Losing weight without the GYM?

KEAVES13

I'm just curious how many of you were able to lose a significant amount of weight without joining the gym. I have been thinking about joining one, but then again I'm not sure. I have a treadmill at home and numerous exercise videos, so I am wondering if I should start with those first. Thanks in advance for any advice/comments! :flowerforyou:

hearthwood

You don't have to exercise to lose weight. Exercise helps to speed weight loss along, but more importantly to get you fit.

Try several different things before you sign a long term contract. It's very important that you find something you like to do. Me I am a Jazzercise addict, I really get bored working out on machines. I have to work out with others, otherwise I won't.

shadow2soul

I haven't been to a gym since...well..before I gained weight in the first place. It's just not in my budget right now. When I do get my budget straightened out I'm totally going to get a membership so that I can do Stronglifts 5x5.

Weight loss can be done without exercise. It really comes down to how much your eating. That being said exercise is great for looks, health and will allow you to eat a bit more to lose weight (compared to what you could eat without exercise).

mkollenb

I found it was cheaper and a lot more fun to buy a bike. I cycle to work & back everyday bought a really nice bike. I have already paid for it. I save $40 a week in gas and have road my bike for 6 months now. I have already paid for the bike by all the savings in gas, and ride 12 miles to work & 12 miles home for a total of 24 miles a day. I have currently been riding for 6 months now and have lost of total of 45 pounds. Biking slims you down and it's fun your outdoors everyday & it beats the gym.

LaReinaDeCorazones

I haven't, n look at my results. ..when it comes to weight loss, 90% of it is diet

sarahwinder78

No gym membership here either. I'm almost 40 pounds down and looking forward to starting my body recomposition phase soon. I do have a bike and ride that a few times a week, run three times a week and try to get in a hike once a week. I use this website for some great at home workouts: http://neilarey.com/ Plus there are tons of workouts on YouTube to try as well. As a previous poster said, I too am looking forward to one day joining a gym (or at least hiring a trainer) so I can start the StrongLifts program. I also agree with something someone else said, that losing weight is more about your diet than about the exercise. The exercise, of course, has lots of other benefits, but strictly speaking you can lose weight by just eating at a deficit. I, however, like to eat (duh, I guess...that's how I got here in the first place!), so adding exercise gives me some extra calories to enjoy each day. Best of luck to you - feel free to add me as a friend.

jennifer_417

I lost about 30 lbs while not being able to work out due to a severe blood clot in my leg. I was eventually cleared to eexercise, but I made plenty of headway without it.

Patttience

I've lost all my weight without the gym or much exercise. Weightloss is primarily diet. Improve your diet and eat less.

For exercise, just get yourself a pedometer and walk about a bit more, take the stairs instead of the lift, park further away from the doors so you have to walk a little further.

When you feel like it, get a bike, go for a ride, go to the pool, join team sport, get some tennis coaching, check out some yoga classes, or a rumba class, take up dancing, go to a night club, go hiking.

You do not have to join a gym. I was at a gym the other day to ask a question, It smelt like rubber. It was horrible I don't see what the attraction of gyms is.

NelsonMoore

I would completely agree with everybody above. I am down 30 lbs and am looking to lose another 15. Here is what has worked for me.
1. Plan meals. I don't eat food that I have not planned out the day before. (And don't do the planning while you are hungry!)
2. Track eating on MFP and track calorie count. I eat about 1,950 calories per day and exercise off about 250 per day.
3. Stop eating when your planned meal is done. If I am still hungry after eating my meal, I walk away anyway.
I know that in about ten minutes the hunger will be gone because I did properly nourish my body.
3. Walk. I started with a 20-minute walk per day, then moved a couple of months later to 40 minutes.
Then still later I moved to two 30-minute walks per day. that totals about three miles of walking every day.
4. Stay connected to my two weight loss buddies as we encourage each other.

