anyone lose weight just dieting?

jigglyone

just wondering if anyone has lost weight just by watching what they eat and counting calories. i have and lost 20 pounds in 3months

navyrigger46

Yup, I lost the first 12 pounds with just cutting back on my intake, before I actually started counting. Then I started counting and lost a few more, added some cardio, and then strength training. I highly recommend strength training from day one.

Rigger

Iwishyouwell

Yes. I've lost with exercise and without. I actually tend to exercise more heavily during times of maintaining or when I've been very close to goal.

raegrove

yep, I have lost all of my eight (24 lbs since June 1st) just dieting alone. I just ordered the 30DS which will be here in a week so I'm hoping that will continue my weightloss as it has stalled the last 2 months.

SezxyStef

Yup I lost my first 25 prior to join MFP no counting and just 20mins of walking a day.

But since joining MFP and counting and doing 2 rounds of 30DS and now lifting (wish I had started earlier)

I have lost another 15lbs (10months) and 13 inches (need to update measurments).

I feel and look better after the 15lbs and 13 inches then I did after the 25lbs from just "dieting".

LadyL2012

I don't see why you wouldn't.

As long as you are eating below your TDEE then the maths says you should do and considering weight loss is around 80% diet/20%exercise, it makes perfect sense that you can.

When I have been injured, I always lose weight when just watching food. In fact I tend to lose more weight when not exercising and just watching what I eat.

DeterminedToLoseIt02

They say that weight loss is 80% in the kitchen so what you eat is a HUGE part of your weight loss. I think exercise certainly helps though.

foremant86

of course you can, but you will also most likely end up "skinny fat" which is unhealthy and everybody knows muscle is sexy anyways

cwolfman13

I lost my first 20 Lbs with diet alone...but I ultimately determined that fitness was very important to overall health and well being, plus I didn't want to burn off a bunch of muscle mass in the process so I started lifting and doing some moderate cardio for general heart health.

ciki90

Yep, I lost 25lbs just dieting... I was very skinny but unhappy with my body since it had noooo muscle! Since then I've gained some back but I have a lot more muscle definition and I look a lot better. So, from my personal experience I'd say that it is possible to lose weight with diet alone, but not ideal since you may end up "skinny fat" or just skinny with no curves about you.

D_Dub

I've lost my weight with just being in a calorie deficit. I count my calories. Like magic when I stop counting my weight goes back up. I try to keep my calories between 1000 and 1200 during the week and up to 1500-2000 on the weekend. I'm a big guy, 6'4'' so the weight comes off when I follow the program. I am now a firm believer in calories in vs calories out. Everything else is gar-BAGE! I have also found out when I severly limit/eliminate refined carbs, i.e. sugar and process flour, I'm not hungry at all. You don't need fancy supplements or expensive programs to lose weight. Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig are great programs, if you stick with them, but they teach the same thing: portion control and quality of calories.

I could rant on the fitness industry and the big food companies/the FDA/lobbyists/drug companies all making money keeping Americans fat, but I'll save that for another post. Think for yourself, do your own research find what works for you.

Excercise is necessary to be healthy and feel good. But unless you are exercising on the level of Michael Phelps I don't see it making that much difference with losing weight. I walk/swim and lift weights and not crazy either. I don't even factor it in to my calories.

dunnodunno

I've lost around 130-134 pounds from mostly diet alone with a little bit of exercise thrown in the mix.

Losingthedamnweight

I've lost my weight with just being in a calorie deficit. I count my calories. Like magic when I stop counting my weight goes back up. I try to keep my calories between 1000 and 1200 during the week and up to 1500-2000 on the weekend. I'm a big guy, 6'4'' so the weight comes off when I follow the program. I am now a firm believer in calories in vs calories out. Everything else is gar-BAGE! I have also found out when I severly limit/eliminate refined carbs, i.e. sugar and process flour, I'm not hungry at all. You don't need fancy supplements or expensive programs to lose weight. Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig are great programs, if you stick with them, but they teach the same thing: portion control and quality of calories.

