exercising without diet for weight loss
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If I focus mainly on exercise but don't change diet too much can I lose body fat? For example, if you eat 2500 calories a day and you need 2000 a day to maintain, and burn 1000 calories at the gym every day, wouldn't that still be a 500 deficit and you'd lose a pound a week? I want to work on diet too but I just want to know if I would be wasting my time exercising so much if it wouldn't do anything.
Yes, you would lose fat in the scenario above. Whether you lose by adding exercise and not changing your diet depends on what your diet was before you started.
All I did to lose weight was regular exercise, but I was only eating a modest calorie surplus so the exercise was enough to turn that into a deficit, and eventually into maintenance.0 -
I tried to lose weight by just exercising and it didn't work. I lost a little bit, but not much. Tracking what I was eating was a real eye opener. I didn't realize how much I was eating until I started logging it on MFP. Once I started journaling my food, weight loss became a reality for me.0
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Ditto! About 9 years ago I joined a gym and went almost everyday. I really enjoyed it but I didn't change my eating habits. Food wise, I just wasn't mentally ready to make changes. I didn't lose a thing and I was working out, riding a bike and even roller blading.
I'm not saying it's impossible but it just didn't work for me. :-( I can lose weight without exercising.0 -
If I focus mainly on exercise but don't change diet too much can I lose body fat? For example, if you eat 2500 calories a day and you need 2000 a day to maintain, and burn 1000 calories at the gym every day, wouldn't that still be a 500 deficit and you'd lose a pound a week? I want to work on diet too but I just want to know if I would be wasting my time exercising so much if it wouldn't do anything.
This will work; however, you need to have a firm understanding this is what you're doing. The problem with creating a calorie deficit solely through exercise is this: you'll gain back the weight when you stop exercising. If you can learn how to eat for the weight you desire to be, life will be so much easier.
Think about fitness like this: there's diet and there is exercise, you should focus more on the one you need to live. Diet 80% and exercise 20%.0 -
I agree it is tough, and on a good week I can get 7000 exercise calories, but you are right, it is not easy!
I disagree weight loss is 100% calorie deficit, however it comes.Losing weight is 80% diet.
You can try it with just exercise, but without monitoring how much you're actually eating, it won't be easy to know if you've created a deficit or not.
Agree, calories in vs. calories out. It's pretty tough to burn an extra 1000 calories every day though.0 -
If I focus mainly on exercise but don't change diet too much can I lose body fat? For example, if you eat 2500 calories a day and you need 2000 a day to maintain, and burn 1000 calories at the gym every day, wouldn't that still be a 500 deficit and you'd lose a pound a week? I want to work on diet too but I just want to know if I would be wasting my time exercising so much if it wouldn't do anything.
I think it will work for you because you’re 21 and the younger we are the faster we can lose weight. I don't think this would work for you in 10 years though.0 -
This will work; however, you need to have a firm understanding this is what you're doing. The problem with creating a calorie deficit solely through diet is this: you'll gain back the weight when you stop dieting. If you can learn how to exercise for the weight you desire to be, life will be so much easier.If I focus mainly on exercise but don't change diet too much can I lose body fat? For example, if you eat 2500 calories a day and you need 2000 a day to maintain, and burn 1000 calories at the gym every day, wouldn't that still be a 500 deficit and you'd lose a pound a week? I want to work on diet too but I just want to know if I would be wasting my time exercising so much if it wouldn't do anything.
This will work; however, you need to have a firm understanding this is what you're doing. The problem with creating a calorie deficit solely through exercise is this: you'll gain back the weight when you stop exercising. If you can learn how to eat for the weight you desire to be, life will be so much easier.0 -
The saying goes you can't out exercise a bad diet
^^^ This
Why do it half-@ssed? If u want to lose weight for good you need to establish healthy habits all around.
That being said, maybe if u wanted to indulge 1 day a week u could exercise all out that one day (more so than the rest of the week) to enable yourself to eat a little more and probably even it all out. But not daily.0 -
The big point I made earlier was that the OP would lose weight, but should make sure tracking calories and exercise is a big part of it! Tracking is the real eye opener!0
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I exercised and didn't change my diet - i lost 12 lb. Been counting calories since November not lost a single poud :sad:0
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Why do it half-@ssed?The saying goes you can't out exercise a bad diet
^^^ This
Why do it half-@ssed? If u want to lose weight for good you need to establish healthy habits all around.
