How can I burn more calories?

emwaitexo

I do own a treadmill, and a stability ball as well as two 5 pound dumbbells. The thing is everyone is saying "go run!" but i'm young and like 200 pounds and can only run for maybe 2 minutes! What are your thoughts?

sgmomma

run intervals, run walk, run walk. Try doing the c25k program. Look at getting an exercise dvd the more you do or the harder you work the more you will burn

dan323

I agree,,,RUN. I was 214 pounds, Now I am 164. Run for 1 or 2 minutes then walk for 3 or 4 minutes. Or run from light pole to light pole,and walk for 2 or 3 light poles. Running will burn way more calories. I set my goal for 1 lb a week. It works. Believe in yourself. Try the C25K program, I know someone personally who is now doing it and she is doing great. YOU CAN DO IT !

emwaitexo

Thanks! I also own a Jillian Michaels workout DVD, and yoga dvds, and like 5 other dance ones haha just never really thought of using them, and theres usually always people in my house:/

MrsSWW

Move more! Doesn't have to be 'exercise' - garden, sweep the yard, take a neighbours dog for a walk or their kids to the park for a game of football or to feed the ducks and throw some frisbee. Climb trees! Go to your local department store and walk up and down the stairs 5 times before you buy yourself a little something :happy:

MacSkillz

theres usually always people in my house:/

So? If you are self-conscious about working out in front of people, tell them that from 9am to 10am every day (or whenever you want to workout) you need the living room to do your workouts. Politely ask them to not come into the room during that time because you don't like people watching. That's what I did with my husband and he 100% respects that. He knows that when I'm in the living room working out, DO NOT ENTER! haha


Also, I agree with the running. I had started the C25K and did it for about 3 weeks and you can burn a lot of calories while doing it. It's a great way to build up to being able to run a 5k in about 30 mins.

rebeccap13

Definitely check out C25K. And run walk intervals aren't just for beginning runners either. I do them during training runs a lot and then end up running the full race, the adrenaline carries you through on race day.

If running just isn't your thing, those DVDs would be another good way. What does it matter if someone else is in the house?

InPieces3

Well I can tell you I don't run, but I do a lot of brisk walking. In one hour I am burning over 400 calories. ((sometimes more depending on how fast I'm walking)) I noticed when I was running, then walking, then running again I wasn't burning that many more calories as when I was just brisk walking alone. I don't know... I had my HRM on also so I know it was accurate. I tell everyone, brisk walking is the best because you aren't killing yourself out there trying to run, your doing something you can do all the time and not get winded.
Just my opinion though.

emwaitexo

How do I start the c25k?

emwaitexo

Well I can tell you I don't run, but I do a lot of brisk walking. In one hour I am burning over 400 calories. ((sometimes more depending on how fast I'm walking)) I noticed when I was running, then walking, then running again I wasn't burning that many more calories as when I was just brisk walking alone. I don't know... I had my HRM on also so I know it was accurate. I tell everyone, brisk walking is the best because you aren't killing yourself out there trying to run, your doing something you can do all the time and not get winded.
Just my opinion though.

Yes! On the treadmill I usually do anywhere from 3.2-4.0. There are 20 minute workouts programed into the treadmill, and theres a warm-up/cool-down as well.

zone6

In addition to all of the previous comments, I would suggest exercising at every opportunity. Meaning, when you wake up in the morning do 10 jumping jacks, while your brushing your teeth do calf raises; watching tv, do some squats or extend your arms straight out and move them in a circular motion. I'm sitting on the edge of my bed and on my laptop right now, doing leg extensions to work my thighs. You may have to set small goals initially, but just keep moving at every opportunity.

barb1241

Ben there, done that. I don't run unless I'm late for a sale ;-)

I haver walked and walked and walked. At first, I had to stop several times just around the block. But I kept at it, then did the whole block, then 2 and so on. Now I hike miles and miles. Try Leslie Sansone for videos. Very low impact, lots of toning.

Good luck!

Barb

sarahbrown1015

How do I start the c25k?