I could rant on the fitness industry and the big food companies/the FDA/lobbyists/drug companies all making money keeping Americans fat, but I'll save that for another post. Think for yourself, do your own research find what works for you.

Excercise is necessary to be healthy and feel good. But unless you are exercising on the level of Michael Phelps I don't see it making that much difference with losing weight. I walk/swim and lift weights and not crazy either. I don't even factor it in to my calories.

Isn't 1000-1200 calories a day pretty ridiculous number for a male, even a sedentary male? Especially at 6'4, your body has no issues burning calories! I'm only 5'8 and at sedentary right now I burn 2600 cals a day. Even at my goal weight of 150 I would still burn about 2000 calories not doing a single thing. I don't know where you are in your weight loss, but I hope you're going about this in a way that works best for you and not trying to just rush things

avskk

Yep. I did work out a lot at first, but then I started a new job an no longer had the time. I'm still losing steadily even though I now work a desk job and the only "exercise" I get is the ~1 mile walk to/from work.

LosingItForGood13

I lost my first 30 lbs just by dieting changing my eating habits the other 28 pds came off from exercising

jigglyone

wow! great job everyone!!

Mitzigan94

I did it! thanks to myfitnesspal'',)

l_clc

I started out my first month with jogging and 30DS, lost a lot of weight and felt much better. Unfortunately, I developed shin splints that I tried to power through for a month....wasn't healing..so I cut out the exercise and just focused on healthy eating. I've lost steadily each week since then. I just started working out again this week which I've noticed is 10x's easier now that I'm much thinner than before. You can definitely lose weight through diet alone....but getting fit and feeling strong is missing from the equation. So if you can do both, why not?

TavistockToad

just wondering if anyone has lost weight just by watching what they eat and counting calories. i have and lost 20 pounds in 3months

diet to look good in clothes

exercise to look good naked

Camera_BagintheUK

See my ticker :bigsmile:

Just over 2½ stone, nearly 2 dress sizes.

I don't exercise regularly, and then it's things like walking, gardening, swimming. This Christmas I'll do more to pay for the excess. Works for me.

ETA I think it's important to do what works for you and what you'll manage to keep up. I'll never keep up an exercise regime - I've dabbled with gyms, running etc in the past, I don't enjoy it, it's just a pressure and something to fail at. But I do love swimming, walking, and have recently got very keen on gardening. I used to play badminton and squash which I enjoyed, but haven't tried for years. I might get back into those.

They aren't workouts, I know, but they get me off my backside and make me move. And at my age, looking good naked is less of a priority :ohwell: - but in fact, relative to how I looked last year, I think I look stunning now. I feel so much more confident, I'm even looking forward to getting a nice cozzie and flaunting it on the beach - something I dreaded before, with the kind of creeping horror that sends you mad! My body is good enough for me now.

That's plenty for me.

The downside of not exercising is that you're so much more tightly restricted in what you can eat - but I find it's okay. I've only felt hungry once or twice. The amount of food I can eat within my calorie allowance is comfortable for me on a normal day. So it works. And if I want to treat myself, or have a drink, or eat more, I know I'll need to go out and spend the day chopping things down in the garden, or walk for an hour or more to pay for it.

This won't work for everyone, but that's fine, it takes all sorts to make a world!

arrseegee

Yes, I lost about 9kg this way. It works, but the downside is that because you are consuming so few calories you don't get enough vitamins and minerals from your food to meet your nutrient requirements. Vitamin supplements do go some way to addressing this but the vitamins in them aren't as easy for your body to absorb as when it is in food. One benefit of healthy eating plus exercise is that the exercise allows you to eat more calories, and with that comes vitamins.

See if you can add in a half hour of walking in every day, that will help with the weight loss and also help you to develop a bit of fitness.