Do I need to exercise to lose weight?

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Roll_Tide_Meg
Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I plan on starting to exercise once I lose about 15 lb just from eating clean foods....yes I worry about the number on the scale, I'm getting better about not caring what it says and just eating clean but I do care. So here is what I've been doing...I was eating 1200 calories and not exercising, lost a a few pounds but quickly realized this wasn't healthy and read up on TDEE. So now I've figured my TDEE - 500 is 1538 and that is what I'm sticking to but I'm still not exercising and I haven't seen the scale budge in a couple of days and this morning I was up two pounds. Do I just need to go ahead and try to exercise a few times a week and not worry about the up and down of the scale?
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Replies

  • kaylacollinscna
    kaylacollinscna Posts: 102 Member
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    Exercising will help you lose weight a lot faster and will build muscle, which not only looks great but will burn even more calories. Do you just not like exercise? I don't really see a reason not to start now.
  • Roll_Tide_Meg
    Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
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    No, just by the time I get home, change, cook, wash dishes...there just isn't time in the day. I didn't like exercise before I started eating cleaner but honestly now I feel like I have more energy and I need to do something with it...I just don't want to undereat, overeat, or anything else wrong. haha! There is so much conflicting information out there!
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    No. But, it's not doing you any favors not exercising. There are lots of benefits of exercise besides losing weight. For one it helps keep you from being flabby. I would rather be a little overweight than at my goal weight and be squishy.
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
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    No, you just need a calorie deficit to lose weight. Exercise uses up calories so it helps create that deficit, but you can lose weight without exercising simply by eating fewer calories.

    I have had a messed up shoulder and gone through a major respiratory infection and stomach flu in the last 4 months, all of which have disrupted my exercise schedule, and I have gone as long as 3 weeks without ever exercising because I wasn't physically able to. I have lost about the same amount of weight during those times as when I didn't - half a pound to a pound and a half per week- because I continued to net the same calorie deficit with or without exercise.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    If you were up 2lbs overnight, then it's water weight. High sodium foods will cause water weight. Yes you can lose weight without working out. It isn't recommended. Reason why:

    You lose lean body mass as well as fat...this will cause you to become "skinny - fat" or in other words thin but still have a pudgy stomach ect.

    When you decide to start working out, general rules to follow:

    1)If you go by TDEE method, re-adjust so that your exercise is factored in.
    2)If you don't do the TDEE method, then eat back at least some of your exercise calories
    3)Combine Strength and Cardio - will help you maintain LBM and lose fat
    4) Start taking measurements, don't depend on the number on the scale. You can lose inches and have roughly the same weight. This will result in fitting in smaller clothes even though your weight hasn't really changed much.
    5) Take pictures. Say you decide to do the 30 Day Shred, take before and after pictures to help you see the progress you have made.

    **Profile pic is from 2008. 5'4" weighed 125lbs - 130lbs. **
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
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    Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle and, as "SteelySunshin" said there at lots of benefits from it besides aiding in weight loss.

    You don't have to kill yourself at the gym but at least get out and walk, hike, ride a bike, garden, play....you will feel great!
  • Roll_Tide_Meg
    Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
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    Steely, this is true. The last time I lost weight was a couple of years ago...I was eating about 1200-1400 calories and working my tail off at Zumba almost daily...I just got burned out and I gained all 20 lbs back so I don't want that again. I worry I won't know how many calories to eat if I exercise and I will mess something up.
  • derekj222
    derekj222 Posts: 370 Member
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    Everyone has busy lives. It's how you make the time for exercise...you must want to try. No more excuses!
    No, just by the time I get home, change, cook, wash dishes...there just isn't time in the day. I didn't like exercise before I started eating cleaner but honestly now I feel like I have more energy and I need to do something with it...I just don't want to undereat, overeat, or anything else wrong. haha! There is so much conflicting information out there!
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    <<< Your friend :) I used to weigh once a week, now I weigh once a month and I'm much happier. Even when I weighed once a week I would weigh same time of day, same day, first thing in the morning, naked. That way fewer variables were in play :)

    Second, you CAN lose by just eating less. But I wouldn't find that level of food satisfying, I would rather exercise and eat more. it doesn't have to be vigorous, it can just be a walk 4-5 days a week of 30 minutes at first. That would also start the habbit has exercise in your lifestyle regardless of level of strenuous activity.
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
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    Oh, and I forgot to add that if you really want to exercise you'll find the time....I do a bootcamp class 3 mornings a week at 6 a.m. and usually get out for a good walk/hike once a week. Yes I hate getting up at 4 a.m. but it's worth it.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • Roll_Tide_Meg
    Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
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    Everyone has busy lives. It's how you make the time for exercise...you must want to try. No more excuses!
    No, just by the time I get home, change, cook, wash dishes...there just isn't time in the day. I didn't like exercise before I started eating cleaner but honestly now I feel like I have more energy and I need to do something with it...I just don't want to undereat, overeat, or anything else wrong. haha! There is so much conflicting information out there!

