Can I lose weight without exercise?

carab1974
carab1974 Posts: 4 Member
edited February 16 in Introduce Yourself
I have a genuine medical condition that is hampering any exercise. I have had M.E. for the past 3 years and I have put on nearly 3 stone over that time. Exercising with M.E means that I then suffer from post exertion malaise (I promise it's real!) which means that I am so exhausted and all my muscles hurt for anywhere up to 2-3 weeks after one lot of exercise. I've been sticking to 1200 calories a day (although I always forget to track it here) but no weight is shifting at all. I'm also intolerant to a lot of foods (wheat, starchy carbs, grains) so I've cut all of them from my diet. Is there anyone else with the same issue that's had some success?

Replies

  • an0nemus
    an0nemus Posts: 149 Member
    you can lose weight without exercise.

    I lost 75lbs with minimal exercise..HOWEVER it will be slower and harder to lose and MUCH easier to put it back on again.

    The foods you're intolerant of are good foods to avoid anyway.

    To be honest, 1200 sounds a bit low to me, and do NOT forget to track. You'll be surprised at how many hidden calories there are when we don't track.

    Also, re think exercise, I don't know how serious that condition is (what's M.E.?) but can you walk for 10 minutes a day? 20?
    Not every exercise has to be a sweaty, exertion filled ordeal...but something to get you up and moving around.

    BTW, as I said it is much easier to put it back on...I'm living proof of that. Down 75, up 60, down 30 up 35. Down 11.
  • KetosisTina
    KetosisTina Posts: 197 Member
    Diet is just as important if not more so than exercise. You are actually on the right path by not eating wheat starchy carbs and grain. If you can ditch sugar as well you are pretty much on a great diet. And as stated exercise does not have to be high intensity. Just walking is exercise. I get up from my desk ever hour and take a 10 minute walk. Plus there are slow forms like yoga.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Yes you can
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I have a genuine medical condition that is hampering any exercise. I have had M.E. for the past 3 years and I have put on nearly 3 stone over that time. Exercising with M.E means that I then suffer from post exertion malaise (I promise it's real!) which means that I am so exhausted and all my muscles hurt for anywhere up to 2-3 weeks after one lot of exercise. I've been sticking to 1200 calories a day (although I always forget to track it here) but no weight is shifting at all. I'm also intolerant to a lot of foods (wheat, starchy carbs, grains) so I've cut all of them from my diet. Is there anyone else with the same issue that's had some success?

    Stick to your calorie deficit honestly and consistently and you will lose the weight. No exercise required. However - does your Doctor have any advice as far as exercise? Walking?
  • tmaryam
    tmaryam Posts: 289 Member
    To answer your question, a calorie deficit should result in weight loss without exercise unless you have a thyroid issue or something along those lines. Good luck. :heart:
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    You will have to be more careful with your foods than people who can exercise. I'm so sorry you are facing this. I've known several people with CFS. I'm sure people don't give you the credit you deserve for facing this debilitating condition. Hang in there.
  • carab1974
    carab1974 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks everyone. To answer some questions, even short bursts of low impact exercise ie. walking can have a detrimental effect on me unfortunately. I'm waiting to see a specialist and it's looking like Graded Exercise Therapy will be a course of action but it needs to be medically supervised so that I don't push myself and make the condition worse. I have cut out sugar and sweetners as I'm intolerant to those also! I'll perservere with the 1200 and see how it goes, as I can't move around much I may not be creating much of a deficit. Hopefully the specialist may have some suggestions on how to lose the weight also given my restrictions.
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,644 Member
    Absolutely! I think the largest part of weight loss is diet.
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
    All that is needed to lose weight is a caloric deficit. And what is ME?
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    All you need is to eat at a deficit.

    I have many friends who have chronic fatigue syndrome who exercise.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    The only thing absolutely required for weight loss to occur is a calorie deficit. You can create a deficit with diet alone or with exercise, or a combination of both.
  • fitastik14
    fitastik14 Posts: 12 Member
    I have a genuine medical condition that is hampering any exercise. I have had M.E. for the past 3 years and I have put on nearly 3 stone over that time. Exercising with M.E means that I then suffer from post exertion malaise (I promise it's real!) which means that I am so exhausted and all my muscles hurt for anywhere up to 2-3 weeks after one lot of exercise. I've been sticking to 1200 calories a day (although I always forget to track it here) but no weight is shifting at all. I'm also intolerant to a lot of foods (wheat, starchy carbs, grains) so I've cut all of them from my diet. Is there anyone else with the same issue that's had some success?

    Wow...I'm sorry you're dealing with M.E. I did some slight research and believe it really fatigues you... Have you tried just walking? Good ol' 2 mph walking? Some slight activity may help in the long-run...I know it does for me and many others at least. Take things really slow & easy due to your conditions, but I would try to challenge myself. Again, I'm not too knowledgeable on your condition, but I would still push my limits (safely).

    Nobody ever gets anywhere without stepping out of their comfort zones. :)

    As for your question, yes, it is possible to lose some lbs without exercise. As a person that lives with mental illness, I recognize the importance of physical activity; it makes me 'feel' happy/sane. The reduced cal part is more of a say-so to lose weight. Bottom line: weight loss = cals in +/- cals out...
  • carab1974
    carab1974 Posts: 4 Member
    ME or Myalgic Encephalopathy has some of the following symptoms, all of which I suffer from: extreme exhaustion and lethargy - sleeping doesn't provide any respite from these symptoms; muscle fatigue (constant aching and pain); cognitive disfunction - struggling to access words, loss of memory, lack of concentration etc; reduced immunity - I tend to come down with every cough, cold and bug going.
  • carab1974
    carab1974 Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you. I would love to be able to exercise again, I used to love swimming (gently mind you, I was never an olympic hopeful!) and yoga, and it did have a positive effect on my mood. I'm finding it very frustrating that even doing my weekly shop around Asda means I need to lie down for a couple of hours afterwards as I'm that exhausted/in pain. I will try some very short walks (less than 5 mins) to start with and see how I react to those, I think that's really what Graded Exercise Therapy is about starting of very small until yor body can cope and then very gradually increasing.
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