Calling all those who have successfully lost weight!

Frumpy2Fit

Just wondering what % of your loss you would contribute to the way you eat and what % you would contribute to the amount of exercise you did/do? I know to successfully lose weight you need to do both but I feel like I have been exercising a lot while still struggling with healthy eating, and I haven't lost a pound! Thanks ahead of time for your input!!!

Dan112358

Just wondering what % of your loss you would contribute to the way you eat and what % you would contribute to the amount of exercise you did/do? I know to successfully lose weight you need to do both but I feel like I have been exercising a lot while still struggling with healthy eating, and I haven't lost a pound! Thanks ahead of time for your input!!!

80-90% dietary & 10-20% exercise. Some of my bigger losses were at times when I was focusing more on diet & less on exercise. That being said, be careful about what you're losing. If you're not strength training, you could be losing muscle mass as well as body fat.

tinalatina

I would like to think that Im doing okay but not a HUGE success but hey....any progress success!

I would say that it is %60 Diet %40 fitness for me. When I started this journey for the second time I told myself this time I was going to get it right. I changed my eating habits majorly compared to last year, and I COMMITTED my exercising to at least 5 days a week minimum. I feel like the journey took time...as all things do but now that I am on the 4th month im starting to see a transformation.

I can tell you that I did still with my calorie allowance and I do eat back some if not all of my exercise cals. I did hit a point where I couldnt loose for a month and then I tried ZIG ZAGGING/CALORIE CYCLING which really helped me get past that plateau.

I have known you since I started and I know that you have been committed and maintain a healthy diet so dont give up. You are doing awesome!

Hope that helped....

tina

tabi26

Since you don't have much left too lose (your ticker says 20 lbs) then it's going to come off slower than if you had more to lose. For myself, I don't lose unless I exercise for an hour or more six days a week. 3 days lifting three days cardio. I never tried losing weight without exercise, but I would imagine it would be terribly difficult (for me at least).

Percentage wise, for me, it's about 70% diet and 30% exercise.

LabRat529

Most of my loss was due to calorie restriction. I didn't really start exercising until I had lost 30 lbs. It's not because I didn't want to exercise... it's just that exercise caused pain so I didn't do it. I think losing weight helped (less weight = less pressure on the joints/back), but also I just had to be persistent and work up to it.

That said, I've got to say exercise has made a HUGE difference in my over-all well being. I've only lost a little weight since I started really exercising, but I feel so much better physically because of exercise.

So... I don't know... I guess my take home message is exercise has benefited me a ton even though my weight loss has ground to a halt. If I had to choose between exercise + no weight loss or weight loss + no exercise, I'd pick exercise and no weight loss. I'd rather be fat but strong with the endurance to hike up hill tops, than be skinny but weak and out of shape.

IveLanded

For me, I'd say it's been equal parts diet, exercise, and mental. When it's all in balance, it's perfect.

victoria4321

I think mine was all equal. The exercise helps make me feel better and stay on track with eating right. I won't want to ruin a great work out by refueling with junk. I also crave healthier foods on my workout days. The days that I would have to say I eat the most junk are when I've been sedentary all day and bored.

LuckyLeprechaun

98-99% dietary choices
1-2% exercise

Hands down, controlling my intake is the key! No doubt about it!

Bentley2718

I lost roughly 100 pounds. Of that, I would say 98% was due to changes in eating, and only 2% changes in activity. I can however say, that in maintaining my weight loss, exercise is key. I suspected this anyway, but when I took a break from exercise, I regained some of the weight. (I also regained some weight because I went from skinny fat at my low weight, to having a more reasonable amount of muscle.) As others have pointed out, exercise does have benefits besides weight loss or the maintenance of weight loss.

Also, I don't have a citation for you at the moment, but I have read that research shows exercise tends to be more important in maintaining weight loss than actually losing weight.

montana_girl

The first 80 pounds was 90% diet and 10% exercise.... the last 30 pounds or so have been 60% diet and 40% exericse. And now that I'm trying to maintain, I would say it's more 50/50.

BigDaddyBRC

Feel free to look at my diary. 99% to change in diet.

taso42

80-90% dietary & 10-20% exercise.

I was going to say exactly this

TheFitHooker

I would agree with the 80-90% dietary and the rest would be working out. I started out not even working out, then when I started visiting the forum area here, I realized I needed to workout, I didn't want access skin or flabby tummy, trust me it ain't perfect yet, but it's a lot better then it could be, and the inches I've lost a lone is worth the working out. But for weight loss, your dietary intake is the most important, then comes the working out. (not saying eat right, lose weight then workout, I'm saying eat right and workout.) Point being, you have to eat to survive.

renegadecupid

80-90% dietary & 10-20% exercise.

I was going to say exactly this

^^^^ This

runnercheryl

Well, I've gone from eating up to/around 4000 calories a day, to eating less than half of that.

That must have had a huge impact, but at the same time I hit a plateau last year and ended up gaining some of my weight back purely because I changed the type of exercise I was doing. Not the amount of calories burned, but the WAY I burned them.

The fact is, for me there are too many factors that come into play to put percentages on it - and, the exercise is being done for health and fitness, so isn't something I'd give up even if I could lose weight 100% without it.

hiker282

I've heard it said that no amount of exercise can compensate for a bad diet; so I'd say the majority definitely lays in what you are or are not eating. Like it's crazy how quickly you can pack in a 2,000 calories of junk vs how much you have to eat of lean meat, fruits and veggies to get that same amount of calories. Focus most on what you eat, exercise when you can and the weight should melt off.

SPNLuver83

It has alot to do with dieting and what you put into your body.... Has to be... when I stopped logging and din't count calories, but still worked out just as hard, I did not loose anything. I did not gain but I did not loose. So a large portion of weight loss has to be the calories you put in.

joankpoirier

with me I would say it's 75% exercise since I was already changing what I ate and was not seeing any weight loss

SarahofTwins

Personally I was eating right about 90% of the time but also making sure to drink plenty of water. Also I was usually jogging about 5 times a week for about 20-25mins.

jenalderman

I would contribute my weight loss pretty much 50/50. I started running which at my larger weight was was earning me a LOT of extra calories which in turn helped me to sick to my healthier eating because I didn't have to feel hungry. Even at this weight, I often use my exercise as a means of being able to eat something that I wouldn't otherwise be able to. I do attribute the other 50% to the change in eating habits. More water has made all the difference, more fiber helps keep me full, more protein helps me build lean muscle and burn more calories....etc...etc...etc. It's a partnership for me with the diet/exercise.

jadedone

I'd say 75% food/25% exercise: in terms of scale weight.

In terms of improvements in sleep quality, body composition and energy levels: 80% exercise and 20% diet.