can you lose weight from just caloire and no exercise

125again
125again Posts: 28
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I know it's not recommended, you will lose weight slower, and it won't tone your body but I was just wondering. I'm exercising and don't plan to stop, just wanted to know.

Replies

  • 125again
    125again Posts: 28
    I mean just calorie counting
  • Meganalva
    Meganalva Posts: 282 Member
    You can starve yourself :P

    JK

    Well I lost weight without exercising after my 2nd baby...but I'm not sure if it counted as 'not exercising' because I was breastfeeding & apparently that burns 500 cal a day?? I was eating 1,800 calories still & dropped from 155 to 116. LOL Not sure it's the best route however....
  • georgette70
    georgette70 Posts: 158
    I read somewhere that weight loss is 80% eating and 20% excercise...but not sure how true that is. :ohwell:
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Lost my first 60 lbs without exercise. Way easier to do with a lot to loose.
  • inskydiamonds
    inskydiamonds Posts: 2,519 Member
    Everything I've lost thus far has been without exercise.
  • 125again
    125again Posts: 28
    cool. just curious. started a new job and I've been exhausted. I have no problem with my calories. It's getting up to go workout. I'm doing my workouts on the weekends and I feel guilty that I'm not doing it enough.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Yes, exercise just makes it easier and you can exercise and tone your body to help when you lose weight
  • lizmccl
    lizmccl Posts: 9 Member
    You can lose without... But the exercise helps your metabolism keep going... especially as a woman your body loves to hold on to fat... I read in a book that the female body stores fat so that it can feed itself and a baby (if you were to get pregnant) during a famine.... Also weight lost without exercise will typically show on your body.... the lose skin may just hang in areas.... Thats where toning is important... I've been doing cardio only for the last 3 weeks I'm about to add strength in now!!!!
  • curlytop89
    curlytop89 Posts: 163 Member
    Sure, but do you plan on keeping it off. I think most people who lose weight and keep it off exercise somehow. Doesn't have to be hard exercise, or even everyday. Don't beat yourself up because you can't make it to the gym 5 days a week. I have even walked on my lunch halfhour when I know I was going to get off late or wouldn't have time after, or walked while waiting for the kids to get done with lessons or whatever, just to get something in. Maybe you need a break, but don't give it up for long. Everytime I quit exercising, that's when I start to gain weight back.
  • beckeylundholm
    beckeylundholm Posts: 1
    Yes you can. I lost 32 lbs in 4 months just eating right. I had physical limitations at the time, that's why i couldn't exercise.
  • eveunderground
    eveunderground Posts: 236 Member
    Yes, weight loss is achieved by having a calorie deficit, which means if you eat less calories than your body needs in order to maintain your current weight you will end up losing weight. Exercise is great for helping to burn calories, re-shaping your body, increasing muscle mass, and for general health, but it is not a requirement to achieve weight loss.

    You'll hear the term skinny fat thrown around sometimes, that's what happens when people lose weight through diet alone, they end up being a low weight with very little muscle, so they look smaller but they're "soft". If/when they start exercising they can gain more muscle and their body will look leaner and more firm.

    When starting a weight loss plan it can be overwhelming to do both at once, and sometimes exercise messes with the numbers on the scale (if the number doesn't drop you start questioning if you're losing weight, gaining muscle, retaining water, etc)...so it may be easier to start out by losing the weight through diet and then once the diet aspect becomes routine, start to work in exercise as you get closer to your goal. At that point you can shift your focus to improving your body composition (increase muscle, lose fat). That's my opinion though, many people like to do both at once right from the start...especially since exercising allows you to eat a bit more. I say figure out what works for you and stick with it.
  • jkapp100
    jkapp100 Posts: 34
    I know that the scale doesn't always tell the true story. I had lost 20 cm off my body (measured by my PT) in 3 weeks, however I gained 1kg. Now that can be put down to a combination of time of month and muscle gain - but oh boy even though my head knows this, my heart STILL sunk alittle.
    I have a love hate relationship with the scale and what it tells me. Saying that, I am no obsessed with it and have not weighed in for over a month, my PT will be doing it all again next week. Lets just hope my head overrules my heart.

