Weights vs. Cardio - HELP!

dismanteld

OKAY FOR ME, WHEN I STARTED THIS JOURNEY, I CHOOSE CARDIO OVER WEIGHT FOR THE SIMPLE REASON OF BUILDING MY STAMINA AND ENDURANCE, I BELIEVE THAT BOTH CARDIO AND WEIGHT ARE ESSENTIAL TO THIS PROCESS, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SOLID BASE IN WHICH TO BUILD UPON. SO WHEN I STARTED I DID CARDIO FOR LIKE THE FIRST 6 MONTHS AND NOW I AM STARTING TO SLOWLY ADD WEIGHT TO MY ROUTINE. TO DATE I HAVE ACTUALLY LOST 50 POUNDS. I STARTED OFF AT 465 IN FEBUARY OF 2010.

MNbooklady

Thanks to EVERYONE for all your advice and suggestions. This gives me a really good idea about what to start with.

Some information that I didn't really put in my OP - # 1, I know I'm lazy and I know I need a change. # 2 - I've been diagnosed type 2 diabetic, and I refuse to go on medication so I know I need activity to control my BG levels.

Mostly importantly, # 3 - I have lost 10 lbs so far in the few months I've been on MFP, but seem to be at a plateau. I've changed my eating habits, have tried to watch my caloric intake as much as I can, and started the walking but it just isn't doing it. I keep regaining and relosing the same 5 lbs. It's very frustrating.

So, all this leads me to believe that I need to increase my physical acitivity, hence the reason to seek a personal trainer's advice (and he is a certified fitness trainer for those of you who questioned if he was educated).

As for equipment buying, I do want a treadmill, always have, just can't afford the really nice one that I would like to own someday. So for now, I'll take everyone's advice and continue with my walking and perhaps buy some inexpensive dumbells and a stability ball and mix it all up! Let's see if that helps me out and gets me over this 10lb hump I'm on!

Thanks again everyone!

labgirl3

If you just want to drop weight, and don't care if it comes from fat or muscle, do cardio only. You won't drop as many inches, but the number on the scale will move more quickly. You'll absolutely be losing muscle in the process, which means you'll need to eat less and less the more weight you lose, and you'll likely wind up "skinny fat" with no visible muscle tone. Personally, that look is just not for me, but I know it's the ideal for some people.

If you want to drop weight, keep as much muscle as possible, and drop inches, then do strength training. With heavy weights. You'll get "toned" (gah - I hate that word), and you won't bulk up. Go heavy like your trainer suggests. Eat way more protein than MFP suggests (like 1 gram per pound of your ideal body weight). See here: http://www.stumptuous.com/lies-in-the-gym

You can also add in high intensity interval training (HIIT) after you lift weights (you want to be "fresh" for strength training). 20 minutes is about all you need. No need for hour long marathon sessions (unless you really want that).

Oh - and nutrition is FAR more important than either one. But I feel that working out puts me in the right frame of mind to keep my nutrition on track the rest of the day. It's more of a mental thing.

I'm hesitant to tell you to ignore your doctor, but he needs to read up on exercise physiology before dispensing any more advice.

hroush

Thanks to EVERYONE for all your advice and suggestions. This gives me a really good idea about what to start with.

Some information that I didn't really put in my OP - # 1, I know I'm lazy and I know I need a change. # 2 - I've been diagnosed type 2 diabetic, and I refuse to go on medication so I know I need activity to control my BG levels.

Mostly importantly, # 3 - I have lost 10 lbs so far in the few months I've been on MFP, but seem to be at a plateau. I've changed my eating habits, have tried to watch my caloric intake as much as I can, and started the walking but it just isn't doing it. I keep regaining and relosing the same 5 lbs. It's very frustrating.

So, all this leads me to believe that I need to increase my physical acitivity, hence the reason to seek a personal trainer's advice (and he is a certified fitness trainer for those of you who questioned if he was educated).

As for equipment buying, I do want a treadmill, always have, just can't afford the really nice one that I would like to own someday. So for now, I'll take everyone's advice and continue with my walking and perhaps buy some inexpensive dumbells and a stability ball and mix it all up! Let's see if that helps me out and gets me over this 10lb hump I'm on!

Thanks again everyone!

Watch craigslist, you'll be surprised at how nice of equipment is on there for really cheap, if not free.

jolarocknrolla

is your doctor perscribing a low-dose of metformin? If so, i'd REALLY look into going on the medication. I was 220 pounds when i was diagnosed and it took only about 3 months (with a strict diabetic diet and taking the MINIMAL dose of Metformin) for me to go down to 175 ... I had tried losing weight before without the medication and never got results like that because my body just didn't have what it needed process the (admitedly small!) amounts of sugars and staches i was eating.

