Notice a difference?

charlottemay

I am quite lazy but have MADE myself go swimming twice, walk/jog once and go to a legs bums and tums class once this week and to my surprise I have really enjoyed the feeling I get after Ive done some exercise. Ive been sticking to my diet plan and am planning on doing swimming and fitness classes three times a week, each for 45 mins. I am 5'6 and 138lbs. I want to lose about 12lbs by summer so am in no rush but I was wondering roughly how long do you think it will take me of eating healthly and exercising three times a week before I can start to notice a difference (more toned) as I am impatient and dont want to find myself getting lazy again because I cant see a difference......

boniekatie

If you feel better after exercising, you are already noticing a difference. Be aware of the changes happening in your body. It may be easier to get out of that chair. You may not be out of breath after climbing those stairs. You may find yourself wanting to move more. It's hard to say when you will see results in the mirror, but that doesn't mean you won't notice a difference.

SHBoss1673

it depends on what your starting point was. If you are starting from a sedentary lifestyle (I.E. no exercise at all or very little before this) then you will see increases fast, then after a certain fitness level is achieved, further advances come far slower. There's a whole myriad of reasons why this occurs, but it's not really vital to know the why's at this point, it's more important to understand that for the first 6 weeks or so, if you work hard, you'll see lots of improvement for a beginner. If you've been exercising right along, then the changes will be far less dramatic, and take longer.

The question I have is, are you doing an resistance or weight training? "Toning" (I hate the term toning just so you know, it's a misnomer IMHO, I prefer increasing functional strength, which is what you are really doing), is really something that requires both cardiovascular activity (like swimming, jogging...etc.) and resistance/weight training in order to receive the highest benefits.

charlottemay

Thanks, I already feel healthier in my mind if that makes sense... :indifferent: I thought Ild hate going swimming as I am not a strong swimmer, I can only doggy paddle and it takes me ages to do a length! lol but during the legs bums and tums I wanted to get as hot and sweaty as I could so I knew it was doing something. Its not as bad as I thought it would be. The only trouble is I am starting a 7 week placement on a ward as I am a student nurse and on my last placement I was so nackered I had to go straight to bed after being on a late shift! Im going to try and do as many early shifts as I can so I can carry on with the exercise.

pmjsmom

Good for you--getting exercise in!:flowerforyou: Once you have a routine going you'll wonder why you ever put it off!

Be sure to take your measurements--I check mine every 2 weeks. There's a good chance that you will see those numbers get smaller even when the scale doesn't budge! Muscle takes up less room than fat does so you could be getting smaller even if your weight stays the same!

I noticed a change in my measurements about 2 weeks after starting the 30 Day Shred so, hang in there!:happy:

charlottemay

Hmm.. yeah I was doing pretty much no exercise before and no I havent been doing any resistance/weights, whats resistance? Should I be using the gym as well?

sdirks

At about 1lb per week, others probably won't start commentinting or noticing your weight loss until the very end (maybe10 weeks from now). Honestly, we've found on the board that the compliments really start coming around 15-20lbs lost.

But YOU'VE already noticed changes and improvements in your body and fitness level. That's what's most important. Keep track of your measurements, too, not just your weight. I find the inches lost to be a huge motivation, personally. In about 4-6 weeks, you'll notice your sweaters being a little lose in the midsection. After 8 weeks, I needed jeans in the next size down. At first, it's important to focus on how much better you feel. The weight will drop slowly, the inches a little quicker.

SHBoss1673

Hmm.. yeah I was doing pretty much no exercise before and no I havent been doing any resistance/weights, whats resistance? Should I be using the gym as well?

