Overweight but static weight for years. Will exercise alone help?

[topazemerald]

Hi all, just wondering about this. I am about 3 stone overweight and have been for many years.

I've had 2 children in this time and lost the weight gained during pregnancy very quickly but never even 1lb more.

Until recently I did not do ANY exercise at all. I'm a SAHM and have been for 7 years. Apart from walking round town and taking the kids out I was mostly sedentary.

Pre-children I was the same really. No exercise at all.

Lately I feel motivated to be fitter and healthier.

I have started walking about 4k a few times a week and just started doing Jillian Michaels shred.

Considering I have never exercised or done any sport will I lose weight this way without major dietary changes?

I am not a huge eater - no problem with portion size but I do love my carbs and enjoy biscuits with my tea and dessert after a meal when eating out. I rarely drink alcohol or fizzy drinks.

I did a slimming plan some years ago but got pregnant not long after I started so didn't stick with it. At the time it was obvious I don't eat enough protein and still struggle with this.

I am wondering about this because if I was eating too many calories and not exercising would my weight have continued to increase over the years rather than stay static?

My goal is to be fitter and healthier but weight loss would be a big bonus. Am I deluding myself that weight loss can happen without dieting?

Forgot to explain excess weight built up slowly from mid-teens on so gradually over 10 years from about 16 onwards. I think being a bit overweight in school caused me to be self-conscious about exercise/sport etc and I just gave up.

That of course caused me to become very unfit and I struggled to enjoy any sort of sport or exercise so stopped bothering.

Gosh your story is very like my own!

My problem is emotional overeating but it started for the same reasons as you.

IME you lose a little to start with but as your weight drops off your body's need for calories drops off too - a 13 stone body burns more calories just existing than a 9 stone body does. So you do need dietary changes too.

Having said that I also have been more motivated to exercise (having DC gives you a bit of perspective and more confidence I think) and although my weight hasn't changed much I'm so much happier and more energetic so it has its own rewards. I also think you need to learn to love exercise for its own sake because otherwise it can become a weight loss chore.

Not very specific advice I'm afraid but hth anyway :)

its quite hard to lose weight from exercise alone, though it can be done. I lost 10 pounds a few years ago when i started running, i didn't eat more or less food, i think the weight came off over a period of 2 months. Some people find they eat more food to compensate for the energy lost when exercising.

Exercise just has so many benefits you have nothing to lose by trying that first and seeing how it goes. I'd recommend also keeping a food diary for 2 weeks to see exactly what you are eating and maybe make sure your portion sizes really are ok for your height, frame and age. If you've maintained for years then you probably are eating the right amount of calories . Remember we need less food as we age, (unless we do more exercise), its partly to do with muscle/fat ratios and muscle deteriorates from 30s onwards.

Maybe make some simple food changes too. Can you cut out or reduce the number of biscuits you eat?

if you up your exercise and make some simple changes to your diet- which your food diary should reveal where they can come from, you should gradually and healthily lose weight.

Weight loss is mostly about the way you eat, tbh. Exercise is, of course, a good thing for health, fitness and toning-up but it's not the major factor in actually dropping the pounds.

Don't think of it as 'dieting' - just making some changes. I'm a big believer in lowering carbs. At the very least, you should be losing the biscuits and puddings because sugar is the real villain here. More green veg and more protein will help too.

My gym insrtuctor told me it was mostly diet that helped change your weight, so i would say no. It needs to be a combination of the two.

Weight loss is the difference between what you put in and what you burn. So yes if there is a deficit of calories.

You need to work quite hard and be sure you don't start eating more.

My fitness pal is good. I eat more that before but exercise at high intensity which is working well.

Weight loss is a result of eating less and moving more - so it is really the combination of the two that gives you the greatest results.

If you go the exercise-only route then be prepared to gear up to a fair bit of exercise in order to see results. That is, if you want to eat whatever you like and still see your weight reduce then you will need to invest greater effort and time in the exercise you do.

Food-only dieting will give you better results than exercise-only dieting. However, it is unbalanced. Eating right and exercising is not only about weight loss, it is about health, fitness and feeling good too.

Thanks for the replies.

See, this is the thing I struggle with.
If I am maintaining my weight with no exercise then surely adding exercise should cause weight loss?

Its not an issue at the moment as I intend to keep exercising. I am more motivated by getting fit and keeping up with my dcs than I am about losing weight.

I hate having to think about food/diet in terms of weight loss.

Portion size is absolutely not my problem. I eat my main meal from a side plate sized plate. It is balance with me. I love vegetables and starchy foods and am just not that interested in meat/protein, which means I don't stay feeling full long enough and snack instead.

The fact that I don't eat eggs or fish limits my options too.

I think part of the problem is that I have been overweight so long I don't really believe I can actually lose weight at all.

I am going to increase my walks this week and stick with the Shred.

If I do lose a little weight it might encourage me on the food front too.

Im in much the same boat.

Was once the same lighter weight for years but after an illness a bit more started to go on.However, the weight has remained static again for many years.

I have recently started treatment for low thyroid and high blood pressure which I was hoping would get things started moving again. I have become slightly more inclined to be more active .

I have given up sugar in the form of sweets,chocolate,cakes ,biscuits etc

I used to have several small 'treats'( a couple of biscuits, small cake , small bar of choc type of treat) a day but haven't touched a bite of this type for over a month.

Result?
Nothing,nil zip, nada. Weight has stayed exactly the same.

Depressing innit?

in theory you will lose by exercising but it's hard work to burn enough, whereas it's really easy to eat too much.

for example - running or walking 1mile will burn around 100 calories (roughly), but that's nothing really, it would be VERY easy to eat another 100 calories without noticing (86 calories in one chocolate biscuit).

