20 year old trying to lose 45 lbs

lma0423

Hi !

So I'm 5'6 and my start weight was 200 (when it hit 200 was when I knew I really had to do something) I started in may and have since lost about 15 lbs, so 30 left! I've done this through diet alone, i have not exercised at all ( sometimes I swim). What I was wondering was how should I start working out without hitting a plateau, should I do cardio or weight? I want to start exerciseing because I'm scared that I'm going to get saggy skin, would this happen to a 20 year old?

Thanks!

kleavitt1992

i have not had any saggy skin and i've lost 43 im 19 btws actually i have stretch marks that have pretty much faded too

edit- i've worked out my whole journey zumba, running/walking (intervals sometimes), some weights but like 3lb ones used with cardio exercises

Christiane81

You need to tone for your muscles and cardio for your heart, that is the best way to take care of yourself overall. Do something that you enjoy, like swimming, just make it fun and the pounds will come off. GOOD LUCK!

gbbhey

I've been doing a mix of cardio and weight training. I'm focusing more on Cardio, bc I don't want the bulky muscle look, just to be in good shape and be able to have some tone. Perhaps once I reach my goal weight, I'll put in more weights. I usually run 2-4 miles 4 times a week and lift 2-3 times a week. Swimming is a great overall workout though, if you stay doing that you should be fine!

Cheers,
Jared

aerodynamicvomit

Do anything, it all counts. Walk, join a kickball league, anything. You don't have to be a gym rat to be healthy. Local zumba classes, swimming, long walks on the beach, whatever works.

At our age, saggy skin is less likely,we have a lot of elasticity to 'bounce back' but sagging frequently comes from losing weight too fast (faster than 2lb/ week). If you find you need toning, you can get workout dvds off netflix or stream it, or even old fashioned pushups to see if that helps firm things up.

Devilsnightmarechild

1. Mix up your workout schedule to prevent plateau. While setting regular days for your workout, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday, might fit nicely into your schedule, your body may quickly adapt and you will hit plateau. Instead, mix it up, working out for two days, and taking a day off, continuing this routine for six to eight weeks before taking an entire week off to reset the body system.

2. Replace your regular exercise with something new and light during your full week off. Instead of heavy aerobic exercise or weight lifting, spend the week walking, swimming or biking. Even yoga can be a great way to continue working the body with a more gentle form of exercise. Taking this time will help reset your body and allow you to enter your regular workout again without ever hitting a plateau.

3. Rest. Many people think that they will see better results in muscle gain and weight loss if they work out every day of the week; however, the opposite is true. Your body needs time to recuperate, allowing you to lose more weight and gain more muscle while at the same time slowing down the body's automatic plateau response. Never work out more than two or three days in a row without taking a full day of rest

4.
Prevent a workout plateau by carefully monitoring your body's metabolic needs. As your fitness level increases, you body will need more calories to maintain your metabolism. If you feel that you have hit a plateau, it may be because your body is not receiving the caloric intake it needs to work harder. Constant hunger accompanied by a workout plateau is a sure sign that you need to increase your caloric intake


This is helping me at the moment. I got this from http://www.ehow.com/how_2125649_prevent-workout-plateau.html

meggonkgonk

Hey-

So first- as a 26 year old who lost right in the neighborhood of 50 lbs, somethings may be a little saggy (my boobs are not my ideal, for example) but most things have firmed up pretty well.

Second- exercise should be somehting that suits you- something you enjoy or have the capacity to enjoy- it should fit your personality and in general you will want it to be as well rounded as possible. I started Couch to 5k about a year ago and worked up to incorporating strength and toning workouts (body weight, yoga, pilates- as I please). It allowed me flexibility and the time to ease into the workout (1/2 hour with some running, some walking? I can do that!). And as it turns out, it's well suited to my very competative nature- always looking beat my best time, etc. But a girlfriend of mine just takes extended walks with her dogs and joined a rock climbing gym- she doesn't like to work up an intense sweat like I do, she's not uber competative- so both are well suited to her. Another friend has been exploring various martial arts. Try something new, something you will enjoy and try to have a little of BOTH cardio and strength (ultimately, it doesn't have to be right this moment. You can add it later and such).

mlemonroe2

start doing something low impact that you like. swimming is great exercise and burns a lot of calories and is easy on your joints. if you like to walk that is also a great way to burn some calories. if you are interested in starting a jogging program couch to 5k is great. i started doing it in may and i was 205 pounds and i can now jog 3 miles (it takes me 48 minutes but i can work on the time!) and i weigh 190. it starts really slow and builds up to a 3 mile run. its a free program and you can download it to your ipod. ( i just timed it myself with a stopwatch or my HRM) remember, its easier to stick to exercise when you are doing something you enjoy!!