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Burning Fat

paulv90
paulv90 Posts: 4 Member
edited January 15 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,

I want to focus on burning fat. My current diet is 45% carbs, 35% protein, and 20% fat. I lift weights from about 45 minutes to 1 hours. Then I do cardio for about 30 minutes. I change my cardio routine daily varying from 60-80% percent of hear rate.

I've been doing this for about 5 weeks. I have dropped 15 pounds. I think I'm doing pretty well so far, but do any of you have any
suggestions on what I an change in my diet or workout routine?

Also, should I be eating extra on the days I workout? I keep it around 1900 calories (workout or non-workout days).

Replies

  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
    If you can drop 3 lbs a week, don't change anything!!!
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Unless you are morbidly obese I would recommend increasing your caloric intake to promote a 1-2 lb loss per week. Higher rates of weight loss is usually associated more with muscle loss than fat loss. Most sources suggest that anything over 1-2 lbs per week weight loss increases the risk of lean body mass loss in conjunction with your fat loss... Most likely you WILL lose some lean mass during your weight loss venture; however, we want to minimize that loss while promoting fat loss... Fat is really what we want to lose. Otherwise, IMHO, what you are trying to do seems to be working and it approximates what I have been doing with a measure of success. Best wishes on your journey
  • krmann2016
    krmann2016 Posts: 2
    I was an Exercise and Sport Science Major (B.A. degree) and I will let you know what we were taught in our exercise physiology course. Our body does not begin to tap into our fat stores until approximately 30 minutes after our heart rate is elevated and held consistently at that MODERATELY elevated level. With what you are doing you should be measuring your success by how your cloths are fitting and not based necessarily on your total weight loss. Muscle is much much more dense that our fat it and thus weights more but will take up less space. Even though you are burning fat, lifting weights for 45 minutes to an hour is building a significant amount of muscle mass if you are lifting with proper form. If you are trying to drop weight and specifically focused on burning fat I would recommend decreasing the number of times you life weights to every other work-out session. So if you work out five times a week only life 3 times during that week. Your muscles need a change to heal and recover so one day focus on core, the next on arms and shoulders, and the final on legs and back and cycle through don't repeat back to back regions. Also our body burns fat when we maintain a moderate heart rate and not a high heart rate. Fats are a great source of energy but take a significant amount of time and work for our body to metabolize to a stage where it can be used as energy (again this is part of the reason why fat burning does not begin until the other easier and faster accessed stores are used). Forcing your heart rate up may make you feel like you are using your time more efficiently but you are actually forcing your body into using other sources for energy - i.e. the muscle you work to build when you weight lift. Muscle is easier for the body to break down the the fat. This is why marathon runners are so lean and small and why body builders do not participate in cardio. So maybe consider decreasing your cardio intensity and maintain it around 60% HR and increase the time you maintain an elevated and consistently elevated HR to 45 min to and 1 hour. There is also something to be said for doing your cadio first then your weights afterwards - your body is warmed up, primed, and your metabolism is boosted.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    ...Even though you are burning fat, lifting weights for 45 minutes to an hour is building a significant amount of muscle mass if you are lifting with proper form...
    Building muscle in a caloric deficit is next to impossible.
    ...Also our body burns fat when we maintain a moderate heart rate and not a high heart rate. Fats are a great source of energy but take a significant amount of time and work for our body to metabolize to a stage where it can be used as energy (again this is part of the reason why fat burning does not begin until the other easier and faster accessed stores are used). Forcing your heart rate up may make you feel like you are using your time more efficiently but you are actually forcing your body into using other sources for energy - i.e. the muscle you work to build when you weight lift. Muscle is easier for the body to break down the the fat. This is why marathon runners are so lean and small and why body builders do not participate in cardio. So maybe consider decreasing your cardio intensity and maintain it around 60% HR and increase the time you maintain an elevated and consistently elevated HR to 45 min to and 1 hour...
    Substrate utilization during cardiovascular exercise is largely irrelevant to weight loss. The caloric deficit is the prime mover, not which substrate is utilized. It's also not an either/or proposition - there is some intermingling of substrate usage, so even though you may be burning a proportionately lower percentage of fat during high-intensity cardio, the overall amount of fat burned may be higher because substantially more total calories are burned - and fat is still a percentage of that burn at higher intensities.
    ...There is also something to be said for doing your cadio first then your weights afterwards - your body is warmed up, primed, and your metabolism is boosted.
    That's dependent at least in part upon whether you're seeking to put the primary emphasis on your cardio or your strength training. Doing an extensive cardio session before strength training can diminish your energy and have negative effects upon intensity and recovery when lifting.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I was an Exercise and Sport Science Major (B.A. degree) and I will let you know what we were taught in our exercise physiology course. Our body does not begin to tap into our fat stores until approximately 30 minutes after our heart rate is elevated and held consistently at that MODERATELY elevated level. With what you are doing you should be measuring your success by how your cloths are fitting and not based necessarily on your total weight loss. Muscle is much much more dense that our fat it and thus weights more but will take up less space. Even though you are burning fat, lifting weights for 45 minutes to an hour is building a significant amount of muscle mass if you are lifting with proper form. If you are trying to drop weight and specifically focused on burning fat I would recommend decreasing the number of times you life weights to every other work-out session. So if you work out five times a week only life 3 times during that week. Your muscles need a change to heal and recover so one day focus on core, the next on arms and shoulders, and the final on legs and back and cycle through don't repeat back to back regions. Also our body burns fat when we maintain a moderate heart rate and not a high heart rate. Fats are a great source of energy but take a significant amount of time and work for our body to metabolize to a stage where it can be used as energy (again this is part of the reason why fat burning does not begin until the other easier and faster accessed stores are used). Forcing your heart rate up may make you feel like you are using your time more efficiently but you are actually forcing your body into using other sources for energy - i.e. the muscle you work to build when you weight lift. Muscle is easier for the body to break down the the fat. This is why marathon runners are so lean and small and why body builders do not participate in cardio. So maybe consider decreasing your cardio intensity and maintain it around 60% HR and increase the time you maintain an elevated and consistently elevated HR to 45 min to and 1 hour. There is also something to be said for doing your cadio first then your weights afterwards - your body is warmed up, primed, and your metabolism is boosted.