I downloaded a free C25K app on my phone. I'm 239 and doing day 2 week 3 today. It tells you when to walk and when to run. Anyone can run! You just have to ease yourself into it. Only being able to run 2 minutes is normal. It's an 8 week program and you run 3 days a week. O the off days I do Jillian Michaels 30 days shred and I take one day off completely. Good luck!

marywilsoncline

Thats why I run, it burns lots of calories, plus I've come to enjoy it .:bigsmile: Nothing like a good run outside on a pretty day:bigsmile:

jwalworth

As much as it pains me to say so -- running is really the way to go if you can stick with it. For me I'm a very competitive type A person who used to compete in team sports -- so at 37 running is one of the few sports where I can regularly compete (certified timed races) and also try to beat my own best times -- twisted, sick perhaps but it works. I hate everything about running, but it really does the trick.

One very important thing I've learned is that your running pace is exactly that -- your running pace. Run as slow as you need too. I started running in August and was over 350. I'm still going (slowly) and now I'm doing my second 5k in December and then will begin a 20 week 10k training program for a 10k in the spring. I'm also down under 300 for the first time since graduating over 10 years ago. On my non-running days I've used Wii Fit Plus which my kids dig and gets me a pretty decent but very different work out.

FYI my best 5k pace is only 38 minutes -- but when I started my first run was under 3 miles in an hour so improvement does come.

I've tried a lot of apps for running and my favorite is Runtastic Pro -- it still has a few bugs, but 90+ percent of the time it keeps an accurate record via GPS of your run, does a decent job estimating calorie burn and the pro version lets you use a play list of music which oddly a lot of apps don't (Windows Phone problem I think). The only draw back is that the Runtastic Windows Phonr HRM module won't be available in the US until Q! 2013 earliest.

nellyett

I am a recent graduate of the C25k program and I LOVE it!! the app made all the difference....I was DYING when I started it, could barely run for a minute but can now complete 5kms!! No one is more surprised than me!

Also, if you're walking on a treadmill, go at a steep incline. that will up your calorie burn significantly while toning your tush !

lois4468

Walking works wonders. Harder for us over 50 to lose but I have walked away over 50 lbs. Same with my Husband. In the beginning I could only do about 10 minutes but built up gradual. Now walk everyday in hilly area over an hour at a time. Weight came off fast in the beginning by just walking and eating right. Once you lose some you can work in more exercise. It's all good. Good luck.

topgals

Try walking uphill with backpack with a 1-2 litre drink in it to weigh it down.

johned63

Walking works great for me. My orthopedic does not allow me to do any high impact activities and this includes jogging/running. I am up to walking at least 10 miles a day on average. When using a treadmill I walk between 4.0 and 4.8 MPH without having to start jogging and outside I average a pace of 3.7 to 4.3 depending on how long I have to wait at crosswalks.

If I could run then I would be doing that now, it is so hard to not give into the temptation and try to start running sometimes. The key for me is to make sure I am consistently moving each day and pushing myself to continue to improve.

dym123

hold those 5lb weights while you walk on the treadmill

Goal_Driven

get your heart rate up and try to keep it up throughout your exercise.. cardio, cardio, cardio!

amenok

I don't know..for me doing a treadmill bores me to death. So i'd probably suggest like someone else suggested to let everyone keep away from the living room during that time you're working out. Those dance videos and cardio dvds are fun to do and you can really push yourself if you try to.

Capt_Apollo

work harder

Bakkasan

I agree,,,RUN. I was 214 pounds, Now I am 164. Run for 1 or 2 minutes then walk for 3 or 4 minutes. Or run from light pole to light pole,and walk for 2 or 3 light poles.

You know what? This kind of simplicity is just stunning. Love it.

californiagirl2012

I do own a treadmill, and a stability ball as well as two 5 pound dumbbells. The thing is everyone is saying "go run!" but i'm young and like 200 pounds and can only run for maybe 2 minutes! What are your thoughts?

Everyone is different. Do what you can, be your own judge of how you feel. It seems like high impact would be hard on you when you are big, a treadmill has a little more softer impact. I found the stair machine gets your heart rate just as high as running (I use like an escalator so it's not the pedals, you are really taking the step ups). I ran when I was obese but I'd also already been running for over 30 years.

5 lb dumbbells are not enough. You need a good all body workout with a variety of dumbbells and a bench. You want to lift hard enough to NEED the rest before the next set. For example if you are doing 10 reps you want the last few to be hard and you are catching your breath for 60 seconds before you start the next set.

