An obese person does not need to do one iota of exercise to lose weight
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Can you lose weight without exercise? Absolutely.
Not only is exercise useful for health and physical ability but in terms of weightloss - maintaining lean body mass will help keep weight off in the long term. And for that, proper diet and activities that include some sort of strength training are essential.
If you want that "skinny fat" look and just lose weight - yep, just don't exercise.
Weight loss is principly about eating less, exercise is about how you look, feel and function. Up to you.0 -
Bit of both is the best way to go. To maintain, defo you need to exercise and eat well. I still at the weight loss stage so getting the routines in place for when I reach the next stage.0
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I think that the main point is that exercise not necessary. This needs to be pointed out more, especially for the morbidly obese or those who have physical problems where they can't exercise. So many think that they can't lose weight because they can't exercise (or flat out don't want to) and they need to be reminded that weight loss is not about exercise, it is about controlling calories. Many, like me, will be able to add in exercise as the weight comes off but it is a bonus, not the meat of weight loss.
Even in many posts above I see "Yes, but" answers. The answer really is "Yes".0 -
In my case it is utter crap. I went on special "eating plans" twice. Both times I lost 24kg, both times I stopped and both times I put the 24kg back on. Both times I bought into the "This is a lifestyle not a diet" thing. Neither of the 2 times did I include exercise. Why did I fail? Because the diets were very restrictive. Why am I succeeding now? Because I limit calorie intake NOT what I eat so I don't get bored with eating limited food and if I overeat (like pizza) I go to the gym and work it off. You cant do that purely with dieting. Also, exercising has other spi-offs that are beneficial to loosing weight. Feeling your body becoming stronger is a very good motivator to lose more weight.
If you have to lose 10kg, then yes diet alone will do it. If you have to lose 60kg then I'm afraid you are going to need a *kitten* load of self motivation and discipline and I know very few obese people that have either.
So on a theoretical basis, yes I agree. On a practical level, I'm sorry I don't agree and I think it is pretty irresponsible.
I lost my extra weight (almost 60lbs), without any exercise. I also learned how to successfully maintain without any exercise. I also improved my blood panels in the process, including getting my glucose number out of the pre-diabetic range and back to normal. Looking back at my experience, I wouldn't have changed anything about it, and if I had to do it over again I still wouldn't have added exercise during my weight loss phase. To each their own!0 -
In my case it is utter crap. I went on special "eating plans" twice. Both times I lost 24kg, both times I stopped and both times I put the 24kg back on. Both times I bought into the "This is a lifestyle not a diet" thing. Neither of the 2 times did I include exercise. Why did I fail? Because the diets were very restrictive. Why am I succeeding now? Because I limit calorie intake NOT what I eat so I don't get bored with eating limited food and if I overeat (like pizza) I go to the gym and work it off. You cant do that purely with dieting. Also, exercising has other spi-offs that are beneficial to loosing weight. Feeling your body becoming stronger is a very good motivator to lose more weight.
If you have to lose 10kg, then yes diet alone will do it. If you have to lose 60kg then I'm afraid you are going to need a *kitten* load of self motivation and discipline and I know very few obese people that have either.
So on a theoretical basis, yes I agree. On a practical level, I'm sorry I don't agree and I think it is pretty irresponsible.
Looks to me like your problem was the restrictiveness, not the not exercising part.0 -
losing weight is about creating a calorie deficit, and you can do however you want. Exercise burns calorie, although not as many as people think. I used to work with a guy that told me you could eat whatever you wanted and as much as you wanted, as long as you exercise. He would go to the gym every morning, and for lunch he would eat burgers, fries, and a shake, and whatever he wanted. A little time had passed, and he was still overweight. I couldn't make him understand that losing weight was mostly from eating less. It's either eat a little more and exercise, or just eat less.0
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Alatariel75 wrote: »Very true, but the other benefits to exercise are huge. I once read "losing weight is about looking good clothed. Exercise is about looking good naked". Overly simplified and not always true, but it kind of captures it.
Love this!0 -
I actually lost the bulk of my weight only dieting 5 days a week and partying on the weekends. When you are morbidly obese, a hiccup on the weekend will not ruin your diet.
There are actually studies that say people who exercise only or exercise and diet, gain weight, maintain or very slowly lose compared to diet only people who steadily lost. If anything, you have to be stricter I think to lose while exercising because of psychological and physiological reasons.
I strongly believe however, that exercise is important in maintenance of weight.
http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2015/01/15/4162890.htm0 -
I lost most weight from not exercising but that was by choice, exercise can be anything even walking up stairs or even ironing and household chores or weight and strength training. The gyms where I live are too expensive so my husband buying my dumbbells and other equipment to help me workout at home. I live in a hot climate so sometimes have to wait till the sun goes down before I can go for a long walk. If I run, there will be looks and comments so I don't bother. When I go home for summer hols i will run the 5k track they have marked out around my area. Each to their own!0
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stevencloser wrote: »
Looks to me like your problem was the restrictiveness, not the not exercising part.
That was a large part of it yes. However exercising closed the gaps for me. On weeks where I lose no weight or where things are hard exercise helps to motivate me.
However, I apologize. I capitulate to popular opinion.
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In an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, three international experts said it was time to "bust the myth" about exercise. They said while activity was a key part of staving off diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia, its impact on obesity was minimal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32417699
This resonates with what I have learnt over the last few decades and concurs with what a fitness instructor told me at a gym years ago.
If you read the article, then youll see its slightly misleading. The question is asked several times a week on MFP and it receives consistent replies that for weight loss purposes a calorific deficit is all that is needed. There is no dispute about that on MFP. So really OP you are stating the obvious.
Note its only 3 authors who are saying this and even the BBC article has people disagreeing with their slant about the role of exercise.