    1) you will not be building a significant amount of muscle on a deficit
    2) your body is not utilizing 100% glycogen at any one time - the type of exercise, your BF%, the intensity and how glycogen depleted you are will determine if you are using fat stores. Unless you do a glycogen depleting exercise (i.e. endurance) and do not refuel, you will not be catabolizing muscle.
    3) as long as you rest each muscle group appropriately, there is no reason not to lift more that 3 x a week (although a 3 x full body routine is probably best for the majority of people)
    4) your body burns calories when you exercise, see #2 re whether you use fat stores or not
    5) body builders do participate in cardio, particularly HIIT, when needed. Steady state cardio is often not used HIIT has a better metabolic effect.
    6) doing cardio first is a bad idea. A warm up is just that, a warm up. If you lift, you should focus on lifting and not tire yourself out with cardio first.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Whale blubber seemed to be the best method to use as fat for fuel. I wouldnt use your own body fat.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    I was an Exercise and Sport Science Major (B.A. degree) and I will let you know what we were taught in our exercise physiology course. Our body does not begin to tap into our fat stores until approximately 30 minutes after our heart rate is elevated and held consistently at that MODERATELY elevated level. With what you are doing you should be measuring your success by how your cloths are fitting and not based necessarily on your total weight loss. Muscle is much much more dense that our fat it and thus weights more but will take up less space. Even though you are burning fat, lifting weights for 45 minutes to an hour is building a significant amount of muscle mass if you are lifting with proper form. If you are trying to drop weight and specifically focused on burning fat I would recommend decreasing the number of times you life weights to every other work-out session. So if you work out five times a week only life 3 times during that week. Your muscles need a change to heal and recover so one day focus on core, the next on arms and shoulders, and the final on legs and back and cycle through don't repeat back to back regions. Also our body burns fat when we maintain a moderate heart rate and not a high heart rate. Fats are a great source of energy but take a significant amount of time and work for our body to metabolize to a stage where it can be used as energy (again this is part of the reason why fat burning does not begin until the other easier and faster accessed stores are used). Forcing your heart rate up may make you feel like you are using your time more efficiently but you are actually forcing your body into using other sources for energy - i.e. the muscle you work to build when you weight lift. Muscle is easier for the body to break down the the fat. This is why marathon runners are so lean and small and why body builders do not participate in cardio. So maybe consider decreasing your cardio intensity and maintain it around 60% HR and increase the time you maintain an elevated and consistently elevated HR to 45 min to and 1 hour. There is also something to be said for doing your cadio first then your weights afterwards - your body is warmed up, primed, and your metabolism is boosted.
    y

