Do I really need to exercise?

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Replies

  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Weight loss is about diet.

    Exercise for fitness.

    Sounds like you're very active. I would recommend an activity tracker (I love Fitbit, but there are plenty of options now, and some new smartphones have the capability to track activity). This would give a good idea of how much exercise you are getting in a day.
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
    I'm a CNA so I move around a lot at work too. I also have an unpredictable connective tissue disorder that affects my collagen called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I still find time to go for a walk with my fiancé. You don't need to do intense, multiple-hours-long exercise sessions. Sit down for dinner when you get home, then go for a 30 minute walk. It's so worth it. It's hard to get into the routine, but you'll probably have more energy for work as you get more active in your down time. That all said, you can totally lose the weight without exercise, but a little exercise along the way will let you reap a bunch of benefits later on, too.
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
    It sounds like you're actually getting more exercise than you think without actually stepping on a treadmill or something like that. You'd be surprised how many calories you can burn by just moving around while you're cleaning. You can count those hours of cleaning each day as exercise.

    No she can't. MFP already counts it in her activity level. Doing your regular routine is not exercise, it's your activity level, and if you mistake the two, you could end up eating at maintenance or at a surplus without realizing it and then wonder why the scale isn't moving downward.

    ETA: People with lightly to moderately active jobs gain weight all the time. I did. I was working three jobs in customer service and nursing homes all at the same time when I gained the last ~20 pounds. She's probably been in this industry for awhile and it didn't prevent her from gaining the excess weight that she is now on MFP to lose.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    No, however if you want to physically change your muscle tone and physique, yes.

    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
  • BootCampC
    BootCampC Posts: 689 Member
    if you don't use it you will lose it!

    ive trained a woman who was 85 yrs old , she worked out for about a month after that month of light weights and low cardio she thanked me for my training because she was now able to do things on her own again. simple things we take for granted. so if you don't use the muscles you will lose them.
  • Armagan123
    Armagan123 Posts: 72 Member
    Agreed. "Skinny fat" is usually what you see when you do one and not the other.

    More lies.

    "Skinny fat" is when a person is in a "normal" weight range but still has a high body fat level.

    But if I put a "skinny fat" person in a room, and gave them only water for weeks, or months, they'll get lean. This is why concentration camp victims, and other truly starving people, aren't "skinny fat", they're just skinny and very lean. Even with lower muscle mass it's quite possible to lose the "skinny fat" look without exercise.

    Exercise is for greater health, especially cardiovascular health. And weight lifting helps improve your overall body composition and aesthetics, amongst other amazing benefits.

    But fat is fat. Keep cutting it and you'll eventually get lean.

    Cannot agree more!
  • Kathryn41057
    Kathryn41057 Posts: 181 Member
    This is why I LOVE this site..... Thanks to all of you.
    I should have stated that I am 56 years old, and about 30 lbs overweight. When I get home in the afternoon, not only am I mentally tired, I'm physically tired as well. I think for now tho, I'll continue on as I am, but, I'm going to try to start using the weights that I have. I do try to get out for a walk when I can, but it seems lately that every time we turn around, we're getting slammed with more snow..

    Kat :)
  • 2720cynthia
    2720cynthia Posts: 45 Member
    Can someone still achieve their weight loss goals without exercising?

    If your goal is to weigh less, then the answer is yes. I have lost my weight without exercise.
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
    I would say to get your diet in place, then later down the road if you feel like you're ready to add exercise.

    I used to be an assistant manager in a retail clothing store where we were seriously understaffed. 8 hours on my feet and I would just want to chill out when I got home. I spent so much of the day sweating my tale off.

    I think that people get so hindered by trying to do too much at one time. In the past, I tried to make a switch from eating fast food everyday to cooking all my meals "cleanly" from scratch, and from not working out at all to trying to do an unrealistic amount of cardio/ weightlifting exercises. Needless to say, I would set myself up for failure (I was 270lbs) and get really discouraged until the next Monday rolled around and I could make myself more promises that I would break.

    Slow and steady, start with your diet and planning out your meals. Add exercise on your days off. Just keep building on that.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Good morning to you all... I have a question ... can someone still achieve their weight loss goals without exercising? I am a Hskp supv at a small motel here in our area. Most days I am working by myself, so that means I do it all....cleaning the rooms, doing the daily laundry, and cleaning the common areas of the motel, etc. When I get home late afternoon, the last thing I want to do is exercise...

