Very ignorant about exercise (and everything weight loss related)

pepsicolaho

This is me (well 10 pounds ago, not a huge difference). I'm currently at 201.5lbs from 216.5, 5 weeks ago.

I just started at the gym 2 weeks ago. Currently why I do is about 25 minutes on the cross trainer, 15 on the bike. I take a break from cardio and go to the strength machines. I do some crunch machine and two arm ones (one pulls up, one pulls toward you). Then I do the elliptical for 15, and back to strength (leg curl, some back one, the pull down arm one). I hit the rowing machine for about 15 minutes (2000m) and the cross trainer again, then do the strength machines again on my way out (leg press, crunch again, and an arm one).

My questions are: what should I/shouldn't I be doing? I am so ignorant, I don't even know the name of the exercises. What order should I do them in? I know the calorie burn on the strength machines is MUCH more limited than that on cardio machines. Would I even count any calories burnt from the strength machines? if so, how would I determine how many?
How many calories should I be consuming while doing this. I was on a 1200 calorie consumption plan, but have been old that's not nearly sufficient enough. But I don't want to work out just to consume the calories I lose. Why am I supposed to do?

pepsicolaho

I am starting to see small differences though.

I seem to be losing about 0.5lbs a day right now (one pound every 2 days). I'm told that's not healthy though. I am just so confused.

sheldonklein

1. eat the calories that MFP gives you, plus 75%of your cardio exercise calories. Adjust after a month or so if you're not losing an appropriate amount of weight
2. at the beginning a lot of your weight loss is water, not fat, so 3.5/wk at the beginning is not worrisome. If you continue to lose at that rate, your not eating enough.
3. as far as cardio, do whatever forms you enjoy. It matters very little
4. as far as the weights, a session with a trainer probably makes sense, although sites like bodybuilding.com have lots of plans. However, many on MFP think that weight machines are far less desirable than free weights or other full body exercises, such as TRX

asciom16

If your gym offers sessions with a trainer, then ask them for advice. They'll look at your fitness levels and goals and come up with a workout AND a nutrition plan. The more you work out the more calories you need to eat. I made that mistake in college and ended up collapsing during a workout. Also what you eat is important as well as how much.

another thing I do personally is vary my workouts from day to day. Monday/Wednesday/Friday are my cardio days, Tuesday/Thursday are my strength training days. I run and do a kickboxing class and when I can go down to the pool and swim. If you can and want to, swimming is one of the best possible ways to work out because it works everything. youtube usually has free workouts ranging from cardio to strength to yoga. you don't want to be doing the same thing over and over again because you won't really see the results after awhile. You'll just plateau. It also works different muscle groups.

20yearsyounger

I'm not much of a resistance training person ( I just do pushups and I count some of my rowing as resistance ) but every other bit of cardio you are doing I do. I think you are doing just fine in that area. You just need to make sure that you eat enough to support your activity and be in a deficit. The less you complicate things, the better. You can probably set MFP at a pound a week and go from there.

sheldonklein

asciom16 wrote: »

If your gym offers sessions with a trainer, then ask them for advice. They'll look at your fitness levels and goals and come up with a workout AND a nutrition plan. The more you work out the more calories you need to eat. I made that mistake in college and ended up collapsing during a workout. Also what you eat is important as well as how much.

another thing I do personally is vary my workouts from day to day. Monday/Wednesday/Friday are my cardio days, Tuesday/Thursday are my strength training days. I run and do a kickboxing class and when I can go down to the pool and swim. If you can and want to, swimming is one of the best possible ways to work out because it works everything. youtube usually has free workouts ranging from cardio to strength to yoga. you don't want to be doing the same thing over and over again because you won't really see the results after awhile. You'll just plateau. It also works different muscle groups.

OP -- Very few trainers are competent to advise on diet and what little they know is usually wrong. There is no need to vary your exercise for weight loss. And what you eat isn't important for weight loss.

mommarnurse

Your body burns a certain amount of calories just to keep you breathing and your organs functioning. that's you're basal metabolic rate. When you exercise (and depending on what you do for work, waitress vs. Call center.etc) your calorie needs go up to maintain all that functioning. The more you weigh, the more your caloric needs will be because you're body is supporting more mass. 1200 calories is considered the minimum for any adult who doesn't exercise to maintain current weight -and that's a small adult. that's why at your weight especially you need to be consuming more calories and you will definitely still lose weight. The Harris Benedict equation works well for figuring out how to set your calories per day. Remember that a 3500 calorie deficit equals 1 pound of body fat. At your weight you should be eating more like 1600-1800 calories at this time but for the right number do that HB equation. I'm pretty schooled on this matter considering I've lost 75 lb consistently in the past 14 months.

When it comes to exercising, I'm so glad you're doing strength ttainign too. So Many severely underestimate it's importance in weight loss. The names of the equipment don't matter. I couldn't tell you the names of the equipment. I just know which major muscle groups they're helping. Free weights are great as well. I think it's definitely better to separate your strength training and cardio instead of switching back and forth between the two in one gym trip. Example, hitting the weights and then doing all your cardio. I've been doing a 30 min strength then 30-40 min cardio combo for a while now. also remember to not work the same major muscle groups two days in a row because your muscles need a recovery period to built fibers and make them stronger.