Is this enough

MamaJengee
MamaJengee Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I am 31 and currently weigh 365lbs :cry:

I recently purchased a cheap stationary recumbent bike. I am trying to do 5 miles a day. It takes me just under 20 mins, and i try to keep my speed over 17mph and try to speed up for short intervals. Do you guys think this is helping? Is this enough to start? My husband thinks i should try and go slower and do a longer time. Oh and do you think im stupid for waving my arms around while im biking? i dont have any weights yet. Any suggestions welcome and thanks for reading.

Replies

  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    What are your goals, calorie deficit is all that's needed for weight loss, cardio is good for cardio, and it does help create a deficit. Really, you're moving more than you otherwise would, so I don't see how that's a bad thing. Not sure about waving your arms around, what's the purpose of this?

    Rigger
  • daterminedfatburnerX
    daterminedfatburnerX Posts: 346 Member
    I think you should go longer with slower pace. Any type of exercise to start is good and I think your doing a great job. :D
  • MamaJengee
    MamaJengee Posts: 8
    What are your goals, calorie deficit is all that's needed for weight loss, cardio is good for cardio, and it does help create a deficit. Really, you're moving more than you otherwise would, so I don't see how that's a bad thing. Not sure about waving your arms around, what's the purpose of this?

    Rigger

    My only real goal is too lose weight without surgery. My biggest fear with or without surgery is having an extreme amount of excess skin. My arms are particularly flabby, so i figure moving them around is better than just hanging by my sides.
  • devotedhufflepuff
    devotedhufflepuff Posts: 29
    I'm not an expert but I'm a firm believer in the "anything is better than nothing" philosophy. A 10 - 15 minute walk is how I started. I can't do 5 miles of anything! Just the fact that you're off the couch and moving is something to be proud of. Go on with your bad self!
  • MamaJengee
    MamaJengee Posts: 8
    I think you should go longer with slower pace. Any type of exercise to start is good and I think your doing a great job. :D

    Thanks! :) i honestly just want to get it over with as fast as possible. My hubby will be happy to know you share his opinion on that, we are now tied :p
  • sammama5
    sammama5 Posts: 92 Member
    Personally, I need to keep my heart rate up for about 45 minutes for the exercise to be very effective for weight loss. Waving your arms around works more muscle groups, which means that you will burn a few more calories while you are working. (Not double, though...the smaller muscles burn fewer calories) Always over estimate how many calories are in something, and under estimate how many you burn while you're moving, and you will notice a difference in your weight. As time goes on, you will get stronger and increase your endurance...the bike will seem easier and you'll be able to go for longer periods of time. At that point, you will need to change something for it to continue being effective. Change the resistance, increase the speed, and 'ride' longer to maintain the calorie burn. Once something is easy, you aren't burning as many calories.
  • Rose6300
    Rose6300 Posts: 232 Member
    Hi!
    First, congratulations on taking the first step. :flowerforyou:
    Second, don't cry (emoticon). There are people here who have weighed what you weigh and who have been successful.
    Third, you're probably aware this journey will take a while. So for now, yes, this is enough. Later, when you get lighter and have more energy as a result, you can increase your activity.
    Someone said it above, but really you need to maintain a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. That's the most important thing. The exercise is helpful, but it's the reduced eating that will get you there.
    I wish you the best of luck!
  • MamaJengee
    MamaJengee Posts: 8
    I'm not an expert but I'm a firm believer in the "anything is better than nothing" philosophy. A 10 - 15 minute walk is how I started. I can't do 5 miles of anything! Just the fact that you're off the couch and moving is something to be proud of. Go on with your bad self!

    Thanks! During the school year i have to walk to kids to and from school, which is only about a half a mile, but that kills me waaaay worse than the bike. Btw, love your name :D
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Probably no reason to wave your hands to be honest. There's nothing wrong with what you're doing. Here are some options so you can switch between aerobic work (what you're doing now) and anaerobic. This can be a little less boring too.

