Is exercise important for weight loss?

ridz
ridz Posts: 3
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
These few weeks I have just been controlling my calories but I do eat 1200 calories everyday. And I am losing weight. I wanted to know if this will work in the long run or should I also exercise? I need to lose 70 lbs. Any advice or experiences are appreciated :happy:

Replies

  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    honestly I lose better when exercising and better than that, I feel better. More energized.

    When I can feel a muscle in my leg or arm, I KNOW how hard I am working.

    Your doing great!! Keep up the good work!
  • lruff1987
    lruff1987 Posts: 263 Member
    Exercise is extremely important! You definitely can lose weight w/o exercising, but in the long run it's way too good for you to skip. I'm speaking from experience here! I lost a lot of weight w/o exercising, but exercise is what makes us healthy AND thin, instead of just thin. :)
  • jrt9999
    jrt9999 Posts: 114
    You can lose the weight just by eating right towards you goals you selected. I lost my first 15 pounds this way. This is the way MFP is designed.

    I then started exercising daily on the treadmill and eating back my calories using my HRM for the calorie counts. I lost the next ten pounds at the exact same rate which has been 1.5 to 2 pounds per week since I joined. But i now feel so much more energy and my heart feels so much more healthy.
  • JennsLosing
    JennsLosing Posts: 1,026
    its good for ya exercise but if dieting only is working for ya, do what works for you. but if you start to hit a plateau you'll probably want to incorporate some exercise into that...heck, even just walking works great.
  • bjshooter
    bjshooter Posts: 1,173 Member
    I may be strange, but I lose more weight when I don't exercise. I love exercise though it makes you feel good, makes things less wobbly and my measurements always move more.
  • katcena
    katcena Posts: 326 Member
    Exercise is important for a few reasons....First, it helps speed up your metabolism.
    Second, after a good workout (typically 45 mins) your body will continue to burn calories up to 48 hours after you finish your workout. (Who doesn't want that?? I can burn calories without doing anything....sweet, count me in! lol)
    Third, if you are significantly overweight, as you lose weight the exercise will help "tighten" up those "trouble spots"...you know what I am talking about! :)
    And fourth, most importantly in my mind, it helps you lose inches. This has been a huge bonus for me on weeks when I have only lost 1 pound (or no pounds) but by keeping track of the inches I've lost it keeps me motivated. I get 2 forms of positive reinforcement to keep me going!

