Not exercising, is it a problem? 7 stones to lose.

Woodster83

Hello everyone,

I've been logging for a week now and have lost 4lbs, very happy with that.

I've also had a cold this week, so possibly feeling more tired than normal.

I just don't feel like exercising at all. I want to, to help weight loss and make me feel better, but I can't seem to get started.

I hate the gym, but I do love sports in general.

At 19st I find things hard and it puts me off as I used to be very fit and active so I get disheartened.

My question is; is it a problem? and have you been successful losing weight without exercise (at least for the first couple of stones anyhow).

fast_eddie_72

It depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you just want to lose weight, you don't have to exercise at all. Lots of people lose a lot of weight with just diet. As long as you eat fewer calories than you burn, you'll lose weight.

Exercise can help you get to that calorie deficit, but it isn't required. Exercise also has a lot of other health benefits that make it something to seriously consider. And if you build a little muscle with exercise, you'll burn more calories all the time.

Only you can answer the question "is it a problem?" though. It's only a problem if it keeps you from attaining your goals. If your goal is just to lose weight, no, it isn't a problem at all.

JesterMFP

You can definitely be successful losing weight without exercising.

Exercising is great for lots of things including general health, improving mood, improving confidence, increasing energy, maintaining lean mass (eg muscle & bone density) as you lose weight, better body composition etc. So, I'm not going to say don't exercise, but you can certainly lose weight without it. Your calorie deficit is what will lose you the weight.

If you hate the gym, you don't have to go to the gym. Why don't you start with some walking? That's what I started out with. As you get a bit fitter and lose some more pounds, you will probably feel more able to incorporate other activities and maybe even get back into the sports you previously loved. I remember that when I first started (and I was someone with no background of sports or fitness at all) I used to be so unfit that it was physically painful to be out of breath. As I got fitter though, everything got easier and more enjoyable. Just take it slow to start with, and I'm sure you'll find things get easier over time.

_Zardoz_

You don't have to go to the gym to exercise. You could go walking, swimming there are many activities that do not involve a gym. Yes you can lose weight without exercise but you will lose more muscle mass as you do so and muscle does something very useful it burns more calories so as well as wanting to keep muscle for obvious reasons you want to to help your weightloss go a bit faster. When I started losing weight all I did was go walking daily for 3 months. Have a look around and see what you could do without a gym I personally hate this idea that you have to go to the gym to exercise. Good Luck

Woodster83

I do want to be fit again, but I don't want to ruin the motivation I have after various failed false starts.

I also don't want to stop losing weight either, so I'm torn.

Aiming for 2lbs a week until Christmas, this will take me to 12st 5lbs, which will be great.

Maybe I'll feel more motivated to exercise later.

Just worried it'll make me more hungry and put me off my diet somehow.

Woodster83

I love squash, badminton, snowboarding (we have an indoor slope 20 mins away), walking I find a little boring.. I'm capable of doing a lot I just don't seem to be motivated to get on with it.

Not sure what I'm asking really.. I guess I'm upset that I'm not exercising and spent today sitting on the sofa all day when I could have exercised. Despite sticking to my daily calories and doing well I still seem to be down on myself for not doing more.

I think I avoid it because I don't want to face the reality of how hard I'll find it and how unfit I've become.

Annie_01

I do want to be fit again, but I don't want to ruin the motivation I have after various failed false starts.

I also don't want to stop losing weight either, so I'm torn.

Aiming for 2lbs a week until Christmas, this will take me to 12st 5lbs, which will be great.

Maybe I'll feel more motivated to exercise later.

Just worried it'll make me more hungry and put me off my diet somehow.

Actually I have found that exercising helps to get past those cravings. It has also helped me to get my eating out of boredom under control. I have a lot of 15 min routines that I do and that is just enough to get my mind back on track.

JesterMFP

Ok, so yoga, swimming, pilates, cycling, free exercise videos on youtube... lots of gentle exercise options out there if you don't want to walk. Don't wait to be motivated, just make a decision and do it.