A few biscuits less eaten (say 3) is equal to about half an hour of running!

i am 1.5 stone overweight and i run three times a week, mountain bike at the weekends and do power yoga

however, don't let that put you off exercising, i feel great even though i am overweight as i am fit and healthy.

OK this has got me thinking. I have been looking at this all wrong.

If I am maintaining my weight at 3 stone over then I am eating too much even though I am not putting on weight?

I was thinking that if I am not gaining then I am eating the right amount and I need to exercise to deal with the pre-existing fat.

I am an idiot. I have a very unscientific brain.

This is what I have eaten today.

Breakfast: tea (one sugar, milk) 2 slices wholemeal toast with scrape of butter.

Mid-morning: Danone Greek yoghurt that has some pear underneath.

Dinner: 2 baby corns, 3 little (smaller than egg size) roast potatoes, 3 tablespoons carrot&parsnip mash, slice of roast chicken
Cup of coffee with milk, one sugar - I was going to have a biscuit but not going to now.

Poachedeggs has put her finger on the exact issue you are asking about OP..you are eating the right amount of calories to maintain the weight you are now, with your current activity level. Of course if you increase that activity level you will lose weight...but once at a lower weight you will require less calories to stay there. So to lose more you then either have to increase your activity further or start reducing calories. There is a limit to how much you can exercise so at some point, you will need to address your diet to lose more.

I think definitely a good idea to exercise more, for loads of reasons. But you would do better making a few tweaks to your diet too, without feeling like you are "on a diet". Try cutting out as much sugar as possible as a starting point. With small changes and keeping up the exercise you should hopefully get to a weight/shape you are happy with and find some equilibrium whereby you can eat plenty, exercise and know you should stay stable weight wise

The thing is, the whole 'calories in, calories out' idea is a massive simplification. It doesn't take into account how our bodies actually deal with the food we eat - so even only eating 'small amounts' won't necessarily help if it's small amounts of the wrong stuff.

Starchy foods encourage your body to store and hold onto fat, for example. Same goes for sugary foods. But protein (and dietary fat) doesn't have the same effect.

So... your sugary tea, toast, yoghurt, carrot & parsnip mash, roast potatoes etc - all will be raising your blood glucose, encouraging your body to hold onto fat and making you feel like you need to snack too!

The alternative might be:

• tea without sugar (honest, I used to be a two-sugars girl, now I don't even have it in coffee)
• full-fat yoghurt with berries
• swap the corn, carrots, parsnip and potatoes for green veg. What about butternut squash mash? Have a couple more slices of chicken!

Can you swap the 2 slices of bread for maybe an omelette or porridge with some berries? This would probably do away with the need for a mid morning snack for starters.

Here are my own personal top tips for weight loss < I am now at almost target weight after a rather long battle! Currently 10 stone ish at 5 foot 4 and a confirmed vegetarian carb addict to boot >

1. Only eat three times a day. No snacks, although if you're desperate have a small handful of nuts, an oat cake or a small pot of natural yogurt with a few seeds.

2 Only eat carbs with one meal of the day. So, if you have toast for breakfast, don't then have pasta for lunch and potatoes with your dinner.

1. Stop the sugar in your hot drinks. Tricky I know!

1. Cut out all white carbs - so no jacket potatoes, no white bread, pasta, rice etc.

1. Up protein. I believe in a moderate carb diet - so yes to the odd piece of fruit a day etc..choose berries over a banana. Try and eat eggs for breakfast and if you have a stir fry, leave out the noodles. Replace them with a few cubes of feta cheese or up the veg.

Good luck

The breakfast thing is difficult. I don't eat eggs in any form. I've tried but I just cannot stand them. I have porridge sometimes but usually in the winter. I want something to eat in the morning but would prefer something savoury not sweet. Most savoury breakfasts involve eggs. I need protein suggestions for breakfast.

I am working on the sugar thing. I used to take 2.5 sugars so big improvement there.

I do eat lots of green veg, just didn't happen to be on the menu today.

This is why I hate thinking about my diet because EVERYTHING I eat is WRONG.

You can eat anything you like for breakfast - it doesn't need to be something 'breakfasty'. I had a handful of nuts and some blueberries this morning. What about cold cuts and/or cheese - seems to work for most of Europe!

I definitely understand the feeling of not wanting to think about your diet, but the fact is that you're highly unlikely to lose 3 stone through exercise alone.

Try roast chicken slices with mayo. Or edam/feta/goats cheese with salad or fruit platter. Nuts would be good, yes. Or natural yogurt

try cutting out snacks, horrid at first but you soon get used to it.

i've cut out snacks and reduced bad fats. I've also stopped drizzling olive oil on all my salads (i still use it for cooking).

what are your worst offenders? cutting them out or right down will help. I've found something as simple as no carbs after 6pm helps. its a way of eating without having to think too much. i'm not doing that at the moment, but have in the past.

Try reducing your sugar withyour coffee. maybe half a teaspoon? I think the less sugar you have in your diet the less you will want it. Definitely not chees. My GP said it was the equivilent of eating a lump of fat and that has always stuck in my mind.

IME and based on what I have read, no exercise alone will not make a difference.

a) most people when they exercise tend to eat a bit more as it makes them more hungry AND
b) even if you didn't eat more and "saved" 200 calories from each shed session etc, it would take probably a couple of weeks to lose each pound which would be very slow.

I think you need to up the protein at the meals with a view to not snacking as much inbetween. And cut the sugar.