Do You Eat Healthy Foods But Do Not Exercise?

I eat healthy foods but i do not exercise . Why ? Because about 18 months ago,after i had my 2nd son,i needed to lose about 25 kg , so i lowered my calories and started exercise . 4 weeks - no change ,i didnt feel any better or worse and i didnt lose weight.So i stopped exercise . Weight started to drop ! And within 2-3 months i lost those extra 25 kg .

Now i am nearly at my perfect weight,and i was going to start exercise after i lost what i wanted . But whats the point ? I feel and look great,i got energy,and i am happy . I would have to give up something to find time for exercising . And i dont like exersicing . For me its something i have to do,not something i enjoy doing . So i cant find any reasons to start exercise.

Are you like me ? Eat healthy foods but do not exercise? Share your reasons for not exercising  

While a lot of people focus on numbers and goal weights, I think most people will admit they want to be healthy, not just thin.   Unfortunately often times being at a certain weight doesn't mean your health is also ideal.  I have no idea in your case, but hopefully you are seeing a doctor regularly and know what your cholesterol, blood pressure, etc is.

Almost everyone agrees that part of being healthy is getting exercise.  It doesn't need to be in the gym or specifically planned workouts.  It can be a part of something you enjoy doing -- going for a walk on the beach or at the mall, riding a bike, playing a sport, swimming, etc.  You are fortunate to be at your goal weight so you are not focused so much on numbers, but it would still be a good idea to be active if not exercising regularly.

One thing you may want to do is google the benefits of exercise as they are numerous and important.

Good luck and congrats on your success :)

Thanks for your opinion

As you mentioned a doctor, i dont see my doctor  i got no reason to go to see him and i really dont like him . Last time i went to see him was about 2.5 years ago,but i only went there cos i needed him to fill forms for me . Do people seriously go to see doctors for no reason ? just to check their blood pressure ?

Original Post by sondre:

Thanks for your opinion

As you mentioned a doctor, i dont see my doctor  i got no reason to go to see him and i really dont like him . Last time i went to see him was about 2.5 years ago,but i only went there cos i needed him to fill forms for me . Do people seriously go to see doctors for no reason ? just to check their blood pressure ?

 People go to the dr for a variety of reasons.  If for nothing else than a yearly physical and bloodwork check, I feel people should visit.  You mention you dont like your doc...then change doctors.  They work for YOU not the other way around.  Find a doctor that you feel you can trust. 

As for exercise, it is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle.  It is good for your heart, your circulation, your mood levels, your joints, strengthen your bones, etc etc the possibilities are endless.  You may want to rethink exercise and put it in a different frame of mind.  It isnt a chore, it is lengthening your life and giving your family a healthier YOU.

If you are active with your two little ones, then you are getting some exercise.  Exercise is not just formal "go to the gym to work out".  Anything that gets you breathing hard, your heart pumping, counts as exercise.  That being said, it does need to be sustained for at least 10-15 minutes to help your heart.

Find more things that you enjoy doing that get your heart pumping.  Roller skating, jumping rope, playing on a playground - kids know how to do it!

Yes my two little ones keep me active

I'm with Patsy on this... exercise IS a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. Being active doesn't mean that you have to become a gym rat! I really don't like 'working out' in a gym enviroment, however I really enjoy swimming in the ocean, mountain biking, running around the marina, and jumping rope... so why not look for an outdoor activity that you enjoy doing, one that you can also share with your children and try to incorportate it into your daily life?

So you guys are saying that one can not be healthy without exercise?  I don't believe that. The reason I don't work out is plain and simple - I am very lazy and hate any form of physical activity. But I managed to lose a lot of weight (from 230 to 160 two years ago and from 153 to 135 in past three onth) just by eating 1200 cals and sitting on my butt all day. And I am healthy - all my bloodwork and other stuff the doctor checked is perfect.

Original Post by myteasgonecold:

So you guys are saying that one can not be healthy without exercise?  I don't believe that. The reason I don't work out is plain and simple - I am very lazy and hate any form of physical activity. But I managed to lose a lot of weight (from 230 to 160 two years ago and from 153 to 135 in past three onth) just by eating 1200 cals and sitting on my butt all day. And I am healthy - all my bloodwork and other stuff the doctor checked is perfect.

We are not reinventing the wheel here... of course a person can lose weight by restricting to the bare minimum and quite honestly, it's your choice to do so.

Without trying to generalize, I would assume that the posters who responded by saying that exercise is good for weight loss, as well as overall wellness were doing so from personal experience, myself included. Unless you have a serious medical condition and a doctor has indicated otherwise, there are really no cons to exercise. The same cannot be said about restricting calories to the bare minimum ....

Just my 2 cents.

Original Post by myteasgonecold:

So you guys are saying that one can not be healthy without exercise?  

Yes.  As many have noted, "exercise" doesn't have to mean going to the gym.  It can mean walking to work/school/stores.  It can mean playing with kids.  It can mean household chores.  But if you just sit on your butt all day and get no exercise whatsoever, no matter how healthy you eat, your heart will be getting weaker by the day and your other muscles will atropy.  That's not healthy, no matter how much (or little) you weigh.