    Besides, those....exercise is so important for your health! It keeps your heart healthy, greater lung capacity, helps to boost your immune system and ward off colds, plus helps you sleep better. I really don't see any reason why not to incorporate exercise (in some form) into your lifestyle. It can be as simple as a walk around the block every day to going to the gym 5 days a week for an aerobics class. It's just important to find something you enjoy doing and you can stick with!
    Good luck on your journey!
  • momogogo
    momogogo Posts: 159 Member
    Excersize is very important. Our bodies are designed for it. Not only to lose weight, but to help regulate organ function, lymphatic function etc. Even if all you do is walk that is better than nothing. There are many ways to excersize without felling like you are. Walking, dancing, cleaning etc. FInd time everyday to do something. Your body will thank you for it.
  • barefootbeautiful
    barefootbeautiful Posts: 144
    Eating healthy is always going to be good for you, and eating right will help you lose weight. But if you want to be HEALTHY, you need to exercise. Not only will it increase your muscle tone - which will increase your metabolism and help you lose more weight -your entire body will benefit; lungs and heart will become stronger through increased breathing and elevated heart-rate. You'll sleep better because of the exertion put forth. And the endorphins will do wonders for simply making you feel better, happier. Yeah, if you can, definitely exercise.
  • ridz
    ridz Posts: 3
    Yes, I am losing weight without exercising. I was working out before with my trainer and eating healthy food to increase my metabolism. But, instead I gained a lot of weight. I am assuming I gained muscle weight. But I went from 158 to 176. So, I am not sure what went wrong.
    I think I should just exercise when i hit a plateau =) Thanks
  • atomdraco
    atomdraco Posts: 1,083 Member
    YES, YES, more YES
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
    exercise will tone your body and help you lose faster.
  • shellyxxxxx
    shellyxxxxx Posts: 143
    i lost 56 lbs without exercising but then i ended up with lots and lots of loose skin everywhere on my body so i think it may be better to exercise even if it just helps to tone you up x good luck with your journey x
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    Exercise is important for health. Weight loss aside, everyone should get 30 minutes of exercise per day.
  • ridz
    ridz Posts: 3
    Thanks. I will consider cardio and aerobics 3-5 times a week, resistance training and weights add more weight on my body and discourages me. Any of you experienced same problems?
  • HealthyishWithMaggieG
    HealthyishWithMaggieG Posts: 397 Member
    I would agree that exercise (in some form, not necessarily just going to the gym) is important for a healthy life. But, I think it's a good idea to keep it realistic. I don't want to get on an exercise program that's super intense, even if it does help me lose weight, that I'm not going to keep up once the weight's gone. Sure, I like to workout. But, going to a gym isn't part of my lifestyle right now. So, when setting up my MFP account, I told it my activity level is less than what it really is and I make sure to add anything I do around the house (cooking, cleaning, moving boxes - I'm moving this week, etc.) into my exercise diary. It's a mind trick that I play on myself that keeps me motivated.
  • MrsWendyQ
    MrsWendyQ Posts: 125 Member
    Right now I have no choice, proper diet is pretty much all l can do! My chiropractor has advised me not to do any of the dvd's I recently purchased. My back is so messed up, it's such a catch 22. I know I need to exercise to lose the weight and that will greatly help my back, but I can't because it's so messed up right now. So, I eat properly and go on with my daily life. Hopefully with his help I'll be able to go for those nice long walks again this summer. I've been told that proper diet is 80-85% of losing weight, and so far it's been working wonders for me!
  • beth40n2
    beth40n2 Posts: 233 Member
    Very important! If you diet without exercise you will loose muscle mass and that is not a good thing in the long run. When we exercise we sometimes do gain some because we are gaining muscle mass. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat. In the long run you will be better off if you exercise.
  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
    When you think about what you should do in life, consider what opens your heart. In this day and age so many people are prone to heart disease, and it's the leading cause of death in the US. By getting your heart pumping every day, it strengthens it, burns fat, and gets your blood pumping to help strengthen those arteries. Think about how great your body must feel to get blood rushing to your brain and extremities. Even the best diet can't do that! It feels wonderful.

    Plus you'll tone all those muscles that cause problem areas with weight loss.
  • madamelaporte
    madamelaporte Posts: 404 Member
    I think it depends on each person!

    I know I lose weight better when I am exercising too however my sister lost 42lb last year by diet only as she doesnt really "do" exercise!!!!

    x
  • javamonster
    javamonster Posts: 272 Member
    Exercise (weight-bearing) also builds bone density, which is extremely important! I think the other reasons to support exercise have been covered here! Eating 1200 cals a day will only get you so far, and likely will come back to bite you. It is more important to be fit than be a certain number on the scale.
  • Queen_Christine
    Queen_Christine Posts: 342 Member
    Exercise is important. You don't have to kill yourself though. I have proven to myself the statement "no pain no gain" is untrue. A 30 - 60 minute walk at a comfortable pace (about 3.0 mph) is going to help you feel better in a lot of ways. When I was younger I lost 35 lbs. over about 6 months just by counting calories. Now I am older and that doesn't work for me too well anymore. Now I have to exercise too. It's probably because our metabolism slows down as you get older. But - everyone is different. On the other hand, people with a naturally high metabolism don't have weight problems!
  • kayleegx
    kayleegx Posts: 4
    No. You don't need to exercise to lose weight but if you want quicker results then exercise will help.
    I lost 27lbs without any exercise over the past year purely by eating less than i burn.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    I was reading an article in Reader's Digest about this earlier this week. Based upon that article the answer was no - because you get more hungry wanting to eat more, bad circle. That said, I never would have been successful without exercise. It is a stress relief for me, balancing my cortisol levels, and keeping me sane. I also have lost an entire extra size on my clothes no losing a lb doing P90X, but dropping many many inches. So IMO, the importance of exercise is up there, especially as we age - being 40 the weight/sizes were harder to lose than they were 10 years ago.
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