What about dieting but NO exercise ?

greta7611
greta7611 Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone counting calories and NOT exercising and still losing ?
«13

Replies

  • girl_inflames
    girl_inflames Posts: 374 Member
    edited July 2016
    I lost 40 pounds without exercise. However, I'm still active (hiking, walks, etc). Lately I've been exercising since now that I'm at a lower weight I'm not losing as fast as I was and I want to dedicate myself to a healthier lifestyle.
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    I lost my initial 50 pounds with no exercise.

    Now I exercise because I enjoy it and love to get out and do things. It also helps to stay at maintenance goals.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Due to a health condition I go stretches of several weeks at a time without exercising and I keep losing weight. A calorie deficit through eating less is more than enough. It is easier to achieve with exercise though, because you get extra calories to eat.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Yes, you can still lose weight. Unfortunately, you will lose more muscle this way than if you exercise.
  • aquablue_1111
    aquablue_1111 Posts: 40 Member
    Several years ago, I cut out dairy and changed nothing else about my diet (kept eating same amounts, ate same things minus dairy of course). I wasn't exercising at the time either. Although I wasn't using a scale, I'm sure cutting out dairy caused a calorie deficit and I lost weight.

    So yes, the short answer is you can lose weight by creating a calorie deficit through changes in diet alone.
  • greta7611
    greta7611 Posts: 13 Member
    I know it seemed like a silly question, what with a calorie deficit and all. Just curious of the experience of others. I don't like to "exercise". I like to do something constructive that is exercise like cut the grass. I need ideas of things like that that will result in exercise by not calling it exercise.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    greta7611 wrote: »
    I know it seemed like a silly question, what with a calorie deficit and all. Just curious of the experience of others. I don't like to "exercise". I like to do something constructive that is exercise like cut the grass. I need ideas of things like that that will result in exercise by not calling it exercise.

    Not a silly question at all. It is a very good question as there are many that believe they have to exercise to loose weight. I am not one that does not exercise, but there are plenty of members here in the MFP community that have and do successfully lose weight with no exercise. Besides there are going to be those that cannot exercise due to medical conditions or physical limitations.

    If you use two things, the MFP app and a food scale alone you will see amazing results. No exercise needed! :)
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Just find any activity you like. Sports or anything really. I have found that I love kickboxing! I do weights to keep my muscle mass, but do the kickboxing for fun. I also love to swim in the summer and it's a great full body workout.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Not a debate topic.

    Of course it is possible to do, but if the goal is health I wouldn't particularly recommend it unless you have an inability to exercise for some reason.
  • etruscansunited
    etruscansunited Posts: 18 Member
    edited July 2016
    Lost 8kgs off 83kg within 8 weeks of starting ketogenic diet. Deliberately avoided exercise other than mild walking in order to remove one variable in order to demonstrate the effects of the macronutrient mix to diabetes educator and endo who had no idea of even the existence of ketogenic nutrition let alone the scientific basis for the physiology / biochemistry.

    Two memes from publications in BMJ and other medical publications might help to start understanding this option (not a substitute for scientific explanation or personal medical advice):
    1. You cannot exercise away a bad diet.
    2. A calorie is not a calorie.

    The latter refers to the different efficiencies and consequences of whether the fuel for your daily energy needs is stored-fat or stored-glycogen based.

    Personally, since becoming substantially ketogenic adapted in under two months I have lost a lot of visceral abdominal fat that had stuck around for years despite exercise, reduced my waistline back to needing trousers stored away years ago, high blood pressure dropped to extent of nearly off meds, avoided all post prandial BGL spikes, avoided most risk of hypoglycaemia, sleep better, feel much better cognitively, eating more food including certain vegetables and expect in my next blood tests much better cholesterol levels and ratios.
    I hypothesise that if I continue I will substantially reduce risks of cardio disease, strokes, retinal damage and kidney damage.

    Eating is easier than before - in fact I now struggle to eat enough yet I continue to lose weight (fat not water). I have resumed brekkie after decades of skipping it. I have no need to count or restrict calories. I rarely carb count, causing much discombobulation among the type 1 diabetes health care providers. Eating is a pleasure after years of nightmare diet restrictions and calculations.
    The food budget is better too.
    Without going into all the adjustments, my only special efforts daily are to add flaxseed which I mill onto my food and a daily half teaspoon of a rather singular extra virgin cod liver oil. These are to maintain sufficient levels of omega 3 and aim as close as practical to a daily intake in a ratio of 1:1 of omega 3:omega 6.

    Despite those two additional efforts, it has been a dream effort to lose fat and improve overall daily health and hopefully long term biomarkers.

    All of the above applies generally even to those without insulin dependent diabetes.

    If you wish to explore this, I suggest you initially ignore all fads, celebreties and other pop culture "experts". It might be better to start your exploration by looking into ketogenic diets for epilepsy, cancers, diabetes and athletes. That would tend to expose you first to a more scientifc foundation before having to filter the pop culture pundits.
    By the way, "LCHF" and "low carb high fat" phrases are not rigorously scientific (why state what it is relative to a presumed bad diet?) nor does that concept comprehensively deal with all nutritional needs (protein, micronutrients, relative composition, hydration ...) but so long as you bear in mind its shortcomings it is helpful.

