Anyone Else Trying To Do This Without Increasing Exercise?

RafterRattler
RafterRattler Posts: 35
I know, I know....not smart. However, I DESPISE exercise, because I always feel crappy afterwards. I spent a ton of time in the gym during my high school and college years, and felt sick every time I finished a workout. It's that feeling that made me quit. I've made several attempts to get back into it, all of which lasted several months, but to this day, I still feel horrible after a workout. I can't figure out who all these people are that say they feel BETTER after a workout.

No more. I'm going to do this with diet now.

Is anyone else trying to lose with diet alone? (or have a solution to the problem that even my doctor has never been able to explain?)

RR

Replies

  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    Do you get the same feeling of sickness with travelling or fairground rides etc? .. Maybe it's the motion like if you trying to do sit ups etc or move fast if your head is up and down from laying down to do exercises then sitting up or standing up repeatedly?.. Could be a vestibular problem? Or blood pressure issue?
  • deathstarclock
    deathstarclock Posts: 512 Member
    You can do it with diet alone, but diet + exercise combination is the best way to KEEP the weight off. Once an altered diet is concluded, weight gain tends to happen =/
  • deathstarclock
    deathstarclock Posts: 512 Member
    And weight loss without resistance training will result in lean mass loss as well.
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
    Exercise doesn't necessarily mean going to the gym and working out until you puke.

    You can have a healthy diet & pair it with walks at night outside, walking on a treadmill, using the wii fit etc.......there are a lot of less strenuous workouts that can get your heart rate up that won't make you feel like death.
  • godslilgerl
    godslilgerl Posts: 64 Member
    maybe you are pushing yourself too hard
  • AmyG1982
    AmyG1982 Posts: 1,040 Member
    Have you tried just adding small work outs or energy boosts into your day? like, instead of going to the gym and working out for an hour try going for a walk around the block or something small like that? start small, find out what your limit is. if 20 min of working out makes you sick do 15 once or twice a day.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Often people feel sick after working out if they did not eat properly before the workout to fuel it. Even if it's just a banana or an energy bar 45 minute before, it can make a big difference.
  • pocomama
    pocomama Posts: 93 Member
    exercising is easier for me than giving up the things I love to eat., lol..so I dont know what the answer would be for you. Could you do low impact stuff like walking and swimming instead of more aerobic workouts, or do you get ill with any physical activity?
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    Plain old walking works just as good! Anything you do that doesn't have your butt planted on the couch is better than nothing.
  • zybbed
    zybbed Posts: 7 Member
    Well, although I am "eventually" going to exercise, (I just bought a bike) I haven't yet and I've lost 20 pounds in about 7 weeks. The bad part is, I know it would be more if I had exercised and I don't want my skin being looser than it has to be...so eventually I will be exercising too.
  • woo1324
    woo1324 Posts: 168 Member
    well if your doctor doesnt know then i prob cant help but when i first started i felt sick to ,, i found that eating something with suagr after made me feel better also i found excercising at night helped because if i did end up feeling ill i could go and sleep it off ,,,,,,,, now i dont get sick at all unless i push myself to far also to much caffiene makes me sick even if i had the caffiene at the start of the day and didnt excercise until night it will still make me sick

    another thing is how i drink my water if i take into much at once it makes me feel like throwing up so i drink it slowly through out my work out
  • That's what I am doing. I am already moderately active at work and go on the occasional walk on the weekends, but there just isn't enough hours in the day to squeeze a workout in...I worked 14 hours today and have to be back to work in 9 hours. Overeating has always been my downfall in terms of bodyweight, so watching my calories is sufficient to loose weight and keeping it off.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    I lost my first 20lbs when I was about 13 without any increase in exercise. I had a pretty bad diet at the time though. I drank an absurd amount of soda, snacked on cookies and sweets a lot, and ate a good deal of fried food. I switched to only water, stopped eating sweets, reduced portion sizes, and opted for grilled options over fried. That was successful, but I've been hovering at that weight since then (I'm 22 now). I tried several other times to lose weight, but I never saw much change unless I add exercise into it.

    I'm trying to lose the last 15-20 now, and exercise has been pretty helpful. I honestly don't think I'd be able to get lower without it. My diet was already pretty good, so the only thing really left to change was my exercise patterns. But keep in mind, even going for a walk helps. You don't have to be busting out an hour on the treadmill every day. Start yourself out and work up when you can.
  • its been a week so far for me and i to DO NOT LIKE TO EXERCISE...i lost 3 pounds just watching my calorie intake and with REALLY light exercising, like walking my dog around the block, taking a walk around the mall, sometimes i will get on my exercise bike and do 10 minutes, 15, or maybe 20 and not everyday either. Just take it slow and work your way up to what you feel is comfortable for you and your body. :smile:
  • absolutely....

    working 12-14 hrs a day with 3 kids and a husband - who has time for exercise.....just hoping that watching my calories will work...Am hoping that in the near future I might find time to throw in a few sit ups or lunges in the back yard but until then it is plain old calorie counting for me
  • Do you get the same feeling of sickness with travelling or fairground rides etc? .. Maybe it's the motion like if you trying to do sit ups etc or move fast if your head is up and down from laying down to do exercises then sitting up or standing up repeatedly?.. Could be a vestibular problem? Or blood pressure issue?

