Anyone lost weight with diet alone??

Sandytoes71

Hi I am curious to know if there are those of you who have lost weight thru diet alone? (No exercise) If so, what are your stats and daily calorie goal, if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks!

Sherbog

This should be interesting....I walked my weight off.

Nimhel

I kind of having been doing that. I started at 217, and I'm now 179. I started at around 1350 cal a day and have slowly gone down to 1200 cal a day. I'm 5'8.

obaker

I lost about 13kg with diet alone. I started at 82kg and I'm 163cm. I was completely sedentary and I used the calorie goal recommended by MFP the whole time. I think I started at 1700cal and gradually went down to 1200cal.

I hit a plateau after that first 13kg. I decided I needed to change things up and began to include exercise. At first it was just walking (I was so unfit), but now I try to get a decent workout at least 3 times a week. I feel really good afterwards and it means I get to eat more of the foods I enjoy with less guilt.

starvinkevin

I actually lose weight faster when I dont exercise and focus entirely on diet - BUT as soon as I get off the diet it piles back on. Exercise mediates that a bit as long as you keep at it.

Samuraiko

So far, I've lost a little over 12 lbs in about 4 weeks just from diet. And I consider myself very sedentary - I work a desk job, I'm not big on walking, and except for today, I haven't done anything in the way of a workout (unless you count me stretching at work because sitting at a desk does get tedious).

And my diary's open.

starvinkevin

My record with diet alone was about 12 lbs in a week and a half - when I added walking the next time around I lost 14. This wasn't starving either it was just eating almost entirely protein lol so half of it was water but I did lose about 3% fat each time. My experience is extreme but it really shows how messing with your diet can have dramatic effects on weight loss. Did I keep it off? Yeah for about a year the first time and 6 months the 2nd time with compulsive calorie tracking - but as soon as I started eating regularly I regained all of it. However, when I lost 25 lbs with running + diet I kept it off for about 4 years which shows you the power of exercise in maintaining losses.

So far, I've lost a little over 12 lbs in about 4 weeks just from diet. And I consider myself very sedentary - I work a desk job, I'm not big on walking, and except for today, I haven't done anything in the way of a workout (unless you count me stretching at work because sitting at a desk does get tedious).

And my diary's open.

thatbelinda

I'm about 167cm and 26 years old. I started at 72kgs and lost my first 7kgs from diet alone. I was 65kgs when I decided to join a gym, which is how I've lost the other ~5kgs.

ETA: At first my calorie goal was 1450, then 1350, then 1280, then 1200. I recalculated every few kgs.

ktsmom430

I am 62 years old. I lost over 90# before I started doing any exercising in October 2012. I followed a 1200 calorie program.
I began walking about 20 minutes per day. Started using the gym at work in November of 2012 M-F and walk on weekends.
You can lose with diet alone. My experience has been that I feel better now that I am exercising along with controling calories.

WaterBunnie

Diet alone doesn't give me enough to eat to be able to stick to it. I've seen body changes I wouldn't have achieved through diet alone too.

Alwayssohungry

Yes - I walk about 10,000 steps a day and eat 1310 calories. I build muscle very easily when I workout so it is actually quite discouraging when I work out because I usually gain weight.

That being said - once I reach my goal weight I will start to lightly tone things up a bit - nothing major, but something I know I will be able to commit to and stick with.

sunfirelynn

I don't get very much exercise, because of the lyme, I have lost 40 pounds since the end of April 2013, I lost 5 pounds before I joined MFP... I joined MFP in May of 2013 and really love it . I no the weight would come off quicker if I did more then diet alone, and a small walk when I can ... But you can lose from diet alone !

snsmyth

I lost about 27 lbs just with diet, but my calories were usually around 1200 with a treat day of 1500 one day a week. I had started anti-depressants though that really suppressed my appetite. Now, with intense exercise 6 days a week and an active job, that calorie goal is way too low for me.

ChrisM8971

I set myself a loss rate of 1.5 lbs per week, I have a pretty sedentary lifestyle, I drive all day for a living, and don't get a lot of exercise after that.

My calorie goal is 1600 per day and very often includes a glass of red wine and occasionally a bit more.

I do try and get a walk in when I can but that isn't always that frequently, sometimes I do get a bit more exercise (particularly when staying at a hotel for work) but its not regular.

What I don't do is log housework, walking around a supermarket, cooking as I see some do. I only log what is out of the ordinary day to day routine and then I eat most of those calories back

Seems to have worked for 75 days so far and today I am officially over weight and not obese

tschumacher76

I have lost 55 pounds with diet alone. I have been on 1200-1500 calories a day for 5 months. I would recommend some toning exercises though. I am much skinnier now but do have a lot of loose skin and problem areas left over.. I am 5ft2in and 5 pounds from a "healthy bmi"

StheK

I lost my first 60lbs or so without exercise. I'm sure I'd still be losing (perhaps even faster) if I wasn't exercising, but for me, this is not just about losing weight. It's about being fit enough to enjoy my life as long as possible, so the exercise is important to me.

itsjustdawn

Yes. 50lbs in 1 year, just from diet. I didn't even walk (for exercise purposes)

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

In the beginning I did that, because I had a lot of health issues that limited exercise. I walked a little, but mostly I just restricted calories. My calorie goal was 1450.

