Ask The Expert – Can I Lose Weight With Diet Alone?

Hi guys! I’m getting asked a lot of good questions as part of my weekly “Breakfast Club” challenges, so I thought I’d share one from last time. One of the questions Ivori M. asked me wasÂ “If I stop exercising and reduce my calorie intake, can I still lose weight?”. Here is my response:

“It depends on how many calories you are burning and eating. But, if you reduce your calories by the same amount you are burning…you will stay abou the same. You have to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. I would not recommend that you stop exercising because if you just reduce your calories through diet you will risk losing muscle mass when you lose weight (vs. more fat). You want to keep the muscle because the more muscle mass you have…the more calories you body burns at rest and during workouts. Plus, you will keep your heart and bones strong with exercise and also look more toned! To get the best results…you need to combine both!”

**Also, I’ll be doing another LIVE Facebook chat next Wednesday July 20th at 12pm Central (10am PST)! Just go to www.Facebook.com/ExerciseTV and look for the “Ask The Expert” thread and send me all your questions! I’ll be on there live for about an hour or so.

Cari Shoemate

Hi! I'm Cari! I'm a fitness star turned Mom of 3 who lives in Houston, TX. Getting fit and healthy is a journey and one I understand well. After graduating from college I worked in a corporate setting for many years and gained a lot of weight and had an unhealthy lifestyle. Finally, after I had enough - I decided to regain my healthy lifestyle that I had in college by fitting in workouts and eating healthier. Eventually, I left my corporate job to become a full-time personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I also created Bombshell Bootcamp over 10 years ago and it has become one of Houston's top bootcamps! My passion then turned into greater opportunities to write workouts for national magazines, appear on tv doing workouts and speaking about healthy and fitness, making fitness DVD's and working with many celebrities. Fast forward a few years....and then I had my first baby! I'm now a Mom of 3 little ones and try to incorporate healthy living and exercise in our family's lives. Not only do I still blog about workouts and fitness, but I have shifted some to include family fitness, family travel, fashion, health/beauty and general lifestyle.