Has anyone reached their 'ideal' weight without exercise?

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xJocelynx87
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Has anyone reached their 'ideal' weight without exercise?

Post by xJocelynx87 » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:49 am

I've been on and off No-S lately, but I am doing better than I was. A few months back, I lost around 13lbs with No-S AND about 4 hours at the gym weekly, plus alot of walking around my college campus. So I was wondering, anyone that is at or near their ideal weight, what are your exercise habits like? Do you think it is possible to reach your natural weight through moderate eating alone?

Jayhawk28
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Post by Jayhawk28 » Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:10 am

I think it's possible to get to your ideal weight with diet alone - you just need to determine how many calories your body needs to maintain its current weight without exercise and make sure you are eating less - you can certainly do this with No S.

I do also know that some people that don't lose weight easily with No S and no exercise are probably having too many calories at their 3 meals. You can have whatever you want - but if you use a big plate and load it with french fries and corndogs you will probably have trouble staying below the proper calorie intake necessary for you to lose weight.

I've found that whatever diet I've used in the past - exercise was always present when I lost weight. The beauty of No S is that I can still have my favorite foods in moderation and lose weight as long as I'm putting in some time running or at the gym. I'm loosly figuring my calorie intake and what I'm burning with exercise. I want to create a daily caloric deficit.

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Post by wosnes » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:38 pm

I don't "exercise" -- as in going to a gym, etc. Just don't believe it and can't afford it. I walk -- a lot. That seems to do it. I also don't do shovelglove -- can't do it for health reasons. And I do lose weight with just walking and following No-S.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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JillyBean
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Post by JillyBean » Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:00 pm

I think if someone truly follows the core No-S plan they are going to lose weight. With that said, the No-S plan is not just about food, though. Here's what Reinhard has to say about exercise from page 173 and 174 of the book:

"What About Exercise?

Of course you should exercise. Diet can't substitute for that. You need to do both. ... Make two moderate efforts rather than one extreme effort. ...

Keep the emphasis on a regular and sustainable minimum of compliance rather than heroic efforts."

It seems to me you were trying to do something that was not sustainable. I went to the gym a few years back. I didn't like it. I had to drive there, had to come home and shower before I could go anywhere else, it cost money for gas, I thought about all the things I could be doing instead... In short, it was not something I could or would do for the rest of my life. That's what'll work - something I am willing, and more importantly, want to do for the rest of my life. Find that, and I think we have the answer.
Jill

The food I eat today is my choice! What price am I willing to pay?

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Nichole
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Post by Nichole » Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:09 pm

Weight loss goals or no goals, you need exercise. Everybody needs exercise.

I'm in my healthy weight range and I exercise 5 days a week. I walk or bike 5 days in a row and everyother day I do free weight exercises with 5 lb weights.

Exercise works wonders... Weight loss aside, I sleep better, it helps me manage my stress/anxiety/depression, I have more energy during the day, and I feel good knowing I'm doing something that is so vital to my overall health.
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:50 pm

JillyBean wrote: I went to the gym a few years back. I didn't like it.
  • I had to drive there,
    I had to come home and shower before I could go anywhere else,
    It cost money for gas,
    I thought about all the things I could be doing instead...
In short, it was not something I could or would do for the rest of my life.
That's what'll work -
something I am willing,
and more importantly, want to do for the rest of my life.
Find that, and I think we have the answer.
JillyBean,
This is an Excellent Point.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

xJocelynx87
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Post by xJocelynx87 » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:51 pm

Thanks for all the replies.

Before I fell off the wagon so to speak, I was doing an hour-long run 3x/week, and a solid full body weight routine once per week at home. That limited my gym days to 3...which was really convenient because I could pick any 3 days depending on what else I had going on that week. I actually started enjoying my runs, knowing that I only had to do 3 every week. I regret stopping, and I do want to start up again, but now I'm wondering if maybe shorter runs every N-day would be better, or if that's too unrealistic, etc...so I just wanted to see what everyone else was doing in terms of exercise.

kccc
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Post by kccc » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:53 pm

If you've got No-S down, maybe it's time to look for "exercise habits" that are do-able for you.

Start with something SO small that you think, "Well, of COURSE I could do that!" ... and stifle the little voice that argues "THAT's not enough to count!" It is. It is. It is. It's building habit, which will grow.