    Shakybabe, as a matter of fact, I do. I have a HORRIBLE motion sickness issue. I took flying lessons last year and ended up quitting because I couldn't handle the motion sickness even when it was me flying the plane. Blood pressure is not an issue, but I do suffer from dizziness a few times per year. My doctor has never diagnosed the cause - just prescribed mecclazine and anti nausea medication. Not sure what you mean by vestibular problem.

    RR
  • JoyfulTwilight
    JoyfulTwilight Posts: 6 Member
    I really belong on the "I hate exercise couch" too. And I am not so sure how to get off the couch. I am not exactly sure how much I will exercise. I will probably have to trick myself into calling it something different. Like I might dance. Or do yard work. I am better with fun stuff. I'd like to play a sport but would like to lose 20 pounds before making a fool out of myself ... errr, I mean joining any sort of team.

    Does typing on my iPhone count as exercise? I am sure I've burned a few calories.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    I've lost most of what I've taken off with very little additional exercise. Something I'm not proud of. What I can tell you is that if you start dropping weight, you'll have more energy so will probably start moving more naturally.
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
    I have yet to find an exercise I actually enjoy doing. I tolerate walking, but I prefer a walking buddy to going alone and I don't have one. So my journey has been mostly diet. I just try to get up and move, clean, take stairs, park in the back, etc as much as possible. I can't wait to be able to get a treadmill, then I can get a good work out in while watching TV. :tongue:
  • Spearo
    Spearo Posts: 47
    Exercise makes you hungry, so it's not in itself a good way to lose weight. Counting what you eat is a way to lose, gain or maintain; it's that simple. People love to complicate this. The value of this website is based on the simplicity.

    Try easier exercise if you think that you could benefit for other reasons ie: physical and mental health. Walking etc was suggested already. One of the benefits of exercise is that it helps motivate you to stay with your eating plan.

    But if you count your food honestly and intelligently, you will lose weight.
  • Wow. I'm glad I'm not the only one taking this approach. Don't get me wrong. I do quite a bit of walking, and I always park REALLY far away from my office. I'm also 'fairly' active while at work. Unfortunately, my doc told me that if I don't raise my heart rate enough to work up a decent sweat, then it isn't going to help me. I guess you could say I'm mobile...I just don't have much stamina.

    RR
  • summalovaable
    summalovaable Posts: 287 Member
    My uncle runs a dieting program and my cousin decided to try it out. Basically it encourages you to switch your healthy eating habits before you incorporate exercise. She lost about 75 pounds without exercising and is now slowly starting to add in cardio and weights. Its the first time I've ever seen her lose a substantial amount of weight and keep it off (My aunts a phenomenal baker and always lets her children test out the food....several times a day)

    Though, being substantially smaller it seemed to work the opposite for me. I didnt seem to be able to lose weight until I increased the intensity of my workouts (so clearly dependent on the person!) But it is possible either way :)
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    I've had a series of illness and accidents so exercise was extremely limited for me when I first started so I wasn't really that gung-ho to start exercising when it seemed like every time I did I got hurt.

    So I started with diet alone, (okay that and my 10-minute walk to and from the train station every day, which was transportation not exercise BUT I STILL LOGGED IT).

    I did the 1st 25 lbs that way. As long as I stayed with my calories I did pretty well. (When I was on lose 1 lb a week, I didn't lose during my TOM, so it came out to 3 lbs a month, Slow, but consistent, I'll take it. )

    I could only handle so much change at once.
    If I become overwhelmed I give up. So I started with diet... knowing that there is so much more I COULD do.

    But the thing is you don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.

    So I started logging my food and every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
    If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress?)
    If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
    sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.

    So, I did start keeping track of little things like how many times a day I went up and down the stairs at work.
    then I started going out of my way to take the stairs. In nice weather I got off of the train a stop early.
    Baby steps, I increased my activities, by baby steps... I eventually talk myself into joining a gym, and to get myself going I said "just 10-minutes", if I was unhappy after 10-minutes. I could call it quits.

    So I I've gotten sick again so I've done nothing for the past 3-4 weeks.
    And I've increase my calories pretty close to my maintenance level (kind of scary to do it all at once.)

