What would be some workout routines I could follow?

evpampoukidou
evpampoukidou Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Im 18, satnd at 5'1 and weigh about 130 pounds (though I do have a good amount of muscle mass in my legs and arms) and I have been eating about 1280 calories for the past week. Im new to weight loss and due to studies I don't have time to go back to the gym, though I do exercise a bit at home. My goal is to get a bit more toned and lose fat

Best Answer

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,204 Member
    Answer ✓
    The "lose fat" part is about eating the right amount in calorie terms. We burn more calories if we exercise than if we don't, sure. But exercise is optional for weight loss, and a person can do quite a lot of exercise and lose nothing - I did that for a dozen years myself - because it's very easy to eat the surprisingly modest number of calories that even regular fairly intense exercise burns.

    The term "toned" is a tough one. It doesn't have a strict definition. Most women who use the term mean getting to a certain desirable-to-them level of muscularity, but still having enough of a subcutaneous body fat layer to smooth out the appearance of the muscles. Exactly what that ideal point is will differ from one woman's opinion to the next.

    At your size/age, we'd expect you to burn around 1600-1700 calories daily if mostly sedentary, and at BMI 24.6 (technically not even overweight, but close) relatively slow loss would be a sensible idea, so 1280 may be fine. A week isn't long enough to know, though: Stick around there for a whole menstrual cycle at least, to compare body weight at the same relative point in at least 2 different cycles. The average weekly results over the whole time period will tell you if that's the right calorie goal for you, or if you'll need to adjust a little.

    As far as what exercise to do to be "toned", some form of strength exercise is the most direct way. There are various videos on YouTube (but avoid ones that promise big things in short timespans or other silly things), and others might have suggestions in that realm. More generically, there's a thread here about strength training programs other MFP-ers have found helpful:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Despite the title, it does include some bodyweight programs that can be done at home with minimal or no equipment. You might find some of those suitable. If you're worried about becoming bulky, as some women are who'd prefer to be toned, please don't worry. That isn't something that happens fast, or without quite a bit of patient hard work.

    Best wishes!

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