Help picking a routine / burn MAX calories boost metabolism?

ttiffanytxx

I'm making this post because I'm still new to figuring out my workout routine.
I have been working out 6 days a week for at least 30 minutes a day.
On days I have more time my workouts usually last about 60, but I always make sure I get 30 minutes in every day.

I have been kind of bouncing around.
One day cardio, one day legs, one day arms, then cardio again.
Pretty much in that pattern, but I haven't lost too much weight.
I have been watching my calories and drinking a ton of water but still feel like it's not enough.

Yesterday's work out I did lots of squats, jump squats, lunges, reverse lunges, sumo squats, kick Squats and a few other leg exercises. My work out lasted about 45 minutes but when it was over I still felt like...it wasn't enough? I sweated pleanty and definitely felt the burn but I felt like I should have done even more?

I have been starting to workout twice a day now. Once in the day and once closer to the evening time.
Is this pointless??

What's the best way to burn a lot of calories so I can actually lose some weight?

Should I just trust that working out for an hour is enough?
Some days I will do a DVD for 30-40minutes, some days weights, other days high cardio workouts or running.
But no matter what I do at the end of my workout even when I'm sweaty and tired I feel like I could be doing more?

Is all the mixing of different types or work outs helping or hurting my progress?

Does anyone have any tips for boosting my metabolism?
I have been working hard for a while and just don't feel like it's enough?

cwolfman13

Your weight loss is going to largely be attributable to your diet and your calorie intake, not a bunch of random and incessant exercise.

The only time I've ever spent more than an hour working out is when I was actually training for something that required it.

More isn't always better...fitness is gained with rest and recovery...all you're doing is stressing your body out and raising your cortisol levels with incessant exercise. What your doing lacks any direction other than calorie burn which is probably why you don't feel like it's enough.

stanmann571

1. How long is "a while"
2. diet is priority #1 if weightloss is your goal- so that's the best way to burn a lot of calories
3. exercise/training/workout sessions should be goal and program based- You most likely feel like it's not enough, because you're "bouncing around"


SO!!

Take a breath, evaluate how you're eating and how you're tracking your calories being eaten. THEN!! set some goals based on where your fitness is and where you want it to be. A goal could be as simple as doing a barbell squat with your Bodyweight on the bar or even simpler of doing a single correct planked pushup.

FINALLY!! check the programming thread or ask here for suggestions on how to progress towards and program for your specific goal.

quiksylver296

Two of the best MFPers just gave you awesome answers. Good luck!

ttiffanytxx

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Your weight loss is going to largely be attributable to your diet and your calorie intake, not a bunch of random and incessant exercise.

The only time I've ever spent more than an hour working out is when I was actually training for something that required it.

More isn't always better...fitness is gained with rest and recovery...all you're doing is stressing your body out and raising your cortisol levels with incessant exercise. What your doing lacks any direction other than calorie burn which is probably why you don't feel like it's enough.

Thank You for your answer. I can definitely agree that my work outs have no direction but I'm not sure what direction to head to, or what would be best. Honestly confused about my process and I agree I feel like I'm burning my wheels for nothing.

ritzvin

My advice→ For cardio: finding an active hobby that you actually enjoy doing (and there are lots of choices out there). (hours of cycling/hiking/dancing/skating/walking/etc that fly by are going to burn more than those 30 neverending minutes of whatever you are forcing yourself to do for the sole purpose of burning calories).

ttiffanytxx

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Your weight loss is going to largely be attributable to your diet and your calorie intake, not a bunch of random and incessant exercise.

The only time I've ever spent more than an hour working out is when I was actually training for something that required it.

More isn't always better...fitness is gained with rest and recovery...all you're doing is stressing your body out and raising your cortisol levels with incessant exercise. What your doing lacks any direction other than calorie burn which is probably why you don't feel like it's enough.

Also I hope you don't mind I added you!

janejellyroll

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Your weight loss is going to largely be attributable to your diet and your calorie intake, not a bunch of random and incessant exercise.

The only time I've ever spent more than an hour working out is when I was actually training for something that required it.

More isn't always better...fitness is gained with rest and recovery...all you're doing is stressing your body out and raising your cortisol levels with incessant exercise. What your doing lacks any direction other than calorie burn which is probably why you don't feel like it's enough.

Thank You for your answer. I can definitely agree that my work outs have no direction but I'm not sure what direction to head to, or what would be best. Honestly confused about my process and I agree I feel like I'm burning my wheels for nothing.

