[martini]

It seems that there's been a lot of discussion lately about exercise and how great it is - for weight loss, for toning, for stress relief, for overall well-being. With all of those voices talking about the benefits of exercise, what's missing for me are the voices of people who, like myself, have chosen not to incorporate exercise into their weight loss plan. I'm writing this just to fill in that gap.

To clarify... I will be the first to stand up and celebrate anyone who is doing something that benefits their mind, body, and soul. If exercising (in whatever form it takes) is something a person enjoys, I'm 100% behind that person exercising. I'm not against exercising and I don't hate exercise, but I think the bigger picture for me is more complicated than the straightforward prescription of "you must exercise to lose weight" can address.

I've lost almost 100lb in the past year or so and I've done it almost entirely without exercise. In the fall of last year I joined a gym for 3 months and worked out for about 3 weeks of that period. The rest of the weight loss came from diet alone.

There are lots of reasons I haven't incorporated exercise into my weight loss plan: I find it exhausting; I'm too large to comfortably do exercises that I would enjoy; I'm not interested in rearranging my schedule to incorporate it into my life.

Over the past 25 years of dieting I've tried to address these problems in different ways. I had my thyroid checked. I tried all sorts of different exercises, sports, and activities. I've taken vitamins. I've cleared out my schedule for months at a time to accommodate exercise. I've taken every suggestion and every piece of advice seriously and acted on it.

My decision to not exercise is not based on a failure to effectively problem solve. At the end of the day, I'm just sick and tired of the cycle of guilt that exercise (and the consequent failure to exercise) produces. For decades I have had some pretty consistent cycles - shame and guilt for being fat, euphoria and excitement at making some positive efforts at weight loss, even more shame and guilt for the failure to sustain that weight loss.

My personal approach to stepping off that guilt/shame merry-go-round has involved deciding to incorporate exercise if and when I decide it's something that I would enjoy and would like to challenge myself with. Feeling like I should exercise and feeling ashamed of myself when I don't... for me that just opens the door up to more guilt and shame.

I think there are lots of ways to find the peace and health and happiness that I know I at least couldn't hang onto very tightly at my highest weight. Whatever choices people make, I hope they're ones that reflect self-love and self-understanding.

[linJber]

martini - you said that very well. I enjoy going to the gym. I take only classes I enjoy taking. I hate using the machines, treadmills, ellipticals, etc, so I don't Everyone has to do this in their own way. I live alone. My DD lives in another state, and I live 120 miles from my immediate family. I have many great friends, but I also have lots of time to do what i want. I'm not sure I would have been able to find the time to go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week when I was raising my daughter. It's right for me now.

I think we have to get rid of or avoid things that cause us to feel guilty or as if we have failed. Positive thought all around. You have been an inspiration to me because of the wonderful success you've had in losing weight. Just keep doing what you're doing. It obviously works.

Lin

[Riddy]

Hey martini,

Another non-exerciser here! I know it's good for me, although I'm not convinced it's crucial to losing weight. Mostly, I don't like to sweat, and I get overheated easily. Then it takes HOURS for me to cool off.


I'm trying to do some yoga regularly. I kinda like it, I don't sweat, and I feel strong when I do it. I'm trying to build a habit, and I figure something is better than nothing.

No guilt, girl! Tackling our weight issues by changing our eating is hard work enough. Baby steps - plenty of time to work on an exercise habit once we've got a better handle on our eating.

[Nadya]

Very well said. I don't hate exercise but I'm not a huge fan of it so I try to cut calories to make up for the difference. I'm generally met with negative comments, people telling me that I'll plateau or that I'll go into starvation mode. I am then pushed to work out more but I know I won't stick with it and I end up on that merry-go-round of shame and guilt so I resist as best as possible...although I will admit that lately the naysayers have been getting to me. =(

[KatMarie]

I lost about half of my weight with little to no exercise. I was so heavy it hurt my joints to do anything and I have back problems. But, as I lost more weight, I finally felt like I wanted to get active. Started slow and now I do a pretty heavy workout and it's exhilarating. And it is helping to tone up some of the flab.
Some days I just don't feel like working out though...but I don't feel guilty about it.

[synger]

I don't exercise to lose weight. It doesn't make a difference in pounds, and I don't do it consistently without any benefit.

However, I've found that when I do a little bit, like 20-30 minutes, of light exercise, it helps regulate my blood sugar, and it allows me more mobility.

So while I don't exercise for weight loss, I do try to do a little here and there to alleviate the pain that happens if I don't do any at all.

[free1]

Respectuflly, how do you define "exercise"? From your post, it appears exercise is defined as something unpleasant and laborious. I consider housework to be exercise. I consider taking a short walk to be exercise. Heck, I consider walking in the mall exercise (I should be the thinnest person in the world )

If by exercising you mean doing some lenghty, laborious activity that makes you feel horrible and is a detestable chore....then I agree. However, if "no exercise" means that you avoid any activity that may exert effort...than I respectfully disagree.

My guess is that you "exercise" in a way that is best for you. You are probably moving through out the day and even more efficiently with your AMAZING loss. Even if it's walking the dog or walking through the grocery store.

[Nadya]

My guess is that she defines exercise as actually setting aside time to do a certain activity or group of activities, sort of like a "mini job". That's how I think of it. =/

[martini]

Originally Posted by free1

Respectuflly, how do you define "exercise"?

I'll just paraphrase what came up after a quick google: planned/intentional physical activity with the goal of conditioning the body.

