A few questions about exercise

mablesyrup

When I check on MFP- I entered in a goal of 5 days of exercise a week- 30 minutes each day...... and it said with
the carlorie amount it suggests for my weight/height/age and the exercise that I will lose 2lbs by FEBRUARY 6th?
lol...


This got me to think though- how do I know how much I need to exercise?

I am 295lbs... 5'7".. 30 years old.....
Normally activity is "light" (basically house cleaning and chasing after my 3 and 1 year old)

You have 35.5% body fat.
You have 104.7 Pounds of fat and 190.3 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water).

What is a good calorie range for me? (right now MFP has me at 1800 a day)
How much exercise should I be doing each day?
What exercise should I be doing? (my choices are Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred or using Wii My Fitness Coach)
(I am def. much more heavier on top- chest and especially my arms- i would love to target those areas- besides my core)

Thank you so much in advance!

arewethereyet

1st.........glad to see you here and changing. You are a very beautiful young lady and deserve to be healthy!!!!!!!!

You cannot spot reduce. Your body will lose the most recent weight 1st, and then goes in layers. I lost my tummy last :grumble: that bad boy is STILL hanging around :laugh: even with all my bicycles and planks!!

In my opinion, diet is key to weight loss and exercise is for health. I started with 20 min a day of some kind of cardio. What ever you can get in EVERY day. I would even dance around the house for 20 min if I couldnt find the time to leave and go to the gym.

The shred vid is awesome!! You will be bldg strong muscles underneath and in turn muscle needs more energy so it helps burn off the fat.

Of course I am not a doctor or specialist........this is what I have seen with others and myself.

I am so proud of you for getting back on the wagon!!! Many of us lost the wagon and its wheels and are runnign to catch it!!!

jeannie

exermom

arewethereyet had some very great advice. There's no such thing as spot reducing. As someone once told me "six pack abs are made in the kitchen." Nutrition is very key.

One thing -- if you're working say, the abs, be sure to work the opposing muscles (in this case the lower back).

For whatever body part you are trying to target, also be sure to incorporate some cardio. I used to have lots of women asking me "how can I get rid of this" (meaning their tummy). You can do 10 million crunches a day, and if there's a layer of fat covering your abs, the only thing you'll succeed in doing is to make the ab muscle stronger but because you never got rid of the fat, that muscle will cause your stomach to stick out further. And if you didn't work your opposing mucle (the lower back), your body will want to stick the stomach out even further, and this'll lead to eventual back pain.

When working your muscles, be sure to give them 24-48 hrs to recover. If you do one day of upper body, do lower body the next. Sleep is very important, too, for muscle recovery.

cmriverside

bruiseviolet,

If you entered 30 minutes of exercise five days a week into MFP's goal-setting program, then do that amount of exercise. If it tells you to eat 1800 calories, then eat 1800 calories.

I always followed MFP's recommendations and it worked for me. I'd say try it, log all your food and exercise, eat what your food diary tells you to eat, and in a month, review your progress. Other people have different experiences, but MFP guidelines worked for me.

I agree that your weight should not be your only "measurement". Use a good old fashioned tape measure and enter those measurements into MFP's "Measurement" category too.

Make sure to update your weight every time you lose weight, because MFP will change your calorie allotments.

Good luck!

arewethereyet

bruiseviolet,

If you entered 30 minutes of exercise five days a week into MFP's goal-setting program, then do that amount of exercise. If it tells you to eat 1800 calories, then eat 1800 calories.

I always followed MFP's recommendations and it worked for me. I'd say try it, log all your food and exercise, eat what your food diary tells you to eat, and in a month, review your progress. Other people have different experiences, but MFP guidelines worked for me.

I agree that your weight should not be your only "measurement". Use a good old fashioned tape measure and enter those measurements into MFP's "Measurement" category too.

Make sure to update your weight every time you lose weight, because MFP will change your calorie allotments.

Good luck!

weaklink109

All the prior posters gave good advice. The one other thing I will say about exercise, in keeping with the info you shared in your post of yesterday about having difficulty staying on track and motivated. The best exercise program is one you will FOLLOW and STICK to!! So while it may be tempting to up your workout times, sticking with the 30 minutes a day plan is better if it will be something you can follow. As you have success keeping to that schedule, it will build your confidence, and as you feel better from the program you are following, it will inspire you to do more, and in time, at the pace that works for you, YOU CAN DO THIS!!!:flowerforyou: :drinker:

Another thing about exercise. Be sure you have had a meal or a good snack with protein and carbs. And drink some water BEFORE you start. These things will ensure that you have the energy to complete your workout and not feel like you are ready to fall over halfway through it.