How do you lose weight?
 

Hi all

I am courious to know who is losing weight by diet alone or by diet and exercise. I have a friend who feels that she just doesn't have time to exercise and has lost quite a bit of weight by diet alone. And for me I can't diet I just exercise and try to do my best to eat right.

So I was just wondering

How do you lose?

Diet?
Exercise?
Diet and Exercise combined?

Mainly, I focus on my diet.
I lost tons of weight a few years ago through diet alone. But, I put it back on!
This time, my main focus is dieting (I mainly cut portion sizes and have 3 square meals with no snacks) but I am exercising too.
Exercising has not made any difference to my weight loss but I know that it is keeping my heart and lungs healthy!
So, I think diet with exercise combined is the key for me (with the diet being my primary focus and where most of my effort goes), but my approach may not work for some people.

Edit-typos, sorry!

I count my calories and exercise 6 days a week.:)

I can successfully lose weight calorie counting alone. However, it is much easier to lose when I combine exercise with my calorie counting because:

• I am happier with my appearance as I lose. I am fitter and firmer and clothes fit better
• I can lose weight faster. More calories burned = more lbs. lost
• I am happier overall - exercise gives me a mood lift which helps combat stress (and I am a former stress eater)
• I am better able to participate in family activities that are athletic in nature

i find that exercise is helping me more. I have always been better at loosing weight when exercise is incoorperated. I think for me...it allows me to have the occasional "cheat" (ie small piece of chocoalte etc) without killing my diet. Therefore i dont' go totally postal...and go off my diet. Also, now that i've started into weight training along with aerobic exercise..i have seen such a nicer definition of my body. Tell your friend make the time for exercise..trust me..i have a chaotic schedule...but i make the time. And i find the weight loss is faster and easier.

oh also, in regards to weight training...it helps build you bone and muscles which have been shown to help slow down or eliminate osteoporosis. Even more incentive to work out!!!!!

I count calories and exercise.

A few years ago a friend of mine went on a diet with me. We both lost a significant amount of weight. I exercised with mine, she didnt. Once i lost weight I was REALLY tone...no flab really. She was flabby as could be and weak too. I honestly think she lost A LOT of muscle and retained alot of the fat. So my conclusion was, you can lose "weight" either way. But i am interested in losing FAT...not just weight.

I watch what I eat, very little sugar other than berries and apples. I walk almost every day, at least a half hour, sometimes an hour, sometimes even more. Yesterday I walked about 3 1/2 hours because I was in an interesting town. My weight loss is slow, but it is coming off. Lately, I've been adding in resistance bands using a DVD for motivation. I also have a friend that goes walking with me and does the resistance bands with me. I am blessed to have a friend to share this journey with.

For me losing weight is maybe 80% diet. I've heard others say this as well. Eat to lose weight and exercise for health.

I lost most of my weight through diet alone, although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. As others have said, I lost weight but still wasn't happy with my body and knew I couldn't realistically lose too much more. Exercise (specifically weight training) has definitely changed my body shape, along with my overall health.

I absolutely think exercising is key for good health but I don't think you'll lose too much without cutting the calories. JMO though.

Hope this helps.

:D

elainemd - what DVD are you using with your resistance bands? I have the "Pumping Rubber" workout, but I would love another routine to use with my bands.

I count calories and exercise

I have found that like others yes - I can lose weight through diet alone but the result is just a skinnier version of my old flabby self. I lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago and at this current weight (137 pounds) I was a size 10-12 Australian (6-8 US) and could still pinch a healthy roll of fat - my arms and legs were undefined and I still had a pot belly of epic proportions.

THIS time around I have focused on exercise - almost independent of dieting because I love it so much and I am now a size 8 Australian (US 4) have defined muscle tone and my abs are even just starting to make their shape known. I've dropped my body fat to 19% - can run for days, my self esteem is higher than ever and I LOVE the fit, lean, muscular reflection in the mirror =D

Short answer - exercise is important for overall health both physical and mental and the expended energy will help create a larger deficit which will in turn increase the weight loss speed. It's definitely a goer for me! Couldn't live without it.

Count me as another exercise AND calorie counting. I don't lose well if either component is missing.

Well, I started by JUST diet. But it was taking too long. I was losing, but not fast enough to suit my tastes. So I made the time for exercise and figured out ways to keep it interesting and fun so I wouldn't slip back into my old habits of putting it off. And I lost the weight in half the time.

I started my diet around August of 2002 and was down over 40 pounds by June of 2003. I added exercise then and was down another 40+ pounds by January. So half the time and lost just as much. Plus the toning made it better. And, I was smaller when I started my exercise routine. Being smaller, you normally lose weight more slowly than when you're larger. So had I started exercising when I first began, I'd have likely lost more than the 40+ pounds in 6 months.

calorie counting and exercise... I have lost over 10 pounds with just calorie counting though -- I perfer the power exercise gives me.