Those who have lost with diet only, no or light exercise...

jlshea
jlshea Posts: 494 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is sort of a "duh" question and its more to reassure me that it is possible but due to car accident injuries some workouts I'm unable to perform anymore. I can still do treadmill walks, yoga, and pilates but I just need to hear from people who have lost without working out a ton. I undersand I will have to modify my diet if I'm not getting in huge workouts but I'm just looking for feedback from those who have had luck in similar situations.

Replies

  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    My first 20lbs here was done without exercise. Not a stitch. The next 15lbs was lost with diet and walking.

    It's absolutely possible.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    <
    lost the majority of the weight without doing anything more rigorous than walking to my mailbox :laugh: Started walking after I began transitioning into maintenance :)
  • COliver416
    COliver416 Posts: 87 Member
    I lost 60 pounds in 7 months without a single bit of exercise. Went from 347 to 287, Then started working out.
  • bakingandbabies
    bakingandbabies Posts: 4 Member
    Me! I have fibromyalgia, so I have a tough time with exercise. I walk a few times a week, and I can do light impact things. But so far I've been seeing success just through diet - about 6lbs in the last 3-4 weeks. Feel free to add me if you'd like
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I lost my first 20 or so Lbs without exercise...exercise is extremely important to overall health and well being but not necessary at all for weight loss...

    To lose 1 Lb per week MFP gave me a calorie goal of 1,850 without any exercise whatsoever. That means that my non-exercise maintenance level of calories...just my calories used by my body to keep me alive and my day to day stuff is about 2,350. I stuck to that 1,850 goal and lost my first 20 Lbs. When i started exercising it just meant I could eat more...on average I burn 300 - 400 calories per workout so my new calorie goal to maintain that same deficit would be 1,850 + 300 = 2,150. I would maintain that same 500 calorie deficit because now my new maintenance would be 2,350 + 2,650 and 2,650 - 2,150 = that same 500 calorie deficit as before.

    I only did that to illustrate that it has nothing to do with exercise really...you use your diet for weight control and exercise for fitness.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    The first 60 or so pounds I lost without any exercise -- I regret that now, since I now suffer from lost bone mass and other long-term effects. But I did lose that first bit without any exercise.
  • jolleegood
    jolleegood Posts: 4 Member
    I lost my first 15 without any exercise. I started with MFP partway in. I have just purchased a treadmill and try to do a minimum of 1/2 hour at 2.5 mph at least 4 times per week. It gives you a couple extra calories for that single square of chocolate that you really want!
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    I haven't done any exercise for months and am losing weight fine. I spend most of the day in front of the computer. You're meant to get 10,000 steps a day - most days I barely reach 1,000.
  • jlshea
    jlshea Posts: 494 Member
    Thank you all for the feedback! I used to be able to do a lot more physical activities before the accident and its really frustrating now to have certain limitations. It doesn't help that people around me are all runners who believe you need to run miles per day to see real results.
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    I lost all of my weight via portion control and no exercise, other than walking, which I've always done anyway.
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    I lost about 30 pounds with just diet, once-a-week pilates, ocassional yoga, and semi-frequent walks. I was very sedentary other than that, and had my gallbladder removed during that time which limited even those low-impact activities for about a month.

    Caloric deficit is enough to lose weight. Now I am trying to "feel" healthier, so I've introduced exercising in the last few weeks (doing C25k).

    So, in sum, totally possible, I lost 30 pounds doing exactly what you describe.
  • Claremoak
    Claremoak Posts: 75 Member
    I have lost the majority of my weight with none to very little exercise. I have a desk job and the majority of my 10-12 hour days are on a computer. I have bad knees so exercise was a challenge and I hoped that losing the weight would help (plus I hate exercise for the sake of exercise). My weight comes off primarily because I control my calories. I will be 60 this year and I know that I will never maintain the exercise routine that a lot of people on this site are doing so I do not want to depend on it for my weight loss and maintenance long term.

    That being said, there is a downside to that for me and that is toning up. So I have increased my activity level starting this past summer. I walk alot more(because I can finally walk more than a 1/4 mile without being exhausted), have started using the eliptical more and am starting with small weight and body weight exercise. I go in spurts and have no routine whatsoever. I did join the gym with my daughter and try to go twice a week and walk for 30 min and do 10 min on a rowing machine. I also walked two 5Ks this past fall (came in almost last) and want to do more this year, so building strength and endurance is necessary.

    Good luck, you can do it!
  • sfbaumgarten
    sfbaumgarten Posts: 912 Member
    I lost 70 lbs with very minimal exercise. I walked a bit on my lunch break for a couple months, but that was really about it. Didn't get serious about exercise until I reached my goal weight.
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    I wear a Fitbit and get all of my adjustment from my daily activities plus some added walking. Arthritis keeps me from doing more. I'd love to be able to get a 1,000 burn just to have that extra to eat once in a while, but it's not necessary. I can keep this pattern up long-term, and that's what counts.
  • rk_19
    rk_19 Posts: 92
    Is it possible to lose the last few pounds w/o exercise? Or does that require serious exercise...
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
    I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I don't really exercise much, and I'm losing just fine. Some days I'm sedentary, some days I'm running errands, going to appointments, and working, so I modify my calories accordingly.

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