Can you get lean without any exercise

dariusshaw · October 2016

I went from 260lb now at 240 239ish I only cut out soda and I guess alot of chips. But I try to work out I only can do i say 2 sets of 10 push ups I guess and can do squats etc. But I want to start walking at this local park trail.the gym is too intimidating I had trainer and I felt good with him but I had to cancel because they are high. My question is does walking help you lose weight manly my stomach and other areas. I am size 42 waist trying to at less be in 200lb range with flat stomach. I use 20 lb dumbells occasionally when watching netflix. I also try to eat the required macros but it's hard trying to match everything I usually stick to same meal baked chicken wings baked ribs etc everything baked. Trying to add veggies too.

Aaron_K123 · October 2016

Depends what you mean.

Can you lose weight and have considerably less bodyfat without exercise? Yes.
Will you end up looking "lean" considering when most people say lean they are picturing someone with a flat stomach who looks toned? No.

Diet is key for fat loss, but exercise is key for shaping the body. If you do no exercise and only diet typically you end up just looking smaller and even at very low bodyfat can still look soft or pudgy in places. Takes exercise to strengthen and shape underlying muscle to give that "lean" look.

I'm assuming you mean lean in an asthetic way...if you just mean lean like low bodyfat then you can do that just with diet.

To me "lean" has a specific meaning of low fat over a good amount of muscle so that there is a firmness there. Someone who is in shape (from exercise) gets lean when they lose fat. There are other words to describe the appearance of people who get to be low body fat without exercising at all.

cwolfman13 · October 2016

Aaron_K123 wrote: »

Depends what you mean.

Can you lose weight and have considerably less bodyfat without exercise? Yes.
Will you end up looking "lean" considering when most people say lean they are picturing someone with a flat stomach who looks toned? No.

Diet is key for fat loss, but exercise is key for shaping the body. If you do no exercise and only diet typically you end up just looking smaller and even at very low bodyfat can still look soft or pudgy in places. Takes exercise to strengthen and shape underlying muscle to give that "lean" look.

I'm assuming you mean lean in an asthetic way...if you just mean lean like low bodyfat then you can do that just with diet.

To me "lean" has a specific meaning of low fat over a good amount of muscle so that there is a firmness there. Someone who is in shape (from exercise) gets lean when they lose fat. There are other words to describe the appearance of people who get to be low body fat without exercising at all.

ryry_ · October 2016

You can lose weight without exercise, but you are likely to sacrifice muscle as your body deems it expendable if you are not using/challenging it. Some people are fine with how they look following this method and some find they may want more muscle in certain areas. There is no right or wrong it comes down to personal preference.

I feel you on hating the high intensity excercise. There is this myth that the only way to excercise and lose weight is to be on the brink of vomiting and crying while you do it. Simply not true. Some enjoy it. I personally enjoy lifting weights with rest in between and then doing moderate intensity excercise like jogging/ellipticalling etc.

Many people on here lose weight by simply increasing there walking and lifting and they look great.

I recommend you find an eating and excercise plan that makes you excited to follow it.

Aaron_K123 · October 2016

ryry_ wrote: »

You can lose weight without exercise, but you are likely to sacrifice muscle as your body deems it expendable if you are not using/challenging it. Some people are fine with how they look following this method and some find they may want more muscle in certain areas. There is no right or wrong it comes down to personal preference.

I feel you on hating the high intensity excercise. There is this myth that the only way to excercise and lose weight is to be on the brink of vomiting and crying while you do it. Simply not true. Some enjoy it. I personally enjoy lifting weights with rest in between and then doing moderate intensity excercise like jogging/ellipticalling etc.

Many people on here lose weight by simply increasing there walking and lifting and they look great.

I recommend you find an eating and excercise plan that makes you excited to follow it.

I hear you on the high intensity exercise. Always shocks me how so many people seem to approach exercise for the first time by trying to do some program like "Insanity" which if anything is designed to help improve athletic performance for people who are already very fit.

Exercise is a level of activity you wouldn't otherwise do. It doesn't have to be vomit-inducingly intense. Some forms of exercise can be pretty enjoyable. I like Yoga now and again, I like to go for long walks, I like doing bodyweight exercises and seeing how many of X I can do now and again.

robininfl · October 2016

If you get skinny enough, sure. And if you are fat and lose weight you will at least get leanER just by losing weight. But you won't be as healthy, and would have to get down to such a low weight that it wouldn't look good or be healthy.

I've never really not exercised, but have been down to only walking as exercise at times, if you have no equipment and can carve out a little time, that works OK. Just move around, start slow and as you gain fitness you'll want to do more. Commit for six weeks of an hour a day walking briskly, and see how you feel.

ETA: how you look when thin and out of shape depends a LOT on genetics. I have one daughter who hasn't regularly exercised and she looks great because her bone structure is curvy/thin. She has wider hips and a small waist, is tall. Basically she carries it well despite lack of muscle tone. And I remember a lady who worked at this coffee shop I used to go to - she was older and a little overweight (not much) and really obviously high bodyfat for her size, jiggles and squishy looking arms, but had this amazing shape anyway, tall, big boobs, small waist, bigger hips, good enough butt.

Me, I can't get away with it. My choices are lean and skinny, lean and muscled, or dumpy.

lapierrecyclist · October 2016

For myself, I can lose weight but I don't get lean unless I exercise. Also, it takes a little time for me to see the effects. If you are looking for workouts to do at home, I have heard many people recommend fitnessblender.com. Keep trying different things, you will find something that works for you!

TeaBea · October 2016

MommyMeggo wrote: »

To drop lbs...eat less.
To be able to eat more or create a bigger deficit...walk/cardio,etc.
To change the way your body looks and to have strength.... weights.

This^

I want to keep the lean muscle I have.....all cardio doesn't help me do that.

I second Fitness Blender....or Jessica SmithTV. There are so many resources on-line. You should be able to find something you like.

Aaron_K123 · October 2016

Lean typically refers to muscle and the appearance of people with muscle who have low bodyfat. ie built > lean > cut > shredded. Those are things you get from bodyfat loss with muscle built from exercise.

In terms of diet without exercise its more of a progression of obese > fat > overweight > healthy weight > skinny > underweight. I don't think "lean" really is in there so much if you get what I am saying. I mean if you already have the underlying foundational muscle and you just diet I suppose you might get lean but it won't look as good as if you had exercised and it will likely come at the expense of some lean muscle loss.

Lean muscle, lean appearance, lean look...these are all exercise releated in my mind.

Can you get lean without any exercise

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