Unable to exercise - Can I still loose weight?

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I have an illness that means I am unable to do any exercise that increases my heart rate at all. Once my illness is under control I can exercise but for now it is literally not an option.
The difficulty is, with the inability to exercise and work, I'm in the house constantly, and eat loads. I wouldn't say I eat particularly unhealthily, my main meals are healthy and most of my snacks are also.
I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone have any tips that might help me to loose weight?
Thanks!

Replies

  • PureAdamic
    PureAdamic Posts: 185
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    Just eat at the deficit provided by the MFP calculators. You don't need exercise, it just helps you live a fit lifestyle.
  • Bexatex
    Bexatex Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks. I guess im just worried that it will take me ages to loose weight and I will get disheartened and stop :(
  • RHSheetz
    RHSheetz Posts: 268 Member
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    Yes, you can lose weight without exercise (and you should not depend on exercise to lose weight anyway). The first thing you need to do is get yoru eating under control. Start recording what you eat, and be honest. Onc eyou have that, look at where you can start making changes to reduce the number of calories you are eating.

    Start out to lose just a half a pound a week, or if you are WAY over your calories, work to get to maintenance first. Just take one step at a time until you start leading that healthy lifestyle.
  • RHSheetz
    RHSheetz Posts: 268 Member
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    Thanks. I guess im just worried that it will take me ages to loose weight and I will get disheartened and stop :(

    You need to start working to change your mindset, this is not about a quick fix, it is about a healthy lifestyle.
  • xaris01
    xaris01 Posts: 2 Member
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    I lost 50 lbs without lifting a finger to exercise. I hate, hate, hate exercising. So I stuck to my calorie limit and the weight came off, but not rapidly. I lost anywhere from 5-10 lbs a month. With calorie reduction, I learned to eat foods that were filling, but didn't kill me on calories. Some of my go to foods are eggs, almond milk, just about any fruit or vegetable, and greek yogurt to name a couple. Plan meals and snacks ahead of time. At meal time, plate what you want to eat and then put the rest away to remove temptation. Be determined and committed, but don't be reckless.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    I lost weight following the Fat Flush Plan by Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, she focuses on diet and non-cardio fitness to lose weight such as strength training or yoga.
  • emmalousmom1
    emmalousmom1 Posts: 121 Member
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    Yes you can:) But, can you take a leisurely walk?? without raising your heartrate?
    Louise
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Yes you absolutely can LOSE weight without exercise. All that is needed is the proper calorie deficit, stay consistent with it and log every single bite.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
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    Honestly, you should use your diet for weight loss rather than exercise. Exercise is an extremely inefficient way of creating a calorie deficit. MFP builds a weigh loss calorie deficit into your calorie goal...that number you see in your diary already has a substantial weight loss deficit built into it, so you should be achieving that goal, not shooting under it.

    Actually, you'll probably have a lot more success than many others...so many women eat those calories and then go do tons of cardio on top of it and create a mammoth sized calorie deficit that the body can't handle. Instead of losing weight, they stall out in short order because the body's metabolism just shuts down with too much of a deficit.

    Exercise is an extremely inefficient way of creating calorie deficit...exercise for fitness (once you are able) and control your weight with diet.
  • eamartin
    eamartin Posts: 216 Member
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    Yes, you can lose weight without exercise (and you should not depend on exercise to lose weight anyway). The first thing you need to do is get yoru eating under control. Start recording what you eat, and be honest. Onc eyou have that, look at where you can start making changes to reduce the number of calories you are eating.

    Start out to lose just a half a pound a week, or if you are WAY over your calories, work to get to maintenance first. Just take one step at a time until you start leading that healthy lifestyle.

    Agreed.
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
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    Eating at a deficit causes weight loss. Exercise is simply for sculpting your body and overall health. Even if you could exercise, it's not going to be a quick fix-- expect to be working at it for at least a couple of months.