Do you do much cardio now that you've reached your goal weight?

xstephnz

I'm wondering what the future holds for me. I like to eat a lot of food, so I'm wondering if I will still need to do an hour or two of cardio a day once I get to goal, or maybe just do 30 minutes a day, then splurge on the weekends.

What is your method? I personally hate cardio. I have thought about getting a treadmill or bike and setting up a tv with movies infront of it and doing some exercise first thing in the morning. Bit short on cash though :-(

emhunter

I love to workout so yes I still do. Have you tried classpass.com? They have a lot of different places you can work out and you don't get bored.

I recommend embracing a healthy lifestyle and then when you lose, you will keep it off. You don't want to yo-yo.

xstephnz

I definately work-out. I walk my dog for about two hours everyday and see a personal trainer twice a week. The personal trainer will probably stop once I have been at goal weight for six months or got my body to look how I want it to look because it's expensive.

I am moving to a new city soon, and have noticed lots of fitness groups on meetup.com so I will probably join some, plus a local church group has ceroc dance classes, which I LOVE. My gym also has several classes everyday. I'm thinking about doing yoga/pilates and zumba.

The tv idea was because I love watching movies, but who really has time? If you combine it with exercise, then its not as much of an inconveniance.

MissJay75

I burn about 80% of the calories I used to when I was in weight loss mode. For me, I want to eat those calories, and I found ways to work them off that I enjoy. The key is to do something you can sustain. If you can't picture yourself doing 1-2 hours of cardio every day to keep the weight off, you'd better be willing to eat a few less calories to maintain.

To spell out the math, let's say for example you maintain at 1500 calories and burn 500 a day working out. You are losing 1 pound per week. When you hit your goal weight, you can EITHER: Quit your cardio, and eat 1500 calories a day like you have been, OR you can keep doing the cardio and eat 2000 calories, OR some balance in between. (Burn 250/eat 1750) as long as you net 1500 to keep you at maintenance.

Use your own numbers and find a balance that works for you! And by the way, congrats on making it this far.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

emhunter

xstephnz wrote: »

I definately work-out. I walk my dog for about two hours everyday and see a personal trainer twice a week. The personal trainer will probably stop once I have been at goal weight for six months or got my body to look how I want it to look because it's expensive.

I am moving to a new city soon, and have noticed lots of fitness groups on meetup.com so I will probably join some, plus a local church group has ceroc dance classes, which I LOVE. My gym also has several classes everyday. I'm thinking about doing yoga/pilates and zumba.

The tv idea was because I love watching movies, but who really has time? If you combine it with exercise, then its not as much of an inconveniance.

Okay it's great that you are moving! For me, yes my workouts did not decrease. But it sounds like you already have a plan to start some new activities you love once you reach your goal. So you are all set.

xstephnz

MissJay75 wrote: »

And by the way, congrats on making it this far.

Thank you :-)

arditarose

I hate cardio. When I got into maintenance I stopped lol. I upped my calories by 100 per week and just experimented with how much food I could get away with, with little to zero cardio. I found it was almost never worth it to up the cardio

annette_15

I probably do on avg like 90 minutes of cardio a week or so, some HIIT, some steady state. Some weeks I dont do any cause I dont want to, other weeks I just wanna go on the elliptical and watch a show for an hour. Depends. I do way less now than I was when I was losing tho. I probably did 4 hours a week or so then

Unknown

This content has been removed.

CarlydogsMom

I've ended up doing more cardio now (after losing the weight I wanted) than I did while I was losing. For the most part, when I was losing weight, I mostly walked (3-5 miles per day). Then, as the weight dropped, I started doing a bit more--short jogs, the occasional elliptical at a hotel. Once I lost my weight, I picked up mountain biking.

Then I started weight lifting about a year ago, which rocked my world. I am no longer obsessed with a single number on the scale, I just DON'T CARE. I know that weight fluctuates while lifting, and I watch more for trends than anything else. I continue to mountain bike, and now play pickleball, and walk as per usual.

Maybe take a look at weight lifting--alot of bang for your buck, and a great companion to some form of cardio. You can reduce your cardio somewhat (concentrate on what you enjoy), but I guess the most important things are to find a lifestyle that allows you to not really "think" about counting minutes on a treadmill (or whatever you consider drudgery), and do what you enjoy.

