To lose a couple of stone before trying to exercise

[raininginspringtime]

I am guilty in the last of trying to do too much and in all honesty I don't really enjoy exercise although I will do it for the health benefits.

WIBU to just leave it on the back burner until I have shifted enough weight to feel comfortable exercising?

You are right to think that diet is way more important than exercising. Reduce your calorie intake and the weight will come off. People consistently over -estimate calories used while exercising. For example it is pretty much impossible for someone eho is two stone overweight and has not previously exercised to walk at anything like 5mph. Three mph would be a challenge - and you would be lucky to burn off 100 calories in half an hour.
But exercise does make you feel better. If you have times when you nibble on biscuits or chocolate - after lunch for example - take a brisk walk instead and as well as burning a few calories, you will "save" those that would have been in the biscuits!

I'm actually going to disagree and say that weight loss is at least 60% exercise! When you're doing a decent amount of exercise and building muscle, you burn more energy so don't have to restrict your calorie intake so much. You also tone up, so look better regardless of the actual amount you lose - which is a real motivator. If you hate cardio, lifting weights can be a great form of exercise as you work hard without all the jiggling! Won't bulk you up unless you're lifting some serious weights!

I am going to disagree too. If you exercise while dieting you will tone up. Just exercising leaves you with loose skin, more likely to get stretch marks, and doing both exercise and eating healthily together is more effective.

I lost almost 4 stone by using a combination of low carbing and using my wii fit. Didnt even really have to leave the house :)

But that's 'proper' exercise isn't it - a walk with a dog (yes, love dogs) isn't going to tone me up!

You can lose weight without exercise, but not without restricting diet (unless embarking on v. hard regime, which is unlikely/untenable for most people).

Dog walking is OK! Its walking- every day and often several times a day! Does not need to be labelled as "proper exercise" to be good for your mental and physical health.

As a fellow fatty can I be direct and say that unless you are going to be alot more active and find some kind of exercise not only will you probably fail to lose much weight but any weight you might lose will not stay off. You need to change your whole lifestyle.

You need to learn to like walking or swimming or cycling etc.

You can walk up hills with a dog, or run with it. You can do agility tracks, etc.

Any exercise that raises your heart rate above resting is burning calories. Brisk dog walking, not dawdling along will do it.

It's not negligible it all adds up.

Plus doing something like going out for a 45-60 mono two or three times a week will focus you and give you a sense achieving a positive step towards your goal.

It'll also take you away from the couch/tv/mooching around the house for an hour which is how a lot of diets and fitness goals fail, the boredom from sitting around in the evening and the temptation to just have "one biscuit/a small treat"

What actual difference will losing weight make to your desire to do exercise though?
I would say find exercise you do enjoy or accept you aren't going to do exercise at all. (Not great in terms of health!)
Could you borrow a dog to walk if you can't have one? Volunteer for the Cinnamon Trust or other charity?

Or just walk. Also, I hate yoga, but I hear it can be a gentle sort of "non exercise" way to tone up.

Dh lost a stone in 5 months by walking the dogs every lunchtime for an hour.

Do you actually want to do any exercise (that sounds really harsh, but isn't meant to!). You mention riding - worth looking into (there is actually a shire horse riding school near me!), or even offering to help at a stables (sweeping is fab for your stomach muscles and gets you out in the fresh air!).
Do you like dancing? If so, close the curtains and bop away at home if you're too self conscious to join a class (but I must say all the classes I've done have been full of All types and sizes!).
You keep saying walking won't do much, but it can - yes, you need to actually walk, rather than dawdle, go up hills and set yourself little targets
If you don't want to exercise, then dieting will of course shift the weight, but it's not going to tone any muscles.
I Hated running when I started - really hated it. But then I realised I could run an extra 100m from one day/week to the next, and now, after being injured, I really miss it, but at the same time am really not looking forward to starting all over again, but know once I get started properly, it will get easier!

I don't want to exercise, no.

The problem is I set myself too high targets and then fail dramatically.

It's better (for me) not to have them so say I set myself a target of sticking to diet and walking a dog then I don't walk a dog I end up breaking my diet as I've 'failed.'

It's better I think to focus on the diet.

Focusing on diet is fine for weight loss, exercise will speed it up as well as tone and improve fitness but there is evidence it can result in eating more so you need to be very strict with diet. Getting the diet sorted first will help this. I'd recommend a the wii fit or a gentle DVD you can do at home. The wii fit is very gentle but I noticed it made a difference. No need to go full on gyming or running in the street.

I wouldn't use it and not set up for it.

Running in the street PMSL

I don't think you need to start running etc but going for a simple walk can be great - makes you feel good, fresh air etc. I love it!

I do SW and I went to the local park with the kids last week and we did a mile walk round, not much but they loved running ahead &waiting for me, and I felt I had made the effort to do more than just nothing!

I'm not saying I plan to do no exercise at all just that I'm not going to urge myself to do if if you see what I mean.

I didn't say I was too fat. I said it would be setting myself up for failure.

Well - it's not essential, but it does help.

I bloody hate exercising. Really, I can't stand it. But it aids weight loss (for me) and after the initial hell, you do start to feel better. Especially if you are properly fat (like me), as opposed to just needing to lose a stone.

After 3 months, I have a much better range of motion. Flights of stairs no longer terrify me. I ran/walked uphill on the treadmill for 25 mins this morning. I couldn't walk (at a slow speed) for more than 5 mins in Jan.

When the scales aren't shifting, you still feel as though you are achieving something.

I think you're right in that losing weight is mostly down to diet. But exercising can help you stick to that diet. And it helps with blood pressure and blood sugar levels and all that jazz. Having a check up first with your GP is the way to go, though. If you can get an appointment!