    As always, your own particular condition must dictate your actual optimal nutritional needs.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    i lost my first 20 kgs with no exercise at all. then did some exercise with wii games, till i went on vacation and lost my will to continue. Last week i started c25k and i'm almost at 30kgs lost.
  • jammer1963
    jammer1963 Posts: 106 Member
    greta7611 wrote: »
    Anyone counting calories and NOT exercising and still losing ?

    I did that for the first part of my weight loss. I am sure it cost me muscle so I joined the local gym and was going for about a month before I recently injured myself and now I'm restricted from going to the gym for 6 weeks. But to answer your question, it can be done. As many of the posters have said, you lose weight from calorie deficit, so as long as you do that, you'll see weight loss.
  • berolcolour
    berolcolour Posts: 140 Member
    I did that when I started too. I think it's why I have been successful, I didn't try to change too much at once. First I started with a small deficit, then added a step tracker a while later.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,418 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Not a debate topic.

    Of course it is possible to do, but if the goal is health I wouldn't particularly recommend it unless you have an inability to exercise for some reason.

    Yes, huh.

  • biddee02
    biddee02 Posts: 3 Member
    I lost my initial 15lbs without exercising just by eating at a deficit. I was feeling so uncomfortable at 200lbs that I decided to try and lose some weight before starting to exercise, now that I'm down a bit, it's easier to move without that extra weight and am now exercising as well.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    biddee02 wrote: »
    I lost my initial 15lbs without exercising just by eating at a deficit. I was feeling so uncomfortable at 200lbs that I decided to try and lose some weight before starting to exercise, now that I'm down a bit, it's easier to move without that extra weight and am now exercising as well.

    This is basically what I tell my friend. She and her husband are both very over weight, possible morbidly obese. I see what she eats, and she does eat healthy(at least at work). I know that neither moves much, but that it is also difficult and painful. I tell her to start slow and keep it short, and to use the elliptical or bike if treadmill is too much. The more you lose, the easier it will be to move, and then you can move more, and that in turn helps you lose more weight. And it just keeps adding up. Win, win!
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    greta7611 wrote: »
    I know it seemed like a silly question, what with a calorie deficit and all. Just curious of the experience of others. I don't like to "exercise". I like to do something constructive that is exercise like cut the grass. I need ideas of things like that that will result in exercise by not calling it exercise.

    Weight is lost in the kitchen, not through exercise. B)

    Yard work, walking to get your mail, walking to the grocery store or open air market, cleaning the house, etc...all fit the bill of doing something constructive and you don't have to call any of it exercise.
  • clparton4
    clparton4 Posts: 2 Member
    I had to take it easy with exercise at the beginning due to health reasons, but I made sure I was at least walking. I still walk almost every day and I do yoga 3 times a week.
    I had to lose some lbs before I could really get moving with the exercise. YMMV.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    For me? It would have been absolutely impossible. Too hungry and there's just no way I'd last a month having to deprive myself of everything I love. Need the extra calories.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Getting more active was what I enjoyed the most about losing weight. I don't like exercising just for the sake of health, however. The activity has to have some purpose.

    I lost my first thirty pounds when I was nearly completely sedentary.

    Then I tried all sorts of activities to see what I liked.

    I like Zumba, going on runs, Mud Hero, Pokemon Go, and my paper route.

    I suggest you try all sorts of activities to see what works for you. You might put out flyers to mow your neighbour's lawns. Earn a little extra money and stay active at the same time.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I would be uncomfortably hungry, lose muscle mass, and put my cardiovascular health into danger. But, yes, it can be done.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited July 2016
    Yep! I lost 20 lbs (of my wanted 30) that way. But I did lose my hamstrings (AKA muscle mass) too lol. Bye bye nice, shapely legs... hello months of weight lifting to get them back...

    Wish I had understood and listened to my brother when he mentioned that could happen. But that was before my MFP days where I knew where to ask and what to look up to understand why.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    I lost my first few stones by simply watching what I ate and stepping on and off my Wii Fit board whilst watching TV.
  • grannynot
    grannynot Posts: 146 Member
    greta7611 wrote: »
    I know it seemed like a silly question, what with a calorie deficit and all. Just curious of the experience of others. I don't like to "exercise". I like to do something constructive that is exercise like cut the grass. I need ideas of things like that that will result in exercise by not calling it exercise.

    This is easy :-) There's an acronym called "N.E.A.T." - it stands for Non-exercise-activity Thermogenesis. In other words, ANYTHING you do that makes you move, burns calories. You can burn a remarkable amount of calories just puttering around the house; and then you can step it up a bit by adding to your routine. If you're walking up the steps, do a squat or two, or calf flexes. Do some curls with those canned goods you are putting in the pantry. Rake the leaves with gusto. Dance while cooking dinner. It all adds up.

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