Who doesn't exericise much?

[heavenly rose08]

well when i first started doing atkins back in september i really did'nt want to excersise i was very lazy when it came to doing any sort of physical activity!! one month in i had only lost about 17 pounds,a family member of mine had been on atkins for 7 months prior to when i started and he said to me if you want to see better results you should definetly start excersising,so i did! I hop on my treadmill twice a day for at least an hour and since then i have lost another15 pounds and i know that it is due to the excersise that i have been doing,bottom line if you want to see better results and also get healthier, start with at least 30 min a day and work your way up, believe me you are going to feel so much better and your going to be very happy that you decided to excersise

[not2late]

I H.A.T.E. exercising. So I get it out of my way first thing in the morning. The book says to get a minimum of 30 minutes a day. It can be brisk walking, bike riding, etc. Newer recommendations state anywhere from 45-90 minutes a day. You can break up the time if you want: 10 minutes when you wake up, 10 minutes before lunch, 10 minutes in the afternoon.

I agree with the others about cardio and strength training. For strength training, you can lift handweights, do resistance bands, or even good old fashioned physical education class exercises like push-ups, toe-touches, squats, etc. Don't poo-poo the school exercises, because if you carefully watch those exercise videos, the exercises are variations of those squats, lunges, windmills, crunches, etc. Plus the school exercises are free because you don't need to buy weights or bands and you can do them almost anywhere.

I keep a set of weights and a resistance band in my desk at the office. Before I go on breaks and when I come back from one, I do a something: bicep curls, lunges, etc. Or if I have some extra time, I do them (that's why it sometimes takes me a long time to post a reply here: I'm sometimes reduced to typing with one finger while the other arm is doing a biceps or triceps workout!)

I also try to do alot of "non-exercise" exercise, like using my bicycle to run errands or taking a hike and I walk whenever I can. So if you like dancing, that's excellent exercise: dancers are extremely fit atheletes. You don't need to go to a club to dance, just put on some music and let your feet and body go!

[blakeich]

Originally Posted by focus83

Ok i keep reading about lots of people who exercise and lose loads, but are there any members out there that don't really exercise but still lose following the plan?

I don't make time for exercise but i feel i do walk around alot, shopping, around work, going home. Is this not enough? Do i really need to be working out for a hour or so each night to get better results?

I don't exersise much and ive lost 22lb in 5 weeks.

[stephbob]

I haven't been able to exercise for a few months due to medication that I'm on - it causes me to get heart palpitations just climbing the stairs, so I have to take it easy.

Last time I did Atkins though, I exercised daily, whether it was walking, jogging, going to the gym or staying in and following an exercise DVD, and the weight dropped off. This time, I lost 11lbs in the first week, and nothing in the 2 weeks since, which is disheartening, but I can't do anything about it until my medication is sorted, which isnt possible for a few months.

To me, exercise is non negotiable. Do it WITH the eating plan for the best results.

[Texas Gal]

I first started doing Atkins in the early 80s. I was young (in my late 20s). I never exercised and I lost 1 lb. per day like clockwork. Naturally, when I started overeating carbs and junk food, I'd gain some weight back. When I was in my 30s, I lost 1/2 lb per day...again, like clockwork, and without exercise. Now, here I am 50, and back up in weight. I can no longer lose without exercise.

So yes, while you're young you don't have to exercise in order to lose weight, but if you start good habits now...you won't be fat and fifty like me! I've yo-yo'd from 130 to 268...back and forth. Don't let it happen to you. Exercise because you SHOULD, not because you have to.

[Chanter7]

I can't say as I blame you. I hate the whole concept of exercise. It reminds me of miserable phys ed classes in school. My own solution is to think of the whole process in another way.

Instead of "exercising", find something you like to do that includes moving about. My wife and I love to dance and we go dancing two or three times a week. Now that it's that time of the year, we bundle up and walk through different parts of the neighbourhood most other evenings looking at the Christmas lights. We cover two or three miles depending on the route. When the weather clears up and the evenings are brighter we add some of the local parks to our routine. There are some beautiful places in most cities that would repay a walking tour.

Good luck.

John

[smarie]

I'm with Chanter, phys ed in school pretty much destroyed any joy I got from exercising. They used to make us take this Presidential Fitness test where we would get rated on how many curl ups we could do, how fast we ran a mile, etc. Scarred me for life.

That said, I haven't exercised since being on Atkins. However, I have been planning to start an exercise program very soon, hopefully next week.

[TWS]

Originally Posted by LuckyD

But the benefits are amazing, losing weight is just one of them. It also helps you build muscle so it raises you metabolism, always a good thing. Your health will improve DRAMATICALLY whether you are healthy or not to start off. But the absolute best part about exercise is that it makes us feel good mentally as well as physically.

There are many reasons to exercise, those listed above are few good examples. However, if you are trying to 'burn calories' to lose weight you may want to rethink that antiquated notion.

In Taubes book, he looks at the latest research on exercise/weight loss and concludes:

Expending more energy than we consume does not lead to long-term weight loss; it leads to hunger.

Sears echoes this finding in his latest book on inflammation.

Again, exercise is great for many things, long-term weight loss not necessarily one of them.

TWS

[smarie]

I remember reading somewhere a similar idea to what Taubes said, that losing weight is more about the diet followed. It could take you hours to burn off what you'd save by saying no to dessert.

However, what about strength training? Does building muscle help burn fat and change body composition?

I never know what to believe when it comes to health issues, so much of it seems built on myths and hearsay.

[TWS]

Originally Posted by smarie

However, what about strength training? Does building muscle help burn fat and change body composition?

I never know what to believe when it comes to health issues, so much of it seems built on myths and hearsay.

Weight training is a must. We are meant to be lean, healthy and strong.

Take a look at this link to Mark's Daily Apple and scroll down to the 10 rules for living the Primal Blueprint. Just something to think about.

What is The Primal Blueprint? | Mark's Daily Apple

TWS