Do I have to exercise?

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to MFP. I'm really out of shape, and frankly lazy. I have one of those 9 to 5pm desk jobs. I really don't like exercise but I know I have to incorporate it in my daily life. I am not a morning person, and the thought of having to wake up extra early to exercise is looking impossible. Do you think it would be okay just to watch what I eat first and then start exercising? What did you all do?

Exercise does not have to be a chore, there has to be some kind of physical activity that you would enjoy. Keep in mind that the human body was designed for activity and beyond the positive physical improvements that come from being active there are emotional/mental benefits as well. Being active and/or working out always makes me feel great, like I accomplished something.

Good luck to you!

Very good advice. So very true.

Just like everyone has said yes you can but losing weight without exercise = SAGGY SKIN....
If I was in your situation here is what I do Stretch in the morning before work.
Try my best to make sure I at least try to workout 30 minutes a day.
Here is a good web page for desk jobs exercise..
http://greatist.com/fitness/deskercise-33-ways-exercise-work

Do you think it would be okay just to watch what I eat first and then start exercising? What did you all do?

No, I do not think that would be okay. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise, but it's highly unlikely that you'll remain healthy without it.

I too have a desk job and am not a morning person. I workout after work, but you can use your breaks and/or lunch at work to get in exercise. Take a walk. Close your door (if you have one) and do squats, lunges, desk pushups, walk in place, whatever. Use the bathroom on a different floor and take the stairs. Park further from the door. Just move more. Sitting all day is bad for your health. It's not okay no matter how thin you are.

, plus i think once ou start you kind of get addicted to the feeling after you have worked out, it makes you feel slimmer too x

I have to agree here. I struggled with exercise too. I tried walking/jogging outside, on the treadmill, dvds and more but never liked anything until I got my bike. I started out with small bike rides with the kids but now I can not wait to go on the rides by myself. I love climbing the big hills and the great feeling of accomplishment when I do. The reward of going back down the hills really makes it worth it. The other day I went on my longest ride to date, 14.64 miles. I only stopped twice for 1 minute a piece and did it in less than 2 hours. I have felt so great after that!
My advice is to try different things until you find something you love.

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to MFP. I'm really out of shape, and frankly lazy. I have one of those 9 to 5pm desk jobs. I really don't like exercise but I know I have to incorporate it in my daily life. I am not a morning person, and the thought of having to wake up extra early to exercise is looking impossible. Do you think it would be okay just to watch what I eat first and then start exercising? What did you all do?

You don't have to exercise (but you know that you should). It's fine to get a start on your eating (and logging) habits first. But you will want to incorporate exercise at some point for a number of reasons.

Dieting without resistance training will lead to muscle loss. Your body will hang on to muscle when it knows that you are actively using it. Your goal should be decreasing your body fat % ..... muscle loss goes against this.

Maintenance. Think of lifestyle change here. After the weight comes off you will require fewer calories .... forever (you will be a smaller person). If you add some exercise and make it a lifestyle change, you will have some extra breathing room when manitenance rolls around.

Mood. If you find something that you like to do, exercise can elevate your mood, relieve stress, help you sleep better. I exercise after work..... directly after work.

A couple of suggestions..... I had a Netflix (by mail) subscription. This allowed me to get a new workout every week. I figured out what I liked to do. Also, for DVDs collagevideo.com is an excellent resource..... they give video clips, reviews, list impact level, fitness level, equipment required ...... this makes buying the wrong DVD less likely.

Hi there, I do think you can lose weight without exercise. Back when I was 41 I lost 5 stone ( 70lbs) and did no exercise whatsoever and I had no saggy skin, no fat, no wobbly bits and once i had lost about half of it I had more energy and wanted to get moving more. I loathe exercise even now, but just like before Ive so far lost 15lbs in the last 5 weeks at age 54 and already im enjoying walking for long distances. You are wayyyyyy younger than me and I would put money on you having tons more energy when the weight starts to come off, so much so that you will WANT to get out there and strut your stuff and do fun things. You dont have to do worthy things like the gym zzzzzzzzz you could do something fun like trampolining or skateboarding, rollerskating, ice skating, bowling, There a lots of sporty things you can do as a group with your friends like beach volleyball or even throwing a frisbee around the park, going to a country park and climbing hills , walking as far as you can along the beach, taking an impromptu swim in a lake. If it is winter and you dont have a lot of money you can put on some 1970s disco music on youtube and boogie along to a few tracks. there are plenty of owl activities, im definitely not a lark, i dont function well until gone midday and can happily stay up till 3am most nights. Do you have a golf course nearby? you could play a round of 18 holes even as a beginner and walk round the whole course. You can stay healthy without "exercising" eg the gym, swimming, lifting weights, running.(...hell, I couldnt even run for a bus when I was 20 never mind 54), as long as you keep active, to keep fit and healthy doctors recommend 45 mintues 2 or 3 times a week and that can be broken down into smaller amounts, thats al you need to do, if you walk to town on a saturday to meet friends to go shopping and have lunch and walk back that counts too. I want to be fit and active and dont care if I dont have abs or a washboard stomach

Even if you do not exercise initially, but please get used to exercising as desk jobs will give you much endorphins as you grow older. You are young and it only takes 6 weeks to get to like serious exercising. join a walking, running, or hiking, biking group...they are all fun and motivating.

I tried the whole just dieting thing, you'll lose weight, if you do it right and stay strict on yourself about it but you'll feel worlds better and look better when you start exercising.

I started by watching what I eat (logged everything in on MFP). Then I began to take 20min walks at work before or after lunch.

After that I added in the 30 Day Shred tape in the morning (4 days a week) - including warm up/cool down, the whole workout takes 24 minutes.

Working out definately helps lose the weight faster -- it allows you at add in more calories for the day, so you can eat the ice cream/cookies/chips and still lose. It also helps boost your metabolism and helps reduce fat, not muscle. And finally, working out gives you better posture, better skin and confidence -- which can make you look like you've lost weight - even if you haven't.