people who lost weight without exercising

2»

Replies

  • archgrrrl
    archgrrrl Posts: 62
    I have lost almost 30 pounds in about 3.5 - 4.0 months, consistently losing around 0.5 - 1.5 lbs per week and have not been "working out". I don't belong to a gym or have a home gym (yet!), but have been simply walking outside more. So while I'm not seriously exercising, I have increased my activity level.

    Very soon I plan to start lifting to help with strength and muscle building. We'll see how it affects my weight loss.
  • Tristis
    Tristis Posts: 288 Member
    Originally, I didn't think I had time to exercise - you know, one of those excuses we tell ourselves instead of actually TRYING. I did lose weight consistently with counting calories alone, but my jiggly spots still jiggled. I've started exercising about 3-4 times a week. Simple stuff - walking for 1 hour at a fast pace (right at 4 miles, with about a 500 calorie burn for me), and I'm adding in strength training w/ dumbbells (only 5 lb weights - but I'm going today for heavier dumbbells). My weight loss has slowed/stalled/and even had a gain, but my body is changing greatly! My jiggle doesn't jiggle as much - my muscles are getting bigger and more firm...and I feel SO MUCH BETTER. You can lose fat through eating alone, but why be a jiggly slim when you can be firm and more fit? I use the scale as a general guideline; however, when I don't lose weight on the scale, yet I can fit in a smaller size (same brand and cut) pair of jeans, I know exercise and eating right is the way to go. The farther you go on your weight loss journey, your goals will change. Maybe exercise isn't right for you right now, but don't be shocked if it becomes a part of your journey as well. Don't be afraid of change...this is what this journey is all about! :) Good luck friend!
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
    Studies of people who have lost a considerable amount of weight and kept it off for 5 years or more have shown that one of the main reasons for their success is making exercise a part of their lifestyle.

    Losing weight is relatively easy, it's keeping it off long-term that's hard. I lost 52 lbs on MFP in a year, kept it all off for a year but have been struggling the past 5-6 months. Trust me, without exercise I would have likely gained back more than 5 lbs of what I lost!
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
    I don't know about you all but I workout to:
    1. sleep better
    2. I make better food choices when I exercise
    3. Prevent diabetes and heart disease (#1 killer for women, right?)
    4. I like to do things outside like hike and garden
    5. My Mom spent 18 months fighting cancer. One of the ways to prevent cancer is to exercise
    6. Keep the immune system strong, I travel a lot for work and it really helps (darn germs on planes and I also work with germy college students)

    ^^^ I love this answer!!!
  • PeaceCorpsKat
    PeaceCorpsKat Posts: 335 Member
    Even at my top weight I walked to and from work (1.6 miles each way) and about 1 mile with my dog every evening. That is a total of about 4 miles per day.

    I haven't really increased my work outs during this weight loss. I am doing that to be strategic. I find that when I jog or do crazy work outs I am crazy hungry. And one can argue that 4 miles per day is a decent amount of activity - it isn't huge, but it isn't couch potato either.

    So, for now, I am just keeping up my walking, increasing the pace, and adding a few extra blocks to taking the dog out a few times per week. I have lost over 80 pounds and it has been from eating around 1,500 calories per day, mostly clean food.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I don't beleive that anyone can't lose weight while exercising. Exercise has nothing to do with weight loss, other than to burn more calories and create more of a deficit. You can certainly lose without exercising if you create a calorie deficit. But exercise has so many health benefits beyond weight loss, I wouldn't recommend it.
  • Alisha_countrymama
    Alisha_countrymama Posts: 821 Member
    Yes I lost the majority of my weight without exercising much. I just started working out, trying to start running, lifting weights, etc... I was so heavy and miserable before, I have to hand it to people who are 300 pounds and working out daily. I couldn't have done it unless forced to with a gun to my head. I hated exercise. I've just now began to like it.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I did exercise but not that much and I only did cardio, so I very well could have lost weight without it. All you need to lose weight is a caloric deficit. You don't need exercise (to lose weight, that is)

    Now that I am a good weight I still am not satisfied with my body lol (which is because I did no strength training) so yes I am working out more now to "tone up"
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I don't know about you all but I workout to:
    1. sleep better
    2. I make better food choices when I exercise
    3. Prevent diabetes and heart disease (#1 killer for women, right?)
    4. I like to do things outside like hike and garden
    5. My Mom spent 18 months fighting cancer. One of the ways to prevent cancer is to exercise
    6. Keep the immune system strong, I travel a lot for work and it really helps (darn germs on planes and I also work with germy college students)

    ^^^ I love this answer!!!