It might help to spend some time figuring out what your specific fitness goals are. If your goal is just weight loss, then you can choose activities you enjoy that help supplement the calorie deficit you're creating through your diet. Or you may have specific things you want to be able to do or even certain features you might want to develop physically.

ttiffanytxx

stanmann571 wrote: »

1. How long is "a while"
2. diet is priority #1 if weightloss is your goal- so that's the best way to burn a lot of calories
3. exercise/training/workout sessions should be goal and program based- You most likely feel like it's not enough, because you're "bouncing around"


SO!!

Take a breath, evaluate how you're eating and how you're tracking your calories being eaten. THEN!! set some goals based on where your fitness is and where you want it to be. A goal could be as simple as doing a barbell squat with your Bodyweight on the bar or even simpler of doing a single correct planked pushup.

FINALLY!! check the programming thread or ask here for suggestions on how to progress towards and program for your specific goal.

1. My diet changes have been about 2.5 months
I have changed all sugary drinks for water (I will have an occasional wine or Gatorade)
Been eating more balanced, less carbs and sugar and more vegtables and healthy nuts.
My working out has been about 3 months but only about 3 weeks of trying to do more.

Thank You for all that information. I am thinking a big issue is I have no idea what my true goals are, other than losing weight. I am definitely going to put more time into figuring out what exactly it is I want and how to get there.

Plus I am hoping to pin point what in my diet isn't working. Clearly I'm not doing as well as I think or must be cheating my diet someway?
I mean if I was eating great and working out as much as I am I would have some program so maybe I need to take a better look at things!

ttiffanytxx

ritzvin wrote: »

My advice→ For cardio: finding an active hobby that you actually enjoy doing (and there are lots of choices out there). (hours of cycling/hiking/dancing/skating/walking/etc that fly by are going to burn more than those 30 neverending minutes of whatever you are forcing yourself to do for the sole purpose of burning calories).

Thank You for this Idea!

ttiffanytxx

janejellyroll wrote: »

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Your weight loss is going to largely be attributable to your diet and your calorie intake, not a bunch of random and incessant exercise.

The only time I've ever spent more than an hour working out is when I was actually training for something that required it.

More isn't always better...fitness is gained with rest and recovery...all you're doing is stressing your body out and raising your cortisol levels with incessant exercise. What your doing lacks any direction other than calorie burn which is probably why you don't feel like it's enough.

Thank You for your answer. I can definitely agree that my work outs have no direction but I'm not sure what direction to head to, or what would be best. Honestly confused about my process and I agree I feel like I'm burning my wheels for nothing.

It might help to spend some time figuring out what your specific fitness goals are. If your goal is just weight loss, then you can choose activities you enjoy that help supplement the calorie deficit you're creating through your diet. Or you may have specific things you want to be able to do or even certain features you might want to develop physically.

Thank You. I definitely am going to spend part of today figuring out what it is I am trying to attain.
I definitely want to lose weight but I also want to have my lower body 🍑 looking better and more flexibility!

steveko89

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

Thank You for your answer. I can definitely agree that my work outs have no direction but I'm not sure what direction to head to, or what would be best. Honestly confused about my process and I agree I feel like I'm burning my wheels for nothing.

You're confused and lacking direction because it sounds like you're just chasing exercise calories and not any other purpose. Think about exercise less in terms about "what's best" and how many calories you get from it and more about what you gain separate from trying to lose weight (assumption of your overall goal). Do you want to get stronger, be better at something you like to do, gain a skill, improve endurance, or flexibility?

Some of the best advice I've received is to use diet/nutrition/calorie deficit exclusively for weight management and exercise for health, enjoyment, and aesthetics.

ttiffanytxx

steveko89 wrote: »

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

Thank You for your answer. I can definitely agree that my work outs have no direction but I'm not sure what direction to head to, or what would be best. Honestly confused about my process and I agree I feel like I'm burning my wheels for nothing.

You're confused and lacking direction because it sounds like you're just chasing exercise calories and not any other purpose. Think about exercise less in terms about "what's best" and how many calories you get from it and more about what you gain separate from trying to lose weight (assumption of your overall goal). Do you want to get stronger, be better at something you like to do, gain a skill, improve endurance, or flexibility?

Some of the best advice I've received is to use diet/nutrition/calorie deficit exclusively for weight management and exercise for health, enjoyment, and aesthetics.

Thank You for your response!
I will be thinking about all of this information over the course of the day-
And I hope you don't mind the friend request!

AnnPT77

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

1. How long is "a while"
2. diet is priority #1 if weightloss is your goal- so that's the best way to burn a lot of calories
3. exercise/training/workout sessions should be goal and program based- You most likely feel like it's not enough, because you're "bouncing around"


SO!!

Take a breath, evaluate how you're eating and how you're tracking your calories being eaten. THEN!! set some goals based on where your fitness is and where you want it to be. A goal could be as simple as doing a barbell squat with your Bodyweight on the bar or even simpler of doing a single correct planked pushup.

