What exercise should I do?

pussingtonp

Hi all!

I'm trying to find a new way to burn some calories, as I tend to get bored of what I am doing due to very stupid reasons.

I am looking to loose some weight, given my height and weight my BMR is very low, something like 1450, so I am currently on 1200/day. Currently I walk to and from work which round trip, is around 5kms. I walk this in about 40 minutes(20 mins each way), 5 days a week. I feel like I am physically fairly fit, and my main goal is just to lose weight.

I am looking for something I can do after work for about 30 or 60 minutes, max, to give myself a bit more of a deficit, preferably something I can do without a Gym membership.

So what is your favorite method or working out? What would you recommend?

cwolfman13

I cycle...

You should do whatever you enjoy doing.

nordlead2005

If your BMR is 1450 and you are (actually) eating 1200 calories you should be losing at least 1lb/week (and is probably closer to 1.5lb/week) regardless of if you exercise or not.

My recommendation is that (assuming you really are small, that 1.5lb/week is your upper healthy limit) whatever you do for exercise you eat back those calories, therefore the exercise won't be for weight loss, but instead for fitness.

Nuke_64

I moutain bike and I find road biking to be boring, but I used to commute by bike and loved the fact that I was exercising without taking any extra time out of my day--except that I had to take two showers. So what I'd do is bike to work at a slow pace so you don't break a sweat. Take the scenic route home and get in a 30-60 minute work out. That may take no extra time out of your day.

pussingtonp

nordlead2005 - I'm small in terms of height, not in terms of weight lol. I am just about 5ft 2 and weigh about 183lbs - putting me quite firmly into the obese BMI category.

My struggle is keeping to the 1200 calorie limit, that's why I wanted a little more breathing room to help me get through those hungry days.

pussingtonp

Thanks Nuke_64 and cwolfman13! I really love cycling and was actually thinking about maybe starting to Cycle part of my commute, my commute is currently car -> train -> walk, so I was thinking I could try replacing the car part with biking. My only fear is I live on a very busy street with no bikelanes, it's like a 4 lane highway, and I would need to turn through traffic coming home - so I'm really scared I get run over.

AllanMisner

My advice (and you’re probably not going to like it), you lose fat based on what and how much you eat. If you’re not satiated by the foods you’re eating, consider switching your macros around some. Whether you go low carb/high fat or low fat/slow carb, find something that works better for you.

Any cardio you do is likely just going to make you hungrier. My advice is to keep up the slow cardio/walking to work and consider taking up some resistance exercise. Since you don’t want to invest in a gym membership, consider buying some free weights or doing some body weight exercises (air squats, push ups, pull ups, lunges, etc.). Building a little muscle will, over time, slightly increase your metabolism and will give you a better body composition after you’ve lost the fat.

Allan Misner
NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)
Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast

_benjammin

The biggest key to your success will be finding something you enjoy, at least til you get bored, then finding something else, just keep at it.

Here's an easy at home routine:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

nordlead2005

scottyxxx wrote: »

nordlead2005 - I'm small in terms of height, not in terms of weight lol. I am just about 5ft 2 and weigh about 183lbs - putting me quite firmly into the obese BMI category.

My struggle is keeping to the 1200 calorie limit, that's why I wanted a little more breathing room to help me get through those hungry days.

So, your upper limit is 1.8lb/week (1% body weight per week), and even that shouldn't be sustained for more than a few weeks as you lose weight. you originally asked about increasing your deficit, and the answer is you don't need to. Exercising more generally makes you more hungry. So, if you can't stick to 1200 now, exercising more may mean you just eat all those exercise calories anyways.

Find a deficit you can stick to (or adjust your food choices to help you stick to your current deficit) and just do that.

As for exercise, do whatever. There is no proper answer for someone who doesn't enjoy activities for more than a few weeks. I don't bike, but I do walk, play Ultimate, Ski, Lift, and enjoy other outdoor activities. You got two cyclists coming in here suggesting cycling. Maybe next we'll get a crossfit person suggesting crossfit, or a climber suggesting rock climbing. All of them are valid answers for burning calories. Just try stuff until you find an activity you enjoy. Geocaching would be a valid suggestion, as you have to walk around and find stuff. I mean, if you were serious about winning the $1000 winterfest medalion hunt you'd probably walk 10 miles/day

pussingtonp

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Thanks AllanMisner - I appreciate your advice, I think weights might be a good thing as I have such little upper body strength - since all I do is walk, it might be a nice change. I have plenty of body weight to abuse for weights !!

Benjammin - checking out that website!! thanks

Nordlead2005 - I think I am a bit uninspired, and can't really think of anything new or good, so I'm going to take everything said and hopefully find something. I think sticking to the 1200 is the best bet. I was doing really well for a few months - then I blacked out, and my Dr advised me I eat a Protein shake every morning. I find it doesn't really make me feel full or stop me from being any less hungry by the time I get to work, so I just feel like it's 200 calories wasted. I think this is my main mental stumbling block and need to change my attitude on this or justify this, to feel like I can do this!!

nordlead2005

Swap out the protein shake for something equivalent. If the doctor wants you to have something more like ensure, then combine it with a multivitamin. Chicken, shrimp, and lean beef are all good choices for lots of protein. If the doctor isn't so much concerned about the protein, then maybe even eat whatever with a multivitamin. Maybe go back and talk to the doctor so you can get your breakfast sorted out.

KatelynnFluffToFit

Vimeo has some pretty great workout videos (like kick boxing and zumba) that I think are pretty fun, but if cardio isn't really your thing I would check out Blogilates on youtube
the videos are pretty short but your muscles get a great workout

_benjammin

Took a quick peek at your diary, just curious, why are you tracking sat fat and not total fat? Also, if you care to share, how tall are you and how much do you weigh (or how much do you want to lose)?