    1. If you have an RPM monitor on it... Tempo Cycling: Hold your speed at 110 RPM's (slightly over is fine) for 30-sec, then hop off and do 30-sec's of ab's. If you have a separate stop-watch (cell phone, iPod) you can switch between 30-sec Front Planks and 30-sec Side Planks (just do Front Planks if you can't do Side Planks yet).

    2. Do 2-minutes at a low intensity pace, 2-minutes at a moderate intensity, 1-minute all-out max sprint (5-min's in-total). Shoot for 4 sets or 20-min's and you can build up from there in 5-min increments

    3. Half-mile sprints. Sprint 1/2 mile then rest 2 - 3 minutes, shoot for 5-sets and then build up from there

    4. Find your exact 4-mile time. Divide that time by 4 to get your 1-mile pace. Multiply that time by 95% (5% under pace) and do four 1-mile sets to try and hit that 95% pace time. Do that every week until you can hit that 95% time for all 4 sets. Once you can, deduct another 5% (90%) and shoot for all 4 sets at that time.

    5. Shoot for 6 miles in 20-minutes (more aerobic).

    There are a few options for you to play with, try a couple that work for you right now. Stay positive!
  • MamaJengee
    MamaJengee Posts: 8
    sammama, Thanks! i definitely think im guilty of underestimating how many calories im actually eating. Im finding it hard to calculate and log when i cook so many meals from scratch.

    Rose, Thank you also. I know this will be along journey, and i definitely see this as a stepping stone to be able to do more and different activities with my kids especially.

    Im hoping the exercise will give me even a bit of deficit, as i am still working on the food side.
  • MamaJengee
    MamaJengee Posts: 8
    Probably no reason to wave your hands to be honest. There's nothing wrong with what you're doing. Here are some options so you can switch between aerobic work (what you're doing now) and anaerobic. This can be a little less boring too.

    1. If you have an RPM monitor on it... Tempo Cycling: Hold your speed at 110 RPM's (slightly over is fine) for 30-sec, then hop off and do 30-sec's of ab's. If you have a separate stop-watch (cell phone, iPod) you can switch between 30-sec Front Planks and 30-sec Side Planks (just do Front Planks if you can't do Side Planks yet).

    2. Do 2-minutes at a low intensity pace, 2-minutes at a moderate intensity, 1-minute all-out max sprint (5-min's in-total). Shoot for 4 sets or 20-min's and you can build up from there in 5-min increments

    3. Half-mile sprints. Sprint 1/2 mile then rest 2 - 3 minutes, shoot for 5-sets and then build up from there

    4. Find your exact 4-mile time. Divide that time by 4 to get your 1-mile pace. Multiply that time by 95% (5% under pace) and do four 1-mile sets to try and hit that 95% pace time. Do that every week until you can hit that 95% time for all 4 sets. Once you can, deduct another 5% (90%) and shoot for all 4 sets at that time.

    5. Shoot for 6 miles in 20-minutes (more aerobic).

    There are a few options for you to play with, try a couple that work for you right now. Stay positive!

    Thanks for your reply, i dont have RPM'S just time, speed, distance, and calories, but this is sort of what i try to do on an extremely basic, reduced scale. :)
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Probably no reason to wave your hands to be honest. There's nothing wrong with what you're doing. Here are some options so you can switch between aerobic work (what you're doing now) and anaerobic. This can be a little less boring too.

    1. If you have an RPM monitor on it... Tempo Cycling: Hold your speed at 110 RPM's (slightly over is fine) for 30-sec, then hop off and do 30-sec's of ab's. If you have a separate stop-watch (cell phone, iPod) you can switch between 30-sec Front Planks and 30-sec Side Planks (just do Front Planks if you can't do Side Planks yet).

