I want to burn more at rest

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fastfoodietofitcutie
fastfoodietofitcutie Posts: 523 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a lot of weight to lose and am pretty sedentary. I work from home and don't exercise. I had my RMR tested about a year and a half ago and it was pretty low for someone my size so I know I'm not burning what I should be. I have the food part down pretty good, staying within my goals, but I need to start exercising. In order to get my RMR up and burn more at rest I need more muscle, right? Am I better off with just walking or weight lifting? Probably a combination of both but I need baby steps here. Any suggestions?

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  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    It is very difficult to raise your rmr. You do want to increase how much you burn throughout the day. In reality, the amount of extra calories burned after building muscle is going to be fairly negligible compared to adding in exercise.

    Any exercise will burn calories, but I would recommend some form of progressive resistance training, eating adequate protein, and eating at a moderate deficit to maintain the muscle mass you already have.

    Also, if you are out of shape, if recommend a physical before starting new exercise programs.
  • braff13077
    braff13077 Posts: 116 Member
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    I'm no expert. But, I think you have it right. Combination of both is best. That's how I started my weight loss journey. As far as baby steps, walk(Cardio) one day and strength train next.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    You are correct that both would be ideal. I am a big fan of baby steps. When I first started, I was completely and totally out of shape/sedentary. I started by walking 3 days a week. Each week I added a few minutes to my walk. After a month I added in bodyweight training, using the Nerd Fitness Beginner's Bodyweight program. It was a good beginner strength program for a super new beginner. I actually had to tone it down at first (only two circuits instead of three and fewer reps of each exercise) but then I eventually worked my way up to completing it. After that I moved on to another bodyweight program and, eventually, weightlifting and running. My suggestion is to start small and keep in mind that every little bit helps. You can do this. Best of luck to you.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    I agree about following a proper strength program. A good program for a sedentary person of your age is New Rules of Lifting for Life.
    Add some HIIT cardio on your non-lifting days, not just to raise metabolism but for its health benefits. :+1:

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