Why stop working out?

ladybarometer
ladybarometer Posts: 205 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
After I left spin class this morning at 6:30am, I relaxed a bit before work and did some reading. There are SOOOOOO many articles online about why you SHOULD stop working out stating it had almost nothing to do with losing weight.

I was baffled.

Before I started my REAL workout routine a couple of weeks ago, I've been able to sleep better, get up without an alarm clock some mornings, I no longer need a nap half way through the day, and oh! I wake up with plenty of energy for a 5:30am spin class or evening kickboxing class OR strength class depending what day it is.

I'll give them this, I've lost NO weight since I've started added regular workouts with intense cardo, but I also just started, and I didn't really ease into it either, so I know I have to be toting around 5-8 lbs of water weight. (no one gains 5 lbs of fat in a week on a reduced calorie plan, that I know of anyway) I feel so good, that bit of weight gain doesn't even bother me - there's more to health than a scale number, even if I'm "obese" on a chart at the moment by about 2 lbs, but I guarentee you I can run further, and have more stanima than some of my smallest of friends.

Of course I hope I start losing some weight soon - I mean, even with the water, the scale has to reverse eventually once things settle, right?

What's your opinion on working out?

Replies

  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
    You don't need to workout to lose weight - you need to be at a calorie deficit.

    That said - there are numerous benefits to working including all that you states, plus it allows you to eat more :)

    Keep it up - I love spin and kickboxing!
  • HeyGoRun
    HeyGoRun Posts: 550 Member
    If i dont work out i will lose my tone i will get back that ugly cellulite, my glow will go away the pimples will creep back in... I stopped working out for a year or so, no good for me!
  • Ashley_John
    Ashley_John Posts: 25
    Hi! Thanks for posting this and giving your own opinion based on experience! You will certainly lose that weight, so just be patient, like you are ;)

    As far as my opinion goes with working out, yes, I do it to "burn calories" and therefore lose some weight. But honestly, working out helps me sleep better at night (like you), and it also helps relieve stress. I enjoy just sweating, when I am supposed to. I like to push myself and the endorphins I get from a workout are just another positive!

    Great topic!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    oh I'm a believer :-D

    I have tons of energy..
    it sets me up for the day ahead (I'm a morning WO person)
    I hear ya about gains, I see a bit of that too, and currently am in a bit of a slump but I know that the pounds will start melting again when they're good and ready.
    Meanwhile its the inches that are melting - whats not to like eh!
    This morning I did another crackin' Pop Pilates workout - and my abs have been rock hard all day! I LOVE that feeling!
    I love how toned my legs are...
    the list goes on and its all GOOOOOD!! and I know I come over all hyper, but thats just cos I have tons of energy tons (and I aint no spring chicken either LOL)

    Keep on working out, too many positives to stop... and WE'RE WORTH IT! :-D
  • tworthen79
    tworthen79 Posts: 1,173 Member
    I have no clue why one would stop working out.

    I workout because not only do I want to be healthy, I want to look damn good naked!
  • Frankii_x
    Frankii_x Posts: 238
    I love working out. I'm past sitting and feeling 'fat' because of a number on a scale. Seriously how did I let a number dictate my feelings for so long? Alllllll about being fit and healthy over here! :smile:
  • carlywifeybrown
    carlywifeybrown Posts: 42 Member
    I agree, I watched a programme about this on TV the other night and they were saying that 'exercise alone will not make you lose weight', well of course not, if you're going to the gym for 30 minutes a day and then stuffing your face full of rubbish food for the rest of the day and over eating on cals then the exercise isn't really having a benefit.

    If, like you and I on the other hand we're eating at a calorie deficit and working out then it certainly does help you to lose weight, but not just that it also improves your fitness, stamina, endurance and overall health - just as you were saing you feel great now that you've started working out.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    Everyone should be physically active whether they need to lose weight or not. There are very few exceptions to this rule. People who say they don't exercise because it does "more harm then good" are full of crap.
  • TripleJ3
    TripleJ3 Posts: 945 Member
    You can exercise and be overweight. Plenty of people are. You can not exercise and be thin. I have many friends who do this. I like to be fit and healthy with some muscle definition and be toned.

    Its all about the look you are going for and how healthy you want your body to be.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    You don't need to workout to lose weight - you need to be at a calorie deficit.

    That said - there are numerous benefits to working including all that you states, plus it allows you to eat more :)


    This exactly
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Well, I agree, to an extent, that working out doesn't necessarily have anything to do with losing weight. But, it is helpful in many cases because it creates an extra calorie burn which can either make your deficit bigger or allow you to eat more while on a deficit, but if you're not monitoring your intake and making sure you're consuming less than you burn, you will not lose weight, no matter how much you work out. I think working out makes you look better during/after your weight loss, especially if you're weight training. It also has several health benefits. And, now, after training for and running in a few races, I feel pretty good about my chances of getting away from zombies (provided they're not 28 Days Later zombies, then we're all screwed).
  • ladybarometer
    ladybarometer Posts: 205 Member
    Well yeah, true. Losing weight is about eating at a calorie deficit, but I figure losing the right kind of weight, keeping muscle tone, etc.. is about working out as well. Being thinner is fine and all, but huffing and puffing after walking up a few flights of steps or getting winded doing things out doors - that's not hot. I wanna be bad *kitten*!
  • ladybarometer
    ladybarometer Posts: 205 Member
    You can exercise and be overweight. Plenty of people are. You can not exercise and be thin. I have many friends who do this. I like to be fit and healthy with some muscle definition and be toned.

    Its all about the look you are going for and how healthy you want your body to be.

    I want to be fit and look fit - I'm getting there slowly, but you're right. I'd say most of my thinner friends, especially the ones that have always been thin, don't work out, but I wouldn't say they were fit or healthy for that matter. On the flip side, I have a few friends that work out, and on the over weight side, and although anyone else wouldn't look at them as fit, I'd say they were.

    I just want to be healthy. I'm looking more for clean lines and curves, no lumps, no loose skin - I don't care what size I am really, just that I'm healthy at that size. Even if I meet my weight goal, the scale will never write my entire story.
  • jdm_taco
    jdm_taco Posts: 999 Member
    I will never quit. Its one the most satisfying and rewarding parts of my day. When I'm done at the gym, I honestly feel like I could take on a mother Kodiak bear defending its young.
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    Exercise is so important for cardiovascular health, functional strength, and it has been linked to reduced incidence of many chronic diseases and mentak health problems, disregarding the weight aspect. True, you won't lose weight exercising and eating too much, and you will lose weight not exercising and eating at a deficit. But there is more to exercise than just losing weight. Everyone should be physically active, no matter what weight they are.

Categories