    2. Do 2-minutes at a low intensity pace, 2-minutes at a moderate intensity, 1-minute all-out max sprint (5-min's in-total). Shoot for 4 sets or 20-min's and you can build up from there in 5-min increments

    3. Half-mile sprints. Sprint 1/2 mile then rest 2 - 3 minutes, shoot for 5-sets and then build up from there

    4. Find your exact 4-mile time. Divide that time by 4 to get your 1-mile pace. Multiply that time by 95% (5% under pace) and do four 1-mile sets to try and hit that 95% pace time. Do that every week until you can hit that 95% time for all 4 sets. Once you can, deduct another 5% (90%) and shoot for all 4 sets at that time.

    5. Shoot for 6 miles in 20-minutes (more aerobic).

    There are a few options for you to play with, try a couple that work for you right now. Stay positive!

    Thanks for your reply, i dont have RPM'S just time, speed, distance, and calories, but this is sort of what i try to do on an extremely basic, reduced scale. :)

    Well, what you can do and this might take some practice; is to find a pace in MPH that is somewhere between moderate and max effort, be honest with yourself here. Find that MPH and hold it for 30-sec and rotate between the cycling and abs. I forgot to mention that 30-sec cycle tempo with 30-sec Planks is ONE set, shoot for 6-sets and then take a 3 to 4 min rest and do another set. Do as many as you can.
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
    RPM is essentially speed,
    The calorie estimator on the bike is most likely incorrect. Only eat back 50-75% of calories burned.

    To be more successful, you should invest in a kitchen scale and weigh all your solids, measuring cups for liquids only.
    Make use of the recipe builder for homemade recipes. What I do is write on paper my ingredients and amounts (weighed in grams) then when I have time add it to MFP.
  • kcmcd
    kcmcd Posts: 239 Member
    Only you really know how hard you're working. If it's enough to start, it's enough to start. It's okay for something to be hard, though. It probably won't kill you. ;) Just try. Do what you can to start. You'll be able to do more, the more you do. And be proud of what you've done and how far you've come. Notice yourself and your progress. You're doing a good thing!
  • Ulwaz
    Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
    exercise in whatever best fits your lifestyle, eat healthy as well :)
    goodluck on your journey, add me for support/advice :3
  • Barbellarella_
    Barbellarella_ Posts: 454 Member
    sammama, Thanks! i definitely think im guilty of underestimating how many calories im actually eating. Im finding it hard to calculate and log when i cook so many meals from scratch.

    Rose, Thank you also. I know this will be along journey, and i definitely see this as a stepping stone to be able to do more and different activities with my kids especially.

    Im hoping the exercise will give me even a bit of deficit, as i am still working on the food side.

    I would say that if you're serious about losing weight, you need to be METICULOUS about your food logging. Unfortunately sometimes, adding exercise in that you're not used to (especially cardio) can stimulate your appetite more. If your not tracking everyday (or accurately for that matter), you might not see any results.

    Although I applaud your efforts, just remember:
    You can easily lose weight by not exercising, but creating a caloric deficit with your food intake. Losing weight by exercising, but not making sure your in a caloric deficit with your food intake, can be much harder to get results.
  • Rose6300
    Rose6300 Posts: 232 Member
    sammama, Thanks! i definitely think im guilty of underestimating how many calories im actually eating. Im finding it hard to calculate and log when i cook so many meals from scratch.

    With the cooking, if you make recipes over and over, you can measure ingredients, etc. once and create a recipe in MFP. When you do, note the weight of the entire recipe. For example, I have a recipe called "Mike's Broccoli 1008 grams)". Then, in the future, don't remeasure everything, just divide the weight you eat by the total weight of the recipe (e.g, 345/1008) and use that as your serving size. It's a bit of work measuring, etc. the first time you create the recipe but really easy after that.

    I bought this food scale from amazon. It's $13 and it's terrific. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004164SRA/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • MamaJengee
    MamaJengee Posts: 8
    Thank you everyone for your response. I will definitely be picking up a food scale this week, and plan on tracking that a bit better. I appreciate all the advice and support :)

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