So exercise isn't needed to lose weight?

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ashley92188
ashley92188 Posts: 49 Member
edited January 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
ive been seeing this a lot on here lately that all u really need to do to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit?
So does exercising just help u lose more faster or wat?
I really hate the gym and I'm hoping one day I'll learn to love it but right now I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week burning atleast 800 calories, 700 is my daily goal, because I really need to lose a little over 100 lbs but my first goal is 50.
Mfp suggested I eat 2000 somethin calories to lose 2lbs a week as a lightly active person but I'll never eat that many especially with all the exercise I'm doing. I can barely eat 1600 and I don't wanna go into starvation mode.
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Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    First, starvation mode doesn't exist. Metabolic adaptation does, but lets not worry about that.
    Now to answer your question. Caloric deficit is all that is needed for weight loss. Exercise is for health and helps that deficit along. More importantly, with so much to lose, you're going to want to retain as much muscle as possible. This means lift weights!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Caloric deficit creates weight loss. Exercise helps with fitness and maintaining lean body mass.

    Starvation mode? Please expound on what you define that as.

    What exercises are you doing and how are you calculating your burns?

    If you have over 100 lbs to lose, you can eat the amount MFP says you need to consume and still lose two pounds per week. In fact, you've been eating a lot more than that to get to your current weight. It might sound mean, but it is simple math.

  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
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    You do need to exercise otherwise you might be thin but it will be flabby thin. You will also put it back on fairly quick when you stop trying to lose it.
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
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    But that being said, if someone is seriously obese they might not be able to go the gym and jump on the elliptical. Walking or light exercise is a good way to start.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Exercise isn't totally necessary but it makes the loss go faster and gives you a much nicer and stronger body. It also is a good way to maintain weight and avoid regaining when you are done with the calorie deficit. There are exercises that don't suck. Try hooping, dancing, stuff like that. You don't have to hop on the elliptical or lift weights if those things make you feel like hating life lol. Don't worry about starvation mode. That's mostly a myth. If you eat at least 1200 calories you are safe.
  • lcooper327
    lcooper327 Posts: 112 Member
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    You don't need to exercise to lose weight. Exercise will improve body composition and general health. Plus the more you move the more you can eat and who doesn't want more food?!
  • RebelDiamond
    RebelDiamond Posts: 188 Member
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    To answer your question simply, you do not need to exercise to lose fat.

    For me, exercise makes me feel like eating better. If I've just worked up a sweat at the gym I don't want to "waste" the effort by going overboard with my eating.

    You said you can't eat more than 1,600, you're burning 800 5-6 times a week which gives you roughly 1,000 cals a day net. You said you have 100pounds to lose, this math does not add up.

    For example, I weigh 133pounds (5.5, desk job) and my maintenance calorie intake (to maintain my weight and not lose any) is roughly 1,700 - 1,800 cals a day.

    It's likely you aren't logging your calories accurately. Are you guessing portion size or are you measuring? are you including all ingredients in your count? Things like butter, oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise are very calorie dense so if you exclude them or don't include the correct amount your calorie count will be way off.

    You're likely to receive the same advise 50 times over in this discussion, and it's not meant to be mean (not from me anyway) but it's supposed to be helpful :)
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    700-800 calories per day is a LOT of calories burned. Exercise is good for you and healthy, but it sounds like you might be overdoing the cardio -- either that, or you're overestimating the calorie burn.

    Maybe try to cut back on the cardio a bit and find some sort of strength training exercise you enjoy. Maybe it's lifting weights at the gym. If you really hate that, try pilates or yoga, or home body weight exercise like calisthenics.

    Weight is lost in the kitchen, not at the gym. Cardio gives you more of a calorie allowance but ultimately it still comes down to eating less than you burn.
  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
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    myfatass78 wrote: »
    You do need to exercise otherwise you might be thin but it will be flabby thin. You will also put it back on fairly quick when you stop trying to lose it.

    The first part, okay sure, you might not retain as much muscle and look as lean had you exercised during weight loss but not everyone is looking to be super fit. Some people just want to get to a healthy weight range and that's okay. That's a start.

    Bolded...That's not true at all. I've been maintaining my weight for over 4 months now not exercising due to an injury and am still doing so now. You just have to adjust your caloric intake for your new body to maintain it ...

    Exercise is great for fitness, overall health. Things like weightlifting and resistance training help to retain lean body mass, etc but for weight loss NO it is not essential you exercise.

