must stay above 1,200 calories, net - why work out?

Some reasons include: looking better, feeling better, being stronger, higher metabolism, better health.

This is an odd question to me. It's almost like asking why bother getting an education or learning any skills and getting a good job when you can just earn minimum wage being a cashier somewhere.

Hmm I couldn't live eating 1200 calories. Eating more is motivation enough for me. However, not everyone believes you have to eat your calories back exactly every single day. Some people average their calories out over a week or so.

Ok.....so you have no real desire to work out...but still want to lose weight.....ok......if you'd rather live a sedentary lifestyle, fine....I guess the bigger question is this.....why are you only eating 1200 calories when you weigh 212 lbs?

I'll add my 2 cents worth to this, from a health care perspective. I don't have a lot of 40 year old patients who hit the gym on a regular basis. Those who are active have fewer health problems across the board, including those that are overweight.

-Osteoporosis
-Heart Disease
-Type 2 Diabetes
-Arthritis
-Chronic pain

All of these are waaaay more common in people who don't exercise on a regular basis.

Use it or lose it, as many others have already said. I'll also add that at 221 pounds, I can run circles around co-workers who are 121 pounds and don't work out.

Last but not least, longevity. Last Thursday, my favorite nursing school instructor went to give her speech at the Spring graduation, wasn't feeling well, went home afterwards and died of a heat attack. She was in full cardiac arrest before she got to the hospital. She was only 53, overweight, and sedentary.

Just a little food for thought.

I think it might have something to do with the fact that your body could go into starvation mode (1200 is very low amount of calories) and hang on to its weight to protect you; exercise helps bring everything up so your body can let go. Have you read Tara Parker Pope's piece on weight loss and exercise?

Ok.....so you have no real desire to work out...but still want to lose weight.....ok......if you'd rather live a sedentary lifestyle, fine....I guess the bigger question is this.....why are you only eating 1200 calories when you weigh 212 lbs?

I didn't say I'd rather have a sedentary lifestyle - its actually quite the opposite.

I said i have been coming in right at 1200 - for my weight loss goal MFP gives me a cap of 1370 so 1200 isn't that much lower.

Before this week i was eating 1200 calories and feeling full and fine. Anything more than that and I would've been eating just to eat and to take in more calories.


If i am satisfied at 1200 calories but exercise and burn 400 i need to consume 1600.

I get the logic of why, its just that now exercising has become something that
1.) i WANT to do
2.) if i do it I HAVE TO EAT FOOD I DON'T WANT just to get back to a net of 1200

add 50g of nuts. that will cover your 400 exercise cals, and give you some healthy fats and protein, without you having to stuff yourself just to get the cals in.