Mrbadbern

To Cardio, or Not to Cardio? The benefits of cardio are not limited to just maintaining weight. For example lower cholesterol , low resting heart rate, lower stress level, and one of my personal favorites is besting the "gym fit" 20-30 year olds on a strenuous hike!

blankiefinder

oyChihuahua wrote: »

Always seemed to me that the people who had the best luck with cardio are the folks who found an activity they just fell in love with. They keep running, or kayaking, or boot camping or whatever. So my best advice is to try to find something you love doing, then pursue that!

Best of luck with your fitness goals!

I agree, the best long term plan is to find something you love, so when you move to your new city, try lots! And it might take a few times at something before you love it; it might seem hard starting out, after all.

Truly, it is going to be up to you if you need to work out while in maintenance, after all, it's all about finding that CICO balance. But it was eating what we wanted and not working out, that got us on MFP in the first place

jennifer_417

I don't mind cardio, but yeah, it's boring sometimes. But Netflix+phone/tablet, usually solves the problem pretty readily. If you can set up a telly, then you should be just fine. I've also been know to read/study while I work outl

yogicarl

My cardio is sea swimming so there's too much cold induced adrenaline coursing through my body to get bored!

LivingtheLeanDream

I ended up doing even more cardio since I've been at goal (been maintaining for 2 years), its only lately I've realised less is more!! (was feeling burned out) I now concentrate on strength training and yoga and aim for 10-12k steps a day rather than 20k. I can see my body shape changing for the better already and its only been a few weeks.
I didn't have to cut my maintenance calories too much either, instead of eating 2200, I now average 2000 and all is well.
(I'm 5ft 2"/133lbs)

pinkteapot3

If you do cardio, you can eat more. It's exactly the same as when losing.

When losing, I ate 1,240 cals a day plus any exercise burns, so 1,240 to 2,000 cals per day depending on how much cardio I did.

Now I'm on maintenance, my basic cals are 1,710 a day, plus any exercise burns. No exercise day = 1,710 cals. With cardio - anything up to 2,500 cals depending on what I've done.

So, your choice entirely. More exercise and more food, or less exercise and less food.

Of course, earning more food isn't the only reason to exercise. Cardio is good for your long-term health, particularly reducing your risk of heart disease. It doesn't have to be really hardcore running/biking. I hate indoor exercise but I run and cycle outdoors which is much nicer. Even a brisk walk is really good for you. Anywhere nice to walk near you? Walking will burn fewer calories (in the same amount of time) but still some and still beneficial to your health.

ExRelaySprinter

xstephnz wrote: »

I definately work-out. I walk my dog for about two hours every day

That's good enough tbh!
I actually like Cardio, so normally Run 3 or 4 times a week. Plus i do weight lifting 3 times a week.
Exercise makes your maintenance calories higher, so that's fine by me!

dopeysmelly

I've found myself doing much more. I didn't do anything other than shovel snow while I was losing, then added in a bit of walking to ease back pain. Now I just enjoy the feeling of moving without the weight, so I do walking, working up to running slowly after knee surgery last year, cycling and will probably add in swimming. I do cardio at the gym as well, particularly the rowing machine. I've found that I have to go faster and longer to get the same benefit as I used to get from just walking.

I do find it gives me a small amount of reassurance if I overeat a bit that it wouldn't have as big an impact on the scale as if I did no cardio at all.

By comparison I find weights quite boring, and find excuses not to do it far too frequently.

ald783

I don't particularly like cardio, or any exercise, but I like how it makes me feel. I do it very little for weight loss since it doesn't have a huge impact, but I don't feel as fit or healthy if I'm not doing regular cardio.

amgreenwell

I still do plenty of cardio; running, elliptical, walking, golfing, riding, anything to get the heart rate up. I don't stress a lot over my calories b/c of that, but I do pay attention and try to log. I wouldn't stop cardio, but that's only b/c i enjoy it so much!

