Is dieting alone enough?

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jhschwindt85
jhschwindt85 Posts: 561 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been eating better and walking more. Is that enough to lose 80 lbs.? I hate hard exercise! I haven't lost any weight yet.

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  • Ohjeezitskim
    Ohjeezitskim Posts: 129 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I can't say I've lost a HUGE portion but I only started walking this week (Week 4 or 5) and before that I was only eating better, not walking and lost 11 pounds! I've saw people here say the same too, how they lost 50+ pounds from just eating correctly
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    If you're sticking to your calorie goals, then yes.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
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    "Eating better" isn't necessarily enough - you need to be eating less calories than you burn. But exercise isn't necessary for weight loss, it just helps your overall fitness levels and can give you a few extra calories to eat. :smile:

    Check out these threads to see if they help you figure out where to start:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    Good luck - you can do it, and you don't need to feel deprived or miserable either! :smile:
  • jhschwindt85
    jhschwindt85 Posts: 561 Member
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    Yeah. Before I use to eat anything and everything. Now I have been really watching everything I eat and trying hard to lose the weight.
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
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    Yes, you just need to create a calorie deficit by 1) eating less or 2) moving more or 3) a combo of 1 and 2. And you certainly don't need to do "hard" exercise. A walk counts as exercise.
  • Shrinking_Erin
    Shrinking_Erin Posts: 125 Member
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    75+ down focusing on diet. I do walk more than I did when I lived in the states .. Living in Europe naturally adds walking. I'm finding that I can maintain my current weight without weighing and tracking ... But when I want to steadily lose I need to weigh my foods (everything) and track it.
  • evildeadedd
    evildeadedd Posts: 108 Member
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    To answer your question as you literally asked it. Is eating BETTER enough to lose weight? No. Eating LESS is, but eating better has nothing to do with weight loss. The way I make a salad is 500 calories or more. And that's weighing the ingredients. If I didn't weigh it would probably be double that. You have to get a food scale and weigh every solid. Measuring cup s are completely worthless for tracking. You also need to double check nutrition info on stuff you log. Sometimes the entries in the database are off by hundreds of calories. Accurately log, stick to your calorie goal, and there no need to do strenuous exercise. Weight is lost in the kitchen.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 402 Member
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    I lost 155 pounds by diet alone. You don't need exercise to lose weight, but do it for your body and health.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    julianneschwindt wrote: »
    Yeah. Before I use to eat anything and everything. Now I have been really watching everything I eat and trying hard to lose the weight.

    so...just watching what you eat isn't enough.

    you have to be in calorie deficit...you can gain weight on "healthy" foods and watching what you eat.

    You need to eat less of all the food and ensure you are below maintenance.
  • lauracups
    lauracups Posts: 533 Member
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    I've always worked out but was obese until I adopted the "can't out run a bad diet " principle. So, yes, it's mostly all about the calories. But I am a proponent of exercise, it doesn't have to be "hard"...the benefits are many!
  • Rockchick09
    Rockchick09 Posts: 200 Member
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    I think you need to change you're lifestyle a bit more for a real effect - It's great you're eating healthier and that you're walking but you have to maintain it and perhaps count calories? It's helping me a lot to keep track of what I eat.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I lost over 50lbs without any exercise at all, in the process I also greatly improved my health including getting a high glucose number lowered and stabilized into the 80s (normal range). I've now been maintaining the loss for 3 years and the only exercise I do is some seasonal walking.

    Weight loss is pretty straightforward-accurately track your food intake, pay attention to portion sizes (with a food scale), and stay within your calorie parameters (which MFP sets for you). That's it.

    You also don't need to make drastic changes to what kinds of foods you're eating. Instead focus on continuing to eat the foods you like, just less of them. This is a more realistic and sustainable way of doing things, for the long term.
  • jammer1963
    jammer1963 Posts: 106 Member
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    I've noticed that when I just diet by lowering my calories everyday, I lose weight but very slowly. When I've dieted before and exercised at the same time (riding a stationary bike for 30-min) I lost 3-4 pounds a week but just dieting without exercise, I'm only losing a pound a week if I'm lucky. So in my case, exercise helps weight loss.
  • faidwen
    faidwen Posts: 131 Member
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    It all takes time.... remember, you didn't put it on overnight. It is the same with taking it off.

    Patience, and ANY calorie deficit will do the job.

    Steadfast patience!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    Don't need to work out, but I never understood why people hate it with such a passion. It feels pretty good.
  • MultipleHigh5s
    MultipleHigh5s Posts: 49 Member
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    As long as you are eating at a calorie deficit, yes you can loose weight just with walking. That is how I do it mostly. I keep meaning to start strength training, but get psyched out whenever I get to the gym!

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