Did anyone lose weight just by watching their calories??? I

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  • mizjohnston
    mizjohnston Posts: 196 Member
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    It's possible. I went from 205 to 150 in 8 months by eating around 1400 calories and exercising where I lost about 300 calories 5 days per week. If I can lose that amount I am sure you can do it too without the exercising. Good luck. :smile:
  • BrwnPanza
    BrwnPanza Posts: 2 Member
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    definitely-- paying attention to calories made me consider what I was eating. I actively looked for food that would give me the most in taste/filling with less calories. Some of my little snacks- WOW! seeing how many calories they held made me look for alternatives. After a while of punching in the numbers and foods, I was able to make choices without having to look up calories so often.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
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    you had time to go on here... there's always time .. it was my big thing in the beginning. i been battling being overweight a large part of my life..i never had time to work out..i had time to watch tv though..and i had time to go to restaurants ..had time to lay in the pool... had time to sit and have coffee in the morning .. had time to go out drinking too.. had time to visit people all the time .. takes 20 minutes here and there to start by doing something in the house .. walk up and down stairs, put in a cardio dvd ... dance..walk outside .. i changed my attitude with working out because i am in politics, business, nurse, board of directors in three nonprofit organizations , take care of my house and lawn care and pool care by myself as well as cook most all my meals personally.. plus i travel four months out of the year for work related issues.. i work out 5-6 times a week on the avg of 1-2 hours each time.. i schedule my workouts first..if i scheduled my life first i would never workout. i always join a gym or use a hotel gym when i go on vacation or out of town too. there is no way im going back to a size 26 ever.
  • cathys1
    cathys1 Posts: 2
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    I hurt my knee at the holidays and can not exercise at this point and I have lost 10 pounds in the last 2 week+ just by staying at 1200 calories per day. You can do it!
  • nadinerichardson
    nadinerichardson Posts: 1
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    HI, yes I did 5 lbs in two weeks.
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
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    I had several pals who lost weight just counting calories. Most people on here will tell you, you ALWAYS have time to exercise. Whether it's walking at the store, lifting a few hand weights, don't have hand weights..grab a few cans of food and lift those..there's always time.
  • Faeriegirl74
    Faeriegirl74 Posts: 187 Member
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    Did anyone lose weight just by watching their caloric intake?? I dont have time to exercise.............:(
    You go from fat to skinny fat doing that.
    And it usually leads to failure.
    Nobody ever came to me and said they had extra time on their hands, so they'd
    like to get fit.

    Nobody has time.
    But everybody has time.

    Here's the disconnect. People either make the time or they do not.
    Your fitness goals are either a priority or they are not.
    And if they are not, then failure is asured.

    That's reality.
    Make the time.

    The way you stated that is so true. We all have time, we can find somewhere to add 30 minutes in our day... it's just a matter of giving up a favorite tv show, waking up 30 minutes earlier...something.

    We have to put in exercise daily somewhere, somehow...just a simple walk is all it takes! For me, that simple walk saved my life! When I went to the doctor several weeks ago my BP was 160/100. My pulse was 66. My doc flat out told me...while I am a runner and I have found time in my life to make exercise a priority over the past year... had I continued the path that I was on prior to August 2011 (still a runner, but still eating crap), I would have been a 37-year old stroke victim. That low pulse I have (due to exercise) is what saved me from collapse several weeks ago when I was in agony...now I'm on BP meds...and trust me, I still get my exercise in daily - and am training for half marathon number 5. I've gone from "fat runner" to "fab runner" by watching both calories and exercise... it takes both... calories in=calories out, and a healthy lifestyle including 30 minutes minimum of activity.
  • jknoell
    jknoell Posts: 254 Member
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    When you lose weight without exercising, especially without resistance training you lose muscle along with the fat. The only way to avoid this is to exercise and build muscle while losing weight.

    ^^THIS^^

    Everyone can find time to do a little bit of exercise. It's a matter of making it a priority. You can do it!! Many, many people have done it with seriously busy lifestyles, but it has to be important enough to make it a high priority! Use the people on MFP to motivate you and keep you going! YOU CAN DO IT - YOU REALLY CAN!!
  • sophiareal
    sophiareal Posts: 43 Member
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    It really depends on what you want and how quickly or how easy you want to achieve it. I once lost about twenty pounds through diet alone, but what really made me feel comfortable in my own skin again was exercising, especially Pilates and using free weights ... The free weights made me feel invincible. The thing about exercise is that it has s many positive effects on you: 1) it will help you burn calories faster, 2) it makes you look better in a bikini, 3) after a hard gym session you will not want to ruin all your hard work by eating crap so working out actually makes it easier to eat clean, 4) it does wonders for your self esteem ...