Also you will more likley to get osteoporosis if you do not do some kind of exercise.  You will also get weaker, and your sense of balance will suffer if you are inactive. 

Lack of exercise may mean that you cannot care for yourself as you get older. 

Being able to lift a bag of groceries, walk up a flight of stairs etc. are all important.  Also being able to react relatively quickly if you slip when getting out of the tub or on an icy patch during bad weather. 

Exercise helps you in many, many ways. 

My great grandmother on my mothers side lived to be 98 years old.  She was an active Greek woman who came to this country as a young woman.  She was always cleaning, cooking, moving.  She grew up before washers and dryers, doing laundry by hand, lifting things, moving things, walking to the corner store.  Keeping a house and getting places was very different in the 1920s.  She was always slim and didn't overeat.  She never counted calories, just ate in moderation.  She had a slightly weak heart that she started taking medicine for in her 90s.  She was doing laundry up till about 2 weeks before going into the hospital where she passed away.

The point is, you can have an active, long life without going to a gym.  If you're always doing physical work, life is exercise.  For those of us who sit at a desk all day, some form of exercise is probably essential to longevity.

I hate going to the gym and doing boring routine workouts. So I've been doing my best to just stay active in any other way possible. I go swimming, I clean the house vigorously, I go dancing, I go for walks at the lake with friends (talking to friends while walking is awesome, before you know it 4 hours have gone by.)

I've always wanted to be healthy. No point in being thin if you can't even walk to the mailbox without getting winded. So, just do what you can to stay active. You'll notice a better quality of life.

Original Post by ds1973:

The point is, you can have an active, long life without going to a gym.  If you're always doing physical work, life is exercise.  For those of us who sit at a desk all day, some form of exercise is probably essential to longevity.

 Good point ! I dont even have a car or driving license , so i always walk everywhere . So for those who got active life , they probably dont need to get on treadmill or got to the gym . I walk to the shops,go the park with kids,play with them in our garden or in the house,and do all the other things like gardening,house cleaning and everything that needs to be done. But it is just my everyday life, i do these things because i just have to. But if i had to get up in the morning and go for a run,or go to the gym,i couldnt .

I also lost a lot of weight last year without any exercise but it left me 'skinny fat' and not happy with how I looked.

Also without any exercise I believe it had set me up for failure as i put a lot of the weight back on.

Now I'm losing weight again which I believe is the correct and best way by incorporating exercise with my healthy eating. I'm not talking about a vigorous hourly workout each day but only a nice and relaxing 30-45 min walk which I'm trying to get to a jog with time.

I'm feeling more healthier than I was when I was just eating the correct foods and I'm happier now too! Plus I can eat more when I work out

didn't read all the responses. 

but i needed to add the exercise to lose, i was eating well and lower calorie but not losing because i was so sedentary.
anyway it took me 3 wks of just walking 2-4 (4mph) miles everyday to see the weight start coming off (3 wks it didn't come off then after that, it dropped at about 7-8lbs a mo.)  now i do everyday a 3-5mi walk/jog and am thinking of running again, as i did today for 4 miles=) ! i lost the weight i aimed for and now i just want a better look and fitness level again (and larger burn ;) more food).

good luck to you the exercise does rev up the metabolism for me!!!  but staying active with the kids likely has you in "light activity" anyway... just take them for walks... that will/could get you into an exercise plan... bike rides, runs.

I did not exercise for the first month being so much over weight I wanted to get my body use to losing first.

Sondra...I agree with you 100%!!!  I too hate to exercise and am just dieting for the most part.  Unfortunately I have to exercise because my goal is to lose the keg I'm carrying in the belly area.  That's not going to go away by just eating right.  I too feel great.  I am a firefighter so I benefit from the workouts but still hate to do it.  I do think its great though that you are where you want to be.  What you did worked for you.  Congratulations!!!!!!!

If you don't exercise wwhile losing weight, then you are going to lose a lot more muscle than if you were exercising, leaving you with a much higher body fat percentage.  So lets say you lost 25 kg while exercising and weight training, you might get down to lets say 18 percent body fat, whereas losing 25 kg without any exercise could leave you at the exact same weight, but with 25% body fat. 

Exercise is absolutely vital to long term health, ask any doctor. Be thankful that you are healthy and blessed enough to be ABLE to exercise, and put your body to good use!

Original Post by monkeyhippy:

If you don't exercise wwhile losing weight, then you are going to lose a lot more muscle than if you were exercising, leaving you with a much higher body fat percentage.  So lets say you lost 25 kg while exercising and weight training, you might get down to lets say 18 percent body fat, whereas losing 25 kg without any exercise could leave you at the exact same weight, but with 25% body fat. 

 I dont know what my body fat % would be if i did exercise , but now my body fat % is 18.3 %. I got no idea if its high or low % ?

I agree 100%! I HATE exercising: making the time, making the effort, working it into my schedule, huffing and puffing, and mostly: SWEATING! I have been watching my calories for a couple of months now and the weight is starting to come off...could I burn more if I exercised? Sure....but why torture myself?