The authors are talking specifically about the spin it balmes on the food and drink industry about the value of exercise solving all problems to do with obesity.
The authors are more concerned about diet intake coming from sugar and carbs as opposed to fat.
I found it interesting, but its a bit incomplete and raises more questions than it answers. I preferred the responses about the value of a balanced diet and regular exercise, because obesity isnt the only reason to lose weight or get fit. I always find it a bit strange when people proudly put forward the fact they have done zero exercise. Not being overweight doesnt automatically mean you are healthy and being fit as well as strong has important benefits.
That is because one of them is an Atkins Foundation funded researcher. While i agree that you don't need exercise to lose weight, but exercise sure beats laying around on the couch all day eating tiny portions.0 -
It may not be necessary for weight loss, but weight loss isn't my only goal. I want to keep it off. I look to the studies of the long term maintainers for my guidance and goal-setting. Every single one of them exercises regularly.0
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I think that the main point is that exercise not necessary. This needs to be pointed out more, especially for the morbidly obese or those who have physical problems where they can't exercise. So many think that they can't lose weight because they can't exercise (or flat out don't want to) and they need to be reminded that weight loss is not about exercise, it is about controlling calories. Many, like me, will be able to add in exercise as the weight comes off but it is a bonus, not the meat of weight loss.
Even in many posts above I see "Yes, but" answers. The answer really is "Yes".
I agree with you that for some people it does seem that difficulty in finding the time, will or ability to exercise is a barrier to managing their weight.
The other side of the coin is that exercise helps and the majority of people aren't morbidly obese and can do exercise. Often enough, this type of story is seen as an excuse not to do exercise or even up their daily activity level.
Whether one wants to or not to do exercise is truly a personal choice but to think that the body doesn't need physical activity to thrive and maintain is false. Not only your bone structure and muscle function need movement but cardiovascular disease and health and even hormonal balance are regulated by activity.
If weightloss is at all motivated by any health considerations then physical activity goes hand in hand in achieving those.
And again, in terms of pure weight loss maintaining LBM will help with losing and keeping weight off.
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That is because one of them is an Atkins Foundation funded researcher. While i agree that you don't need exercise to lose weight, but exercise sure beats laying around on the couch all day eating tiny portions.
Interesting but im not disagreeing with you about the value of exercise just relaying waht the article says because most people seem fine with commenting on it without having read or understood what it says. Depressing.0 -
My goal is both.But is the goal of weightloss the weightloss or is the goal to be healthier.
I would have though for most being healthier is the goal. So less fat, more muscle and getting a range of vitamins and other good stuff from food.
So diet and exercise should be more or less equal. Probably weightloss as a higher priority in the beginning and then even out as you get closer to goal weight.
And, yeah, it's not exactly discovering E=mc^2 to deduce that weight loss typically becomes less of a priority as you have less of it to lose.
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In my case it is utter crap. I went on special "eating plans" twice. Both times I lost 24kg, both times I stopped and both times I put the 24kg back on. Both times I bought into the "This is a lifestyle not a diet" thing. Neither of the 2 times did I include exercise. Why did I fail? Because the diets were very restrictive. Why am I succeeding now? Because I limit calorie intake NOT what I eat so I don't get bored with eating limited food and if I overeat (like pizza) I go to the gym and work it off. You cant do that purely with dieting. Also, exercising has other spi-offs that are beneficial to loosing weight. Feeling your body becoming stronger is a very good motivator to lose more weight.
If you have to lose 10kg, then yes diet alone will do it. If you have to lose 60kg then I'm afraid you are going to need a *kitten* load of self motivation and discipline and I know very few obese people that have either.
So on a theoretical basis, yes I agree. On a practical level, I'm sorry I don't agree and I think it is pretty irresponsible.
Am I misreading something? aren't you agreeing with the article?
You say you limit calorie intake and if you happen to over eat you exercise.
So if you didn't over eat pizza etc you wouldn't exercise? There fore weight lose with out exercise.
Anyway I think the. Best saying I have seen to win this all up. You can't outrun a bad diet.
What your missing is that low calorie diets aren't really sustainable for most people. If you don't exercise to keep your metabolism up then most will eventually regain any weight they lost and probably end up heavier then when they started dieting.
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snowflakesav wrote: »I tend to think this is crap. The studies on long term maintainers is overwhelmingly about exercise and activity as the key factor.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.
Also, what's important for weight loss and maintaining tends to be what keeps you motivated/in the right frame of mind to do what needs to be done. I think that differs from person to person, but that for many exercise probably plays a huge role. (It always has for me.)0 -
In an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, three international experts said it was time to "bust the myth" about exercise. They said while activity was a key part of staving off diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia, its impact on obesity was minimal.
This is similar to what I just wrote in the other thread about exercise, and I'm not sure if the research being discussed is the same--I read the Guardian article, but the link in the OP here appears to be broken.
I would like to know what the researchers looked at in claiming that differences in activity do not matter for obesity, because one difference I've seen pointed out between areas of the US that have higher levels of obesity and areas that do not, and in particular between the US and other countries with lower obesity and overweight rates, is the difference in daily activity levels.
If this article is to be taken seriously, I guess the percentage of time people spend driving and not walking, the absence of sidewalks some places, decreases in the amount of time kids spend being active (vs. on the computer), changes in job patterns, etc. don't matter. And maybe they don't, but I'd like to see how this was determined.
Also, I am skeptical from the beginning with the researchers claiming that too much emphasis is placed on exercise. My impression is that diet is already the main thing that is focused on and what people think matter (and that dumb arguments over sugar vs. fat and so on--which the authors seem to be playing a role in--are actually part of the problem, as people think they need to follow some correct, complicated diet and can't figure out what is right given the claims from vegans to low carb to paleo and all the rest, when really it's much simpler).0
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