I think the salient point with defining exercise (and distinguishing it from simple physical movement) is the intent to condition the body - muscular strength, cardio capacity, etc. Sure, I clean my apartment. I don't, however, clean my apartment with the intention of getting my heart rate up. I walk to the bus stop in the morning not because I want to get some steps in but because I don't have a car.

Originally Posted by free1

From your post, it appears exercise is defined as something unpleasant and laborious.

"...I'm not against exercising and I don't hate exercise..."

Originally Posted by free1

My guess is that you "exercise" in a way that is best for you. You are probably moving through out the day and even more efficiently with your AMAZING loss.

I don't exercise. I really don't.

I move because I'm fortunate enough not to have a disability that prevents me from moving. I walk to the restaurant down the block from my office because it makes no sense to get a taxi for a 100-ft distance. I clean my apartment when it gets dirty. These are the movements of daily life. These are not conscious choices to be physically active.

If I had a bunch of guys who offered to carry me around on a chair all day, I'd take them up on it in a heartbeat. If they tossed in a person who'd be willing to clean my apartment and do my shopping for me, all the better.

[konfyoozed]

haha. i so get where you're coming from on this. i didn't exercise much early on because i worked full time at a retail store and was constantly walking around. it was only after i quit that job to move (and thus went from fairly active to mostly sedentary) that i decided some exercise was in order. it's about the only time i really move much during the day, that hour at the gym. the rest of the time i'm a major fan of being *still* and base my calories on a sedentary life style. most of my weight loss is food changes too.

[Anya]

When I diet I have a substantial calorie deficit already. If I exercised more I'd have to eat more. So in the short term it doesn't help me lose weight. If I put my mind to the weight loss I can do just fine without exercise.

But I do feel great after exercise, so I plan to make time for it once I've reached my weight goal and the weather turns better. I have to walk a ways to the elliptical machine I have available. I use the walk as a warm up/cool down exercise. But I'm not so committed that I'll do that in the snow Before next winter I hope to figure out something I can do in my home that won't annoy my downstairs neighbor. I'd like to do aerobic dance but I don't think I can do that at home.

And right now I'm worried my broken foot hasn't healed enough to use the elliptical machine. My doctor told me to give it a full six months before I do anything that tires my feet, like walking the mall for hours or using the elliptical machine for fifty minutes, my usual exercise. Six months is up just about in the spring.

[Jen]

I don't disagree with what you've said about exercise in your life now but it may make a big difference in your life when you are older. As a registered nurse I have seen way too many older people overcome by mobility issues. Sure you are able to get out and about now but it may not always be that way. Studies have shown that even gentle exercising makes a difference. If you can find something that is fun you would probably be more willing to incorporate it into your life. Anyway I hope I have given you something to think about.

[dini22]

I appreciate any conversation that has to do with getting rid of guilt and shame. Thanks, Martini. Wherever we land with our choices, getting there unburdened by these non-productive and damaging emotions is crucial, me thinks.

I don't love exercise, though I do quite a bit of it. I DO love how it is changing my body (muscles are filling out my batwings a bit, I have good definition in my calves and thighs, etc). That being said though, my weight loss has little to nothing to do with exercise. It is all about diet for me.

[InsideMe]

Hey you have to do what works for you. If exercising isn't helping you with losing weight (and you've done amazing by the way! ) then it's not for you. It might change it might not, who knows right?

I agree it's totally individual. For me I use to be VERY athletic (track, swim team, aerobic instructor, ran 10K races etc) so it's a lifestyle I did for most of my teens and very early 20's, it's incorporated into my blood and soul LOL I LOVE LOVE LOVE it, so for me it works. I get a rush out of it.

But just because that's my "thing" doesn't mean it's somebody else's, we all have things in our lives we love, so put your energy into what makes you happy, the happier you are the healthier you will be cause your listening to your own "TRUTH" Thanks for posting this!

ETA: I just wanted to add something though....if you keep an open mind to exercise (don't say no to it forever) once you drop more weight and it becomes easier to exercise, you might find something you enjoy, it's just another part of discovering yourself. It could just be walking, or dancing, or simply just taking the stairs...I think if we just keep an open mind, you never know what you will enjoy once you hit goal. You body will change as the weight comes off and you may have tons of energy to burn that you might end up needing to move. Now I'm almost aggitated if I don't get to the gym....I don't know if that's beacuse my energy has totally picked up or I'm just an addict LOL but don't totally put it off, obviously what your doing is working, that's awesome....but keep an open mind down the road you just never know

[sassyangies]

Martini it's so funny that you have brought this up because yesterday my sister and I (both big girls) had a meeting with a trainer at our gym because they do that when you first join and my sister just joined the gym. Well, he didn't show us how to use the machine he didn't really show us the gym he just took us on a brutal workout of squats and stuff that we cannot really do or won't do alone because we would fall on our butts and at the end instead of feeling like we had accomplished something we just felt like we can never do that by ourselfs and if we could why do we need the gym we can use our ball at home and do it.. Well, anyway he was drilling it in our heads that we HAVE to do weight lifting and strengthing to lose weight and I disagree. For me I agree with you I don't need excersise to lose weight. Especially if the excersise is going to make me feel like a failure. I do go to the gym but usually it's for water aerobics because I enjoy it so much or just the treadmill and eliptical, but I've lost 30 pounds without it so far so I know it can be done without it. I'm going to take my weight loss anyway I can get it even if I'm not ready to work out yet.