    THANK YOU. :)
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    I don't beleive that anyone can't lose weight while exercising. Exercise has nothing to do with weight loss, other than to burn more calories and create more of a deficit. You can certainly lose without exercising if you create a calorie deficit. But exercise has so many health benefits beyond weight loss, I wouldn't recommend it.

    "Exercise has nothing to do with weight loss..."

    Prove it. Show me the science on that one, please.
  • unifil
    unifil Posts: 39 Member
    weight loss is 90%diet.

    If you want to look good, watch what you eat.

    If you want to look good naked, watch what you eat and exercise.


    :-) love it!!! :-)
  • JenAiMarres
    JenAiMarres Posts: 743 Member
    I don't beleive that anyone can't lose weight while exercising. Exercise has nothing to do with weight loss, other than to burn more calories and create more of a deficit. You can certainly lose without exercising if you create a calorie deficit. But exercise has so many health benefits beyond weight loss, I wouldn't recommend it.

    "Exercise has nothing to do with weight loss..."

    Prove it. Show me the science on that one, please.

    Weight loss is simply burning more calories than you consume. Of course it can be done without excercize.you burn calories sitting on a toilet and sleeping. Will the op or anyone have optimal results without excercizing..no. But it is 100% possible.
  • signgrrrl
    signgrrrl Posts: 74 Member
    Ive done this weight loss thing before...49 years old.... I was an athlete through my 30's and then injuries. Gained weight and tried to lose without exercise and I ALWAYS gained it back. So here I am losing weight and getting fit at the same time... What a concept. I love to work out and I'm sure the weight will be gone forever with that old saying..."Eat less and exercise more" The exercise will keep you on track for a lifetime.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    They say "abs are made in the kitchen" for a reason. I think exercise is encouraged more for the mental health (stress relief, different coping mechanism than using food, etc) than for burning calories to lose weight. That's just my opinion.

    I always found when I tried to do lots of cardio... it made me super hungry and then I would just binge! And the vicious cycle began - exercise, binge, exercise to compensate.

    Do what feels right to you, but for right now it's easier for me to just eat less and do light exercising.

    I find if I do HIIT or intervals or circuit training I am less hungry. But if I spend an hour on steady state cardio I am starving. So I just try to keep it short and intense.
  • ryliejaiden
    ryliejaiden Posts: 68
    I eat 1200-1300 calories a day. I try to eat all organic, clean, whole foods from the earth. Any meat or fish I eat is usually salmon or extra lean chicken, and its always free range, or wild caught and organic. I try not to eat anything that has added sugar and have quit soda and candy cold turkey :) I've been here since April 22, and have lost just over 9lbs.
    My average weight loss is 2.6lbs a week. I have about 20 lbs left to lose.
  • ryliejaiden
    ryliejaiden Posts: 68
    Sorry that was a reply to this:
    I'm not exercising a ton right now and I'm consistently losing 2lbs a week. Just walks and hikes a couple times a week. I plan to concentrate on losing weight due to how I eat for now. Then once I am completely comfortable with what I eat and eating well has become a habit, then I will work harder on exercise. Baby steps for me :)

    sorry to get a bit side-tracked, but if you don't mind my asking about how many cals do you eat a day? 2lbs consistently is impressive, i'm jealous lol! mine weight loss is never consistent, bit frustrating :(

    I eat 1200-1300 calories a day. I try to eat all organic, clean, whole foods from the earth. Any meat or fish I eat is usually salmon or extra lean chicken, and its always free range, or wild caught and organic. I try not to eat anything that has added sugar and have quit soda and candy cold turkey :) I've been here since April 22, and have lost just over 9lbs.
    My average weight loss is 2.6lbs a week. I have about 20 lbs left to lose.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories