Can I Really Lose Without Excercise?

WannaMoveAgain · July 2014

Please say yes. I've read you can. So far I've lost 3 pounds.

My body hurts. That is one of the main reasons I'm vowing to turn over a new leaf. Starting with cutting out alcohol completely, not eating after 7, and not starving myself to lose quick.

I WANT to work out, but I face these obstacles:

1. My knee hurts. My back hurts. I hurt all over basically.
2. I don't want to sweat and be in pain.
3. I can't move after I get home from work.

Isn't it true that I can work my way up to physical activity? And how much weight can I lose on 1700 calories a day with very little exercise?

nxd10 · July 2014

Yes. I've lost 40 pounds and kept it off a year. I do walk every day and recommend a pedometer or a Fitbit zip. It encourages you to move more in your daily life (and take a walk after dinner or during lunch). The zip is the cheapest of the Fitbit line. It links with MFP and lets you add calories in from exercise to your daily allowance.

Don't guess on your calories. Enter your stats into MFP and have it calculate them for you. Set yourself at sedentary. And of COURSE you can work up to exercise. Everyone should.

Other ways of burning calories and increasing fitness when you hurt:

Sit on an exercise ball chair at work. It helps me tremendously, strenthened my back and legs, and made my tummy MUCH flatter. It also really helped me posture.

You can do tai chi sitting down.

Do upper body exercises while sitting. You can find them online.

WannaMoveAgain · July 2014

Thanks! I did order a FitBit today (the $99.00 one) - I figured spending that kind of money will make me think more about being active. :-)

Donald_Dozier_50 · July 2014

I cannot do any exercise other than walking and that is physically a challenge to say the least. I walk as much as I can and have lost 84 lbs but you MUST stick close tabs on logging everything you eat, not having the "cheat days" (aka by me as failure days).

I also use a fitbit to monitor walking,

AJ_G · July 2014

Yes, but if you plan on losing any substantial amount of weight, you should take up a weight lifting program at the very least

cwolfman13 · July 2014

Yes...weight control is largely about energy balance. You will burn less if you don't get in regular exercise which means your calorie goals to lose or maintain are going to be lower and it's going to be easier to over-consume and gain weight. But yeah...put sedentary and hit your calorie goals.

personally I would advise doing whatever exercise you are capable of though...even if it's just walking. That's actually probably the best place to start if you haven't been active. You can't just go from couch to 100 MPH over night. Start slow...start with something you can handle and build on it. That's how fitness works...you'll probably be surprised that a lot of your aches and pains start going away.

csk0018 · July 2014

Yes. When I first started on MFP -- I focused on my eating and then I added a little bit of exercise at a time. First it was just a 15 minute walk... then it was 30 minutes on the exercise bike... and now I work out 4-5 times a week. It's all about baby steps.

Wookinpanub · July 2014

I would say start SLOWLY and just do a little more each week.

I am 42 and was formerly pretty athletic but I gained a lot of weight in my 30s and early 40s and became essentially inactive. My knees would grind as I walked up steps to go to bed at the end of the day, I couldn't run more than 50 yards, a few flight of steps would get me winded and I would feel a throbbing pulse in my neck and I would be sore after doing any type of yard work.

I started by just walking in my neighborhood and now I am a regular at my Y doing cardio and weight lifting.

jasonmh630 · July 2014

For weight loss, it's not necessary. For health? Yes.

CleanUpWhatIMessedUp · July 2014

You can lose weight without exercise, you just have to eat less. Also, just keep in mind that although you will lose weight, you probably won't become any more 'physically fit'

oxers · July 2014

I'm younger, but I'm also dealing with the fallout of a litany of serious athletic injuries from a few years ago. I basically have no knees left to speak of, and when I started, working out was nigh on impossible. "I'm gonna go running!" No, I'm not. I'm gonna walk for twenty minutes and feel as exhausted as if I had gone running. "I'm gonna go zumba!" Yes, but I'm also gonna have to modify all of the moves and go much slower than the rest of the class.

It gets easier. Every pound you lose makes it easier. I'd recommend some very moderate physical activity, very gentle - like some easy laps around a pool, a short walk in the morning or whatever works best for you. It's totally possible to lose through calorie control - that's how I mostly did it my first month or two - and that gentle, moderate activity gets easier and easier as you lose.

If you're really worried about hurting yourself, talk with your doctor. Get a full workup and get him to recommend physical activity that won't result in pain or injury. Take it slow. Be good to yourself. It gets lots easier.

LianaG1115 · July 2014

Please say yes. I've read you can. So far I've lost 3 pounds.

My body hurts. That is one of the main reasons I'm vowing to turn over a new leaf. Starting with cutting out alcohol completely, not eating after 7, and not starving myself to lose quick.

I WANT to work out, but I face these obstacles:

1. My knee hurts. My back hurts. I hurt all over basically.
2. I don't want to sweat and be in pain.
3. I can't move after I get home from work.

Isn't it true that I can work my way up to physical activity? And how much weight can I lose on 1700 calories a day with very little exercise?

