Can I Lose Weight without Exercising?

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Replies

  • jlreser
    jlreser Posts: 64 Member
    I'm proof you CAN lose weight WITHOUT exercise! I started at 206 and was 185 yesterday. This is from March 4th to June 19. I've been counting calories and that's it. Now, my doctor did say she wanted me to walk 30 min everyday, but I just never got my fat butt up and off the couch.

    Per her scale I've actually lost 29 lbs, but for MFP's competitions and weigh-ins I'm using my digital scale. So, while exercise I"m sure would have helped me lose more and faster, I'm PROOF that one doesn't HAVE to exercise. I do have bad knees and two herniated discs that have also scared/prevented me from exercising, but I hope today is Day 1 of starting to move. :D
  • jkandktmom
    jkandktmom Posts: 1,010 Member
    Yoga is a good place to start.

    I agree I have started doing it every morning. You can get a dvd or even do it on the Wii have you have one. It is a great starting point. I have so much energy form starting my day with yoga.
  • jkandktmom
    jkandktmom Posts: 1,010 Member
    Quote I love...

    Dieting will make you look good in clothes
    Exercising will make you look good NAKED! :)

    Love this :-)

    God I hope so!!!
  • mrk34
    mrk34 Posts: 227 Member
    Of course you can lose weight without exercise.

    The role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. When it comes to shedding pounds, it is what and how much we eat that counts most. There are certain foods you should eat and certain ones you should avoid. If you can change what you eat and how you eat, you will be able to lose weight.

    Physical activity (unless done vigorously like a professional athlete) is a minor component to the economy of weight loss. Exercise is great for our physical health and overall wellbeing, but it has a small effect on weight loss. The critical component is what food and how much you consume.
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
    I lost about 35 lbs just by cutting my diet back to <1200 kcal a day about 5 years ago. Of course, I ended up losing my period which wasn't fun. And I still hated my body because even though I was thin as a rail, I still felt fat and flabby.

    If you were to do any exercise, I would suggest strength training.
  • Natashaa1991
    Natashaa1991 Posts: 866 Member
    of course, i never exercise, just watch what you're eating and that's it :)
  • soleilxo
    soleilxo Posts: 202
    i started actually losing weight when i STOPPED going to the gym. all i did was control what i put in my body. i majorlyyy started restricting. its working. slowwlyy lol i am still active a work and walk a lot :) i guarantee you: if you are cautious about the quantity of food you put in your body, you will lose weight, exercise or no exercise.
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    I've lost almost 60 pounds with very minimal exercise. It's definitely possible. Still healthier to get more exercise in though :D
  • spoonful
    spoonful Posts: 200 Member
    I once went on an eating plan without doing any weight work/training at all. I just became a smaller fat person.
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    How about walking and strength training?
  • TinkDe
    TinkDe Posts: 4 Member
    I agree with bradthemedic, take a 20 min walk once in a while and you can lose a little extra without breaking a sweat.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    You can lose the weight, but you probably won't be thrilled with the results. There are remedies for plantar fasciitis and shin splints. If you can take care of the plantar fasciitis and start walking and strengthening your legs with weight training, maybe you can gradually work up to running and avoid the shin splints. I can't imagine wanting to be sedentary. What about dancing? Maybe Zumba? Tennis? Racquetball? I hope you can bring yourself to try new things and find something you enjoy. Muscle tone looks good on everyone, and you can't realistically achieve that without moving. Good luck!
  • jackiebebby
    jackiebebby Posts: 40 Member
    Watch your portion sizes up your water and fiber and you will lose weight. Your weight gain may be the result of water retainage.
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
    Yep, I also don't exercise.
    I wish I liked it as my weightloss would (probably) be faster, but I get no enjoyment from it at all so am doing this the 'hard/slow' way instead - diet only.
    And I'm not all flabby - the gradual loss seems to be giving my body time to adjust as I go.
    It's been 6mths and I had inititally hoped to have lost about double what I've achieved, but realistically it was never going to happen without exercising so I'm pretty happy to have it take twice the time instead.

