Working out First

If exercising creates a calorie deficit for you, then you'll lose weight. But that's why many here will say to focus on your intake first, because if you don't know how much you're eating, the deficit probably won't be there.

Many people find that increasing exercise increases their appetite. If you aren't paying attention to how much you're consuming, exercising can lead to weight loss. So if by "same eating habits," you mean eating exactly the same number of calories as before, then you will lose weight. But if by "same," you mean "generally the same," it may not work.

tyoung8 wrote: »

Hello,

has anyone tried working out before they actually started "dieting" like keeping their same eating habits but began to exercise and lost weight initially that way?

(I know everyone is going to do with the "losing weight is CICO" , "eating healthy is what's important not exercising" blah blah. Not here for that. )

I did that, didn't work for me. I just got hungrier and could rationalize eating more because I was at the gym that day. After a month I weighed more (and it wasn't muscle gains).

There's a famous quote saying anything worth doing, is worth doing badly. If the choice is starting to work out before changing your eating habits vs. not working out and not changing your eating habits, what you proposed in your question is preferable. Better to get started and do something than nothing. If you are going to do that, I'd make sure you combine lifting weights with some cardio. Don't just do cardio. If you can build some muscle (lifting weights), you'll increase your BMR since your body has to burn additional calories to support that new muscle. Also, your body will burn some calories post workout repairing muscle - assuming you've worked out hard enough to "break-down" your muscles.

Whether or not you will lose weight comes down to how far over your BMR you are eating, and how many calories you burn while exercising.

Sounds like you already know at some point the nutrition side of the house (CICO) needs to be addressed, but I won't go there since that's now what you are here for

I tried it once. It didn't work well for me. I was ravenous after the gym and would come home to chow down on a chocolate pudding cup.
When I worked out regularly and didn't count calories but was mindful of what I was eating, I was more successful.

I have done that, not intentionally but was trying to do both and started working out regularly while not doing so well with improving my eating. I didn't lose, didn't gain. In theory if whatever you're currently eating has you maintaining and you add in some exercise without eating more you might go down a bit. I've just never found that to happen for me.