    Rude! lol! take it easy on me. Goodness. Yes I could find time if I wanted to...lol!
  • Roll_Tide_Meg
    Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
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    <<< Your friend :) I used to weigh once a week, now I weigh once a month and I'm much happier. Even when I weighed once a week I would weigh same time of day, same day, first thing in the morning, naked. That way fewer variables were in play :)

    Second, you CAN lose by just eating less. But I wouldn't find that level of food satisfying, I would rather exercise and eat more. it doesn't have to be vigorous, it can just be a walk 4-5 days a week of 30 minutes at first. That would also start the habbit has exercise in your lifestyle regardless of level of strenuous activity.

    But did you weight once a week or once a month when you at a higher weight (I see that you have lost a lot)? I just want to be in the 180's before I leave the scale alone. I got scared a few weeks ago when I stepped on the scale and hit a lifetime high of 199...too close for comfort for me. So I just want to get down to the 180's and I will feel a lot better.

    Good idea! I think that is what I will do. I actually talked to my hubby on lunch and we decided that on his off week we will go to the park and walk but it is going to be hard on his on week (He works 7 on/7off 10 hours a day)...he won't want to do anything...may just need to go to the park alone on those days?
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Steely, this is true. The last time I lost weight was a couple of years ago...I was eating about 1200-1400 calories and working my tail off at Zumba almost daily...I just got burned out and I gained all 20 lbs back so I don't want that again. I worry I won't know how many calories to eat if I exercise and I will mess something up.

    I am struggling with that as well. So, I am weighing myself daily and I think I can sort of figure out how much I am burning with exercise as I log all my food. So, the difference in weight will be from exercise. A lot of people say don't weigh daily but if you burn 2000 calories a day with exercise that is significant enough to see on the scale. So, far so good for me what I think I am burning does show up almost exactly like my estimated burn numbers would predict.
  • ellefisher88
    ellefisher88 Posts: 3 Member
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    I don't know if exercise helps me lose weight, but I definitely know it decreases my stress and anxiety, builds/maintains my muscles, makes me sleep better, makes me happier and I really enjoy it!

    I have always hated exercise, I think because I was lazy, but i started a 12 week program at my gym and started going three times a week plus a personal training session, and it really got me motivated and accountable. I do it all at 6am before work, so I don't even feel like im missing out on any part of the day.

    Gyms are good because there is heaps of variety and it is really cold where I live and exercising outside is very unpleasant! But walking, jogging, workout videos can all be fun too.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,453 Member
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    You don't need to but it prevent you from looking skinny fat and is good for you in so many ways.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    You don't have to but I know some fun exercises you and I could do together.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    No, just by the time I get home, change, cook, wash dishes...there just isn't time in the day. I didn't like exercise before I started eating cleaner but honestly now I feel like I have more energy and I need to do something with it...I just don't want to undereat, overeat, or anything else wrong. haha! There is so much conflicting information out there!

    can you get out one night a week?

    That's what I do... I bust my *kitten*, one night a week, and burn about 850 cals in 60 mins. It's my time to kill it... and it is often the only exercise I can get a week.

    If you look at my pics... it's working.

    Now that it's nicer... I'll be tossing in some running... but really, one night of a crazy *kitten* burn (boxing) has worked wonders for me.

    (credentials: separated mother of two daughters, age 5 and 7, work 40 hours a week and commute 8hours on top of that. have my own house to take care of, and all the yard work is mine to.)

    The answer is clearly no... you don't need to exercise to lose weight... but if you CAN exercise, you will likely lose inches and love the results more than what you see on the scale.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    title answer - no
    do i need to exercise to look better - yes. All I have to say is so many people including myself waited far to long to start exercising. And my looks improved ten fold when I started. Everything that was south moved north, and everything became firm. Resistance training will help retain muscle mass while dieting to help you stay firm. Most of the weight you will lose by resistance training will be fat. Note that you will not bulk up...only a calorie surplus will do that. I just tried to do a 10lb bulk and as you can see by my profile pic I wasn't very successful lol. Dieting alone and the weight you lose will be a higher ratio of LBM...which had me skinny fat at 5'7 and 120lbs. And I gotta say, it's not easy to put muscle on at that point, and you cannot put it on on a calorie deficit so I gained 10lbs back trying to look better.
  • Roll_Tide_Meg
    Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
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    Ya'll will be glad to know that I started working out last night! :) I just had a lot of pent up energy so I did about 25 minutes of Zumba and I think I will do that for 3 days a week for a month (increasing the time each week) and then after a month I will work out maybe 5 days a week....just trying to build some endurance.

    I appreciate CoderGal telling me not to wait too long because I don't want to do that for sure...I was just wanting to lose about 10 lbs before I started working out.
  • Roll_Tide_Meg
    Roll_Tide_Meg Posts: 255 Member
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    You don't have to but I know some fun exercises you and I could do together.

    umm what? LOL!

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