can I lose weight with exercise alone?

[nimbs]

As the title really, I need to lose 3 stone at least 2 anyway to be healthy as my weight has crept up and up over the years -anyway I've always been a bit greedy up and down with my weight and I want to lose this as having a big family party soon and am fed up of being the lardy one as all other female members are size 10 at the most.

I struggle with the concept of dieting though, as soon as I cut down/out certain foods that is all I crave, so I thought that I would exercise instead, I'm really enjoying doing zumba on the wii, am not so sure if this is any good but am ending each one very sweaty (TMI alert)!!

So is weight loss achievable with exercise alone? Plus is anyone has any tips I would be really grateful!!

Hi, well I have done this and wll be dong it again soon. Thing is, at the minute I am overweight - prob need to lose about 3 stone - sheets say I should be lighter again but that s what I am very compfortable at and IMO look fine but, I may lose a few punds here or there wthout trying much but I don't ever really get any fatter/heavier and essentially at the minute I do no exercise. I have the wii so wll use that ,maybe some skipping in the garden and walk to nursery and back 3 days a week and maybe more walking too - don't drive anyway.

So I figure if I'm staying at a steady weight if I exercise then I will lose weight then need to watch my portion sizes - don't really drink so one bonus but I do love my food! I don't ever cut anything out and ddon't allow guilt to creep in if I eat something - decide and eat it or do not!

Yes and no.

Often when people exercise they feel hungrier and as a result eat more to compensate. Assuming you do zumba on the wii each day and don't eat extra then (assuming its 30 mins and very sweaty) you'd burn around 250 calories a go. Do that every day and you should loose 0.5 pound a week. An hour of very sweaty exercise every day could be 1 pound a week.

But bear in mind that as your weight drops your BMR drops so to continue the weight loss you'd have to either eat less or up the exercise.

I did it last year, 2 stone. However you HAVE to work in weight/resistance training as well as cardio. Also good to do a class like pilates or body balance to help with core conditioning.
At the peak of my weight-loss I was doing 6-8 gym classes a week and also running (2-3 miles) when i could, usually once a week. Circuit training was brilliant for me and i tried to do it 3 times a week. Nearly all my classes were in the evening so I guess it may have helped me stop evening snacking and i made sure i had relatively healthy meals. However, if I wanted something nice, i would have it! I did not count a single calorie.
Now I go 5 times a week and try to work in one longer run or swim a week if I can. I put about half stone back on but mostly muscle i think as my actual 'inches' went down IYSWIM.

Also as your muscle mass builds you can eat slightly more as your metabolic rate is higher, this is why you need thr weight training!

Hi, not sure if there is a yes or no answer to this but just wanted to add that I joined a gym at the beginning of Sept knowing that I need to lose about 3.5 stones.
Since that time, I have tried to eat much more sensibly but certainly wouldn't say I am on a diet, not following any diet plan etc. I eat out a couple of times a week and always have what I fancy, as well as regular Costa / Cafe Nero trips. I have been to the gym or for a swim about 3 times a week and so far (including 2weeks of excessive everything at Xmas), I am almost 2 stone lighter.
I am quite happy with this progress and feel much better in myself.

Thanks everyone - that's encouraging - am actually quite enjoying the exercise - there is a first for everything!! Bizarrely am not extra hungry either at the moment - though I've tried very hard to cut down on the snacks - am not much of a drinker.

I can't get to a gym easily as I don't drive so am going to be doing most at home whilst the little ones are at pre-school. Crossed fingers something works - lol!

see, I find, the more I exercise, the better i feel and end up eating less anyway as i just generally feel better! I have been losing weight slowly, just since sept form walkiing DS to nursery and back 3 days a week - not much, but have def lost weight!

Doesn't work like that for me. I was gaining weight whilst running half marathons, but I do have PCOS.