Anyone lost weight with diet alone??

Bama56 · October 2013

i probably lost my last 50 lbs from diet, large summer load one summer kept me from working out like i should have.

Zachatchett · October 2013

I have lost 65 pounds when I was 17, from diet alone. I stopped drinking sodas, only water and powerade zero. I was 330, went down to 265 in about 4 months. And I ate very small portions. Don't know how many calories. Gained it all back with bad habits.

Firemansam79 · October 2013

Lost most of mine from diet. I found it was harder to lose when I was workin out. I was working out hard and could not eat back even 1/2 my calories.

But, even though I am not working out. I am staying busy.

j0705 · October 2013

i lost 2 and a half stone in a few month with diet chef .. 1200 cal diet with no exercise at all.. more or less bed rest. it doesnt seem to be coming off now but im going to start some sort of exercise.

height 5.9
start weight was 17.6 may 2013 , started the diet in june and i'm 14.13 now and need to be under 12.1 to be in the healthy weight bracket

i'd definately recommend it.

PaulaKro · October 2013

I've lost 50+ pounds several times with just a low-carb diet. Then Halloween comes, and I have one piece of candy, which leads to another. You know the story. It then took months (don't know why) to get back on track.

This time, I've had surgery, but it's just a kick-start. Still have to avoid gaining it back. Hope new eating habits (with multivitamins and 60-80gm/day protein) will help. And if I get off track, using a 5-day liquid diet (w/protein shakes) to eliminate cravings and 1200cal/day to get rid of weight.

My sister (who has not had surgery) learned this eating plan from me and has lost two sizes in the last three months.

ps: I used to be unable to exercise at all due to bad knees; but as weight dropped, walking became possible.

gamergirl180 · October 2013

I have lost 22 pounds in the last two months simply but cutting my calories and just going to work everyday.

BrookeBQ · October 2013

I lost about 18 pounds from just calorie counting (5'7, was 152 pounds). Then I got a Fitbit and now I've lost 26 pounds total

stephanieross1 · October 2013

I've lost 25 lbs + diet alone.
I was 170, now 145, just started jogging recently.
its all about portions to me, and lots of water. ive been eating from 1200-1400 give or take.
mind you its been a year, so slow weight loss

Rockmyskinnyjeans · October 2013

2 times since being here on MFP, sort of. I lost from diet alone for the first 6 to 8 weeks I was on MFP, then I started incorporating exercise in. At that point, I was doing around 1200 cals/day. I lost around 15 to 20 lbs that way and I felt good about that.

The other time was maintaining through diet alone for about 6 weeks from March into late April after an ankle injury sidelined me. My calories tend to vary a bit with maintenance, more than when I was strictly losing.

I have had good luck with it, but I feel exercising as well as dieting helps me to have a more toned figure. :drinker:

When I joined MFP, I was down about 11 lbs from when I began this round of weight loss. I was about 181 lbs. I am now around 136 to 138 lbs (depending on when I step on the scale). I am between 5'6" and 5'7" tall.

cahtchme · October 2013

I don't get a chance to exercise per se. (I'm too cheap to buy a gym membership and once I get home from work I don't feel like leaving to go out).

Before I had my son, I worked closer to home, and had more time to dedicate to either attempting the C25K or use my exercise bike.

After I had my son, the routine changed a bit. I was able to fit in walking at lunch or waking up a bit earlier and taking advantage of the nice weather to ride my bike for a half hour or do more of the C25K.

When he was six months old, I got a new job that requires more commute time (I'm gone 11 hours a day...so when I get home I want to make the most of our together time before he goes to bed) and waking up a lot earlier. (While my neighborhood/biking path is in a decent area, I did not feel comfortable running/riding around in the dark wee hours of the morning). However, to make up for it, I do have to do a lot of walking with my new job. I take the bus so that requires walking to the bus stops. The building where I work is HUGE! I still walk at lunch as well. (And since I don't drive - if I want to go offsite for lunch, I have to walk 2-3 city blocks each way (if not more).

So mainly my exercise is walking and picking up and putting down a hefty 20lb baby.

So a lot of it is diet alone right now.

tiggerhammon · October 2013

I wouldn't say diet completely alone.
I lost 18lbs on here before discovering I was pregnant and, now, have backed off trying to lose for now.
I work, and my work is active. But, I never picked up weights, went to the gym or ran. I did nothing new besides dieting, but in general my life is very physically active.

kathysyd82 · October 2013

Yes & no - the bulk of my weight loss (just over 20 kilos) was back in 2009. To start with I didn't exercise much at all apart from walking (I had moved interstate and hadn't brought a car with me). However, I had been on medication that had caused me to be constantly hungry (and was eating a lot of junk) which was when my weight shot up. Once I stopped taking that, the weight started to come off quickly to start with, without a lot of effort.