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Nichole
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Post by Nichole » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:54 pm

xJocelynx87 wrote:Thanks for all the replies.

Before I fell off the wagon so to speak, I was doing an hour-long run 3x/week, and a solid full body weight routine once per week at home. That limited my gym days to 3...which was really convenient because I could pick any 3 days depending on what else I had going on that week. I actually started enjoying my runs, knowing that I only had to do 3 every week. I regret stopping, and I do want to start up again, but now I'm wondering if maybe shorter runs every N-day would be better, or if that's too unrealistic, etc...so I just wanted to see what everyone else was doing in terms of exercise.
I think maybe at least a half hour would be good. It's what they recommend, anyway. And even if you don't lose weight, you'll reap all the other benefits. If you have a pretty regular schedule, why not try every other day? You just don't want to go a lifetime without regular exercise.. (that's how I think about it, anyway!)
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

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OrganicGal
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Post by OrganicGal » Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:59 pm

I know, that for me personally....I will never, I cannot reach my ideal/goal weight without regular exercise!
Creating and sustaining the No S habits are the only thing that will take me in the direction I want to go!

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fkwan
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Post by fkwan » Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:09 pm

OrganicGal wrote:I know, that for me personally....I will never, I cannot reach my ideal/goal weight without regular exercise!
Ditto.

f
One must know his limitations. -- John Milius
Beginning weight: 115
Currently: Haven't a clue

blueskighs
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Post by blueskighs » Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:21 pm

I love to exercise, I find it to be a great stress reliever and always feel GREAT when I am done. I started working with a personal trainer at our gym a month ago and I LOVE IT.

I have exercised for years ... for 10 years I just walked, then for three years I did fitness videos at home, then for three years I did Bikram Yoga, and then last year I did super slow weight training for nine months.

Obviously I find that I need variety, if I stop enjoying what I am doing it is time for me to find something else.

You are not too old, as I recall, but as we age exercise is the best anti-aging thing there is.

I am currently exercising 3-4 times a week for 20-45 minutes ... it varies between weights and intense cardio. Yesteday my trainer took me in the gym at our club and pretty much managed to wipe me out with just my body alone. I felt so good when I was done. It was actually a 17 minute workout.

That being said I probably couldn't have done these intense workouts a few years ago, I am as I am getting older getting in better shape and it feels good.

I am not for looooooooooong cardio sessions, i.e. I don't do cardio much longer than 20 minutes, there is starting to be evidence that long cardio sessions aren't that beneficial. So cutting down the time of your run might be a great idea ... also look into ways you can up the intensity do a shorter run and throw in some sprints.

There is so much you can do to change things up and keep it fun!

BTW I was really excited as we measured my body fat yesterday, it was 24.8%. When I started I was at 26.4% just four weeks ago. You can lose weight without exercise but you will lose muscle too and that will wreck your shape AND your metabolism. I could not have dropped 1.6% body fat in one month without exercise. So obviously it depends what your goals are.

In December 2007, when I joined the gym I was 27.3% bodyfat. So you can imagine that I am much more toned now.

Sorry so long,
Blueskighs
www.nosdiet.blogspot.com Where I blog daily about my No S journey

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OrganicGal
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Post by OrganicGal » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:11 pm

Great stats on your body fat % blueskighs!!!!!!! Again you are inspiring me.
Creating and sustaining the No S habits are the only thing that will take me in the direction I want to go!

xJocelynx87
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Post by xJocelynx87 » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:27 pm

I'm 5'8 160...I don't think I've ever weighed less than 150 as an adult, except for when I was anorexic and weighed 118. That took only eating 500 calories a day and daily 3 hour workouts, so it definitely is not natural for me to be small. All those bad habits are gone, though...but I do go through phases of exercising every day (about 45 minutes) and then not exercising at all for a week or two, so I'm just trying to get into a routine I can stick with. I'm going to be entering my third year in college, so my schedule is not at all predictable, which makes it hard enough to eat at regular times, let alone get into a regular exercise program...but I'm going to try...well, not try, I'm going to do. :)

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:40 pm

If you can reach your idea weight without exercise, you're not eating moderately -- you're eating immoderately little. That's not sustainable or good.

