Needs some help X2

jetSpeed28

Quiet few things that came to my interest lately, you guys know better than I do when it comes to fitness and workouts. Please help me out.

1. I happened to work out more than what I eat, is it good or bad?

2. My elliptical said today that I burned 1000+ calories in 45 minutes doing intervals. Is it really telling me the truth about the calories I burned off?

3. Is it a good or bad idea to start taking some protein shakes?

4. Been working out for over a month now and I can barely see results, any advice?

Thanks in Advance
J

bonitatica

many questions, i'm no expert but i'lll try my best to answer them and give you tips that have worked for me

1. in regards to having burned more calories than you ate....it really depends on how many calories you consumed. you don't want to be eating less than 1200 calories because then your metabolism thinks its in starvation mode. this site also has a suggested calorie intake based on your height and weight. i would try to stay within that range for calories you eat. in my experience i've tried it both ways, eating too few calories and eating way to many and honestly i never felt good either way.
when eating i would suggest changing up the amount of calories you eat from day to day. for example if you ate 1350 calories one day, the next day eat 1530 and so on. it keeps your metabolism in a working zone.

2. also when exercising vary your activites. i love and despice the elliptical machine. most exercise machines to keep an accurate count of calories burned. they are normally off by 20%. for me my new favorite exercise is jumping rope. so i may jump on the ellpitical machine for 30mins...next 30mins jump rope. i usually plan my workouts on what body part i want to target that day. i would definitely suggest doing strenght training or lifting weights. there are many dvds or youtube workouts that you can do. remember the more you build up the muscle, the more fat it will burn and the weight will come off.

3. protein shakes are definitely a good idea. i would take them in addition to a balance diet (no less than 1200 calories remember) or in some cases replacing one of your meals.(i'm not a fan of meal replacement programs! although some shakes out there may taste delish i find that unless i have a real meal i'm still hungry. and you don't want to end up overeating later on in the day. the best time i would suggest to have a protein shake would be in the morning, if you don't have time for breakfast or before a workout to keep you energized)


ok so best advice i can give you is be patient.
~don't try fad diets or weird weightloss regiments.
~count calories and watch your portion sizes. read the label on every product before you eat it. the nutrition label will tell you what a "serving size" is an go by that.
~cut out soda (this was hard for me once upon a time but now i don't even care for it anymore)
~make the food yourself and or serve yourself. (i find that i'm more in control of my wieght if i know exactly the portions and what went into it.)
~limit the amount of salt you intake. too much salt(sodium) makes you retain water
~allow yourself a treat. (i make myself milkshakes everyday after dinner. instead of eating a 300-500calorie sweet i use fresh 1/2 cup strawberries, 1cup fat free milk and 2 TBS sugar..that's it. for a fraction of the calories i get to enjoy a sweet treat. and this batch actually makes two servings so i share with the fam. so essentially half the calories..this comes out to 108 calories.(good place to added that protien powder) i even have begun to make my own icecream...
~eat snack...healthy snacks. eat fruit or veggies for snacks.
~organic food is the best because it is free from additives and pesticides (although a bit more costly)
~water is of course essential. so try to drink the recommended amount...but don't sweat if you don't..i don't either unless i'm super thristy..that's the first think i go for.
~have an exercise plan. planning what exercises i want to do really helps me. its a commitment i make to myself to check everything of that list.



um i think that's it just be patient and stick with it. everything happens in time....so as long as you are determined to succeed you will, no matter how long it takes.

if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
yari