Losing weight from diet alone

skinnyjess15
skinnyjess15 Posts: 82
edited November 7 in Health and Weight Loss
How much of your weight loss is a result of the food choices you make? Do you lose weight by eating healthy alone, or do you need to exercise, too? It seems obvious that exercise would only speed the results of weight loss, but are there people who lose without doing a smidge of working out?

Just curious. :smile:

Replies

  • fetchfury
    fetchfury Posts: 84 Member
    my weight has never shifted up or down despite binge eating or eating 'normal' all my life, so I know its all down to exercise + cutting all junk for me to lose weight.
  • skinnyjess15
    skinnyjess15 Posts: 82
    Weight loss is simple- calories in v. calories out. You don't need to excercise to lose weight. Excercise expends calories, so if you eat the same and workout, you will lose more than if you eat the same and don't workout. However, many here (myself included) workout and eat back excercise calories.. This excercise and nutrition plan does two things which are interconnected- keeps the calorie deficit at a reasonable pace (anywhere from .5 to 2 lbs a week) and also helps prevent loss of lean muscle (reasonable cal deficit and working the muscles).

    I have never understood the calories in v. calories out thing....put it in Laymen's terms? :happy:
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
    Lets say you need 2000 calories a day to maintain your current weight. If you maintained your 2000 calorie a day diet, but burned 500 calories from exercise, you actually have a calorie deficit, which leads to weight loss. Not to mention the more muscle mass you have on your body, the more calories you burn just sitting there doing nothing.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
    exercise is important for a few things ... its not just to lose weight.. i have friends who lost weight not exercising and they are flabby everywhere.. their muscle tone is crap and the only thing different they can do now as opposed to when they were overweight is buy a smaller size.. its healthy to exercise for your heart , muscle, joints and it helps to build up your energy level. i lost 80 lbs in the last two years and exercised all the time ..i started out slow because that was all i could do but now its a lifetstyle. i do not have the flab you normally get from excess weight loss and i attribute that to eating right ,working out and taking it off slow
  • Jessica9995
    Jessica9995 Posts: 1
    Actually, I dont really exercise that much. I just follow a good program I found at http://weightlossjenna.com/the-diet-solution-program-review/
    It taught me alot about nutrition in general, and just like with muscle, fat loss is made in the kitchen. Most people walk enough during their working hours etc. So eat right for a period of time and you will see the results, I can recommend this program.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    Losing weight is waaayyy more about how much you're eating than how much you're exercising. As long as you're creating a calorie deficit you will lose. If you exercise you will be able to eat more, since you're burning more calories.
  • Tara4boys
    Tara4boys Posts: 515 Member
    I think nutrition/eating/dieting - whatever word you want to use is 90% of it. For AVERAGE EXERCISERS, our efforts going for a jog, putting in a little time at the gym, or doing a fitness dvd... are only going to burn a few hundred calories (usually less than 500/hr).

    You can easily eat back THOUSANDS of calories with a restaurant meal, gourmet coffees, and vending machines.
  • flyawaybyebye
    flyawaybyebye Posts: 250
    Your diet controls how much weight you gain or lose. Your exercise controls how much muscle tone, cardiovascular health, etc. you gain or lose. Exercising won't lead to weight loss if you eat more to compensate for the additional activity. Controlling your food intake is enough to lose weight, but adding exercise to the mix helps maintain and/or build muscle and cardiovascular health.

    My recommendation is to start with diet - lose at least 10-20% of your weight before you start exercising. That gives your body the chance to acclimate to the new diet, and it means you have that much less weight to have to move around when you start exercising. Once you've lost a little, you'll have more energy and it will be easier for your body to move your (now smaller) self around. At that point, add in exercise, and keep up the dietary changes.

    Good luck!
  • lunalulu2
    lunalulu2 Posts: 63 Member
    Besides the health benefits the main reason I exercise is so I can eat more, hehe. If I did not work out I would be starving and not be able to eat all the yummy treats and my ice cream every night. I would never have made it only eating 1200 calories per day. I eat a lot and working out allowed me to do that while still losing and also now while maintaining . Exercise calories keeps me from feeling deprived!
  • plargomar
    plargomar Posts: 17 Member
    I was under the understanding that:

    exercise = more muscle mass (LBM) = higher metabolism = higher BMR = more calories burned at rest = more weight loss

    I'm up for adding anything that takes this weight off quicker. :)
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