Can u lose without working out?

TinkrBelz

10 Years ago, I needed to lose 8 lbs, from high 120s to low 120s. I ate 1200 calories and did not exercise. I lost the weight and looked great (not skinny fat), but then got pregnant again and got pregnant again after that.

Now that I am in my 40s the diet alone was not working and I think because as we age our daily calorie allowance goes down.

So my goal is to be thin and muscular because I know as I am aging I am naturally going to lose my muscle mass, unless I work to keep it.

I think young girls can lose weight through diet alone, but when you get older, you will want to add exercise too. It will keep your heart healthy and your muscle healthy. AND, it allows you to eat more so you can get in all of your nutrients.

angiemartin78

Wow thanks everyone or all your info! I just want you guys to know I do a little walking during the week and do at lease 30mins of dance five days a week. I am tryig to change my eating habits but it's hard when my husband doesn't want any healthy food. So making two different dinners frustrates me sometimes. Thanks again guys!

Well the hubby can eat what he is given or cook his own. Is he overweight?

I agree. If my family won't eat the healthy food that I cook, then they are on their own! I refuse to cook more than one meal.

maggie16sweetxoxo

okay you can't just sit on your behind all day EVER, but i didnt workout during some of my weight lose and its not good because you have to burn the fat off. but idk what im typing anymore lol JUST GO WORKOUT!!!:flowerforyou:

Sparkz1920

http://straighthealth.com/pages/qna/loseweightnoexercise.html

Interesting read....im sure there is plenty more where that came from as well. it pretty much states that you CAN lose by a calorie deficit, but its really not the best idea. I know we all have different goals....I want to look good with clothes on and off....I want to wear a bikini. You wont be wearing a bikini with a diet alone weight loss program. I also want to be healthy as well. Health is my main concern, As my body is not horrible anyway.

marbit

I think its because "healthy food" conjures up visions of tofu and a pile of brussel sprouts (which some people like, but a lot don't). You can eat better and trick him into not realising he's eating healthy. for example, I make chicken parm almost all the time. I make my own sauce, and instead of breadcrumbs ill use almond flour and breadcrumbs, soy cheese, and instead of pasta i use sauteed mushrooms. I kid you not, it tastes like it should be SOOOOO bad for you, but its wicked low in calories. You can search online for subsititutes and use sites like eatingwell.com that have very very healthy foods, that all taste like you are eating 10000 calories per meal. Rich tasting, but low in the unhealthy department.

skinnybearlyndsay

I did on the old program I was on, but I still looked big even though I had lost almost 50 pounds. After doing this the good way (meaning adding in exercise), I feel like before I lost muscle mass and not fat. Muscle mass is the worst thing to lose, too. This time I'm losing fat building muscle (trust me, I can tell).

It's up to you what you want to do, but be aware that only cutting calories may lead to more sagginess.

danoftroy

A pound of fat = 3,500 calories. To lose one pound per week, you have to use 500 more calories per day (all seven days) than you consume. Without exercise, that is a newspaper and water diet. Few people have the will power to stay on such a severe diet for very long. Without some exercise, your weight lose hopes are doomed.

I weighed 260. I cut back from about 2,100 calories per day to 1,500. I was hungry all of the time (24 x 7). I lost some weight, but leveled off at about 240. Instead of going home after work every day and sitting down to watch the news, I joined a gym and started watching the news every day while on a treadmill, bike or eliptical. I choose a gym right on my way home. I changed clothes at the office and wore my gym clothes home. So it minimized the hassle at the gym and made my time investment minimal. I am 210 pounds today with a goal of 190.

I do not beleive I could have done it without exercise.

marbit

I like this idea, minimizing hassle. Thats my biggest problem, is the hassle of it all! Food for thought for me, thanks!

Ro0kins_Wedding

I've lost 23 lbs so far (I'm now 149 lbs) and I've only been to the gym once.

I'm not doing that again, it was knackering.

Matt_Wild

The prob is losing weight and keeping it offer. Lose muscle = lower maintenance level. Hence so many people yoyo diet because you've compromised muscle mass and as soon as you eat like you did before you put on the weight you had and more because you've got less lean mass than you did before and thus need lass calories...

