Can You Lose Weight Without Exercise?

Wouldn't it be great if all you needed to do to lose weight was watch what you eat. No gyms, no perspiration or hard work... If you've heard people claim to have lost weight without exercise, you may be wondering if it's possible.

You Can't Maintain Weight Loss Without Exercise

Sure, you can shed kilos through calorie restriction alone, but the truth is that you can't maintain weight loss without exercise. Without exercise you will lose more water and muscle tissue than body fat. Losing muscle and water may look great on the scales, but it slows your metabolism and makes it easier for you to regain weight.

Exercise improves your body composition, meaning that you will have a larger proportion of metabolically active muscle tissue. And when your metabolic rate increases it's easier for you to lose weight and maintain your weight loss.

Additional Benefits of Exercise

Exercise is not just about weight loss. The health benefits of exercise include:

• Reduced levels of body fat, especially abdominal fat
• Increased metabolic rate
• Lower blood pressure
• Higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol which protects your arteries
• Lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol which clogs your arteries
• Lower risk of developing diabetes
• Improved muscle strength
• Improved bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis
• Increased energy levels and improved fitness
• Sleep regulation
• Improved mood and fewer symptoms of depression.

How to Start an Exercise Program

Don't feel overwhelmed by the prospect of starting an exercise program: something is better than nothing. You don't need to start running marathons to lose weight: in fact a more moderate, comfortable exercise regime will be more manageable in the long term. Daily walking is a great habit, particularly with a friend to share the time. To burn fat, aim for a pace where you breathing rate is elevated but you can still talk.

For more tips on how to exercise for weight loss, see our articles on Exercise for Weight Loss and Maintenance and Finding Your Motivation to Exercise.

How Much Dietary Fat Should You Consume During Weight Loss?

Fat contains twice as many calories as carbohydrate and protein, so it makes sense to reduce the amount of fat in your diet if you want to lose weight.

However you shouldn't eliminate all fat from your diet. Your body needs some fat for vitamin absorption, hormone regulation, the health of your heart and the protection of your vital organs. And you need some fat in your diet to enjoy the flavour and texture of your food.

How Much Dietary Fat Should I Consume During Weight Loss?

Females:
Fairly healthy with normal cholesterol and triglycerides: 40g fat per day
At risk of heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes: 30g fat per day

Males:
Fairly healthy with normal cholesterol and triglycerides: 50g fat per day
At risk of heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes: 40g fat per day

How Much Dietary Fat Should I Consume to Maintain a Healthy Weight?

Fats should not contribute to more than 30% of your daily calorie intake, but many Australians consume more than 40% of their daily calorie intake from fat.

Assuming that you will remain fairly active when you reach your weight loss goal, you should consume the following levels of dietary fat:

Females: Fairly healthy with normal cholesterol and triglycerides: 65g fat per day
At risk of heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes: 55g fat per day

Males: Fairly healthy with normal cholesterol and triglycerides: 85g fat per day
At risk of heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes: 70g fat per day

To find out how much fat is in your favourite foods, visit the Calorie King website.

In summary, it's important to moderate your intake of dietary fat but don't eliminate it completely. Choose foods that are high in healthy fats such as monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats. And limit your intake of foods that contain unhealthy fats (saturated and trans fats) as they increase your blood cholesterol levels.