    Frankly, it's your call.

    I suspect that you often do lift heavy things (laundry, mattresses, furniture, etc) and you are on your feet all day (ie. full-time). If that's the case, you likely don't need to add additional structured exercise. Correctly calculating your TDEE and eating at a calorie deficit will probably be just fine.

    If I were you, I'd consider adding some kind of a flexibility / stretching routine, especially if you experience soreness from time to time. I really like increasing my flexibility, so I might be a little biased. :smile:
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Agreed. "Skinny fat" is usually what you see when you do one and not the other.

    More lies.

    "Skinny fat" is when a person is in a "normal" weight range but still has a high body fat level.

    But if I put a "skinny fat" person in a room, and gave them only water for weeks, or months, they'll get lean. This is why concentration camp victims, and other truly starving people, aren't "skinny fat", they're just skinny and very lean. Even with lower muscle mass it's quite possible to lose the "skinny fat" look without exercise.

    Exercise is for greater health, especially cardiovascular health. And weight lifting helps improve your overall body composition and aesthetics, amongst other amazing benefits.

    But fat is fat. Keep cutting it and you'll eventually get lean.

    You're TOTALLY missing the point. With strength training you can lose less weight and look better. For example... I just saw a post from a lady that was 10lbs higher but looked BETTER/FIRMER because she was incorporating a lot of strength training. I am the same size now that I was 18lbs lighter. The point is, without a good lifting routine you will not be as happy with your results until you lose A LOT more weight. Sure, there are starving people out there that weight 125lbs with absolutely no muscle tone. Sure... they're skinny... but I'm sure they are not as happy with their overall composition as people that have a slight deficit and incorporate lifting. Period.

    Yes, I'm well aware of body recomposition, hence me mentioning it in the very post you quoted.

    However you wrote the following:

    "Agreed. "Skinny fat" is usually what you see when you do one and not the other."

    This is not true. "Skinny fat" isn't a result of losing without exercising. If you stay in a deficit, and still don't exercise, you'll eventually lose the "skinny fat" appearance once your body fat levels become very low.

    Now you might be lean with very little muscle mass, but you'll still be lean.

    To tell somebody that they'll end up "skinny fat" if they don't exercise is just a fallacy.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I've seen some incredible looking results that were achieved through diet alone.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Not necessary for weight loss but essential for fitness. On the positive note, your daily activity is not sedentary so you are getting some exercise in your daily activity level. The higher the activity level, the more you can eat and still lose weight...
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    Agreed. "Skinny fat" is usually what you see when you do one and not the other.

    More lies.

    "Skinny fat" is when a person is in a "normal" weight range but still has a high body fat level.

    But if I put a "skinny fat" person in a room, and gave them only water for weeks, or months, they'll get lean. This is why concentration camp victims, and other truly starving people, aren't "skinny fat", they're just skinny and very lean. Even with lower muscle mass it's quite possible to lose the "skinny fat" look without exercise.

    Exercise is for greater health, especially cardiovascular health. And weight lifting helps improve your overall body composition and aesthetics, amongst other amazing benefits.

    But fat is fat. Keep cutting it and you'll eventually get lean.

    You're TOTALLY missing the point. With strength training you can lose less weight and look better. For example... I just saw a post from a lady that was 10lbs higher but looked BETTER/FIRMER because she was incorporating a lot of strength training. I am the same size now that I was 18lbs lighter. The point is, without a good lifting routine you will not be as happy with your results until you lose A LOT more weight. Sure, there are starving people out there that weight 125lbs with absolutely no muscle tone. Sure... they're skinny... but I'm sure they are not as happy with their overall composition as people that have a slight deficit and incorporate lifting. Period.

    Yes, I'm well aware of body recomposition, hence me mentioning it in the very post you quoted.

    However you wrote the following:

    "Agreed. "Skinny fat" is usually what you see when you do one and not the other."

    This is not true. "Skinny fat" isn't a result of losing without exercising. If you stay in a deficit, and still don't exercise, you'll eventually lose the "skinny fat" appearance once your body fat levels become very low.

    Now you might be lean with very little muscle mass, but you'll still be lean.

    To tell somebody that they'll end up "skinny fat" if they don't exercise is just a fallacy.

    An interesting read on skinny fat: http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/why-skinny-doesn-t-always-mean-healthy

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