Can I Lose Weight without Exercising?

BugGirl2011

I lost 70 lbs in 8 months without exercising (although I am exercising a lot now, since the weight is gone and it's easier to move; I still have a lot of fat that only exercise will burn). Eat lots of fresh, lean meats and tons of fresh veggies. Cut out any processed foods and sugars. And just adding some easy exercise will help (walk to the mailbox, park in the back of the grocery store, etc). Losing the weight is half the battle. It's adopting healthy eating habits and not slipping back to your old ways that can be the biggest problem! Good luck!

TXGirl821

There are so many reasons to exercise - weight loss is only one of them. However, if you really have all kinds of foot and leg problems, there are also videos for chair exercising, for anyone or even for seniors. You might find that once you get started, you really love it and you'll want to do more!

pmz212

NEVER GIVE UP!!
It took time to gain the weight, so give yourself some time to lose it also.
When we stress out about things, it can delay weight loss. Something about stress horomones, etc., etc.
Whatever the details and the science are can be discussed and debated regarding calories, food, exercise, stress, etc, but a simple truth is that sometimes things take time.

You can probably lose weight without exercising, as long as all the other factors are good - right amount of healthy nutrients, getting good sleep, etc, etc.
If taking a yoga class seems like too much, I highly recommend gentle stretching. Even if it's just 10 minutes, nice stretching flushes the muscles and feels good. It could give you some more strength and help with flexibility. Stretching is a great start. It may not burn a whole lot of calories, but will certainly do some good.
Best of luck!!

moekane

I'm with you - couch potato all the way. But the advice to try to find something that works for you is excellent, especially the part about keeping any losses off.

I spent the last 2 years exercising 3-4x/week (weight training and cardio) with no dietary adjustments (no more calories but no less) without losing even 5 pounds. And I still hate the exercise, but I do like the improved flexibility and strength (you'd think Zumba would make stair climbing a bit easier, but NOOOO!) So now I'm watching the calories and the two things that get me to the gym are the appointment with my trainer/someone is expecting me, and that fact that I get to add exercised calories back if I want/need to. Still no love lost. You may never like exercise but you may get to a point where you find it a reasonable trade-off.

Hang in there with intake vigilance, but adding the exercise, if you can find something, will benefit you. I started with a Pilates class once a week, good stretching, good core strength improvement, not horribly sweaty and the stretches just seemed to work better for me than the Yoga. Find a teacher/class who will adapt for your issues. Start slowly. Hang in there.

trud72

Give exersice a go,i HATED it when i started it and now love it(all):bigsmile: on top of that it burns the cals,tones you up and gives you endorphines which puts you in a happy place! :laugh:
So make yourself do it for a little while and see whet you get x

lilylight

I think it would be impossible for me to eat the small number of calories that are allowed me if I don't exercise to "earn" more food. That's honestly the number one thing that gets me to do something every day since I've been on MFP. But I also find that I'm feeling much better in multiple ways!

mcarter99

Try a yoga DVD at home.

I lost 50 lbs. once w/o exercise.

jackibailey

I don't exercise either. I did until I got bursitis in my hips, but now with meds they kind of feel better. I want to get one of the Leslie Sansone walk at home DVDs. They're supposed to be really low impact. I don't enjoy exercise so for me doing the 20 min 1 mile DVD would be quite the accomplishment. Maybe you could try something like that.

yarwell

Has anyone lost weight without adding exercise?

Yes, over 56 lbs. I did walk the dog and walk myself and a bit of cycling but the rate of weight loss wasn't noticeably influenced by these activities.

I'm looking at doing exercise now, mainly to get my cardiovascular fitness out of the bottom 10% :-)

TinaLucan

Quote I love...

Dieting will make you look good in clothes
Exercising will make you look good NAKED!

Love this :-)

jlreser

I'm proof you CAN lose weight WITHOUT exercise! I started at 206 and was 185 yesterday. This is from March 4th to June 19. I've been counting calories and that's it. Now, my doctor did say she wanted me to walk 30 min everyday, but I just never got my fat butt up and off the couch.

Per her scale I've actually lost 29 lbs, but for MFP's competitions and weigh-ins I'm using my digital scale. So, while exercise I"m sure would have helped me lose more and faster, I'm PROOF that one doesn't HAVE to exercise. I do have bad knees and two herniated discs that have also scared/prevented me from exercising, but I hope today is Day 1 of starting to move.

jkandktmom

Yoga is a good place to start.

I agree I have started doing it every morning. You can get a dvd or even do it on the Wii have you have one. It is a great starting point. I have so much energy form starting my day with yoga.

jkandktmom

Quote I love...

Dieting will make you look good in clothes
Exercising will make you look good NAKED!

Love this :-)

God I hope so!!!

mrk34

Of course you can lose weight without exercise.

The role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. When it comes to shedding pounds, it is what and how much we eat that counts most. There are certain foods you should eat and certain ones you should avoid. If you can change what you eat and how you eat, you will be able to lose weight.

Physical activity (unless done vigorously like a professional athlete) is a minor component to the economy of weight loss. Exercise is great for our physical health and overall wellbeing, but it has a small effect on weight loss. The critical component is what food and how much you consume.

peachyxoxoxo

I lost about 35 lbs just by cutting my diet back to <1200 kcal a day about 5 years ago. Of course, I ended up losing my period which wasn't fun. And I still hated my body because even though I was thin as a rail, I still felt fat and flabby.

If you were to do any exercise, I would suggest strength training.

Natashaa1991

of course, i never exercise, just watch what you're eating and that's it

soleilxo

i started actually losing weight when i STOPPED going to the gym. all i did was control what i put in my body. i majorlyyy started restricting. its working. slowwlyy lol i am still active a work and walk a lot i guarantee you: if you are cautious about the quantity of food you put in your body, you will lose weight, exercise or no exercise.

Umeboshi

I've lost almost 60 pounds with very minimal exercise. It's definitely possible. Still healthier to get more exercise in though

spoonful

I once went on an eating plan without doing any weight work/training at all. I just became a smaller fat person.

palmerig88

How about walking and strength training?