Do I need to exercise to lose weight?

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.

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.

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. **

<<< 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.

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.

You don't need to but it prevent you from looking skinny fat and is good for you in so many ways.

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.

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.

I hate hearing this. I hate hearing it because I said that and can't tell you how much I regret it. In my mind you're better off trying to keep the strength and lean parts of your body you already have. If you don't like where it takes you, watch TV and eat some chips. It's easy to get squishy. It's so so hard for a girl to get firm. Particularly after she loses what can make her firm to begin with. that's why I ended up bulking for a while. (that pic is from me at the largest part of my bulk lol). I'm still in the territory where I don't know what I'm doing, so I'm sure there will be many bulks to come before I have enough muscle to show abs. And many people (even if they do lift) work really hard and never get them, and it's easy to lose.

If you want to be firm, start lifting yesterday. I hated it to begin with and now understand why some can be so 'pushy' about it. They knew something I didn't. You can still look like a dancer and lift. Not to mention I have back problems, had a motorcycle accident (I landed on the ground on my spine), have arthritis etc etc...And honestly, sometimes I forget I have those problems now because my muscles are strong enough to hold me all together Until I go on a long day hike up a mountain...then I fall to pieces again lol Don't get me wrong, I like my cardio. It's good for your organs. But lifting made all the pains I had go away. I can now carry a backpack no problem. In fact I panicked several times because I thought I forgot my 16 inch laptop somewhere because my book bag felt light and I didn't. It's helped my arthritis and my back problems and I highly recommend it for peoples health.

Not speaking for myself as of right now as I'm back to being way too overweight after having two kids and only exercising off and on for a few years. But before I met my husband( and before my two kids )who is an extremely good but unhealthy cook, I was doing weight watchers and doing the Wii fit. I know it sounds crazy but it really works. I was doing yoga and strength training, like lunges and planks and all kinds of fun stuff and I wasn't losing as much weight as I was toning my muscles. My husband complained that I didn't have enough jiggle whatever that means! But I went from a size 18 to a size 10/12 I also did boxing through the Wii an hour or more a day. I was also eating smaller portions and taking note of what I ate. From a person who's struggled with weight all her life even doing 15 to 17 minutes a day everyday of cardio is way better then nothing at all and I've already lost a few pounds after joining myfitpal two weeks ago. I'm starting out slow but I'll build as I get along, trying to catch up with a three year old and a three month old is no easy task! But I'm working on it and you can do it too! From one busy person to the next exercise is definitely a great thing.. oh yeah and I love Zumba too! Keep it up!

You don't have to - but I'd recommended it

Exercise makes you/one feel good, releases endorphins and really does have a positive psychological effect In addition you can tone, build muscle and exercise has huge benefits to your heart, lungs, blood pressure and, well, your whole body!!

I would recommended starting something like Jillian Micheal's 30 day shred or Ripped in 30 great circuit training plans and only 30 mins out of your day. Even if you get up 30 mins earlier and do it Have a look at some of the results people have had on MFP!