Starting out - new to fitness

deniseamerson05

So, I'm not new to eating healthier, but I am very new to exercise and trying to get fit.
Over the last 6 years, I've lost about 75 lbs - just by eating better.

Now, I'd really like to continue to lose AND also focus on toning my body.
For the last 3 or 4 weeks, I've been just moving - I figured anything was better than nothing. Burning about 150-200 calories a day with aerobic exercise with some strength building as well.

But, since I'm clueless in this area, can someone give me basic guidelines?
How often do I need a rest day?
Should I focus on cardio and strength in the same day? Should I work on different areas on different days? And I do eat my exercise calories. My calorie goal is set at 1,200 calories, plus the exercise calories, of course. Does that sound right?

I workout at home - no gym and pretty little equipment. And again, I am looking to lose about 20 lbs, but my primary goal now is to tone my shape.

I really appreciate any input!
Thanks

DebLaBounty

I started with walking 30 minutes a day, and eventually started doing the Couch to 5K running program. It starts off slow, like walking for 5 minutes, then jogging 1 minute, walking 2 minutes, repeat. (You can read about that online). With a running program, you only run every other day, which allows your muscles to repair themselves. You slowly build strength and cardiovascular stamina.

I do eat my exercise calories.

I usually do my cardio and strength training on different days. So one morning I'll jog, the next day I'll take a weightlifting class at my gym. Maybe someone else here on the forums can give you advice about how to work out at home for toning.

maurihart

I do cardio (Zumba class mostly) 3-4x a week because I love it and it's fun and it earns me about 300-400 calories. But I also do weight lifting 2-3x a week. And I have one day of stretching type stuff - core work and that sort of thing. I don't think it matters if you do cardio and strength on the same day or not. Just do what fits your schedule best and if you lift heavy one day you probably need to not lift heavy the next day.

timtam163

Hooray for fitness! Depending on how intense your exercise is, you may need anywhere from 0 days off to 4 a week. HIIT (high intensity interval training) probably requires more frequent breaks because you are building strength; a brisk walk can be done every day (and on rest days) because it builds less strength. The key is to do something you love and stick with it; dance, yoga, aerobics, running, swimming, biking, walking... so many options there's always a way to mix it up!

I eat back my exercise calories but beware, sometimes you aren't burning nearly as much as you think you are. If your weight loss stalls and it's not from building muscle (hard to do on a deficit anyways), reassess your calorie burn from these activities.

Yes you can lift on cardio days but you might not be lifting as vigorously if your energy is depleted. I would do a shorter cardio session on lift days; there's lots of online resources for beginner lifters--check out Nia Shanks and Nerd Fitness. Both have body weight routines that require little to no equipment. There are also tons of YouTube videos that will walk you through strength routines.

Hope this helps!!