Quite a big problem... Can I lose weight without exercise? *Please help...:(*
 

Hi, everyone! I am new here & in need of a little help.. :^:

I am currently undergoing investigations for what seems to be an extreme version of "neurocardiogenic/vasovagal syncope". Basically, this means that I faint *a lot*! I can only walk a few steps (or stand up for about 20 sec) before I pass out, or start getting palpitaions and dizziness. This can also happen out of the blue even when I'm sitting down or even lying in bed.. It's very, very troublesome and frustrating, but we're all working on fixing it.

Anyway - of course, I'm here for weight loss advice :) - I am wondering if I could do a low calorie/carb diet and lose weight, even though I am barely able to make any movement every day? I'm not really sure what my calorie intake would have to be, but I am 5'6 & currently just under 190lbs. I'd like to lose about 50-70lbs eventually. I'd rather not be a flabby mess at the end of it due to not exercising, but I can't really ask for that until I'm well enough to kick butt!

I would absolutely appreciate *any* advice anyone has, I want to be healthy..! :D

Well...improving the way you eat certainly can't hurt you. Start from a mindset of eating healthy and see what happens. You may need to restrict calories as well, but eating better and healthier certainly can't do you any damage :)

There's a lot of new research coming out that says while exercise makes you healthier, it's not the biggest part of weight loss. You can't out run cheeseburgers and fries. Altering what and how much you eat is something like 80% of the process.

My daughter has a neurological issue that means she can't run and often has trouble walking. As a consequence, she tends to put on weight because she just can't be as active as other kids. I try to keep her diet as healthy as possible and while I'd never put her on a diet, it certainly can't hurt her to eat the best diet I can provide.

Good luck and I hope you find some answers soon. It's so frustrating to have a "mystery" diagnosis :hug:

Absolutely. I think it's JohnP's signature that says "diet for weight loss, exercise for fitness."

You just have a little less leeway with your calories.

I have done only very sporadic exercise since Sept and have continued to lose at about the same rate as before. It's true that diet without exercise will leave you less fit, and for me I am working on that goal this year. For you - you don't have a choice right now, but there's no reason you can't wok on the weight loss now and catch up on the fitness later.

Best of luck with getting well!

Of course you can! I can't exercise due to severe ME/CFIDS, and I've now lost a quarter of my body weight through calorie counting. Considering the fainting problem, I'd start off with a small calorie deficit, and make sure you get enough salt and keep your blood sugar stable. Perhaps talk to a dietician about this?

Do you have POTS, by the way?

When you're up to it, there's a book called Get Fit In Bed which has an excellent reputation, and which may help you exercise without having to be upright.

I lost 40 pounds last year and did almost no exercize because I had injured my back.
It is possible if you figure out how many calories to eat each day.
My back is ok now.

First off, sorry to hear about that! I hope you can get better soon :(

Yes! You can lose weight without exercise! As others have said you'll just have to be a bit more careful with your caloric intake as you'll have less room for error. As long as you create a deficit then you will lose :)

On the flipside exercise doesn't make you lose weight anyway--it's really all about your diet. I stayed the same weight for years even though I was very active at the gym because I ate too much!

Well, it really depends on each person. I can't lose weight without exercise because of the medication i'm on and because I have no thyroid due to thyroid cancer. So I can diet all I want, but I have to combine it with exercise or else I will not lose weight. It sucks. So there's really no definitive answer.

Definitely change your diet though and see how it goes. It certainly won't hurt.

Oh my goodness! I'm more of a lurker than a poster, but I had to comment here! I suffer from vasovagal syncope too, and was diagnosed recently when I had an accident brought on by a fainting spell.

You can absolutely lose the weight without exercising! I was about 180 when I began my weight loss journey, 150 when I was diagnosed. I couldn't exercise because I was afraid of getting one of my giddy spells on the treadmill- I can't even stand without my head spinning/feeling like I'm going to blackout.

The mornings are the worst for me, so I usually have a hearty bowl of oatmeal with a boiled egg, and that has definitely made a difference with the feeling faint. I loosely follow the superfoods lifestyle, and it's definitely helped me- i'm at a 135lbs. I usually stick around 1400/1500 calories a day, any lower than that and I begin to feel sick again. I've lost the weight slowly, 25lbs over 8 months, but with absolutely no exercise.

You can definitely do this, best of luck on your happier, healthier lifestyle!

Alexis

Of course you can. I have health issues that prevent me from durimg much more than taking a walk and I have lost, just fine.

You should be able to lose weight even with your current state of impediment (says someone with POTS and CFS) by focusing on diet, but it may take some trial and error. You'll likely to retain more water weight than the average person because of increased sodium intake.

What's motivated me most is looking at my diet as another way to heal myself. Nurturing yourself with whole, healthy foods will have a positive impact on your health issues, and weight loss will follow. Low-carb/controlled calorie has worked for me, not just weight-wise, but in terms of feeling better.

Hope they are able to help you get your syncope under control!

Sure it is possible! It will take lots of self control and a kitchen make over. It is going to boil down to calorie restriction, since you are unable to exercise. There is a nice app on the smartphone called "Calorie Balancer". You can log all the calories you eat each day on there. It would be good to get a digital scale so you can measure your food properly and thus write down the correct amount of calories.

If you don't have a smartphone, write it down, or find a log online. The actual amount of calories that you can take in will depend on your sex, age, and hight. There are many tools online to calculate it online. So let's say you can eat 1800 calories a day, just to maintain your weight. You will need to eat less than that to loose. If you want to loose one pound a week you will need to cut out 500 calories a day...which equals to 1300 to eat per day..that does not seem like much! You don't have to cut that much since you don't exercise though. The forumula is 3500 calories=1 lb.

Remember you need to eat a balanced diet. There are websites for tips all over. Eat more veggies, they will fill you up and be low in calories.

ALWAYS look at food lables. If you don't have one use a tool like CalorieKing .com to look up resturant foods and things that may not have lables...(apples, bananas).

If you eat out a lot, that is a crutch..you really have no idea how many calories they can throw into some foods! Be prepared and look at the calories online before ordering or esle you will not be sucessful!

Good luck!

It seems I am a bit late with my answer :( Hope it helps!

One thing you could do is isometric exercises. There is an old book from the 1960's called "Isometrics for everyone: How to exercise without moving a muscle". My boyfriend got it on a sale, and I did some exercises when I was visiting him a few months ago. They were pretty good and they have the advantage you can do most of them just laying on your bed.

The book is on Amazon, but someone has scanned it and made a .PDF (just look How to exercise without moving a muscle).

It will not be the same as going to a gym, of course, but they might help to keep you toned :)

:hug:Hello, Vetiver! It has been a while since you posted this. Have you had any success? I hope so!! :hug:

The OP has not been online since January 10. Let's hope she found some success.