    This lifestyle change has to be something you can maintain forever - there is no way in hell I can even pretend that I want to go to the gym, walk, ride a bke, swim or whatever every single day for the rest of my life, so for me I need to kick this things butt through food. And I'm getting there :smile:
  • lucindasun
    lucindasun Posts: 38
    I can't seem to lose more than about 5 lbs at a time and it often creeps back on. I drink quite a bit of water with lemon, and eat tons of veggies and fibre, not big on fruits but will add berries to a non fat sugar free almond milk and protein shake. I take in very little dairy, gave up pork due to gallbladder issues, I eat mostly chicken turkey and fish, beef once a week. My carbs consist of whole grains like oats and wild rice, no white flour, I don't even eat cereals or granola due to all the hidden sugars. I do try to excersice, Im doing aqua-aerobics twice a week and have a stepper machine I try to get on but I've a really bad knee and can only tolerate so much excercise, I walk short distances and return due to pain. My Doc tells me that I'm "maintaining" my current weight with a balanced diet but would have to drastically make a change to see a change. Not sure what else I can be doing to get this weight off....last week I was so ill while passing a kidney stone, I couldn't keep any food down and drank about 4 litres of water a day,,,this went on for about 4-5 days,,,,I didn't lose a pound.....Any ideas?
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Yes you can lose weight without exercising. But you won't be healthy.

    You don't have to spend hours in the gym and get sweaty to lose weight. There are other options. I honestly don't exercise for weight loss (it is a nice side affect though!) I exercise for health.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    I once lost 50lbs without EVER exercising in a year's time. Do I wish I had done this differently? Yes. It is possible to lose weight without exercising, but there are so many benefits to being active, even to a small degree. I hope you can find something that you can tolerate and possibly enjoy doing for just 30 minutes a day... I am lazy/tired all the time, so I don't exercise as much as I should now, but I do feel better once I do it.
  • allisonlov
    allisonlov Posts: 11 Member
    Yes, you can lose weight without exercising. I have lost 71 lbs with very little exercise. That being said, it has taken me a year, I have made many lifestyle changes to my diet (not temporary changes) and I still have a lot of flab, even though I am smaller. I plan to start exercising regularly soon and possibly lifting weights to tone.
  • LottieLou13
    LottieLou13 Posts: 574 Member
    I am 30 years old with Graves disease (hyperthryoidism) and PCOS. I haven't been able to exercise under medical orders for the last 3 months but yes I have lost weight. I have lost 11lbs in that time although it has come off much slower than it did when I was allowed to exercise. Also I lead a very sedentary lifestyle - I have a shop on Etsy selling crocheted toys so much of my day is spent on my bum.

    To be honest, I have hated not being able to exercise. I feel healthier and better within myself when I do. Even just walking every day or doing some yoga all can help.
  • sdoldsMD2013
    sdoldsMD2013 Posts: 128
    Yes, you can. But, I think you sthould still try to get some exercise in, even if it just walking. Leslie Sansone has some great weight loss by walking DVDs. You don't have to join a gym. I know some people who go to the mall early in the morning and walk the mall. So, if really intense things turn you off, I definitely think walking would be a great thing to try! :-) Best wishes.
  • kristirlk
    kristirlk Posts: 31 Member
    Try zumba!! Fun, fun, fun!! It doesn't even feel like exercise! :)
  • b1t3m3
    b1t3m3 Posts: 47
    As others have said, yes, you can. But your profile says you want to feel healthier... and exercise will help you with long term health. Exercise will make you stronger, and not as brittle. From your profile, it doesn't look like you have much weight to lose - getting fitter will probably give you better results than losing weight. Start slow. Work walking into your daily routine. Walk 15 minutes to the store, friend's house, wherever, and then 15 minutes back home. Start a handwork group with some friends who live nearby... and walk there! You've met the (very minimum) recommendations for an adult... 30 minutes. When that stops feeling like any effort, step it up. Walk more, or try something new.
    Swimming is very low impact if you're worried about hurting yourself. Yoga is a good one, but don't start with a power class, go to a yin class, which is mostly relaxation and stretching.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    I have to start by saying I love to exercise, and I'm 65. I put my weight on through stopping my exercise last winter and noshing my evenings through the season.