I'm now at 152 pounds and i've talked to my doc about getting off the metformin but when i do even on a STRICT diet w/ exercise my weight tends to creep back up. sometimes the meds are not a crutch, it's what your body needs. i'm just saying discuss it further w/ your doc. Of course you still need to work on diet and exercise but if you have insulin issues that is no joke

-J

RunHardBeStrong

Thanks to EVERYONE for all your advice and suggestions. This gives me a really good idea about what to start with.

Some information that I didn't really put in my OP - # 1, I know I'm lazy and I know I need a change. # 2 - I've been diagnosed type 2 diabetic, and I refuse to go on medication so I know I need activity to control my BG levels.

Mostly importantly, # 3 - I have lost 10 lbs so far in the few months I've been on MFP, but seem to be at a plateau. I've changed my eating habits, have tried to watch my caloric intake as much as I can, and started the walking but it just isn't doing it. I keep regaining and relosing the same 5 lbs. It's very frustrating.

So, all this leads me to believe that I need to increase my physical acitivity, hence the reason to seek a personal trainer's advice (and he is a certified fitness trainer for those of you who questioned if he was educated).

As for equipment buying, I do want a treadmill, always have, just can't afford the really nice one that I would like to own someday. So for now, I'll take everyone's advice and continue with my walking and perhaps buy some inexpensive dumbells and a stability ball and mix it all up! Let's see if that helps me out and gets me over this 10lb hump I'm on!

Thanks again everyone!

I agree with everyone saying you need both and you don't have to have dumbbells to get started. Use your own body weight. Start with pushups, if you can't do a traditional push up quite yet (heck I couldn't at first) do them against a wall or counter. Google various squats and lunges as well as different body weight exercises. I can honestly tell you I have lost 80 lbs so far just started out calorie counting and walking but once I added weight lifting my weight loss took off like crazy not to mention muscle definition just look sexy as hell!!

rileysowner

Let me second the body weight exercises advice. I do pretty much all my workouts using body weight. I have an extensive weight set, but prefer body weight stuff. "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren is a good book on that with a bunch of exercises in it. Also along with youtube.com as a good resource, the free website http://bodyweightculture.com/forum/content.php is quite good with lots of exercises to be found. You can do strength training without any weights and get really good results.

pftjill

Trainers are mostly all certified, but just and FYI for you-most of them have no schooling. You don't have to get an education to be a trainer-you just go on line and they send you a book-you study and take a test. I went to school. I am not saying your trainer didn't or taking anything away from him. I have worked with trainers without schooling and ones with-HUGE difference. However there are ones who have been in the industry and know what they are talking about from experience. It is just nice to know more about what is going on in your clients body.

Harpin_Maddog

I'm sorry, I normally don't respond to posts but I just have to speak up. I just couldn't let this slide. You are asking people who don't know you and don't know your medical condition(s) whether you should follow your trainer's advice over your doctor's? From the little you have said you are apparently under doctor supervision for various reasons. From the posts here you have stated you have diabetes. Your profile said you had gastric bypass surgery several years ago, and for all we know there could be a host of other issues. Any trainer worth his salt would never advise you against your doctors orders. There may be a reason he put you on a plan of more cardio. Maybe you have cardiovascular issues, respritory issues, etc, etc. We don't know and asking people on here means you either don't trust your doctor (so get a second opinion) or you are looking for another way out. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but the first thing your trainer should have done was have you get a physical prior to starting any weight loss program or exercise program and then base the plan for you on what the doctor says so they work in conjunction with each other, not against each other. I hope your trainer had you sign a medical waiver so he is not held liable for anything that happens to you based on the plan he provided that is different than what your doctor is recommending.

jazzybean1

Hey there!
I am a personal trainer and I believe BOTH are equally important for different reasons. Strength training provides more lean muscle=more calories burned and also helps us keep our bone density, super important as we age. Cardio is great for all the systems in your body and has many benefits.
If you're short on time you should try H.I.I.T = high intensity interval training, you combine short bursts of high intensity cardio ( like sprinting/running on a treadmill) in between sets of weightlifting and usually just concentrate on your larger muscle groups.
EG:
5 min warm up fast walk or slow jog
1 set chest press, then go right into a set of squats, right into a lateral pull-down or row, then right into dead-lifts or hamstring curls, then 1 min run/sprint on treadmill. move quickly between sets and repeat 3-4 times. end with 5 min cool down
This gets your major muscles pumping blood faster and your heart-rate stays elevated. This should only be done every other day as you need to rest your muscles i between. On your off days you could do biceps, triceps and shoulders, plus steady state cardio. If you are a beginner, just pay attention to your form and how your body feels. Your trainer should be able to come up with a program that combines both and works when you are pressed for time:) Hope this helps!