I really havent been working out at all.  How important is it???  I mean i know its important but what im confused about is this..... if you go to the gym to burn calories then how about you just eat less calories and then you dont have to go to the gym.

I know some may think that is stupid but am i missing something??

 i'm sure people will weigh in on this issue.  i used to wonder why skinny people went to the gym. i always thought why would you bother if you were thin, and yet gyms are filled with skinny people...

for me, i cant cut enough calories to still have variety, meet my nutritional goals and still lose the weight per week i want so i eat 1200 fewer calories, and burn 400 in exercise, daily. i suppose i'd work out a little less if i was closer to my maintenace phase.  but this is now a new way of life, and i feel great doing it. i'm more toned, and have more energy, and stamina, and i'll still work out when i reach my goal weight. i want to be thin and healthy for life. 

 I'm a big advocate for working out, too.. I understand that losing weight is going to be largely about crunching numbers and creating a calorie deficit, but working out offers way more benefits than just burned calories..

One of the reasons we're all overweight is because we have slower metabolisms which means our bodies don't use as much energy as all those skinny people.. going to the gym and strengthening your heart and building muscle is going to increase the amount of calories you burn every day and not just while you're at the gym, but all the time. More muscle requires more calories to be maintained. 

Not to mention it helps tone your body so you're less likely to wind up with loose skin and all that..

Hi Koryann,

I for one HATE exercising, but I know if I want to lose the weight, it has to become a part of my lifestyle. Since I have been on Alli (mid-June), I've been on the treadmill 3-5 times per week for at least 30-60 minutes at a time. I know that you have to consume less calories than you burn in order to lose weight, but I think that if you want a healthy body overall, you HAVE to exercise. It builds your muscles (which will help you burn more fat while at rest), and it's also good for your heart. I hope this helps.

Crystal 

Koryann, perhaps, like I was at the beginning of taking Alli in mid June, you aren't ready to begin exercising.  I didn't have the confidence that I'd lose that much weight and I hated to exercise.  So, I didn't add to my own routine until the kids went back to school in September.  At that point, I had time to get out for morning walks and started to do that almost every day.  What worked for me was beginning with the dietary changes and getting used to portion control (my personal demon).  After I had done that for a while and lost weight and clothing sizes, then and only then was I ready to add more exercise.  Like I said, walking is my personal favorite.  I started out with shorter walks and have been adding on periodically to them.  I change my route or add more distance.  Today I did 3.82 miles in 65 minutes.  Not a super fast pace, but good enough for me.  I'm proud of myself for sticking to the walking routine.  Even on days when I really just don't feel like doing it, I get out there (I have to walk the kids to school anyway).  I've toned up quite a bit and made my body more efficient at burning calories.  When I reach that maintenace phase, I'll be able to eat more calories and still maintain my weight because of all the exercise I've added. But that's only if I keep up the exercise, which I will do because I enjoy it.  The trick is to find some form of exercise that you really enjoy and work with that.  If you don't like your exercise, you won't stick with it.  Good luck, koryann.  Add that exercise in when you're ready and you'll see the benefits that so many of us have seen.

The biggest benefit of exercise is not weight loss.  Exercise has many important benefits to your health.  The most obvious health benefit is cardiovascular and pulmonary.  (Heart and lungs)  Another important benefit is to increase your muscle mass which improves function. 

The benefit to weight loss is not only that you burn a few extra calories.  It is also that you build muscle mass which will increase your metabolism.  (Your body's maintenance calories needed will increase).

Another benefit is that you get to eat more if you choose to.  I like this one.

If you don't choose to eat more, you will lose weight faster.  My hypothesis is that eating a certain amount of calories (say 1800 a day) and burning 500 calories a day in exercise is NOT the same as eating 1300 calories a day because reducing your calorie intake actually slows down your bodies metabolism where eating more and exercising will not have the same effect on your bodies metabolism.  In other words, you get the benefit of taking in a net of 1300 calories a day while your body needs 1800 where without the exercise your body may get to the point where it decides it only needs 1500 calories and your weight loss will slow down.

koryann:

I really havent been working out at all.  How important is it???  I mean i know its important but what im confused about is this..... if you go to the gym to burn calories then how about you just eat less calories and then you dont have to go to the gym.

I know some may think that is stupid but am i missing something??

Working out is essential for me.  I have stayed on track since July and I have lost 30 pounds and actually gained muscle tone.  I was a solid size 12 and now I'm a solid size 4 petite.  You are not stupid at all, but Alli works best when you add exercise to your new lifestyle....

I started out with a personal training group and then added an aerobics class so I work out 2 to 3 times a week....My metabolism is up so I burn more calories and shed more pounds....

koryann, you don't need to "work out" at all.

But you do need to exercise. So while you may not join a gym or join a step class, you do need to move your body almost every day. How about walking? 

 these are great replies.  I'd like to save them all to remind me why i should get up early to go running on cold wintery days : )

practically every day now someone in the office stops me and says "wow you've lost weight, what are you doing?" and I smile and say "I'm eating right and exercising...who knew that actually worked!" ; p