Resistance is basically anything that's more than just cardio. I.E. there's something called bodyweight training which (minimally) is things like push ups, sit up, pull ups, squats, lunges...etc. Things that use your body weight as resistance for specific muscle groups. Then their's weight assisted resistance training (I.E. doing the same types of exercises but with dumbbells or in some cases barbells). Then there's the cable pully machine (that big machine that looks like a square Arch but it has cables all over it, you can do a multitude of different exercises on it, very versatile, I love the cable machine!). Then their's straight weight training, which is usually defined as going to technical failure (I.E. you can't do one more because you're muscles can't finish the routine with good form). These are all things that help define your muscles and help you to gain functional strength. Just about every woman on those fitness magazines employ 3 to 5 days of this type of training (although most of those magazines do some pretty serious "touch up" on the pictures). As opposed to the super skinny women on the fashion magazines that are thin, but have little muscle mass (not my idea of sexy!).

junipuni

Have you taken pictures? I didn't think I was making any progress - had only lost about 4 pounds. Then I took pics to compare to my pics one month ago and there was a HUGE difference. It's hard to notice changes when you are losing the weight slowly and exercising. So, I would suggest doing pictures every month. It was very motivating for me.

imlne

At about 1lb per week, others probably won't start commentinting or noticing your weight loss until the very end (maybe10 weeks from now). Honestly, we've found on the board that the compliments really start coming around 15-20lbs lost.

Yeah, I am just now getting compliments at the copy machine. Co workers aren't asking me if I'm losing weight but how I'm losing the weight.

For my first 20 lbs I did mainly cardo and no weight training. How vital is the weight training/resistince training?

SHBoss1673

At about 1lb per week, others probably won't start commentinting or noticing your weight loss until the very end (maybe10 weeks from now). Honestly, we've found on the board that the compliments really start coming around 15-20lbs lost.

Yeah, I am just now getting compliments at the copy machine. Co workers aren't asking me if I'm losing weight but how I'm losing the weight.

For my first 20 lbs I did mainly cardo and no weight training. How vital is the weight training/resistince training?

it's vital for prolonged good health. Resistance/weight training helps give your muscle shape and definition, it gives your middle strength which can help with back problems and posture later in life, it can help you to burn more calories, which will allow you to eat more, it keeps your bones dense, which means less osteoporosis issues later in life, ahh, what else. Heck it just LOOKS better in general, and say all you want about being in great health, looking good doesn't hurt either.

sdirks

looking good doesn't hurt either.

Um, this is true. Not in a narcissistic way, even. When you like the way something looks, you're more likely to take better care of it to prolong it's use and appeal. It's basic human psychology at work. Looking sexy? Heck yes.

imlne

So I just switched my routine from 45 min cardio to a 30 min cardio followed up with a 30 min strength training.
I've noticed that my HRM gives me the same calorie consumed, does this seem right, is this a good switch?
Any thoughts?

SHBoss1673

So I just switched my routine from 45 min cardio to a 30 min cardio followed up with a 30 min strength training.
I've noticed that my HRM gives me the same calorie consumed, does this seem right, is this a good switch?
Any thoughts?

that would depend on both the cardio you do and the strength training. I'm not a big fan of weights after cardio, if anything you should do a short warm up, then weights first, then cardio. Although 30 minutes probably isn't long enough to deplete glycogen stores to the point where it will cause serious setbacks.

spritie

I agree with banks bout the order in which you doing them, tho depending on how heavy your strength training is it possibly doesn't really matter. But your HRM would be correct, during the actual exercise resistance training uses less energy than aerobic work.

However the resulting increase in muscle mass means your body over the long term burns more all the time.

The short of it is that your HRM is correct.

charlottemay

OMG this all sounds so complicated to me lol i didnt know there was so much information about exercise! Hmm... :noway:

SHBoss1673

OMG this all sounds so complicated to me lol i didnt know there was so much information about exercise! Hmm... :noway:

it's not that complicated once you get used to it. Just keep asking questions, we're happy to answer, and eventually it'll become second nature to you.

charlottemay

Can you just give me a rough work out plan of what I should be doing a week to lose fat and get muscle!? lol for example 30mins swimming 20mins weights etc etc or is it not that simple....