SuggaD

I'm a triathlete and I train. Each week is full of running, cycling, swimming, and weights. And I walk the dog. And other than training, I kayak, scuba dive, and play tennis when I can. That's how I stay fit and eat a ridiculous amount of food. And its fun! That's the key to long-term success. Find an activity you love so that you can stay active, stick with it, and stay on your maintenance plan.

rainbow198

Everyday. I am full of energy! It feels great and my heart is very happy.

spzjlb

pinkteapot3 wrote: »

If you do cardio, you can eat more. It's exactly the same as when losing.

When losing, I ate 1,240 cals a day plus any exercise burns, so 1,240 to 2,000 cals per day depending on how much cardio I did.

Now I'm on maintenance, my basic cals are 1,710 a day, plus any exercise burns. No exercise day = 1,710 cals. With cardio - anything up to 2,500 cals depending on what I've done.

So, your choice entirely. More exercise and more food, or less exercise and less food.

I agree with Pinkteapot - I am much more relaxed about my calorie intake when I burn calories with exercise. My strategy might be helpful (or not) to you. I workout every single day for at least 30 min. My workouts are intense enough to break a disgusting sweat. But 30 min is easier to fit into my schedule than finding time for a 90 min gym session 3X per week. Good luck!

lemurcat12

oyChihuahua wrote: »

Always seemed to me that the people who had the best luck with cardio are the folks who found an activity they just fell in love with. They keep running, or kayaking, or boot camping or whatever. So my best advice is to try to find something you love doing, then pursue that!

This is how I think of it, and it's also easier if it's part of my life in a significant way -- a hobby, part of my social life, how I de-stress--beyond just the calorie-burning aspect.

Francl27

I do more now (one hour a day in average , but more intense). I have a big appetite. You could always eat less and do less cardio though! My stationary bike was only $100 and I use it a lot in front of Netflix.

vball1121

When I'm trying to lose weight I'll run/jog/walk for 60 minutes a day. When I reached my goal weight I started switching to tredmill intervals, or work out videos to keep things as a change up. I've LOVED the videos especially, makes time go by quickly.

LivingtheLeanDream

dopeysmelly wrote: »

I've found myself doing much more. I didn't do anything other than shovel snow while I was losing, then added in a bit of walking to ease back pain. Now I just enjoy the feeling of moving without the weight, so I do walking, working up to running slowly after knee surgery last year, cycling and will probably add in swimming. I do cardio at the gym as well, particularly the rowing machine. I've found that I have to go faster and longer to get the same benefit as I used to get from just walking.

I do find it gives me a small amount of reassurance if I overeat a bit that it wouldn't have as big an impact on the scale as if I did no cardio at all.

By comparison I find weights quite boring, and find excuses not to do it far too frequently.

@dopeysmelly that was me too ref the weights being boring but I needed a change as I was getting fed up running ALL the time plus I've read so much about the benefits of strength as we age that I decided it was time to hone this body ...I intend to be a fabulously fit grandma lol (and by my son and DILs chat I could be a granny long before I'm 50!)

In just under two weeks of lifting my body has already changing shape and I'm thrilled...

So don't give up on it, it takes only 30 mins 3 or 4 times a week

20yearsyounger

I do less now but I was doing a lot before. Trying to keep it between 6-8 hours per week.

Navybelle

Just try to find ways to be creative about doing cardio When its time for me to mop/polish the floors in my house, i kick my socks and shoes off, grab some terry cloths, and skate around my house, doing some occasional squats and lunges. For me, its not how, or what you look like doing it, its about getting that heart rate up and breaking a sweat each day. Hahaha hope that helps.

eveunderground

I try to do cardio regularly because I love the way it makes me feel. It's necessary for cardiovascular health and it's probably the best anti-aging trick there is...but it's not necessary for maintaining your weight. You can do that by eating your maintenance calories. However, if you can get into a routine of doing cardio a few times a week (as someone else said 30mins per session is fine), you'll be set for life.

If you hate doing machines like treadmill then it's prob not a good idea to buy one! Walking is good or hiking or biking or dancing. I personally love taking classes like body combat.

And you didn't ask but I'll throw it in anyway, strength training is equally important (as someone else said, it's great for shaping your body). I try to do a bit of both every week.