    As for finding the time to exercise, it's not always easy, I totally recognise that. I work a job where I sometimes get less than four hours of sleep before I have to be back in the office which leaves me way too tired to exercise, but that also means that I try to make the most of the time that I do have. And simple changes do add up, next time you see a friend for a coffee, why don't you suggest going for a walk rather than sitting in a coffee shop, or get a bicycle and cycle to the grocery store, stop taking the lifts at work, walk or cycle to work if possible, if not, park further away from the office, go for a walk in your lunch break or hit the gym at lunch.

    If you really do not have time to go to the gym, invest in some home workout equipment. Ther are so many videos online, including for workout routines taking less than 20 minutes, e.g. Tabata style workouts or Bodyrock workouts, there is really no excuse. It's what I do at the moment and it is great. I am also studying for a masters while working sixty to seventy hours a week, so yesterday, instead of hitting the gym which is fifteen mins away, I did two workout DVDs at home and today I ran laps around a loca park.
  • fishbaitkait
    fishbaitkait Posts: 45 Member
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    You can lose weight by cutting calories.
    But you can't be healthy and fit without exercise.

    My opinion.
  • ojell
    ojell Posts: 749 Member
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    Yes, that's how I started losing weight. It's better to exercise if you can squeeze some in for sooooo many reasons even if it's just something small.
  • paulmg1234
    paulmg1234 Posts: 37
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    Definitely! I think food (calorie intake) is the most important component of weight loss. I've never lost any weight with exercise alone, but I've lost many pounds with just watching my caloric intake. All the best!
  • Katzilla82
    Katzilla82 Posts: 80
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    Majority of my weightloss was from food portion alone. It can be done
  • lisao62
    lisao62 Posts: 80 Member
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    I lost initially without any exercise but started walking regularly about 2 months into my journey and the weight loss took off from that point. I was walking 45 mins to 1 hr at least 5 days weekly and i haven't stopped since. The increased weight loss and energy I felt were such motivaton to keep it up, I've found the time to commit to it.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    I work full-time, go to school part-time, and have a 20-month old son and I have time to exercize. I get up at 4:00 every morning and do Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. If I can fine the time, so can you. Trust me!
  • Marsha185
    Marsha185 Posts: 2
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    Yes I lost 8 LBS. so far by just staying in my calories
  • KateB1982
    KateB1982 Posts: 107 Member
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    I work full-time, go to school part-time, and have a 20-month old son and I have time to exercize. I get up at 4:00 every morning and do Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. If I can fine the time, so can you. Trust me!

    Great attitude! :)
  • small4me
    small4me Posts: 46 Member
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    You can lose weight by cutting calories.
    But you can't be healthy and fit without exercise.

    My opinion.

    So true ~~~ and when you hit that wonderful magical age that the body decides it wants you to work harder, or you have other health issues that can add pounds just by watching a food ad on t.v.!! You need to really have a great fitness plan in place, not just a great eating plan. This is a Lifestyle and if you are only about food, then yes you can lose weight by counting calories. You want overall complete health then YOU need to be in charge of your whole life plan.
  • small4me
    small4me Posts: 46 Member
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    Did anyone lose weight just by watching their caloric intake?? I dont have time to exercise.............:(


    Walk in place for 10 min a couple of times a day. Do extra squats while you are doing dishes. When grocery shopping, do some bicep curls with the melons. You always, always have some extra moments (not hours) to add some extra exercise to your day. You are young that YES only counting calories will help you lose pounds. Muscle helps you lose weight. Plan now in your 20's to be fit and healthy or you might not like your 40's too much!!

    Good luck and have a great day :indifferent:
  • Fozzyspotts
    Fozzyspotts Posts: 50 Member
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    Hi, yes At first I just counted my calories. My biggest issue is quantity of food and then lack of exercise. I had to re-train my stomach to demand less (smaller meals) (get past the all the growling) and then eat regularly enough that my body did not go into starvation mode.

    Always eat the calories you are allowed and keep track of long walks, shoveling snow or any activity that is outside your current activity norm. These things can really burn up calories at first and cause your body to "switch" into starvation mode and saving fat rather than burning it.

    As I understand the process, we just eat (and get used to eating) a lot more than we need and we have to un-lean this habit.

    Exercise can add weight if you are into building muscle. Regular toning probably won't but I am not an expert on these topics.

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