Mehagon

Yes it is. . .I lost my first 40 pounds without any shred of exercise. Let me tell you though, I'm paying for it now over 100 pounds lost. . . I have loose skin issues that could have been lessened if I started lifting weights when I started losing weight. Get to the gym. . . don't just do cardio - lift the weights too. You'll be glad you did.

kamm602

I dieted for a whole year and lost almost 50 pounds before I ever started working out... That was last January, This January I was at a size where I wanted to be and was comfortable with myself and weight so I started incorporating excersice into my daily routine. My weight was where I wanted but I had a lot of things to tighten. For 2012s resolution I made a point to have a goal but nothing too extreme that I cannot accomplish in a descent amount of time. Next year I will be skinny and really fit, so I have to really think hard about my resolution for that year... Hope this helps.

umachanxo

Yes you can! For toning and muscle though, you may want to try and do just even 10 minutes of fitness.
It will help the inches come off faster.

Best of luck!

marycmeadows

sure, you can lose to a point with diet alone, but who wants to be skinny fat? and why would you not want to work out? there are so many benefits, but what has kept me going for so long is how GREAT I feel from working out and eating RIGHT!

SW 303.4 (1/1/11)
CW 198.4 (105lbs DOWN)
GW 160

Jenny_MSW

I lost about 40lbs without exercise and got to my goal weight (doing weightwatchers). You won't be muscley and tight when all is said and done, but you'll be smaller for sure! Then of course, you'll want to start exercising...

baileylm

Years ago I lost 79 pounds in 6 months without exercising at all. I didn't even count calories. And I ate whatever I wanted. It was all about listening to my body's signals. I only ate when I was truly PHYSICALLY hungry (listen for the growl) and stopped when I was SATISFIED (not "full"). I fell into a pattern of eating smaller amounts more frequently. It does work, but it isn't easy. However, for optimal health, I would absolutely recommend exercise. You only need to get your heart pumping for 30 minutes a day to experience wonderful benefits. :happy:

Dorianlg

OK, I think most of us agree that technically you can lose weight on diet alone. You maintain a calorie deficit, and you lose weight. I'm uncertain if you lose more muscle without exercising than you do with exercising, but I do know that strength training will "net" you more muscle. And muscle is hot.

Exercise is incredibly important to your overall health. This site is called "my fitness pal" not "my weight loss pal" for a reason.
See this article published in the NY Times this week discussing the immediate negative effects of not moving: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/why-its-so-important-to-keep-moving/?ref=health

Also, for when you're thinking about long term weight loss, you should look at the characteristics of long term losers as shown by the National Weight Control Registry (http://www.nwcr.ws/) 94% of those folks who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year report that they increased their physical activity.

Justforthebacon

The prob is losing weight and keeping it offer. Lose muscle = lower maintenance level. Hence so many people yoyo diet because you've compromised muscle mass and as soon as you eat like you did before you put on the weight you had and more because you've got less lean mass than you did before and thus need lass calories...

Even if you have more lean mass it isn't going to help you that much. If you were to say convert 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. A pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns

I think it is great to encourage people to exercise, but diet is key. Exercise if you want but don't think it is necessary.

Below is a time magazine article out lining a study from a peer-reviewed journal.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914974,00.html

Matt_Wild

The prob is losing weight and keeping it offer. Lose muscle = lower maintenance level. Hence so many people yoyo diet because you've compromised muscle mass and as soon as you eat like you did before you put on the weight you had and more because you've got less lean mass than you did before and thus need lass calories...

Even if you have more lean mass it isn't going to help you that much. If you were to say convert 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. A pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns

I think it is great to encourage people to exercise, but diet is key. Exercise if you want but don't think it is necessary.

Below is a time magazine article out lining a study from a peer-reviewed journal.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914974,00.html

You refer to a single study by Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, the American Council on Exercise's Chief Science Officer. He refers to the fact that alone it needs 2 calories. The entire process to feed the muscle/power it etc is 35 calories. Hence, why most other studies such around 35 calories per lb, eg 350 calories per 10lb.

Think about it - why would you need to burn 3500 cals to burn 1lb of fat if it only needed 2 calories per pound to exist?

Advantages
-Increased after burn - High intensity strength training can actually help you burn extra calories for hours after your workout (EPOC)
-Prevents loss of lean body mass that happens from dieting and/or aging
-Burning calories - While strength training doesn't burn as many calories in one sitting as cardio, it does contribute to your overall calorie expenditure
-Changes your body composition, which helps shape your body and keep you healthy
-Strengthens bones and connective tissue along with muscles
-Keeps you strong and active as you get older
-Improves coordination, balance and may help prevent injuries

fabafter5

I lose better without exercise. Got to my goal weight doing WW with no exercise. Now I exercise 5-6days a week and am struggling to get back there.