Need to lose 50 pounds

lkrause74

I want to get back to my ideal weight of 155 pounds, lose my "belly" and tone up my arms, legs and abs. What is a realistic time table for doing that? Also, what equipment in a gym is best for accomplishing my goals? I joined Planet Fitness back in January but all I've really been able to do is use the treadmill and stationary bike. I do use the weight machines but for the most part I'm rather lost when it comes to working out in the gym. I also dont know how long to go on the machines in the gym like the treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike. The treadmill I've been averaging about 30 minutes (40 max) at a speed of 2.3 to 2.5 (but have gone as high as 3.0) but still I managed to go from 200 pounds a month ago to 205 when I got weighed at the doctor.

Really starting to get discouraged here. Im 5 ft 10 and I know 205 isn't my ideal weight and I dont want to go any higher or maintain...I want to loose!

surfteam1689

You gained muscle weight. Try lowering your Caloric Intake a bit more, and use the machine another 20 minutes if possible. Give yourself one month, and you will see changes! :-)

phamtq

It will likely take you around 50 weeks to obtain your "ideal" weight (1lb/week). To achieve that, you'll need to modify your diet. Exercise is helpful, but you'll see the best (and fastest) results with proper dieting.

There are plenty of excellent guides on General Diet and Weight Loss Help section (especially look for the ones labeled 'Announcement'). Biggest tip? Buy measuring cups/spoons and a scale and log EVERYTHING!

BWBTrish

Weight loss start in the kitchen
Fitness helps

You need to eat in deficit to lose weight. To know as accurate as possible how much calories you eat you have to weigh ALL your solid food on a food scale. Don't go by serving sizes or measuring your solid food with cups and spoons because that is highly inaccurate and be hundreds of calories more than you think.

When you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight.


Here a short video about the difference in measuring or weighing all your food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

canary_girl

Beware of eating more when you start to exercise. Weight loss really is in the kitchen, I lost 50 lbs without doing ANY exercise (maybe walking my daughter in her stroller but not at all in the gym). You didn't gain muscle. Maybe you were retaining some water, but likely exercising made you hungrier.

Be sure that every meal is a combination of fiber and protein. Fat is your friend, don't worry about eating healthy fats. Plan your meals. Have something that fits your CICO plan available at all times.

If you exercise DO NOT trust the treadmill's assessment of your caloric burn and DO NOT eat all the calories back. Lift weights. Lift heavy to fail, meaning that you cannot possibly do another rep after 10-15. Don't worry about bulking up.

And just start. Don't worry about the timeline. I feel like I need to lose another 10 lbs, but I am a lot happier now than I was 50 lbs ago.

canary_girl

FWIW, I read an article years ago, in January of 2008, when my oldest daughter had just turned one and I hadn't yet lost any baby weight and my husband was pressuring me to have another. It was about "fad" diets and the author had tried the Atkins diet and basically said that he lost weight so quickly that you could almost see it fall off of him as he walked. Of course, this is what I wanted and I started a high protein, high fiber, low carb, (the book I followed is called "The F Factor") diet. It is "Atkins-esque" without some of the craziness. I didn't exercise much at all and dropped 50 lbs by April, when I got pregnant again. I followed it during the pregancy and gained less than 15 lbs. Good luck to you!

PopeyeCT

When you do your weigh ins, only compare to the previous reading on the same scale. Your scale at home and the doctor's scale could easily disagree by a couple percent and that would account for the different. If you weigh yourself at home, don't bother with scales at the gym. Also, make sure to weigh yourself at the same time and clothing each time. Easiest consistency is fresh from the shower in the morning.

lkrause74

Thanks! Realistically, I can't do very much walking on the treadmill right now due to to a stiffness and pain in the back of my left knee. Seems like after maybe 35 minutes on the treadmill I can't fully extend that left leg (as you would do when you walk) and so I end up with a funny limping walk. I hope that stiffness is a good thing. I dont have a scale at home so I have to use the one at the gym but I dont always go to the gym at the same time. Right now Im going in the morning as its really hot here in my area of California in the summer so going to the gym when its 100+ outside is just NOT something I want to do. LOL