By exercise, I don't necessarily mean hitting the gym. "Exertion," exercise that is built into useful activities like walking or sweeping or push mowing the lawn or shoveling snow is the best kind you can get -- if you can engineer your habits so that you actually (regularly) get it. Once in a blue moon isn't going to cut it. I do a mix of actually useful movements (urban ranger) and pretend useful movements (shovelglove).

Don't look at your problem as being too heavy. Look at your problem as two behavioral problems 1) eating too much 2) moving too little. Both of these need to be solved. Solving just one "too much" isn't a real solution.

I know people hate to be told they ought to exercise, but I really think coming at it from these two directions makes it much easier, because you don't have to do THAT much from either. You don't need 3 hour workouts. Try 14 minutes.

Reinhard

Jayhawk28
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Post by Jayhawk28 » Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:55 pm

As far as running goes - i go for a specified distance rather than a time interval. I have a couple of routes that I use where I know the precise distance. I have a 1.5 mile route and a 2.5 mile route.

What I have found is that I run harder to get done more quickly if I run for distance versus time. In the end - running 2 miles for 17 or 18 minutes burns more calories for me than running at a very slow pace for more time. My body has a to work a lot harder to do it.

That leads to quicker weight loss and increased running performance.

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Post by pismo » Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:11 pm

Jayhawk28 wrote: In the end - running 2 miles for 17 or 18 minutes burns more calories for me than running at a very slow pace for more time.
Calories burned per unit DISTANCE (not time) is independent of pace. You will burn the exact same number of calories running 2 miles whether it's at a six minute pace or at a 12 minute pace.

Of course, it will take twice as long to use that many calories at the latter pace than at the former.

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Post by Dawn » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:05 pm

Everyone is different. My sister in law and I both went on Jenny Craig at the same time and I lost about 15 pounds in 6 weeks (translation $600) and she lost closer to 20 pounds. I exercised very regularly and she not once. We are the same age, but body type is very different. We both sit on our butts all day at work. Why? Who knows?

I have always tried to look at exercise separately from my diet. I know I need to exercise for many reasons that don't relate to my weight and in the past when I have fallen off of the food wagon at least I stayed on the exercise wagon and that probably has kept me from getting too heavy over the years.

I walk an average of 5 days a week. My walk is a 3 mile hill - 1.5 miles up (huffing and puffing) and 1.5 miles down. I know it's recommended to change things up, but this is something that I have been able to do consistently for a few years now. I have never been able to stick to any exercise plan in the past like I have stuck with this one.

It's all about building good healthy habits, so even if you can drop some pounds without exercising, why deprive yourself of all of those other benefits. Put your mind to working something out that you can stick with. And think outside of the box. I am sure Reinhard felt weird shovel gloving at first, but it works great for him and many others.

And share with us what you come up with.
Dawn

xJocelynx87
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Post by xJocelynx87 » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:58 pm

Ok...I think I've decided on a 30 minute run each N-Day, followed by strength training one body part --- that's about 45 minutes total. This really is not difficult for me, and even though I do have some busy days, I have a treadmill in my house so there's never an excuse not to do it since I spend plenty of time on my butt watching tv. I always feel so good after a half hour, but after an hour, my appetite is thrown off and I'm ravenous. Also, it's VERY easy to talk myself out of an hour-long run now that I'm not longer in the habit of doing it 3 times per week...but a half an hour, not so much...that's the length of ONE of the tv shows I watch every day...so I think I can convince myself to stick with that. I should add that I also have a very active part-time job....about 5 hours per shift, 4-5 days per week....so that should definitely help. Thanks guys. :)

Jayhawk28
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Post by Jayhawk28 » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:24 pm

pismo wrote:
Jayhawk28 wrote: In the end - running 2 miles for 17 or 18 minutes burns more calories for me than running at a very slow pace for more time.
Calories burned per unit DISTANCE (not time) is independent of pace. You will burn the exact same number of calories running 2 miles whether it's at a six minute pace or at a 12 minute pace.

Of course, it will take twice as long to use that many calories at the latter pace than at the former.
True - but you are not taking metabolic boost into consideration from hard running versus slow running over long distances and the calories you burn after exercise. A faster pace also will get your lungs and leg muscles in better shape for faster running. I guess it's not important if you are simply trying to burn a certain number of calories but I want to get in shape as well as just lose weight.


