anyone lose by just counting calories???

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I was wondering if you are under your calorie intake every day will you lose weight without having to do the extra workout? Please let me know if you have or not???
thanks
emi

Replies

  • emilee21
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    I was wondering if you are under your calorie intake every day will you lose weight without having to do the extra workout? Please let me know if you have or not???
    thanks
    emi
  • Carrie6o6
    Carrie6o6 Posts: 1,443 Member
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    I lost all of my weight without exercise... I havent started exercising until recently and Ive still lost about the same amount..
  • TNTPete
    TNTPete Posts: 701 Member
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    eventually you will get to a point where your weight loss will stop and exercise will be the only way to create a deficit.
  • gabrielled
    gabrielled Posts: 247 Member
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    A co-worker I know did it only by counting calories. She lost 70 pounds and she looks tons thinner, but she only eats around 900 calories a day, and I would be sad:sad: if I could only eat that. Besides, I became a nice muscular in my weight loss and working out, and that allows me to actually burn more calories just sitting here typing compared to who I was before I began working out. My resting metabolism is much higher than it used to be.

    Oh yes, and thanks to my workout, I ate a burger with caramelized onions on it tonight. Okay okay, it was only half the burger, but the dang thing was monstrous to begin with!! And mighty delicious I might add.
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
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    It can be done, but it may not be permanent -- your body will meet a homeostatic level and the weight loss will level off, and unless you exercise and create metabolic turbulence, you won't lose any more.

    Plus, the health benefits of even just a little exercise cannot be stressed enough. It goes beyond weight loss - healthier heart which will last longer, joint mobility as you age, which to some might seem way off, but like weight health, joint health starts YOUNG and stays with you the rest of your life, it helps with bone density, fights osteoporosis, increases energy, the list goes on and on....
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    I concur with the above posts. It CAN be done. But really, do you want to be thin and weak? Muscle tone (to a degree) is the sexiest part of a person (man or woman I imagine, although my only opinion is of the female side). So why would you want to? I mean, if you CAN'T exercise for some reason, I can see it, but if you can, why wouldn't you? No time is an excuse IMHO, not a reason. 10 minutes 3 times a day is better then nothing. I don't know anyone who can't do 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a day 3 to 5 days a week.
  • littlespoon
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    Well, interestingly...i love working out, but I have done some research on this recently, and quite a few studies have found that only 20% of weight loss success is contributed to exercise (compared to 80% due to calorie restriction).

    Now...before people get carried away - I agree that with exercise not only do you become fitter and healthier, but you are more likely to keep the weight off, BUT, thats not what the question was, so its always good to know all sides and make your mind up from there.

    I dont always think that having no time is an excuse - sometimes its legitimate - especially when there's children in the family. Its trying to juggle all these things - work, homework, after-school sports, dinner, book at bedtime etc, and have a good outcome for all that is difficult. Sometimes I'll do a kind of push-up from the kitchen bench while boiling pasta and reading my youngest daughters spelling words out - multi-tasking indeed!! lol
    I try to include my children in my exercise - maybe take them for a bike-ride etc, but when they have sport 4 times per week between them, its tough, especially if I wish to spend time with my husband too.

    Its all about balance.
  • lietee
    lietee Posts: 189 Member
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    well all i have been doing is counting calories and i have lost 40 lbs without exercize. I have 15 more to go but i will probbaly have to work out ot get it off. Plus i findmyself more flabby now then i did when iwas bigger. Maybe its because my skin is looser? Who knows but all i can tell youis that ill need to exercize to tone up myself eventually!
  • casey34472
    casey34472 Posts: 280 Member
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    I'm counting calories to keep my weight the same. I'm trying to stay under 1200 calories a day and its worked for me. :smile:
  • dothompson
    dothompson Posts: 1,184 Member
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    Other than the concept of burn more calories than you eat is universal, you need to do this in a way that works for you today. If you're ready to monitor the intake of calories, but the exercise is holding you back. Start counting calories. Over time you may find that you are satisfied with the results, or you may decide that you are ready to add the exercise. This is your plan, do what feels right.
  • GoGetterMom
    GoGetterMom Posts: 852 Member
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    That's it for me this week and down 5 pounds. I haven't been able to workout due to a schedule issue, but having said that, I can't wait to get back in the gym. It WILL burn more calories AND I will get the endorphin (spelling?) rush back :happy: . I think tone wise, people have been shocked when they hear my actual weight because I have lost fat, but am much, much more toned. You can do it strictly with calorie restriction, but working out has so much to offer - toning, cardiovascular health, reducing cholesterol and just plain feeling good about it and the new you. Are you just unable to get to the gym? :drinker:
  • buzz4meusa
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    Calorie counting is important. Bottom line is in order to lose weight there MUST be a deficit. Figure out how many calories you are consuming daily just to maintain your current weight. ( There are formulas on the web.)
    Just for giggles say you consume 2000 cal daily to maintain your weight of 150 lbs. If you want to lose weight you would need to consume less than the 2000 calories. Remember it takes 3500 cal just to lose 1 lb per week.
    So 2000 x 7 = 14000 cal per week just to maintain your weight.
    To lose 2 bls a week would be 3500 x 2 = 7000 cal that you need to cut back.
    That would translate to cutting back a 1000 cal a day in order to lose 2 lbs a week. Granted for health reasons it is not advisable to cut back less than 1200 cal. So here is where the exercising comes in.
    Say you get on your eliptical and work out for an hour. You might be buring off about 350 to 400 cal. Add that to your 1000 and you come up with about 1400 to 1600 cal.
    In other words you can eat a tad more.
    Most research says fat loss is 80% in the kitchen.
    But be assured exercise does wonders inside the body as well as outside the body. The endorphins kit in and you feel sooo good. Yes,it is hard to just get started but once you do you are looking forward towards the next workout. And then there is the benefits for your heart, buring off that sugar if you are prone to consuming too many simple carbs and are diabetic, seeing that fat melt away ...even though it might not show up on the scale... and on and on.

    Drink plenty of water.
    I drink about 10 to 12 glasses of water daily and have my hot green tea to replace my terrible coffee addiction. Hey just the coffee alone can be a whopping 200-300 cal if I get it just the way I like it. I would rather eat real food. And I don't do the Crystal Lite stuff. It makes me retain lots of water. But I do make sure to use about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of Morton Lite Salt on my chicken or egg whites to help replace the potassium otherwise I get a bit weak.

    I am not too concerned about the scale because the inches are just melting off.

    On a further note about counting calories. Get yourself a good scale like Chefmate.
    And begin weighing your foods. Most of the time we put too much in a half cup and those little calories add up.
    Same thing if you have a tablespoon of peanut butter. We heap it on and get in more fat calories than you think. Weigh that peanut butter!! darling. That way you get an accurate measurement of actual fat grams. That is the reason some folks might say that counting calories doesn't work for them. Well the simple fact is they are not accurately counting those calories.

    Get a scale. I did and I was amazed at how much extra calories (fat or other wise) I was consuming.

    Good luck. :smile:
  • emilee21
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    thanks guys :)
    actually...i have been going to the gym but haven't been able to work out as much as i would like to. I am trying to go at least 3 times a week...i try to do crunches 5 times a week. I just want to see the weight off!!!!! i guess it will just take patience and time...and some effort!
    i'll keep you updated.