FINALLY!! check the programming thread or ask here for suggestions on how to progress towards and program for your specific goal.

1. My diet changes have been about 2.5 months
I have changed all sugary drinks for water (I will have an occasional wine or Gatorade)
Been eating more balanced, less carbs and sugar and more vegtables and healthy nuts.
My working out has been about 3 months but only about 3 weeks of trying to do more.

Thank You for all that information. I am thinking a big issue is I have no idea what my true goals are, other than losing weight. I am definitely going to put more time into figuring out what exactly it is I want and how to get there.

Plus I am hoping to pin point what in my diet isn't working. Clearly I'm not doing as well as I think or must be cheating my diet someway?
I mean if I was eating great and working out as much as I am I would have some program so maybe I need to take a better look at things!

Eating sugary drinks doesn't cause weight gain; eating more carbs/sugar doesn't cause weight gain; eating fewer veggies and (especially!) fewer nuts doesn't cause weight gain . . . at least not inherently or necessarily.

Eating more calories than you burn causes weight gain. For weight loss, it doesn't matter whether those are calories of so-called "healthy" foods, or so-called "bad" foods. Weight management is all about calories (though what you eat can affect how full you feel, making weight loss more or less sustainable).

Are you logging everything you eat in your food diary? Using a food scale to be precise about the amounts (when at home and it's do-able, at least)? (It's not essential to weigh food in order to lose weight, but if you feel like you should be losing, but aren't, it's a good way to identify where the real problem lies.)

Good balanced overall nutrition is desirable for best health, but there are no magic foods to eat or avoid. Nutrition-dense foods are likely to be more filling, too, which helps keep appetite in line. A few treat, for joy, won't hurt if you have the calories to spend on them.

Seconding this advice from above: Find an active pursuit you enjoy as "cardio", don't just do things you find boring or stressful at the gym. Follow an actual program for strength training; find one here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

Bottom line: Reasonable calories for weight management, well-rounded eating for solid nutrition, exercise for fitness = best possible odds of ongoing good health and attractive appearance.

nutmegoreo

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

1. How long is "a while"
2. diet is priority #1 if weightloss is your goal- so that's the best way to burn a lot of calories
3. exercise/training/workout sessions should be goal and program based- You most likely feel like it's not enough, because you're "bouncing around"


SO!!

Take a breath, evaluate how you're eating and how you're tracking your calories being eaten. THEN!! set some goals based on where your fitness is and where you want it to be. A goal could be as simple as doing a barbell squat with your Bodyweight on the bar or even simpler of doing a single correct planked pushup.

FINALLY!! check the programming thread or ask here for suggestions on how to progress towards and program for your specific goal.

1. My diet changes have been about 2.5 months
I have changed all sugary drinks for water (I will have an occasional wine or Gatorade)
Been eating more balanced, less carbs and sugar and more vegtables and healthy nuts.
My working out has been about 3 months but only about 3 weeks of trying to do more.

Thank You for all that information. I am thinking a big issue is I have no idea what my true goals are, other than losing weight. I am definitely going to put more time into figuring out what exactly it is I want and how to get there.

Plus I am hoping to pin point what in my diet isn't working. Clearly I'm not doing as well as I think or must be cheating my diet someway?
I mean if I was eating great and working out as much as I am I would have some program so maybe I need to take a better look at things!

Most of this is irrelevant. How many calories are you consuming, and how are you measuring them (eyeball, going by package, measuring cups and spoons, food scale)?

ttiffanytxx

AnnPT77 wrote: »

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

1. How long is "a while"
2. diet is priority #1 if weightloss is your goal- so that's the best way to burn a lot of calories
3. exercise/training/workout sessions should be goal and program based- You most likely feel like it's not enough, because you're "bouncing around"


SO!!

Take a breath, evaluate how you're eating and how you're tracking your calories being eaten. THEN!! set some goals based on where your fitness is and where you want it to be. A goal could be as simple as doing a barbell squat with your Bodyweight on the bar or even simpler of doing a single correct planked pushup.

FINALLY!! check the programming thread or ask here for suggestions on how to progress towards and program for your specific goal.

1. My diet changes have been about 2.5 months
I have changed all sugary drinks for water (I will have an occasional wine or Gatorade)
Been eating more balanced, less carbs and sugar and more vegtables and healthy nuts.
My working out has been about 3 months but only about 3 weeks of trying to do more.

Thank You for all that information. I am thinking a big issue is I have no idea what my true goals are, other than losing weight. I am definitely going to put more time into figuring out what exactly it is I want and how to get there.

Plus I am hoping to pin point what in my diet isn't working. Clearly I'm not doing as well as I think or must be cheating my diet someway?
I mean if I was eating great and working out as much as I am I would have some program so maybe I need to take a better look at things!