That being said, maybe if u wanted to indulge 1 day a week u could exercise all out that one day (more so than the rest of the week) to enable yourself to eat a little more and probably even it all out. But not daily.
Because some people are not ready to change everything, so if you can at least change one thing that is better than nothing.
Many of us here are ready to take on the food and exercise portions of a healthy lifestyle, but not everyone is. There is constantly too much judgmental behavior here when someone else doesn't do things the way that worked them.0 -
I'm lazy. I would just prefer to eat my Big Mac without the fries.0
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Man those fries are a killer, as well as the cheese. Big Mac without cheese and no fries I think is about 400 calories :-)I'm lazy. I would just prefer to eat my Big Mac without the fries.0 -
In my own experience, I exercise regularly, whether dieting or not. I lose no weight from exercising, and have even gained weight even though I exercise. For me personally, I need to exercise EVERYDAY and only eat about 1200 calories a day to lose weight. Exercising and eating like normal does nothing for me.
If you can find a way to eat whatever you want and exercise, and lose weight, go for it and please let me know your secret!
And I do agree that burning 1000 calories everyday would be a lot of work, and in the end you might prefer to skip the cupcake rather than burn it off.
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If you can find a way to eat whatever you want and exercise, and lose weight, go for it and please let me know your secret!
The secret is in what you want to eat.0 -
I lost a lot of weight by exercise alone. I gained the weight slowly... I was doing less... one day I decided I needed to lose weight... started exercising ... I have 10lbs left.... now I use MFP to remind me of portion size.... Everyone does it differently. If exercise works for you go for it!0
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If you are happy in your progress, thaats all that matters and if not then maybe you have to lower your calories!! Its whatever YOU want0
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The Special K diet and Twinkie diet prove that you can lose weight and eat junk (I am not certain that you lose fat, probably some, but probably more muscle mass). The key is a calorie deficit. Not exercise. If you eat exactly the same and exercise, you should start to see some weight loss because you are burning more calories than you were before and maintaining the same calorie intake, thus, a deficit is created. However, that is a less than ideal situation. But, in all honesty, that's how I started 3 or 4 years ago and slowly made changes with my diet along the way as almost a necessary way to maintain energy and feeling good.0
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It pretty much comes down to your body type. Ectomorphs (Skinny) can eat a box of cookies and not gain a pound so they are always trying to put on weight. Then the Mesomorphs (Athletic), these are the people that once they start training see results fast. Then the last one, Endomorphs (Heavys) who looks at a candy bar and gains three pounds. You need to know your body type and what works for you. If you are an endomorph (Heavy) then diet is the most important part then followed up with cardio. You will need weight lifting also but diet and cardio will help out the most. Do your research on your bosy type and what works for you.0
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Why dont you want to fill your body with good tasting healthy food? It will make you feel better.0
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Why do it half-@ssed?The saying goes you can't out exercise a bad diet
^^^ This
Why do it half-@ssed? If u want to lose weight for good you need to establish healthy habits all around.
That being said, maybe if u wanted to indulge 1 day a week u could exercise all out that one day (more so than the rest of the week) to enable yourself to eat a little more and probably even it all out. But not daily.
Because some people are not ready to change everything, so if you can at least change one thing that is better than nothing.
Many of us here are ready to take on the food and exercise portions of a healthy lifestyle, but not everyone is. There is constantly too much judgmental behavior here when someone else doesn't do things the way that worked them.
My opinion is not judgmental...ask any professional they will say you need to establish healthy habits for longevity of weight loss.
Exercising until you burn 1000 calories a day is extreme behavior and nobody, except maybe professional atheletes, would be able to tolerate it for long periods of time. That's setting you up for failure.
OP asked if it would work, just stating my opinion that it won't.
Edited for spelling.0 -
Why do it half-@ssed?The saying goes you can't out exercise a bad diet
^^^ This
Why do it half-@ssed? If u want to lose weight for good you need to establish healthy habits all around.
That being said, maybe if u wanted to indulge 1 day a week u could exercise all out that one day (more so than the rest of the week) to enable yourself to eat a little more and probably even it all out. But not daily.
Because some people are not ready to change everything, so if you can at least change one thing that is better than nothing.