I am losing about 1.25 pounds per week this way. I don't exactly know what I am going to do when winter comes. (I live in Minnesota.) But I have done all of the above without belonging to a gym.

MeganDominique

I've lost 90% of my weight this time around (and staying that way) without the gym.

I do videos at home (T25/insanity), bought some dumbells at a garage sale, bought a 10$ ebook full of HITT workouts which has allowed me to make my own and I enjoy running outdoors.

The only time I use the gym is when im back at school, and that's only because its paid in my tuition and if I don't use it, I loose it anyways.

But really diet is key to, every time I get stuck with my weight loss it comes back to diet and calories.

jdhcm2006

I haven;t been to the gym since my sister dragged me with her once, and before that it was years ago. I do home based workouts. I have T25, Insanity, and P90X3. I like working out at home, it's easier for me and I cannot make up any excuses about why I can;t make it to the gym to workout.

I have since invested in a BoSu ball (got it on sale, but it was still expensive, but totally worth it), resistance bands, some light weights (3 and 5 pounds), push up bars, and a kettlebell. I find workouts on YouTube that incorporate all of these items. I especially love the HIIT workouts that I've found that utilize the BoSu ball. Good stuff.

I've thought about buying a exercise ball, but idk where I would put it.

I say start small. Get some resistance bands, I got a set off of amazon for about $30 (Black Mountain - I think that's the brand), use the dvds you already have, check out fitness videos on YouTube, and then go from there. I'm sure google has a nice explanation on how to create your own fitness routine. I use Beachbody programs because I'm a bit too lazy to do that, lol. I've also only paid for T25, the other two were given to me by a friend who couldn't use them due to her extreme asthma.

Good luck!

Kalikel

I avoid the gym as much as possible. If you work at it, there are other ways to exercise.

itsbasschick

while i did recently join a gym, i lost most of the weight i've lost so far by eating at a deficit and walking. walking is great exercise, and eating at a deficit by measuring food and counting calories just plain works for me.

MKEgal

"Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html

I do go to the gym nearly every day, because it helps me feel better, look better, and lose weight faster.
Oh, and my blood work (mostly cholesterol & triglycerides) have gone from "Houston, we have a problem" to being well into the healthy low numbers... and that's nearly all from exercise.
For those who think they can't afford it, look into Planet Fitness. They're $10/mo and open 24/7.
I probably use more than that just in hot water to take showers! :laugh:

juliahassell

I use Jillian Michaels yoga meltdown video's and it's a good workout, and I usually burn 215-300 cals on the heart rate monitor per video. I also Jog about 3 days a week, and use a pedometer. If I don't have enough steps in for the day, I walk/run the stairs until I do!

shadow2soul

For those who think they can't afford it, look into Planet Fitness. They're $10/mo and open 24/7.
I probably use more than that just in hot water to take showers! :laugh:

That's great if you live near one. I don't. The gyms around me are all around $30-40 a month for a single membership. Examples:

Snap Fitness: $34.95 per month
Competitive Edge : $35 per month (plus you have to buy an access key)

Kalikel

If you happen to be near a Lifetime Fitness, check it out. It is not like Planet Fitness, Gold's or the Y.

Lifetime Fitness is a nice gym and not the kind of place you dread visiting. They need to build more of these, IMO.

Rlavigne93

I haven't been to a gym in about 4 years, definitely not since I've started losing weight. I workout every day, but I just do calisthenics at home. I think of them as gym class workouts. Crunches, pushups, lunges and such. For general weight loss it's not necessary, you can do plenty of strength training and cardio at home.

katew221

I hate the gym :laugh: socially awkward, smelly, expensive and I never feel better. I much much prefer to run, cycle or walk in the great outdoors. I have a personal trainer come to my house once a week for HIIT and callisthenics, which costs the same as some gyms do.

If you hate it, you're probably not going to keep up the effort to do it and that might hurt your chances of long term success. Find some things you can do at home and that you really enjoy! Then you will want to do them everyday

Liftng4Lis

Weight loss starts in the kitchen. Exercise enhances the caloric deficit, but is unnecessary to weight loss.

