totally possible to lose weight without exercising. If you can reach your goal that way, and you have no desire to exercise or do something physical (such as run a marathon or work in fire fighting or law enforcement), go for it. Good luck!