Eating sugary drinks doesn't cause weight gain; eating more carbs/sugar doesn't cause weight gain; eating fewer veggies and (especially!) fewer nuts doesn't cause weight gain . . . at least not inherently or necessarily.

Eating more calories than you burn causes weight gain. For weight loss, it doesn't matter whether those are calories of so-called "healthy" foods, or so-called "bad" foods. Weight management is all about calories (though what you eat can affect how full you feel, making weight loss more or less sustainable).

Are you logging everything you eat in your food diary? Using a food scale to be precise about the amounts (when at home and it's do-able, at least)? (It's not essential to weigh food in order to lose weight, but if you feel like you should be losing, but aren't, it's a good way to identify where the real problem lies.)

Good balanced overall nutrition is desirable for best health, but there are no magic foods to eat or avoid. Nutrition-dense foods are likely to be more filling, too, which helps keep appetite in line. A few treat, for joy, won't hurt if you have the calories to spend on them.

Seconding this advice from above: Find an active pursuit you enjoy as "cardio", don't just do things you find boring or stressful at the gym. Follow an actual program for strength training; find one here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

Bottom line: Reasonable calories for weight management, well-rounded eating for solid nutrition, exercise for fitness = best possible odds of ongoing good health and attractive appearance.

Thank You for all the information.
I do have a food scale but haven't been using it, I think maybe it's time to bring it out again.

I usually diary everything I eat but I would be lying if I didn't admit I have had snacks after I have completed my diary that don't get logged and I need to work on that!

Thank you for the link as well, I am looking into more cardio I enjoy.
Although I do enjoy squats lol

nutmegoreo

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

ttiffanytxx wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

1. How long is "a while"
2. diet is priority #1 if weightloss is your goal- so that's the best way to burn a lot of calories
3. exercise/training/workout sessions should be goal and program based- You most likely feel like it's not enough, because you're "bouncing around"


SO!!

Take a breath, evaluate how you're eating and how you're tracking your calories being eaten. THEN!! set some goals based on where your fitness is and where you want it to be. A goal could be as simple as doing a barbell squat with your Bodyweight on the bar or even simpler of doing a single correct planked pushup.

FINALLY!! check the programming thread or ask here for suggestions on how to progress towards and program for your specific goal.

1. My diet changes have been about 2.5 months
I have changed all sugary drinks for water (I will have an occasional wine or Gatorade)
Been eating more balanced, less carbs and sugar and more vegtables and healthy nuts.
My working out has been about 3 months but only about 3 weeks of trying to do more.

Thank You for all that information. I am thinking a big issue is I have no idea what my true goals are, other than losing weight. I am definitely going to put more time into figuring out what exactly it is I want and how to get there.

Plus I am hoping to pin point what in my diet isn't working. Clearly I'm not doing as well as I think or must be cheating my diet someway?
I mean if I was eating great and working out as much as I am I would have some program so maybe I need to take a better look at things!

Eating sugary drinks doesn't cause weight gain; eating more carbs/sugar doesn't cause weight gain; eating fewer veggies and (especially!) fewer nuts doesn't cause weight gain . . . at least not inherently or necessarily.

Eating more calories than you burn causes weight gain. For weight loss, it doesn't matter whether those are calories of so-called "healthy" foods, or so-called "bad" foods. Weight management is all about calories (though what you eat can affect how full you feel, making weight loss more or less sustainable).

Are you logging everything you eat in your food diary? Using a food scale to be precise about the amounts (when at home and it's do-able, at least)? (It's not essential to weigh food in order to lose weight, but if you feel like you should be losing, but aren't, it's a good way to identify where the real problem lies.)

Good balanced overall nutrition is desirable for best health, but there are no magic foods to eat or avoid. Nutrition-dense foods are likely to be more filling, too, which helps keep appetite in line. A few treat, for joy, won't hurt if you have the calories to spend on them.

Seconding this advice from above: Find an active pursuit you enjoy as "cardio", don't just do things you find boring or stressful at the gym. Follow an actual program for strength training; find one here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

Bottom line: Reasonable calories for weight management, well-rounded eating for solid nutrition, exercise for fitness = best possible odds of ongoing good health and attractive appearance.

Thank You for all the information.
I do have a food scale but haven't been using it, I think maybe it's time to bring it out again.

I usually diary everything I eat but I would be lying if I didn't admit I have had snacks after I have completed my diary that don't get logged and I need to work on that!

Thank you for the link as well, I am looking into more cardio I enjoy.
Although I do enjoy squats lol

You can still log it after you close your diary. It's better to have complete data. You can look back on where adjustments might be needed.