Boost Your Metabolic Rate
by Lisa Sabin, December 30, 2007

"EPOC, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, refers to the calories expended (above resting values) after an exercise bout. This is the amount of oxygen the body is utilizing to return itself to its pre-exercise state. (Borsheim and Bahr, 2003) Studies have found that the magnitude and duration of EPOC is dependent on the intensity and duration of exercise. It can take 15 minutes to 48 hours for the body to recover to a resting state.

For every liter of oxygen consumed, approximately 5 calories are burned. EPOC was significantly longer following the highest intensity exercise. i.e. Cardiovascular training at 70-85% VO2 Max has a higher EPOC than exercising at 60-70% or 50%."
Last edited by Jayhawk28 on Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post by cvmom » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:31 pm

I think that our bodies are designed for moving. Given the fact that we don't toil away in the fields like (most of) our ancestors did, we do need to get moving.

In the past, I have lost weight sans exercise and I found that even though I was thinner, my muscles felt flabby.

So, my advice is to do something that you enjoy and break a sweat 4 to 5'x per week. Not everyone needs to go to the gym. If you are doing stuff that is fun then it won't seem like "exercise".

I do light weight training 3x's per week and I do intervals on the treadmill. I also walk the dogs daily and take a dance class. When this gets boring I will mix it up and try something else.

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Post by feelgood » Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:52 am

I've walked for years with a pedometer strapped to my waistband and a determined look on my face. :) However, it didn't make me lose weight, although it might have helped me keep my weight from climbing even higher. I consider walking a beauty routine, though, and keep my mind focussed on its health and beauty benefits. Because I had ankle surgery, I can't run or do any extreme exercise (also shoulder problems, so no weight training), so walking and flexibility training are what I do. I always feel better afterwards.

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Post by angelka71 » Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:44 am

LOL at walking with the pedometer strapped to your waistband and a determined look on your face! I do the same thing! I swear, that pedometer is like magic...suddenly I'm walking all over the place. For me, it gets to be almost a contest with myself. I can't wait till the end of the day to flip the pedometer open and see how many steps I've taken...it motivates me to do even better the next day.

It's the ONLY exercise I've ever done consistently b/c it doesn't really seem like exercise. Coupla extra steps here, couple there...and eventually (b/c of the competetive thing) I start using my treadmill.

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Post by anovelgirl » Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:48 pm

reinhard wrote:If you can reach your idea weight without exercise, you're not eating moderately -- you're eating immoderately little. That's not sustainable or good.

By exercise, I don't necessarily mean hitting the gym. "Exertion," exercise that is built into useful activities like walking or sweeping or push mowing the lawn or shoveling snow is the best kind you can get -- if you can engineer your habits so that you actually (regularly) get it. Once in a blue moon isn't going to cut it. I do a mix of actually useful movements (urban ranger) and pretend useful movements (shovelglove).

Don't look at your problem as being too heavy. Look at your problem as two behavioral problems 1) eating too much 2) moving too little. Both of these need to be solved. Solving just one "too much" isn't a real solution.

I know people hate to be told they ought to exercise, but I really think coming at it from these two directions makes it much easier, because you don't have to do THAT much from either. You don't need 3 hour workouts. Try 14 minutes.

Reinhard
This is so incredibly helpful to me -- I cannot force myself to work out regularly...I would much rather just make my regular "chores" during the day more meaningful.

I have a great role model, too - my husband does not exercise, but works hard. He's not overweight and he eats whatever he wants, just rarely any sweets, never seconds, and he doesn't snack. He's a natural "NoSer" :wink:

No wonder he was so enthused when I told him about this WOE!

joasia
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Post by joasia » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:40 am

I once lost 50 pounds just walking the dog almost everyday, but I was on weight watchers
The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves. Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

xJocelynx87
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Post by xJocelynx87 » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:09 pm

I have actually started training for a 5k. I started before awhile ago, got about halfway through, and stopped for no reason. I was really disappointed that I didn't stick with it, and the other day my friend asked me to be on his team for a breast cancer 5k in early October...so I felt like that was a sign that a 5k is just what I need to get out of my exercise rut. I'm competitive, mostly against myself, so I think this will work out well.

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