    How come your school only offered a BA in it didnt they also offer the BS?
  • NoWeighJose74
    NoWeighJose74 Posts: 581 Member
    I was an Exercise and Sport Science Major (B.A. degree) and I will let you know what we were taught in our exercise physiology course. Our body does not begin to tap into our fat stores until approximately 30 minutes after our heart rate is elevated and held consistently at that MODERATELY elevated level. With what you are doing you should be measuring your success by how your cloths are fitting and not based necessarily on your total weight loss. Muscle is much much more dense that our fat it and thus weights more but will take up less space. Even though you are burning fat, lifting weights for 45 minutes to an hour is building a significant amount of muscle mass if you are lifting with proper form. If you are trying to drop weight and specifically focused on burning fat I would recommend decreasing the number of times you life weights to every other work-out session. So if you work out five times a week only life 3 times during that week. Your muscles need a change to heal and recover so one day focus on core, the next on arms and shoulders, and the final on legs and back and cycle through don't repeat back to back regions. Also our body burns fat when we maintain a moderate heart rate and not a high heart rate. Fats are a great source of energy but take a significant amount of time and work for our body to metabolize to a stage where it can be used as energy (again this is part of the reason why fat burning does not begin until the other easier and faster accessed stores are used). Forcing your heart rate up may make you feel like you are using your time more efficiently but you are actually forcing your body into using other sources for energy - i.e. the muscle you work to build when you weight lift. Muscle is easier for the body to break down the the fat. This is why marathon runners are so lean and small and why body builders do not participate in cardio. So maybe consider decreasing your cardio intensity and maintain it around 60% HR and increase the time you maintain an elevated and consistently elevated HR to 45 min to and 1 hour. There is also something to be said for doing your cadio first then your weights afterwards - your body is warmed up, primed, and your metabolism is boosted.
    y

    How come your school only offered a BA in it didnt they also offer the BS?

    I c wut u did thar :laugh:
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    I was an Exercise and Sport Science Major (B.A. degree) and I will let you know what we were taught in our exercise physiology course. Our body does not begin to tap into our fat stores until approximately 30 minutes after our heart rate is elevated and held consistently at that MODERATELY elevated level. With what you are doing you should be measuring your success by how your cloths are fitting and not based necessarily on your total weight loss. Muscle is much much more dense that our fat it and thus weights more but will take up less space. Even though you are burning fat, lifting weights for 45 minutes to an hour is building a significant amount of muscle mass if you are lifting with proper form. If you are trying to drop weight and specifically focused on burning fat I would recommend decreasing the number of times you life weights to every other work-out session. So if you work out five times a week only life 3 times during that week. Your muscles need a change to heal and recover so one day focus on core, the next on arms and shoulders, and the final on legs and back and cycle through don't repeat back to back regions. Also our body burns fat when we maintain a moderate heart rate and not a high heart rate. Fats are a great source of energy but take a significant amount of time and work for our body to metabolize to a stage where it can be used as energy (again this is part of the reason why fat burning does not begin until the other easier and faster accessed stores are used). Forcing your heart rate up may make you feel like you are using your time more efficiently but you are actually forcing your body into using other sources for energy - i.e. the muscle you work to build when you weight lift. Muscle is easier for the body to break down the the fat. This is why marathon runners are so lean and small and why body builders do not participate in cardio. So maybe consider decreasing your cardio intensity and maintain it around 60% HR and increase the time you maintain an elevated and consistently elevated HR to 45 min to and 1 hour. There is also something to be said for doing your cadio first then your weights afterwards - your body is warmed up, primed, and your metabolism is boosted.
    y

    How come your school only offered a BA in it didnt they also offer the BS?

    I c wut u did thar :laugh:

    LOL no that wasnt the intention but it would have been pretty funny if I did. I was actually asking why they didnt have a bachelor of science LOL sorry person who posted that
This discussion has been closed.

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