The exercise vs calorie intake question - only in reverse

I've seen a lot of advice to people to increase their exercise and decrease their calorie intake to lose weight.  I'm wondering though, what about leaving your calories at the point they are and increasing the exercise.  I honestly feel like I should know this answer and feel a bit stupid asking but here I am =p

I've been working on my weight loss for two years now (with a 6 month maintaince that I just came back off of) and I've lost 60 pounds.  I'm really thrilled (even more so that during the 6 months that I did absolutely nothing and only gained back 7lbs :)  But now that I'm back to work on this and paying real close attention I've come to the conclusion that while I need to cut calories I just can't seem to cut anymore and still feel ok.  I'm eating around what the phord calculator told me (1550) and I'm walking 6 days a week (averaging around 60-70 minutes a day) and going to the gym twice a week to get more of work out in. 

What I'm wondering is does it have to be that you drop the calorie intake to lose? It seems like that is a yes, that the only way in the end to lose the weight is drop the calorie intake - which makes me feel a bit like an idiot who just answered their own question.  Is there anyone out there who has continued their weight less with just increasing their workouts and not drastically dropping their calorie intake?

Hopefully I put this in the right forum (crosses fingers).

In general, people are going to be more successful if they keep their calories at a good level and move more - both eating enough and moving will help keep their metabolism going, as well as improve their fitness.

That's not to say that a person can't be successful by lowering calories and not exercising, but there are less benefits to that approach.

The problem is often time - I can control how much I eat, but I can't control the hours in the day so that I have a spare one to exercise (or so people will say). So for some people, moving more just isn't a viable option, although I believe there are always ways to increase your activity, without it being overly burdensome.

So short answer - the only thing that matters is Calories In vs Calories Out. If you can increase the Calories Out so that it is larger than Calories In, you will lose weight.

Assuming you are able (time and abilitywise) to increase your workouts, then you should be able to lose weight without decreasing your cals.

You say you go to the gym twice a week, but what do you do there?  If you're not lifting heavy weights, you might want to consider adding that to what yo already do.

I was always under the impression that it's the deficit you create that determines weight loss. That's why some ppl can sit in thier butt's day after day and eat nothing to lose, while others can eat thier maintenance cal's and burn past that to lose weight. Isn't it the 3500 cal deficit your looking for to drop a lb no matter how you get there? Although don't get me wrong dieting w/o exercise can mess up your metabolism.

I do both. You might also try this, for anywhere between one day to one week, (depending on how soon you want to lose the weight), of decreasing your cals by only 100. Once you get used to that drop it down another 100 for the next couple of days or week. That's kind of what I have to do when I'm trying to get restarted. The decrease kills me at first, but I do eventually get used to it.

do both. You might also try this, for anywhere between one day to one week, (depending on how soon you want to lose the weight), of decreasing your cals by only 100. Once you get used to that drop it down another 100 for the next couple of days or week.

Thats what I had done about two months ago to get myself started once again and back on track.  But I noticed last week that I just couldnt do it anymore =p I was fine around 1600, very comfortable with that but when I tried to come down to around 1500 I started getting serious headaches and just felt horribly  hungry all the time. 

I've wanted to increase my workouts, but when that started happening last week (and I did add in an extra 30 minute gym session) I just wasn't sure about it.  I have the time and I'd like to get into the gym more (espeically as the weather is changing and all) but I just didnt think I could drop more calorie wise.  Thats what got me wondering if I could just keep my calories up around 1600 and increase instead of taking in less food.  I don't have a deadline for this... I just want to get to a healthy weight no matter the time frame.  Though I'm terribly excited that I'm only 6lbs now from being overweight instead of obsese :)

Thanks so much for the responses!

jennigermany, 

I don't lift heavy weights, I have to be very careful of my messed up shoulders.  I usually go for cardio (either the stair climber or the ellliptical) and then when I'm home for the day, watching TV or surfing the internet I use some small weights or resistance bands on my arms and legs.

I used to do the circuit training at the gym but recently its become sort of overrun by the serious weight lifters and I just don't feel comfortable trying to figure out the machines again =p  So I've just been using the small weights we have at home or whatever i can lay my hands on that doesn't make my shoulder hurt too much :)

I've read around the forums about muscle helping to burn more and I definitly know that when I started out it was a real help but I admit since I took that 6 months off that now I find it hard to get back into weights.  Which is why I try doing some of the small stuff around the house in my down time to at least get something even though its not the more strenuous weights, I'm hoping the something is better then nothing addage applies here LOL.

I know exactly what you mean about the gym being over taken by the heavy weight lifters!! I feel so intimidated going in there not even sure if I using the machine correctly and then the stares. Lol. Nothing annoys me more than for some body builder type to walk up and say "let me show you what your doing wrong." It's horrifying. Lol.

But I am going to have to agree that weight lifting is very important for weight loss. Buy a video tape to do with your resistance bands & try to increase your time and weight with your dumbells. There's tons out there. Cardio can only do so much because your body adapts to it so quickly. Also are you trying to eat only the healthy carbs that digest a lil slower. A bowl of 100 cal oatmeal used to go a long way for me in my "OMG I'm starving" phases.

Congrats on the 60 lbs girl!!! Your doing great, just stay at it. And to ultimately answer your ques, yes you can increase your work out to create a bigger deficit but also try those other things mentioned.

I'm back to sq one myself, I've lost and regained the same 5-10 lbs atleast 100 times now. Funny thing is I don't have a problem losing. It comes quite easy. I have a problem with mantaining. That's when I start to gain again and then it usually gets out of control before I can catch it. :(

Best wishes!

Yeh it was way intimidating a few weeks ago when I went to try to use the machines and there was this swarm of people breathing hard and lifting.  I even tried another section of the gym that used to be geared more towards the 'less strenuous' lifters no go.  They invaded that too ;-)

Really I know its a mental thing, I still see myself as the really big girl when I'm not anymore.  But as well I seem to have forgotten how to use the machines too in the 6 months away and I just can't bring myself to ask *sigh*.  So I stick to the cardio there these days.  I think I really need to jsut get over that.

I've also been trying to watch what kinds of food I put into me.  I didnt realize how much of the wrong things I was eating until my friend mentioned that eating so much fruit with no protien was the reason I was cranky.  I was looking too much at the calorie amount and not enough at the actual food and that was a wake up for me.  After all it had worked for so long before but yeah I'm trying to get more of the slower processing foods - like oatmeal which I NEVER thought I'd eat but now have to start my day with LOL.  I've also upped my protein and tried to make sure I get a better balance out of them through the day - especially days that I go into the gym since those are the ones where I feel it more.

I have so many tapes/videos at home and I've tried them all several times and then... they just fizzled for me.  I've pulled several routines from online though and thats been about the only thing thats held my attention, probably cause once I got the sets down I didnt have to pay attention to them specifically and could just go about watching tv or reading the news online LOL.

Thanks so much odie03! :)

I think I can relate to every single thing you just said, lol. As having experienced those things too. I'm having a really hard time right now getting motivated about losing weight. It's like I want to but not willing to put forth the effort. I go through phases where it just seems like "uggghh, sweating in the gym today after I just spent an hour on my hair?" Lol.

Funny thing is I KNOW how to lose weight. My roomate in college was a personal trainer and I was actually taking courses on nutrition. So I have the 'know how', I just don't think I mentally want to right now.

Where's that magic wand when you need it? Lol.