    Just maintain a calorie deficit.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited January 2015
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    ashley92188 wrote:
    ive (sic) been seeing this a lot on here lately that all u (sic) really need to do to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit?
    So does exercising just help u (sic) lose more faster or wat (sic)?
    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html

    So yes, you could just eat at a reasonable calorie level (10x your healthy goal weight, based on BMI), sit on the couch all day, and lose weight.
    But exercise does other things for you beyond burning calories to help with weight loss.
    It strengthens your muscles, esp. if you're doing weightlifting.
    (ETA: weight-bearing exercise is important because it helps build bone strength & density. Do it while you're younger so it lasts longer into old age.)
    It strengthens & tones your heart when you do cardio.
    It lowers some of your cholesterol measurements.
    It helps control blood sugar & insulin levels.
    Many people report that exercise lowers their hunger.
    And yes, eventually it does start to feel good just to know that you can move so well, lift so much weight, walk or run so far / fast.
    Mfp suggested I eat 2000 somethin (sic) calories to lose 2lbs a week as a lightly active person but I'll never eat that many especially with all the exercise I'm doing. I can barely eat 1600 and I don't wanna (sic) go into starvation mode.
    You didn't get fat "barely eating 1600". Unless you're very short, you did not get to be 100 lb overweight only eating 1600 cal per day. So yes, you can eat more than that.
    Question is, should you?
    Is 160 a healthy goal weight for your height, based on BMI? If so, keep at the 1600 level.
    (And ignore exercise or "net" calories.)

    As rebel pointed out, you're likely eating more than you think. Go read these.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    *************

    Yes, starvation mode exists, but no, it's not what most people think it is and it's nowhere near as easy to get into as people seem to think.
    The body needs energy (calories) to run.
    It prefers to burn carbs, first glucose (blood sugar) then glycogen (stored carb form in the muscles & liver).
    Then it prefers to burn fat. This can happen at the same time, but it's really the second choice.
    As a distant third choice, it will burn protein (muscle). It's an inefficient conversion, and it's a gamble against time, hoping that you will be able to find food before your heart &/or diaphragm stop working (death). THAT is starvation mode.

    Here's a great article which addesses the silliness & myths which most people call "starvation mode" better than I ever could. Yes, it's long. Read it anyway. Includes pictures of real people who were really starving.
    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

    51637601.png
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    edited January 2015
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    ashley92188 wrote: »
    ive been seeing this a lot on here lately that all u really need to do to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit?
    So does exercising just help u lose more faster or wat?
    I really hate the gym and I'm hoping one day I'll learn to love it but right now I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week burning atleast 800 calories, 700 is my daily goal, because I really need to lose a little over 100 lbs but my first goal is 50.
    Mfp suggested I eat 2000 somethin calories to lose 2lbs a week as a lightly active person but I'll never eat that many especially with all the exercise I'm doing. I can barely eat 1600 and I don't wanna go into starvation mode.

    Starvation mode is a myth. You'll be okay eating much more.

    Since you have a higher weight, you can eat what MFP tells you is okay and still lose weight. As you lose weight, your intake will change because as we decrease in size our calorie needs decrease too.

    If you are exercising, you need to eat some of those calories back in order to properly fuel you body.
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    First, starvation mode doesn't exist. Metabolic adaptation does, but lets not worry about that.
    Now to answer your question. Caloric deficit is all that is needed for weight loss. Exercise is for health and helps that deficit along. More importantly, with so much to lose, you're going to want to retain as much muscle as possible. This means lift weights!

    This.
    gothchiq wrote: »
    Exercise isn't totally necessary but it makes the loss go faster and gives you a much nicer and stronger body. It also is a good way to maintain weight and avoid regaining when you are done with the calorie deficit. There are exercises that don't suck. Try hooping, dancing, stuff like that. You don't have to hop on the elliptical or lift weights if those things make you feel like hating life lol. Don't worry about starvation mode. That's mostly a myth. If you eat at least 1200 calories you are safe.

    No. This lady has 100 pounds to lose. She needs to eat well over 1200 to properly fuel her body.
    So yes, you could just eat at a reasonable calorie level (10x your healthy goal weight, based on BMI), sit on the couch all day, and lose weight.

    Yes, starvation mode exists, but no, it's not what most people think it is and it's nowhere near as easy to get into as people seem to think.
    The body needs energy (calories) to run.
    It prefers to burn carbs, first glucose (blood sugar) then glycogen (stored carb form in the muscles & liver).
    Then it prefers to burn fat. This can happen at the same time, but it's really the second choice.
    As a distant third choice, it will burn protein (muscle). It's an inefficient conversion, and it's a gamble against time, hoping that you will be able to find food before your heart &/or diaphragm stop working (death). THAT is starvation mode.

    Here's a great article which addesses the silliness & myths which most people call "starvation mode" better than I ever could. Yes, it's long. Read it anyway. Includes pictures of real people who were really starving.
    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

    51637601.png

    No on this, especially the bold part.

    Starvation mode is a myth when it comes to the common dieter.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    I exercise because I can eat more.

    But I also exercise because each week I get better and better.