You'll lose weight that way, but you may not be happy with the way you look. That's how I was-- I still had a higher body fat percentage because I hadn't done anything to prevent muscle loss while dieting down. Now I recommend doing at least some kind of strength training while losing weight.

itsjustdawn

I'm about 167cm and 26 years old. I started at 72kgs and lost my first 7kgs from diet alone. I was 65kgs when I decided to join a gym, which is how I've lost the other ~5kgs.

ETA: At first my calorie goal was 1450, then 1350, then 1280, then 1200. I recalculated every few kgs.

Too low. If you're exercising you need to eat more.

lucan07

I lost my first 40lbs or so by diet alone while recovering from surgery unable to exercise, 308lbs to 260lbs eating 1350 calories a day.

Then I lost the next 40+lbs with exercise and found it a lot easier because I eat anything I want and never manage to eat all my exercise calories.

Kirkajuice

Yes, I originally got to around 140 from close to 200 without exercise, and I looked ok in clothes but was still chubby. I got annoyed and didn't log for maybe 9 months or so and gained 14 pounds back before I decided to start exercising properly. I'm around 149ish now and two sizes smaller than I was at 140.

You can lose weight and be slim but you may still have a really high body fat percentage and still look and feel chubby in my experience unless you have exceptionally good genes.

nikilis

yes. i did, and its literally just staying inside your daily cals.

as for how many, that depends on you're height, sex and weight.

best thing is go get your BMR, then times by 1.2 to get your maintenance calories, aka TDEE. then multiply that number by .75 or .80 which will give you a healthy deficit.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

stick inside of that intake and you will lose weight.

any further question PM me.

emilyisbonkers

yes! i dont really excercise at all, apart from walking a little a day, but thats just to get to places. I don't do any extra walking than what i need to.
I weigh 10st 5, from 11st 4, and I've lost that in about 7weeks..
I eat about 1400 calories a day

CHRISTTY33

I used to believe that you HAD to exercise in order to lose weight until a friend of mine whom had been heavy all her life and very LAZY to be nice.. LOL she lost 50 lbs by calorie restriction alone.. I know, I know a lot will disagree BUT it can be done.. Extremely heavy people can not do a Jillian Michael cardio routine ( I don't care what people say that is not a easy tape to do) for even the slightly over weight active people, when they are at there heaviest at best they can walk and usually it is very small distance's at a time..SO it can be done

karen_golfs

I lost 75 pounds from diet only - no exercise. I'm 5'7" and started at 250. I was 175 in less than one year following MFP calories - 1430 to start and lowering to 1390 after 55 pounds lost. Of course, now that I am lighter I want to walk everywhere. Good luck.

walkerkt00

They say weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise and I'd have to agree. Of course you can lose weight through diet alone, many have done it, but I don't recommend. Even if your exercise is minimal (walking, bike riding, basic toning), it will have a huge impact on your health and aid your body in recovering from the weight loss (like loose skin). It will make such a huge difference in how your body looks and how you feel. I do not get out much, I try a pitiful jog once a week and do arm work with my baby girl as it entertains her and gets rid of my jelly arms. I hope to get much more in later, but time is an issue and right now the one element I can control is my diet. But it has worked, 20 pounds in just over 2 months

willdob3

Definitely. I lost a lot of weight previously without working out. Fat loss is mostly about nutritional changes.

It is easy to lose weight by diet alone. But if you want to look good you'll want to exercise. Diet is the cake, the base on which everything is built. Exercise is the icing. It makes the cake look good.

smaclean8

Oh my god! Everyone responding here eats horribly, horribly low calories! I totally understand why most people gain all of their weight back. It isn't sustainable if you have to eat BELOW your BMR to lose weight,

That said, I've lost through lifting weights and diet while trying to get very lean. So zero cardio. I am 65.5 in tall and weighed 133 lbs at the time and got down to 124 in about 2 months eating 1600 cals per day and cheating occasionally on the weekends up to 2500 calories.
I just can't imagine eating only 1200-1400 calories per day long term. That's like a child's diet. I'd rather fast every other day and consume double calories on non fasting days so I at least felt full sometimes.

Sorry if I sound hypercritical, just didn't realize that people really ate that few calories.

Sandytoes71

Thank you all for responding!! And congratulations to you all for your losses ) I was curious on this subject so thought I would ask Hope some more people share their experiences with this too. Thx!!

thatbelinda

I'm about 167cm and 26 years old. I started at 72kgs and lost my first 7kgs from diet alone. I was 65kgs when I decided to join a gym, which is how I've lost the other ~5kgs.

ETA: At first my calorie goal was 1450, then 1350, then 1280, then 1200. I recalculated every few kgs.

Too low. If you're exercising you need to eat more.

That's my net. I eat back pretty much all my exercise calories. Yesterday I ate over 1600 because I went for a jog and did some weights. My BMR is only ~1300 (TDEE ~1600 before exercise) so I don't really feel like this is too low for me. Thanks for the input though

IvyRose8

I lost 20 pounds from diet alone (150 to 130). I purposefully didn't exercise because the number on the scale really mattered to me and I didn't want to risk any muscle growth messing up a lower number. I'm not saying that's smart... but that's where I was at, mentally.

Once I reached my magic number I realized I still had 5-10 pounds of fat to lose so I added cardio and weights. That made an enormous difference in how I looked and felt.

I suspect that you can lose weight by cleaning up your eating and not exercising. But exercising and not cleaning up your eating? Not so much. As they say, "Abs are made in the kitchen.".