    You can do it with out exercise, I wouldn't stress it right now, but I gotta say now that it's easier to move I like how it feels.
    It's not all or nothing gym rat or couch potato... you can add some little things that you enjoy and results or not you'll still have had fun.
  • well if your doctor doesnt know then i prob cant help but when i first started i felt sick to ,, i found that eating something with suagr after made me feel better also i found excercising at night helped because if i did end up feeling ill i could go and sleep it off ,,,,,,,, now i dont get sick at all unless i push myself to far also to much caffiene makes me sick even if i had the caffiene at the start of the day and didnt excercise until night it will still make me sick

    another thing is how i drink my water if i take into much at once it makes me feel like throwing up so i drink it slowly through out my work out

    Woo1324, although I've never been tested, I do think I'm hypoglycemic. I've had blood sugar crashes ever since I was young. I wonder if that might have something to do with it as you suggest. The thought of having a candy bar after I work out just doesn't sit well with me. ;)
  • So have a protein bar instead. Still has carbs to keep sugar level up and has more protein to help you feel full longer and keep muscle production up :)
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member

    Shakybabe, as a matter of fact, I do. I have a HORRIBLE motion sickness issue. I took flying lessons last year and ended up quitting because I couldn't handle the motion sickness even when it was me flying the plane. Blood pressure is not an issue, but I do suffer from dizziness a few times per year. My doctor has never diagnosed the cause - just prescribed mecclazine and anti nausea medication. Not sure what you mean by vestibular problem.

    RR

    I actually take Meclizine for my dizziness. This, to me, SCREAMS vertigo. I'm surprised he hasn't done more testing to find out. I would ask if he thinks that could be it. Do you also have problems going up and down narrow stairways or spiral staircases? Ringing in the ears? Feeling of motion when sitting/lying down?
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
    I have yet to find an exercise I actually enjoy doing. I tolerate walking, but I prefer a walking buddy to going alone and I don't have one. So my journey has been mostly diet. I just try to get up and move, clean, take stairs, park in the back, etc as much as possible. I can't wait to be able to get a treadmill, then I can get a good work out in while watching TV. :tongue:

    I don't like exercise, either. I tolerate it as well, which is why I'm SO glad that the machines at my gym have personal TVs attached! :laugh:
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    Your vestibular. System is the part of your brain and inner ear that processes information coming in, where yur body is in space and how to compensate so you don't lose your balance.

    There can be many symptoms it can be very mild with things like motion sickness or can even effect things like been in crowds, night vision, hearing etc. Here's some more info for you to read if interested.

    http://www.vestibular.org/vestibular-disorders/symptoms.php

    I have Ataxia myself which causes balance &. Co-ordination issues and problems with proprioception (my body been able to work out where it is in space), that's how I know about it.

    Try more gentle exercises like yoga or pilates which are more about moving slowly and control, they have improved my issues and toning my tummy at same time I'm as losing weight from diet. Also reduced carbs and found wheat based ones in particular cause problems for me with water retention and additional fatigue.

    Good luck!
  • I actually take Meclizine for my dizziness. This, to me, SCREAMS vertigo. I'm surprised he hasn't done more testing to find out. I would ask if he thinks that could be it. Do you also have problems going up and down narrow stairways or spiral staircases? Ringing in the ears? Feeling of motion when sitting/lying down?

    Brittanyjean,
    No ringing or problems with staircases, but when I get these attacks, they happen whether I'm sitting, standing, lying down, whatever. Sometimes they can last for days. But it's only happened ~10 times in the last 10 years. My doctor just doesn't seem concerned. He just does a bunch of neurological tests on me and tells me 'It's NOT a tumor' (said in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice). I do the same as you. Meclizine, then maybe an anti-nasuea pill until it goes away. BTW, thanks so much for adding me as a friend! :bigsmile:

    RR
  • Your vestibular. System is the part of your brain and inner ear that processes information coming in, where yur body is in space and how to compensate so you don't lose your balance.

    There can be many symptoms it can be very mild with things like motion sickness or can even effect things like been in crowds, night vision, hearing etc. Here's some more info for you to read if interested.

    http://www.vestibular.org/vestibular-disorders/symptoms.php

    I have Ataxia myself which causes balance &. Co-ordination issues and problems with proprioception (my body been able to work out where it is in space), that's how I know about it.

    Try more gentle exercises like yoga or pilates which are more about moving slowly and control, they have improved my issues and toning my tummy at same time I'm as losing weight from diet. Also reduced carbs and found wheat based ones in particular cause problems for me with water retention and additional fatigue.

    Good luck!

    Wow. That was depressing. That symptoms page described me to a 'T'. It covers everything I've been struggling with for the past 10 years. I've just been attributing them to getting older.

    But then again, my depression and anxiety (see the list :wink:) tends to make me a bit of a hypochondriac and every time I read symptoms, they fit me perfectly. I'd like to mention it to my doctor, but he hates it when I self-diagnose. In all honesty though, there may be something there. Thanks for the link.
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