    Good luck with whatever method you choose *
  • ivygirl11
    ivygirl11 Posts: 59 Member
    in 2008 i lost 45 pounds simply by changing my eating habits. I did not exercise at all... I gained it all back plus some in 2009. And now its not been that easy to loose it. I think some exercise is good for you...
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
    I read somewhere that weight loss is 80% eating and 20% excercise...but not sure how true that is. :ohwell:
    I betcha it's pretty close....eating healthy wand calorie restriction is the most important, and like you already knew, exercise will bump it up and tone everything up as well.
  • sassiebritches
    sassiebritches Posts: 1,861 Member
    I read somewhere that weight loss is 80% eating and 20% excercise...but not sure how true that is. :ohwell:

    Yep this is actually what my doctor told me this week. I personally have some injury's that are weight related that are preventing me from working out....so he says get the weight down and then exercise....so yeah.....80/20....Nice :P
  • NH_1970
    NH_1970 Posts: 544 Member
    You can lose without... But the exercise helps your metabolism keep going... especially as a woman your body loves to hold on to fat... I read in a book that the female body stores fat so that it can feed itself and a baby (if you were to get pregnant) during a famine.... Also weight lost without exercise will typically show on your body.... the lose skin may just hang in areas.... Thats where toning is important... I've been doing cardio only for the last 3 weeks I'm about to add strength in now!!!!
    My pediatrician said that too, that women hold onto fat stores more because of the famine times, and because our bodies use it in case we need it to make babies and don't have food stores available.
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    well, I've lost 14lb through diet alone (I wasn't that big to start with - 168lb) but I've now hit a wall, so feel I need to start exercising formally to break through it. I don't have issues with saggy skin!

    By "not exercising" I mean not hitting the gym or doing formal exercise - I lead a busy, active and sporadically physical life as I'm looking after my 2 small children full-time and try to walk anywhere whenever possible.
  • dgroulx
    dgroulx Posts: 159 Member
    My 20 pounds lost had no exercise. During my work week, I sit at a desk most of the time and occasionally go pull something from the narcotic vault or check IV admixtures. But I'm sitting on my butt for 9.5 hours. Then my commute is 3 hours a day sitting on my butt in the car. Then I sleep for 8 hours. This leaves me about 3 hours a day which I spend checking email, taking a bath and having dinner. The next 7 days I have off. I spend most of that time on my computer. I'd like to exercise but I only like outdoor activites and it rains every day until fall. Hopefully I can exercise soon. Point is, you don't need to exercise to lose but you will lose faster if you do and get healthy. It should be part of your goal. (and mine, lol)
  • nahhan12
    nahhan12 Posts: 79
    It's definitely possible. I started at 147 and lost 10 pounds in 3 months without exercise. BUT now I've plateaued and am exercising to keep the scale moving.

    The way I see it is this: you can exercise for hours to burn off 500 calories (your deficit for losing 1 pound weekly) OR you can simply eat 500 calories less a day. Eating less is easier than exercising the calories away, but of course exercise will bring in added benefits like cardiovascular health and muscle tone. A combination of both is best, which is why there's both a food tracking tab and an exercise tracking tab on MFP!
  • lizzys
    lizzys Posts: 841 Member
    you can lose all your weight without exercise, and for some it might be the only way they can:flowerforyou: but for those who can exercise if you don"t you are missing out on alot ,the energy you get when your body starts burning your fat as fuel is awesome when your hafe way at your weight goals you will look better than most people at theris if you can exercise do it before you cant do it at all
  • emmavisman
    emmavisman Posts: 33 Member
    My boyfriends mum was a size 22 (uk) and she just cut down on what she was eating, ate good food, didnt exercise and is now a size 14! it took her a year, but she's now finding it difficult to get any smaller than a 14 so she's starting to try and exercise now.
    I think it's possible to lose weight just by cutting down if you were a big size to begin with, but if you're not overweight (or only just in the overweight range, not obese) and just need to lose a few pounds, i think you will find it very difficult and slow.
  • redkimono
    redkimono Posts: 15
    You definitely can, but it takes longer. If you can just fit in a couple of walks a week you'll keep the scale moving down faster. If not it's OK, just be sure to stick to your calorie goals and eat whole, healthy foods. You're doing great!!!
  • kelly_a
    kelly_a Posts: 2,010 Member
    YES!! I am a 15 yr yo-yo dieter...and most of those wt loss years I did not exercise...trying to lose anywhere from 30-50 lbs. the results, flab! now, I am finding it harder to tone.

    If you can exercise....DO!! you cannot FIND time, you have to MAKE time!!

    1. physical activity helps burn more calories by increasing your metabolism...burn more calories all day long.
    2. can help break thru a plateau.
    3. improves mood. releases chemical in brain called endorphins....gives you an overall feeling of well being. may help with depression.
    4. reduces risk for several diseases ~ heart disease, high blood pressure, breast cancer, osteoporosis and colon cancer.
    5. and the best one ~ reshapes your body!! tones you and makes you SMALLER!!
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