    I have gone from not being able to run a minute to running 5 miles..that's progress to me and I'm addicted to seeing it.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    myfatass78 wrote: »
    You do need to exercise otherwise you might be thin but it will be flabby thin. You will also put it back on fairly quick when you stop trying to lose it.

    Strength training would help reduce lean body mass loss. But you will NOT regain weight quickly once you stop dieting just because you weren't exercising. The only reason that would happen is if you start over-eating again. Many people see diets as temporary as opposed to a lifestyle change. So you can exercise and gain weight or exercise and lose because CICO. If you try losing on 1200 and then go back to eating 3000 calories while sedentary, yeah.. you'll gain weight back.


    And again and again and again, no, do not multiply your current or goal weight by 10 to create your deficit. Like hell I'm eating 1450 calories to lose weight. I can't count how many time's I've said exactly waht you've said, @SLLRunner
  • ashley92188
    ashley92188 Posts: 49 Member
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    Thanks for the great advice everybody! I'm sorry I should've added that I'm 5"11 290lbs. Right now I'm doin strictly cardio at the gym. Treadmill for 40mins at speeds of 3-3.5 then I get on this exercise bike for 36mins. I'm measuring my calories burned with my polar hrm which always tells me after those 2 workouts I've burned no less than 800cals-1000cals but my goal is atleast 700 bc I'd like to burn 3500 a week since I've been told 3500 burned is 1lb. Mind u I just got back into the gym maybe a week or 2 ago.
    So it looks like I should be using the strength machines as well and stop being afraid to eat lol and eat my calories back or atleast some of them? I guess it's harder for me to consume them now bc I'm drinking water all day which is filling and I'm also eating more frequently throughout the day to keep my metabolism going. Eating small healthy meals every 2-3 hours as opposed to 2-3 big unhealthy meals that more than likely got me this way in the first place. I just started using my food scale and mfp. I may be off with measurements on a few items but for the most part I guess it's pretty accurate. Mfp also measures my daily steps atleast when I have my phone in hand which adds more calories burned daily.
    My first concern is getting back down to a healthy weight but I do want to look good when I get there. I wasn't always this big. I used to be about 150 in hs then in college is when I was 160-170 then idk I started gaining gaining and gaining all while in denial never thinking I'd ever hit 300lbs but here I am. My eating habits never changed nor did my exercise level which has always been pretty much non existent but I guess my metabolism did n that's y I'm the way I am now. The weight gain happened over a period of about 5-6 years started in about 2009. And now I'm ready to get back in shape. I'm 26 and this isn't good nor is it healthy. I wanna be able to run and jump again and just be active so I kno the gym will definitely help get me back into shape. I just have to get to the point where I enjoy going.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    ashley92188 wrote: »
    Eating small healthy meals every 2-3 hours as opposed to 2-3 big unhealthy meals that more than likely got me this way in the first place.

    Eat whenever you like how often you like. B) There is no rule. Your body manages just fine at whatever time it gets food.
    Some people do very well eating two meals a day or any variation of that.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    It's not, but you'll be flabby.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    jennifershoo wrote: »
    It's not, but you'll be flabby.

    LOLNope.

  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    Some people don't need to move much in order to lose weight. Other people need to be extremely active to lose and maintain the loss. I frequently see people write that weight loss is 75% about diet, but I find that the opposite is true for me--if I don't move just about every day, I don't lose.

    Even if you find that nutrition is more powerful for you, exercise IS necessary for general health and for maintenance of a strong cardiovascular system. Doing weight-bearing exercise is important for skeletal health. I could go on and on about all of the reasons why you need to exercise aside from weight loss.

    Adding lifting is a great idea. I started at about your height and weight and I'm really glad that I did weightlifting along the way. I don't have a lot of sag or lose skin even though I have lost quite a bit of weight.

    How many steps are you averaging per day?
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    From college to age 26 you gained 140 pounds? So you've nearly doubled your weight in less than 5 years?

    Have you checked in with your doctor to make sure that you don't have medical issues that are contributing to the gain?
  • ashley92188
    ashley92188 Posts: 49 Member
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    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    From college to age 26 you gained 140 pounds? So you've nearly doubled your weight in less than 5 years?

    Have you checked in with your doctor to make sure that you don't have medical issues that are contributing to the gain?

    I have and am currently checking with my dr because I honestly don't understand it either. I gain SO fast and it's like I can't lose weight no matter wat. I've had my thyroid checked and everything came back normal. I just had all this blood work done. Everything came back normal and I stopped taking my bc this month to see if that was a factor. I can literally gain 50lbs in a year. This is very depressing but im working harder than ever to lose this weight. I go back to my dr next week to discuss my results.

    And I'm really not sure how many steps I average bc I work a desk job and when I do get up I don't always have my phone on me but when I go to the gym I average over 10,000 steps bc my phone is on me there.

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