It's all about wants and excuses...what do you want, what is your goal? I can tell you from my own experiences as a fat chick who has NEVER exercised a day in my life, that the hurt goes away but it's how much YOU put into it! I had the back pain, the headaches, the shoulder pain, the knee pain...all of it and I'll tell you it's because I was fat and out of shape NOT because I had any other health issues!! My pain was because my body was saying to get my fat *kitten* out there and move it! I did and I'll tell you, the pain goes away!! Your muscles will ache like mine did because we are out of shape, muscles need to keep moving and working!!

shadesof66 · July 2014

YES...calorie deficit -15 % TDEE is ALL you need and then just watch the weight come off...

And a piece of advice for you if your goal is weight loss....get a digital scale....and weigh yourself at the same time everyday...and log your weight everyday...so you will be able to see your progress....the reality is there will be fluctuations daily...but if you log your weight and make a graph (in excel) of your weight each day...you will observe a nice linear loss in weight over time....that graph should keep you inspired....GOOD LUCK!

126siany · July 2014

Please say yes. I've read you can. So far I've lost 3 pounds.

My body hurts. That is one of the main reasons I'm vowing to turn over a new leaf. Starting with cutting out alcohol completely, not eating after 7, and not starving myself to lose quick.

I WANT to work out, but I face these obstacles:

1. My knee hurts. My back hurts. I hurt all over basically.
2. I don't want to sweat and be in pain.
3. I can't move after I get home from work.

Isn't it true that I can work my way up to physical activity? And how much weight can I lose on 1700 calories a day with very little exercise?

Yes, you can lose without exercise. The cons are that you'll lose more muscle than was necessary and you'll still have the same general body shape, just a smaller version.

You can slowly work your way up to physical activity, yes! Anything that is an increase in activity helps. Stand when you could have been sitting. Park a little farther from the door to get a few more steps into your day. Just make a few choices every day that are extra activity for you and your normal habits.

Hard to say how much you'd lose on those calories without knowing more about your current weight and activity levels, how much you want to lose, etc. If you're using MFP's recommended/guided settings, the program will prompt you to recalculate your daily goals after every 10lb loss.

ZaCkOX · July 2014

Please say yes. I've read you can. So far I've lost 3 pounds.

My body hurts. That is one of the main reasons I'm vowing to turn over a new leaf. Starting with cutting out alcohol completely, not eating after 7, and not starving myself to lose quick.

I WANT to work out, but I face these obstacles:

1. My knee hurts. My back hurts. I hurt all over basically.
2. I don't want to sweat and be in pain.
3. I can't move after I get home from work.

Isn't it true that I can work my way up to physical activity? And how much weight can I lose on 1700 calories a day with very little exercise?

Once you get into your diet and lose weight, you should be able to exercise a little easier. With a hurt knee I wouldn't recommend running, I do a stationary bike. My knees took a lot of pain in my younger years from squats. I still do squats but not as heavy as I used to.

To answer your questions yes, after I lost 30 lbs. I started to heavily exercise and I do more than when I started.

aldousmom · July 2014

yes, and you'll probably like it better when you're less heavy anyway. However, statistically, people who exercise are more likely to keep their weight off long term. So, focus on getting your food in order. then, gradually add in your exercise. it will be okay!!

liekewheeless · July 2014

Yes you can!

I would recommend walking little bits to get you moving. Not for weight loss but because the pain will just get worse if you don't.

Don't go for hour long walks,..
Do walk for 5 minutes today. Just 5. Then After doing that for a while, add another minute, or more if you feel up to it. If it gets to
painful, dial it down a couple minutes, just don't quit.

It's always recommended to see your doctor before doing any of this to make sure you won't be aggravating an injury.

I have some joint problems, and if I don't exercise for periods of time, everything starts hurting.

dopeysmelly · July 2014

Absolutely yes! My exercise is a daily walk at the moment, and I only started that about 3 months after tracking calories.

You'll find it becomes MUCH easier to move around after you've lost some weight and your joints will thank you for it (it's one of the reasons I'm losing weight - I don't have good knees either).

Honestly, I found focusing on food first was a nice way to do it. I really focused hard on that one thing, then added in exercise when I had the food bit figured out.

Veil5577 · July 2014

You can, but the progress will be slower. I'm in the same boat as you. Walking is about the only thing I can do. I'm going to start tonight with just a walk around the block and work my way up from there. Want to join me?

Cracken99 · July 2014

The first thing you should do is go see your Dr to make sure your pain is not a sympton of something bigger like arthrits or an injury that needs to be treated. If you get the all clear, then you work through the pain and get moving. For me it was a huge relief to know my pain came from arthritis and I was not agrivating an injury. I take medication that allows me to move all day with no pain (A miracle, I could not even walk up steps without severe pain). I do Zumba and yes, it hurts if i jump or move to jerky, so I take it slow and usally overdo it because I am having to much fun. Now I go home tired at night and sore, but it is because I moved my body and exercised which my heart loves! I also exercise for fitness and not for weight loss, hugh mind shift which allows me to really enjoy my exercise knowing I am improving my bone health, heart health, balance and emotional wellbing.

Can I Really Lose Without Excercise?

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