Can I lose weight by dieting alone?
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wise_wind
Posts: 47 Member
Hi guys 
Can I lose weight by dieting alone? (like 20kg). Without doing any exercise.
Can I lose weight by dieting alone? (like 20kg). Without doing any exercise.
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Replies
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yes. Exercise gives you more calories to eat, but is not necessary to create a deficit.5
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Yes5
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yes. the most important thing for weight loss is a calorie deficit. plug your stats into MFP, set a reasonable goal and follow the calorie recommendations the site gives you. log consistently and accurately (using a food scale is the best and double check which database entries you're using), eat a balance of nutritionally dense foods and make room for the foods you like the most. read the stickies at the top of the forum for more detailed advice and check out this thread http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
good luck!6 -
Yes. Weight loss comes from consuming less calories than you burn. And in many cases, consuming less calories is the easiest way to lose weight.
But exercise has many benefits beyond weight loss/control that should not be overlooked. I highly recommend incorporating exercise (cardio & strength) for the plethora of fitness benefits.3 -
Ok thanks for your replies 0
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You can, and many people do. It's alsocery possible that as you feel bettee from the weight loss, you might feel up to adding some exercises in here and there.1
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What else is there to losing weight?5
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You can lose weight by just dieting alone, however, if you are not exercising, a percentage of the weight loss will also be muscle loss.1
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In theory, yes. In practice, it would have been impossible for me. Just too little food and I'd be hungry and unsatisfied... and forget maintaining the loss.1
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In theory, yes. Weight loss relies on consuming fewer calories than you burn. You don’t need to exercise to do that. You just need to eat less.
But if you’re like me and you’re shorter, smaller, older and not active (aside from exercise), your calorie allowance may be quite meager and difficult to sustain. A bit of activity (even a short walk) can boost your calorie allowance enough to make it much more do-able.
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I lost 41 lbs with no ADDITIONAL exercise. I do move around a lot, even though movement can be very painful currently. I started on a 1400 calorie diet with 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. But after 40lbs and a change in metabolism, that diet quit working for me and I became less mobile due to pain. (My hip needs to be replaced badly.) For me, the calorie deficit needed to lose weight without exercise became impossibly low to maintain without cheating. I have carb addiction issues that played upon the amount of carbs allowed which weakened my ability to resist. I have recently started on a keto diet to help with the carb and plateau issues but am very new so can not suggest whether it works or not.2
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Yes you can.
However, I've discovered from experience that I need to exercise to keep me focused on my calorie intake, if that makes sense. In other words, when I'm active I find it so much easier to stay in my calorie deficit. It seems a bit psychological. I think maybe it helps my mood and I tend to not want to comfort snack nearly as much.4 -
ladyhusker39 wrote: »Yes you can.
However, I've discovered from experience that I need to exercise to keep me focused on my calorie intake, if that makes sense. In other words, when I'm active I find it so much easier to stay in my calorie deficit. It seems a bit psychological. I think maybe it helps my mood and I tend to not want to comfort snack nearly as much.
Me exactly. When I'm just eating well, I lose steam. When I'm just going to the gym and not watching my food, I lose steam. when I'm doing both, I feel strong and put together and it makes it a lot easier to keep going, or find the motivation to continue on after one 'bad' day.
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You can, all you need to do is eat less calories than you burn.
For health reasons though any thing you can do is beneficial.
Even just an extra 10 minutes walking each day or some chair exercises.0 -
Yes, and to be honest, I lose weight more easily when I'm not exercising. I get hungrier and eat more when I lift or run a lot.2
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strongwouldbenice wrote: »ladyhusker39 wrote: »Yes you can.
However, I've discovered from experience that I need to exercise to keep me focused on my calorie intake, if that makes sense. In other words, when I'm active I find it so much easier to stay in my calorie deficit. It seems a bit psychological. I think maybe it helps my mood and I tend to not want to comfort snack nearly as much.
Me exactly. When I'm just eating well, I lose steam. When I'm just going to the gym and not watching my food, I lose steam. when I'm doing both, I feel strong and put together and it makes it a lot easier to keep going, or find the motivation to continue on after one 'bad' day.
Same here.1 -
Sambo_fitness wrote: »You can lose weight by just dieting alone, however, if you are not exercising, a percentage of the weight loss will also be muscle loss.
Is it okay if I exercise only once or twice in a week? Because I work long hours during weekdays and can't commit to exercise in the weekdays.0 -
Thanks for your replies guys 0
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Sambo_fitness wrote: »You can lose weight by just dieting alone, however, if you are not exercising, a percentage of the weight loss will also be muscle loss.
Is it okay if I exercise only once or twice in a week? Because I work long hours during weekdays and can't commit to exercise in the weekdays.
Yes. Everything is better than nothing tbh. However I would recomand going on a walk everyday. To me, getting a dog was the best thing I could do for my weight loss journey. I’m not saying you should get a dog, but I am saying you should try get in a bit more “sneaky” exercise. That can actually help a lot. Meaning you take the stairs and then go on an elevator. Instead of snacking more during a work break, walk around a bit to fill up your water bottle. Easy things that can be done but that do help a lot.
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Yes you can, but you may either need to lose very slowly or accept not having a good amount of calories to eat which can make you hungry. If you don't want to exercise, I highly recommend increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity) like @Archcurl mentioned to get at least a few calories extra. You don't have to do everything at once, just introduce a subtle change to your activity every now and then. Here is a thread for ideas:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss0
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