New to MFP and need Help.

xxkmanxx

For the new year I decided I need to start being more healthier. I need to eat better and exercise a lot more. I'm been trying to run on the treadmill more. I haven't changed my diet too much, maybe just eating a little less. I need to add more exercise to my life. I never really exercised before. I know it sounds bad. I used to work in warehouses. The work was really hard, and labor intensive. So I got a lot of exercise at work. I recently got a job testing computer software. I'm sitting at a computer all day and I gained weight from this. So I need to start exercising. I go to the gym and I use the treadmill a lot. I should start lifting weights, but I don't know where to start. Could someone recommend a beginner workout routine? I don't really know what I'm doing.

ccsernica

I have to tell you, 90% of weight loss is diet. You went from a highly active, hard-working lifestyle where you required lots and lots of calories just to maintain, to a sedentary one that required a whole lot less. You are simply not going to replace all that physical work with the gym unless you literally spend as much time there every day as you spent working in the warehouse.

Cardio is what burns calories. Weight training is what builds and maintains muscle. Your best bet is to use MFP's tool to set yourself a reasonable weight loss calorie limit based on your height, weight, age, and normal activity level, and then begin a moderate lifting regimen which will tend to force your body to burn more fat than muscle to make up the calorie deficit. If you want to accelerate your weight loss you can add some cardio, which you're already doing by making use of the treadmill.

I have yet to start lifting myself due to a shoulder needing some therapy, but lots of folks here will recommend the Stronglifts 5x5 program for beginner weight lifting.

callsitlikeiseeit

weight loss happens in the kitchen, fitness happens at the gym.

in your situation you would lift weights (the strong lifts program is a good place to start) to maintain muscle (you would have to eat MORE calories to BUILD muscles), and cardio for cardiovascular health - and it also burns calories.

tinkerbellang83

@xxkmanxx I was relatively new to strength training and whilst I am not losing weight from it alone, I am feeling a lot more energetic and toned since I started. HASFIT.com has some great beginners workouts and programs that are available through their site or their Youtube channel.

trigden1991

Weight loss is 100% calorie deficit. You need to eat less than you burn.

crzycatlady1

ccsernica wrote: »

I have to tell you, 90% of weight loss is diet. You went from a highly active, hard-working lifestyle where you required lots and lots of calories just to maintain, to a sedentary one that required a whole lot less. You are simply not going to replace all that physical work with the gym unless you literally spend as much time there every day as you spent working in the warehouse.

Cardio is what burns calories. Weight training is what builds and maintains muscle. Your best bet is to use MFP's tool to set yourself a reasonable weight loss calorie limit based on your height, weight, age, and normal activity level, and then begin a moderate lifting regimen which will tend to force your body to burn more fat than muscle to make up the calorie deficit. If you want to accelerate your weight loss you can add some cardio, which you're already doing by making use of the treadmill.

I have yet to start lifting myself due to a shoulder needing some therapy, but lots of folks here will recommend the Stronglifts 5x5 program for beginner weight lifting.

In my case it was 100% diet since I didn't exercise at all during my 50lb loss. But I don't know that OP actually wants to lose weight? OP could you clarify what your goals are? Are you trying to lose weight or become more fit, more active etc?

xxkmanxx

I want to be more healthy and also lose some weight. I've been eating less. I need to start counting calories tho, but I don't know where to start. If I buy food from store I know exactly how many calories that I'm eating from the label. If I cook myself or go out to eat. How do I know that. I guess when cooking I can weigh everything. Is that what you have to do? I'm sorry, this sounds like a stupid question lol. I'm just starting out and trying to be more healthy.

Also what about vitamins or supplements. I started taking multi vitamins and calcium, is there anything else I should be taking. I know this is very vague question, just trying to figure out if I should be taking anything else.

Thanks for all the help guys.

ashliedelgado

Yes, you have to weigh and measure everything when you cook. It takes some getting used to, but eventually it becomes second nature.

Vitamins, unless your doctor recommends more, there is no need for more than a multivitamin. If you have no nutrient deficit, there is no reason to dump money into expensive supplements.

ccsernica

crzycatlady1 wrote: »

ccsernica wrote: »

I have to tell you, 90% of weight loss is diet. You went from a highly active, hard-working lifestyle where you required lots and lots of calories just to maintain, to a sedentary one that required a whole lot less. You are simply not going to replace all that physical work with the gym unless you literally spend as much time there every day as you spent working in the warehouse.

Cardio is what burns calories. Weight training is what builds and maintains muscle. Your best bet is to use MFP's tool to set yourself a reasonable weight loss calorie limit based on your height, weight, age, and normal activity level, and then begin a moderate lifting regimen which will tend to force your body to burn more fat than muscle to make up the calorie deficit. If you want to accelerate your weight loss you can add some cardio, which you're already doing by making use of the treadmill.

I have yet to start lifting myself due to a shoulder needing some therapy, but lots of folks here will recommend the Stronglifts 5x5 program for beginner weight lifting.

In my case it was 100% diet since I didn't exercise at all during my 50lb loss. But I don't know that OP actually wants to lose weight? OP could you clarify what your goals are? Are you trying to lose weight or become more fit, more active etc?

Of course it can be done 100% by diet. I replied assuming that OP would be exercising as he said he was, and assuming his diet hadn't essentially changed since he was doing physical labor all day. (So for him, maintenance was all about the NEAT back in those days.) He'll get some weight loss from the calorie deficit he creates with his exercise, just not as much as he might think if he's not being careful about his diet.

@xxkmanxx -- Yes, you weigh your ingredients. You might be able to get away with not doing that depending on how much weight you're losing how quickly, but sooner or later that will come to an end and you won't be able to avoid it. When folks post a question about why their weight loss has "stalled", it almost always comes down to them eating more calories than they think they are because they're not weighing their food.

It's not that hard. In fact, European recipes typically specify amounts of things we usually measure by volume in the US, like flour, by weight. So for a European this would be perfectly routine.

If you're eating out, you just have to make your best guesstimate.