Or... don't do it yet. It won't stop you from losing weight. Just stop beating yourself up about it. You don't have to do everything all at once. Focus on the diet side of things and wait until you've lost a bit more, if that makes you feel better. Sometimes people try to do too much too soon and burn out quickly. It's no bad thing to take things slowly and make small gradual changes. They tend to be the ones that stick.

On the other hand, it kind of sounds like you're talking yourself out of it and making excuses. Why not just get out there and go for a walk? It might be boring, but it could just be 30 minutes that actually makes you feel a bit better about things. Take some music out with you, or a camera, or find a friend to walk with.

And, as for hunger... if you're following MFP the way it was designed to work, you log exercise and eat those calories back, so that you properly fuel exercise and you end up with the original calorie deficit recommended by MFP.

Woodster83

I do want to be fit again, but I don't want to ruin the motivation I have after various failed false starts.

I also don't want to stop losing weight either, so I'm torn.

Aiming for 2lbs a week until Christmas, this will take me to 12st 5lbs, which will be great.

Maybe I'll feel more motivated to exercise later.

Just worried it'll make me more hungry and put me off my diet somehow.

Actually I have found that exercising helps to get past those cravings. It has also helped me to get my eating out of boredom under control. I have a lot of 15 min routines that I do and that is just enough to get my mind back on track.

Eating out of boredom is a major issue for me, so that's a good perspective to consider.

Woodster83

Jester,

Thanks, that's a really helpful reply.

I am guilty of jumping in head first with things, trying too hard and getting bored.. I suppose I want to get fit NOW, but also worried that I'll put myself off and end up ruining it all.

Like you say, maybe just do something, anything.. and see how I feel. I've got a few fitness DVD's I can do, so maybe that's a good start.

I need to stop being so negative about it all.. the diet part I feel great about, but my negative emotions are spilling out into another area now, frustrating.

psuLemon

The biggest benefit of exercise is you can eat more calories.. the biggest thing is making smart food choices. Adding foods high in fats and protein will help fill you up. If you feel full more often, then snacking wont occur as much. I also tell myself "is xx worth the calories?" Sometimes it is and sometimes its not. I do this because I also know I can add calories one day and lower the next. You really need to know that this is about teaching yourself what you need to do to stay fit... not just how to lose weight. I would highly recommend not having an aggressive weight loss goal for very long. Huge deficits can lead to more muscle loss and a slower metabolic rate. Its good to occasionally set yourself at maintenance and then reset with a lower deficit. Keep in mind that body composition is much more important to achieving a look compared to weight.

terizius

The short answer is: No, you don't have to exercise to lose weight. The reality is that diet is much more important to weight loss than exercise.

The slightly more complicated answer is: If you don't exercise and lose weight with diet alone, you will very likely lose lean body mass (LBM) in addition to your fat loss. As many people have mentioned, there are numerous benefits to exercise, one of which is maintaining LBM during weight loss.

Ultimately, its up to you.. are you more interested in the "Quantity" of weight lost, or the "Quality" of weight lost?

If you are really interested in learning more about how exercise affects weight loss, I encourage you to read this excellent, two-part article by Lyle McDonald: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/exercise-and-weightfat-loss-part-1.html

ell_v131

If you only want to lose weight, then it's fine to do no exercise. If you want to get healthier, have a nice firm body and be able to eat a decent amount of food again when you're done with weight loss, you're going to need exercise and resistance training to achieve that.

1)resistance training will help you retain muscle that you have now. That's important for the overall appearance of your body (toned look after fat is shed) and for your BMR. If you do no resistance training while in deficit, your body will use some of the muscle for energy, thus decreasing your BMR more than necessary
2)cardio exercise and sports increase your cardiovascular and skeletal health.

JesterMFP

I need to stop being so negative about it all.. the diet part I feel great about, but my negative emotions are spilling out into another area now, frustrating.

As well, maybe try to see the diet and the exercise as separate goals. Focus on meeting your calorie goal to lose weight, and then focus on exercise/fitness as something separate. If one week you feel demotivated about exercise, it doesn't have to affect your calorie counting. I don't know - maybe that would take some of the pressure off to get everything right.