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories. Exercise burns can trick you into thinking you can eat more. Of course you burn calories but not near as much as they say and if you have a lot of fat reserves you want your body to use the reserves. You will lose fat faster than your will gain muscle so best to start lifting asap for a better look.

Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.

My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulky and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

HappilyLifts

I'm 198 pounds. I started to run (slow, but it's my run!) at just over 200 pounds.

If you would like to run, then do try it, just persevere and be patient, you can do anything you want to do, you really can.

On the other hand, you can also burn lots of calories other ways...setting up circuits of body weight exercises, dumbbell circuits, jumping onto the treadmill for a quick power walk, etc. I'm no expert, but I have lost many cms (14 from my belly) and 14 pounds in just over a year (slow loss, yes, but hopefully sustainable).

When I decided I would like to try jogging again, I would jog for a minute, walk for a minute, repeat, doing what felt a challenge, but not anything that would cause pain. Then I started trying 5 minutes on my own on a treadmill at a slight incline. I told a trainer at the gym that I couldn't get past 5 minutes. She proved me wrong, she covered over the screen, told me to listen to my music, and watched me sweat and puff......when she uncovered the screen I had run 8 minutes, and made it to 10! It wasn't much fun at the time, but I felt motivated afterwards to just push myself.

That was less than 6 weeks ago. I now run for 10 mins a couple of times a week in the gym, and I have started to venture outside. I surprised myself and ran 2 x 30 minutes this week. I have to admit that I have been going to the gym for just over ten months, working on the elliptical (which I also couldn't do more than 3 minutes on at the beginning of the year!), rower and treadmill, also doing body weight strength moves and light dumbbells. Maybe this helped.

I hope you find this motivational. It's pay it forward time, I've had such alot of encouragement from others I'm hoping to pass on some!

HappilyLifts

I found the stair machine gets your heart rate just as high as running (I use like an escalator so it's not the pedals, you are really taking the step ups).

this is so true! I use a stepper with pedals, it has me sweating buckets and gritting my teeth every time! When I stop I can barely climb off the pedals :laugh: I started out telling the trainer I couldn't do it and didn't want it in my program (talk about being negative!! But that's how we often are when we start something new and scary). A few months later I told her I would like to try. At first it was just two minutes, now I get through ten minutes of varying resistance.

See, that's two examples of 'yes you can'
P.S. Send me a friend request if you want someone to cheer you along.

ThinMint_Stac

i have a treadmill at home too. i add arm punches to my walk and inclines. the arm punching has really took my heart rate up and i burn lots of cals that way.

SunnyAndrsn

run intervals, run walk, run walk. Try doing the c25k program. Look at getting an exercise dvd the more you do or the harder you work the more you will burn

I've posted this before, but when I started exercising I was 252 pounds. I could only walk a short distance, for a short amount of time. Start with what you can do. Today I'm 200 pounds and will jog (lightly) 5 miles. I did a modified C25K. Just because you can't run a marathon doesn't mean you can't run at YOUR level and ability.

JessicaMorganC

The thing is everyone is saying "go run!" but i'm young and like 200 pounds and can only run for maybe 2 minutes! What are your thoughts?

I've been there, where I couldn't even run for like 3 minutes.
If you're wanting to learn how to be able to run for longer this is what i did;

-Instead of running, walk on a high incline for awhile, just to make your legs stronger (recumbent works too), I did this for a long time.
-learn the proper breathing techniques, this is huge, go on youtube and watch some videos, it helped me a lot.
-make little goals, I have a big poster in my room that i made with all my running goals, when I complete a goal, I check it off, It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

It took me a long time, But now I can run for 10 minutes ( which for me, I cant even explain for excited I was) I'm still continuing to try and improve my running!

imthejenjen

I would suggest walking in intervals. Maybe start at 3-3.5mph. 2 minutes at a 0 incline, 2 minutes at a 10 incline, back to 2 at 0 etc etc. I was 185 when I started doing that. It was tough, but def not as hard as walking! And i've lost almost 10 lbs so far. Right now I'm doing the 30 Day Shred and walking maybe 2-3 days/week. I found that switching from 0,10,0 was the easiest thing for me, while still burning calories, feeling good, and losing weight. Good Luck!!