Control weight with diet alone?

stphnstevey

Just wondering what peeps thoughts were on controlling weight with just nutrition/diet alone?

I'm currently doing alot more exercise to quickly burn off the fat, but I ideally want to be able to control my diet so I don't need to spend so much time exercising. My job involves alot of sitting at a desk and I have put on fat so I obviously don't need all the calories I'm taking in.

HonkyTonks

Not sure what answer you're looking for here, but you can create a deficit without exercise (it's just harder).

Personally I have cut back on cardio, committed to 2-3 days of strength training combined with Intermittent Fasting in order to lose fat. I recommend this approach.

If you want to cut back on exercise, just do strength training a few days a week. Try and just be more active where you can through the day.

BerryH

Yes, just follow MFP's calorie recommendation.

However, for sustainability and all-round health, you really need to exercise.

If you're pushed for time, why not do something fast, like sprint intervals or split weight training for different body parts, so it only takes 20 minutes a day? Or try a circuit-style DVD like 30 Day Shred hiwch is also only 20 minutes? Or go out for a power walk at lunchtime, my favourite no-time exercise. I've even been known to do push-ups and ab crunches in ad breaks when I'm watching TV!

RoughDiamondUK

It's perfectly possible to not do any exercise and lose/maintain, although it is harder than if you can fit in some exercise. I walk for 30-45 minutes every day, and don't do any other exercise, with a sedentary job... and my ticker shows what I've lost since August 2010. I have accepted that I'll probably be counting calories forever, but that's an inconvenience I'm happy to put up with.

Sl1ghtly

I control my weight with diet alone. I use excersize to control my awesome physique.

stphnstevey

Guess it's eat what I want and burn it off OR count every calorie then

I want some exercise as my job doesn't give that,but also don't want to spend my life doing it! I like the idea of intense workout for short periods - I run, so might pick up the pace (noticed walking burns only half the amount of jogging, so a quickened pace must burn even more?)

Also like the ad break exercise idea - class!

nonaleep

I lost most of my weight without exercising, and I would do it all differently if I could.
Without some form of exercise, you lose all the fat without gaining any muscle, so you end up saggy/empty/ewwww. It's not good!!
If you want to lose weight AND be happy with how you look, you need to exercise at least twice a week

HonkyTonks

Guess it's eat what I want and burn it off OR count every calorie then

I want some exercise as my job doesn't give that,but also don't want to spend my life doing it! I like the idea of intense workout for short periods - I run, so might pick up the pace (noticed walking burns only half the amount of jogging, so a quickened pace must burn even more?)

Also like the ad break exercise idea - class!

Interval training is a good idea. 5 min warm up, 10 mins of 1 min ON / 1 min OFF intense intervals
You will done in 20 mins
I usually do this and follow it up with 45 mins of regular cardio but I like the extra calories for icecream

dls06

I do. I am the person who buys a gym membership and stops after 3 visits. I knew if I wanted to keep the weight of I had to learn to eat right.

shaydon80

I think it depends on the person. For me it's about 80% diet, 20% exercise. If I exercise and don't eat well then I don't lose. If I eat well, I lose a bit but if I eat well and exercise I'm golden

ncsjodi

Losing weight is 80% nutrition. You can't exercise away a bad diet. So, if you're going to only do one or the other, watching your food is more important. However, I exercise so that I can eat...

themedalist

When you lose weight on diet alone without exercise some of what you lose is lean muscle tissue and not fat. Losing lean muscle tissue makes it much easier to gain weight in the future. For optimal health, you need to exercise.

tashaa1992

I know it's possible to do it, I did it all through my anorexia. In this last month though, I have pushed myself to exercise for at least thirty minutes everyday and I feel alot better for it. I've suffered with depression for five years, and I feel slightly better now and I do put alot of that feeling down to the fact I'm exercising each day. I'm not doing it to control my weight, I mean I want to gain but I feel alot more mentally stabilized now.
I'm not judging you at all, so I hope you don't think that and I hope I don't come across as rude, but why did you start this journey? Wsa it not for better health? I believe having a good relationship with exercise is just as important as having a good relationship with food, it's about balance. It's just my opinion though.

kcoftx

I did it successfully 3 times (I have 3 children). I was skinny fat but I didn't know the difference and frankly didn't care. I can't say I did it totally without exercise. I did use a pedometer and just worked on getting at least 10,000 steps a day. I did little strategies such as parking far, using stairs, etc. I was fine with it. I even maintained successfully.

This last time I gained 20 with a lifestyle change. I knew what I was doing and didn't care. A year later I have maintained this increase and now I'm working on it. For the first time I am interested in exercising. I'm recognizing the differences in shape (physical) and endurance of people who exercise. I'm trying it out. I'm still doing the pedometer thing and for years I have maintained some of those fit the steps in strategies. My endurance showed remarked improvement after just one month. That's enough to convince me.

But if you are asking whether you have to have exercise to lose weight, the answer is no.

anna_love

When you lose weight on diet alone without exercise some of what you lose is lean muscle tissue and not fat. Losing lean muscle tissue makes it much easier to gain weight in the future. For optimal health, you need to exercise.

this ^^^