    However, I do know people who don't exercise and do lose weight. You have to eat less than those who do exercise even at goal, but it can be done.

    On the other hand, I have to agree with the majority here and say that exercise produces more than just weight loss. It raises your mood, it can be a fun activity if you find something that you like to do - people have given some good suggestions so i won't repeat them here. And it means you can eat more and still lose weight as well as maintain your goal weight. You don't have to exercise every day either. Three or four days a week will show results.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Try zumba!! Fun, fun, fun!! It doesn't even feel like exercise! :)

    I love Zumba! Can't wait for my broken wrist to heal so I can get back to it.
  • vallemic
    vallemic Posts: 278 Member
    yes
  • teaaddictt
    teaaddictt Posts: 9
    Depending on my experiences YES! Last year, I lost 10kg within 1.5 months (I was 55kg and went to 45kg and I'm 165cm) without exercising by only portion control and calorie restriction. But my menstrual went off and I was anemic for years. That's why I needed to gain a little weight, however, I couldn't stop and gained 15kg back (that's the reason why people say don't restrict your calorie intake less than 1200 cal a day :). But what I want to say is that, when I started to gain the weight, when I was 53kg, I went to gym everyday and do cardio for 1.5 hours for 2 months! Approximately, I spent 800 cals or higher each day. But I started to eat more and more, and those are not the healthy foods. Even though I tried to keep my calorie intake around 1200-1300 cal a day while I was doing cardio, I couldn't loose even 1kg because I gained a very bad eating style, all of them was junk! Yes, I was looking good in cloths, and I was fitting into the 34 sized skinny jeans even though I was 58kg. But since I obtained a very very bad eating style, I'm still struggling to loose weight since then... And now I'm not fitting into those skinny jeans of course :)

    So, at the end yes you can loose weight by calorie restriction and without exercise. But do it if you are tenacious.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Since this is My FITNESS Pal, I think the vast majority will suggest exercise. Can you pedal a stationary bike? Try sitting on a recumbent bike while reading or doing cross stitch. Go to the community center pool and just play and splash around (it is not necessary to do laps or participate in a class to get physical benefits). Even bouncing around in a wave pool is exercise, and it is lots of fun!

    I am lucky that I love to get moving and love the outdoors. I could never restrict my calories very well. I gotta eat and hate being hungry.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    sure you can. but can you KEEP it off?
  • mensasu
    mensasu Posts: 355 Member
    As long as you do not lose the weight too quickly, yes you can but this article from livestrong (which is a great resource) warns about muscle loss on a restrictive diet without exercise. http://www.livestrong.com/article/388082-can-you-lose-muscle-by-losing-weight/

    I see the results of this on my mother whose legs and arms have atrophied severely. Plus she still packs quite a bit of visceral fat on her frame which needs exercise to reduce. It can be really hard to rebuild muscle once its gone and you're too weak to exercise.

    You are still young so get active if you can. Try lifting some light weights while watching tv. Read you books while standing and pacing the room. Get a stationary bike and ride it while reading or watching tv. If you want to have your health into your old age, exercise is important.
  • emmaamme2
    emmaamme2 Posts: 6 Member
    Perhaps try doing a small amount to start with 5-10 minute walks, increase your incidental exercise while doing housework etc. Whilst it is true that more is better, anything is better than nothing. I have an injured back & a house full of sick children at the moment so that's what I'm focusing on and the weight is steadily coming off. Great quote that made me think "it's your mind that hates exercise, not your body. Your body loves it." much as I hate to admit it, I think it's true. All the best with your journey!!

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