Now, I find I can't lose weight without exercise unless I am on an extreme (and unhealthy) diet - e.g. had my tonsils out 2 years ago and obviously lost weight because you barely eat anything, but as soon as I started eating normally again the couple of kilos I lost went back on.

I think if you have a lot of weight to lose you can lose some without exercise, but as you get closer to your goal/set point it is harder and harder to do it through diet alone.

sazzyhalo · November 2013

I have gone from 168lbs to 120lbs through diet alone and kept it off long term with minimal effort. At the times when I feel I need to lose a couple of pounds I restrict my calories to 1200ish, probs a little more. The rest of the time I eat whatever I like, generally poached eggs or jam and butter on toast for breakfast, soup and sandwich for lunch, large home cooked meal for dinner (usually some kind of meat/fish with potatoes and veg or a curry/stir fry/chilli etc) and chocolate (a family bar between two of us) and a couple of glasses of wine for dessert). I also go out a couple of times a week for meals, drinks etc. I have no idea how many calories that is, but it's definitely more than 'dieting' calories and I've maintained for a long time now. I genuinely think weightloss is very much down to nutrition, and I think maintaining is down to eating real food instead of junk or diet/low fat foods etc. Also, if you are eating healthy foods, 1200 calories actually gives you a lot to eat daily.

Oh my god! Everyone responding here eats horribly, horribly low calories! I totally understand why most people gain all of their weight back. It isn't sustainable if you have to eat BELOW your BMR to lose weight,

That said, I've lost through lifting weights and diet while trying to get very lean. So zero cardio. I am 65.5 in tall and weighed 133 lbs at the time and got down to 124 in about 2 months eating 1600 cals per day and cheating occasionally on the weekends up to 2500 calories.
I just can't imagine eating only 1200-1400 calories per day long term. That's like a child's diet. I'd rather fast every other day and consume double calories on non fasting days so I at least felt full sometimes.

Sorry if I sound hypercritical, just didn't realize that people really ate that few calories.

Shaylyn1986 · November 2013

I've lost ~180lbs to ~138lbs with diet alone. I went down to ~150 doing weight watchers and the rest was lost gradually over the years. I've maintained my weight for 5 years by staggering my calories by eating 1200 mon-thurs and the weekends eating moderately healthy but not overboard. I hate exercise and tried various forms of it which didn't seem to last. Like many have posted, 1200 is a lot if you're eating the right foods (salads!). Feel free to friend me if you'd like to see my diary.

osothefinn · November 2013

My first 50 pounds was diet only, but my bloodwork numbers didn't start improving until I added cardio.

karaharrison2012 · November 2013

I have a desk job and do not get much exercise at all. I sit for 9 hours go home and cook do light cleaning and household duties and go to sleep.

SW 187
CW 130
GW 125

Did 1200 cal until I got within 5lbs of my goal and I try to stick to 1200-1500 daily.

Rai007 · November 2013

so excited to read these stories

ThePuddingPrince · November 2013

When I lost my first 40lbs or so it was done solely through calorie restricting.
The more weight you lose the harder it is to get by with no exercise, at least from my perspective.

Having said that if you eat in a deficit, 99% of the time you will lose weight, regardless of how sedentary you are.

eleanorblack · November 2013

53lbs so far with no exercise (well, I walk to work and for the school drop-off etc and do active stuff at weekends but no structured exercising).

I do not like exercising at this weight. But when I get to 80 lbs lost (hopefully by the Spring) then I intend to get back into swimming and gym classes for the second 80lbs :-)

nomorebingesgirl2014 · March 2014

Bump

jac_84 · March 2014

20% exercise 80% diet

Tonigirl519 · March 2014

I've done both....weightloss is 80% in the kitchen and 20% in the gym or something like that. So I agree that you can lose with diet alone...however to maintain and keep it off and to look as healthy exercise is key....

jojom126 · March 2014

I was able to lose my first 33 lbs without any extra exercise but now I am going to the gym 3 times a week. I think my body is stabilizing at no extra effort.

ALNoog · March 2014

I did before..I lost 89 pounds and didn't really work out.... I only went From a 22 to an 18 in pants if it was a loose 18 ...but from an xxl shirt to a s/m shirt..... And from a C cup bra to an A cup bra and down a size in shoes.....

This time ive lost 35 pounds and been working out and have gone from a 24 to a 20 in pants already but only from an xxl to an xl shirt.... And to a B cup.

I have a friend that works out like crazy and eats pretty badly and she's 195 (higher than I was when I previously lost) and she's a size 8 pants....

Anyone lost weight with diet alone??

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