Losing weight and working out

I'm about to poke a hole into a sacred cow of health.  You actually can lose weight without working out.  Contrary to what a metric butt-ton of people will tell you, losing weight doesn't really require exercise.  In fact, I'll argue that it's actually the least important factor in weight loss.

Now, I'm not saying one shouldn't exercise.  For overall fitness, exercise is essential.  Otherwise, you can be what some call "skinny-fat".  folks, that's not all that much more attractive than just regular, garden variety fat.

However, the core of losing weight begins and ends with what you eat, not how much you work out.  That's an inescapable fact.

How many times have you heard someone say they'll eat what they want, they'll just work it off at the gym.  Really?

A Big Mac contains 704 calories.  That means you would have to run at at 12 minute mile pace for over an hour just to work that off.  Conversly, you would need to life weights for an hour and a half to work it off.

That is just to work it off.  To make any additional headway, you've got to work out even more.  Or, there's an alternative.

You see, if you limit your caloric intake by carefully selecting your foods, you will lose the weight all on its own.  If you couple it with exercise, you can boost your body's metabolism, which will burn even more fat.  If you can't workout for whatever reason though, not to worry.

Folks, I lost 30 lbs without ever exercising.  It was not the best way to do it, but it proved that weight loss could be achieved without it.  So why is it important?

One reason, besides the other extremely well known and extremely well reported reasons, is that it helps establish a lifestyle.  If you fail to do that, it becomes more difficult to continue along your new path.  Ask me how I know.  The pounds I've put back on are a testament to my own mistakes on this front.

One thing I'll harp on is that weight loss isn't just a short term project, but a lifelong commitment.  It's not about dropping pounds, but dropping things in your life that contribute to your previous toxic lifestyle.  However, it's also important you understand where all the pieces really fit in.