RonaldoAllen

This is not important to do workout only in gym. We can do exercise at home or outside home. IF someone don't like to go to the gym then there is lot of exercises that are good for doing at home. Contact with me for detailed information.

lillyrose2020

I haven't, n look at my results. ..when it comes to weight loss, 90% of it is diet

Well done on your weight loss! Please take this as a compliment, your butt looks amazing in your profile pic!! #ButtEnvy

garnerish

Down 50lb without stepping foot in a gym.

jamesdavidy

Hey not everyone likes the Gym, I echo many comments and say, Move your body, find something you like be it walking, gardening, swimming, cycling, workout vides, you tube free workouts or a mix of all, just move because you can! For me exercise is a habit, It has become who I am, but I grew up in a family with severe disabilities so I have a first hand lesson of how precious a fit and healthy body is, I realise everyday how lucky I am.

Good luck

Jazz_2014

No gym for me. BUT I do love taking a class. I do instructional dvd's (including utube) daily. But I enjoy taking an afternoon of yoga to get instruction. It helps with proper positioning I can't get with videos. Not to mention it's a treat for me. Good for the mind and helps me carry a mindfulness about caring for me all week. Yoga helps me listen to my body.

I also take a Zumba class once a week. It is a golden zumba class for older people. This class I was originally hesitant to take but it was the best thing as it got me moving again. Now I somewhat increase the activity more then instructor does.

In our area a lot of community centers, the college, and even churches offer some form of exercise. Just suggesting, there are other options then a gym and home.

FindingAmy77

you do not need to pay to lose weight. nature is free. the calorie deficit is the key to weight loss. exercise is the key to being fit. strength training is good for bone density and building muscles but it doesn't have to be done in a gym. you can do things like push ups and dips, yoga, pilates, get some resistance bands, do full body exercise such as swimming, do walking or jogging or biking that uses your big muscle groups. The videos on youtube are wonderful too. I love walking, swimming and biking for my exercises. No need to pay anyone to get in shape and lose weight at all.

Tisiwa

No gym membership, I've learned to eat better, and walk about three days a week, but the result came from my diet changes, and it's a good balance of all food, I save room for my sweets too.. it's been the best results I ever experienced simply changing my eating habits and moving more.

Good Luck with your WL

snowflake930

Weight loss comes mostly from eating less calories than you burn. You burn calories just by living.
I lost 90 pounds before I began to even walk more. My knees were bad from carrying around so much excess weight. Losing weight made it possible for me to be more comfortable to move more. You do not need a gym membership to exercise. You can walk or run, use exercise dvds, or utube videos.

kmsnyg

I just joined a gym this week, because I wanted to spice up my workouts. But I lost 60 lbs without it.

Chezzie84

I am not a member of a gym. I lost 30lb without it.
I don't know where you live so its hard for me to advise but for me I go walking/cycling in the country. I bought a set of hand weights and I use them.

Notreadytoquit

There are benefits to joining a gym. Newest fitness classes, companionship of friends & teachers, all the toys and hot showers. Logged 25 years as gym rat. However wasted 1 hour driving + cost of gas. When kids were young the gym gave me a welcome break from nonstop demands and kid care.

I no longer belong to a gym ... Lyme disease from years of hiking & outdoor work became chronic Lyme and extreme pain when walking changed all my priorities in regard to exercise.

My exercise now consists out caring for my old house & farm compound. You'd be amazed how many calories you can burn vacuuming, mopping floors, hauling laundry up and down 4 flights of steps, weeding the gardens, etc. Whatever you do remember to squat in perfect form instead of bending at waist. Tighten your core and hold tight every time you lift from squat position and you'll have tighter abs, too.

It's really hard to lose just by diet if you can only eat 1200 calories per day. I have to keep moving to eat enough to satisfy.