Can u lose without working out?

The prob is losing weight and keeping it offer. Lose muscle = lower maintenance level. Hence so many people yoyo diet because you've compromised muscle mass and as soon as you eat like you did before you put on the weight you had and more because you've got less lean mass than you did before and thus need lass calories...

Even if you have more lean mass it isn't going to help you that much. If you were to say convert 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. A pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns

I think it is great to encourage people to exercise, but diet is key. Exercise if you want but don't think it is necessary.

Below is a time magazine article out lining a study from a peer-reviewed journal.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914974,00.html

You refer to a single study by Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, the American Council on Exercise's Chief Science Officer. He refers to the fact that alone it needs 2 calories. The entire process to feed the muscle/power it etc is 35 calories. Hence, why most other studies such around 35 calories per lb, eg 350 calories per 10lb.

Think about it - why would you need to burn 3500 cals to burn 1lb of fat if it only needed 2 calories per pound to exist?

Advantages
-Increased after burn - High intensity strength training can actually help you burn extra calories for hours after your workout (EPOC)
-Prevents loss of lean body mass that happens from dieting and/or aging
-Burning calories - While strength training doesn't burn as many calories in one sitting as cardio, it does contribute to your overall calorie expenditure
-Changes your body composition, which helps shape your body and keep you healthy
-Strengthens bones and connective tissue along with muscles
-Keeps you strong and active as you get older
-Improves coordination, balance and may help prevent injuries

I am not debating whether or not exercise is good. I AGREE! I do it I am answering the OPs question. Which is a resounding YES!

As for the study here are some more references:

Benardot, D., Thompson, W.R. “Energy from Food for Physical Activity: Enough and on Time.” ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal. 1999, July/August; 3(4):14-18.

Donnelly, J.E., Jakicic, J.M., Pronk, N., Smith, B.K., Kirk, E.P., Jacobsen, D.J., Washburn, R. “Is Resistance Training Effective for Weight Management?” Evidence-Based Preventive Medicine. 2003; 1(1): 21-29.

Elia, M. “Organ and Tissue Contribution to Metabolic Weight.” Energy Metabolism: Tissue Determinants and Cellular Corollaries. Kinney, J.M., Tucker, H.N., eds. Raven Press, Ltd. 1999. New York: 61-79.

Hill, A.J. “Does Dieting Make You Fat?” British Journal of Nutrition. 2004; 92(1).

Levine, J.A., Lanningham-Foster, L.M., McCrady, S.K., Krizan, A.C., Olson, L.R., Kane, P.H., Jensen, M.D., Clark, M.M. “Interindividual variation in posture allocation: Possible role in human obesity. Science. 2005; 307; 584-586.

Rasmussen, R.B., Phillips, S.M. “Contractile and Nutritional Regulation of Human Muscle Growth.” Exercise Sport Science Review. 2003; 31(3):127-131

Agree with most on here, diet is simply not needed to lose weight. But highly recommended both in being healthy and losing faster. But some people on this site and everywhere for that matter may be 40, 50, even 100 pounds overweight, and for those people to begin seriously losing weight, its all about the diet.

Calorie deficit = weight loss.