Many of us here are ready to take on the food and exercise portions of a healthy lifestyle, but not everyone is. There is constantly too much judgmental behavior here when someone else doesn't do things the way that worked them.
My opinion is not judgmental...ask any professional they will say you need to establish healthy habits for longevity of weight lisd.
Exercising until you burn 1000 calories a day is extreme behavior and anybody will not be able to tolerate it for long periods of time. That's setting you up for failure.
OP asked if it would work, just stating my opinion that it won't.
If they are truly counting their calories and creating a deficit with their exercise then it will work. A person needs to create a 500 calorie deficit either by exercise alone, diet alone or both.0 -
True Story- A few years ago, I trained for a 1/2 marathon to help me lose weight. I was running 20 hours/week. I lost exactly NOTHING!!! Because I did not change my diet.
Oh and I ate very well. Lots of fruits and veggies, very little fatty foods. But I did not count calories and worry about the overall calorie count.
And to those who say that I gained muscle and that it weigh more than fat. I wore the same size pants as when I started.
(And by the way- a pound of muscles is the same as a pound of fat- they both WEIGH a POUND!!! Mucles i more dense. Thus it a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat.)0 -
If you haven't seen the 'documentary' fat head; have a watch (err, I haven't yet) - he gets in much better shape by just eating McDonalds I believe.
I eat what a lot of people would consider 'garbage' a lot of the time, yet I'm leaner and fitter than I've ever been.
At various points last year I was often eating 2500-3000 calories a day and still losing as I was still at a 500-1000 deficit.
Heck, on my Birthday I hit 5000 calories (nice pub dinner, chocolate and crisps in the day etc) and still weighed less the morning after thanks to burning 6000 calories that day.
However, of course you do need to account for the fact that on a calorie deficit your body has some 'tricks' to keep energy - at a lower weight on a deficit I tend to be noticeably colder at night. If you're not careful, you can be more lethargic too.
Oh and yes - thanks to McDonalds burgers being pretty teeny, the calories really aren't that bad.
I'm not that bothered by the chips, so happy to stick to the burger and my own can of Coke Zero if I do go there.0 -
Why do it half-@ssed?The saying goes you can't out exercise a bad diet
^^^ This
Why do it half-@ssed? If u want to lose weight for good you need to establish healthy habits all around.
That being said, maybe if u wanted to indulge 1 day a week u could exercise all out that one day (more so than the rest of the week) to enable yourself to eat a little more and probably even it all out. But not daily.
Because some people are not ready to change everything, so if you can at least change one thing that is better than nothing.
Many of us here are ready to take on the food and exercise portions of a healthy lifestyle, but not everyone is. There is constantly too much judgmental behavior here when someone else doesn't do things the way that worked them.
My opinion is not judgmental...ask any professional they will say you need to establish healthy habits for longevity of weight lisd.
Exercising until you burn 1000 calories a day is extreme behavior and anybody will not be able to tolerate it for long periods of time. That's setting you up for failure.
OP asked if it would work, just stating my opinion that it won't.
If they are truly counting their calories and creating a deficit with their exercise then it will work. A person needs to create a 500 calorie deficit either by exercise alone, diet alone or both.
Yes of course in theory it would work. My point was it just isn't sustainable in the long run...really even in the short run.0 -
If your metabolism is already in high gear..I say yes. It will take time to acclimate, if not. And consistancy in your activity level.0
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have you tried to burn 1000cals a day? Holy crap! That's a pretty high bar to set. I can spend an hour doing circuit training each day and burn around 400cals, 45min of spnning is about 400-500cals.
I guess it's possible. Just much more time intensive.0 -
When I was younger I was able to lose weight through exercise alone, but I also had a generally healthy diet free of soda & junk food.
Now that I'm a lot closer to 40, what I eat is the biggest factor when it comes to my weight. I like what they say on here - Weight loss happens in the kitchen; fitness happens at the gym.0 -
When I first started working out, I didn't give two sh*ts about what I ate. I did still lose weight....but as soon as I started taking food into account too, I started losing more frequently and more consistently.0
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I did this the year before I started MFP and I lost 10 pounds but then was maintaining. It wasn't until I actually paid attention to how much I was actually eating that I lost the rest of the weight. I did not remove any foods from my "diet" I just learned portion control.0
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