Advice? I'm clueless...

Anna_Joys_Journey
Anna_Joys_Journey Posts: 253 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
To lose weight...quite a bit of weight...70+ pounds...
What do I need to do more of at first? Cardio, or weights? Or should I combine them? Or would that be detrimental? Is there such a thing as too much cardio?

Replies

  • cmfaris8
    cmfaris8 Posts: 39
    I don't know specifically what you need, but I can tell you what I did. When I started I needed to lose about the same amount as you, I'm halfway to my goal now. I started out just walking to and from class. I live about 2 miles away so that was about 4 miles total 4 days a week. As I got more used to it (about 2-3 weeks), I started to use the gym at my university, but stayed on either the elliptical or treadmill. I used only cardio equipment in the gym because I was honestly embarrassed of trying to use the resistance weights. Once I graduated and was forced to join a 'normal' gym, the trainer showed me how to use the strength training equipment and I was able to integrate it together with my cardio.

    I think the key in my success (looking at fitness alone) would be that I started out small and kept challenging myself. I think at first you should focus on cardio because it does burn a ton of calories and then integrate weights into your routine. Also, I'm a cardio junkie so I don't believe there's such thing as too much cardio.
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 338 Member
    1. Do workouts you like. You're more likely to stick to them.

    2. Cardio burns more calories generally than strength training.

    3. When you lose weight, you generally lose a combination of fat and muscle. Strength training helps you lose less muscle than you otherwise would, which is a good thing for tons of reasons.

    So...my recommendation would be to combine cardio and strength. Lots of people use videos that do this. Jillian Michaels is a favorite of mine, but some people hate her. What I did is use my local library to check out workout videos (for free) and try them out. I then invested in a few that I liked.
  • Ninguneado73
    Ninguneado73 Posts: 832
    This website is helpful. Log in your food, determine how many calories you eat. Then eat at a deficit.

    If you decide to work out (you should) then eat some of the calories back, but maintaining the deficit.

    You will lose weight.
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
    To lose weight...quite a bit of weight...70+ pounds...
    What do I need to do more of at first? Cardio, or weights? Or should I combine them? Or would that be detrimental? Is there such a thing as too much cardio?

    Agree with Britzzie. Do workouts that are fun for YOU. If you absolutely hate running on the hamster wheel (treadmill), then don't do it. If you'd rather punch a kitten than lift weights, than please don't (think of the kittehs!). Volunteer at an animal shelter and walk every dog you can find, and make sure you pick up the heaviest bags of dog food available. Dance. Jump rope.

    However, all that is for nothing if you eat too much. Use this site http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to figure out how many calories to eat per day, or use MFP's calculations and eat back some of the exercise calories.

    Good luck! :drinker:
  • sugaree1202
    sugaree1202 Posts: 184 Member
    I have a similar amount of weight to lose this time around - I re-injured my ankle and was pretty ina tive the past 2 years but have previously lost pregnancy weight and weight gained due due to inactivity after I initially broke my ankle. I get the best results when Icombine cardio, strength training and a calorie deficit.

    It's really important to choose an activity you enjoy. Swimming laps is great because the water provides natural resistance so you can do cardio and toning at the same time. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is very effective cardio, lifting heavier weights for less reps is very effective strength training -and don't worry, you won't get bulky.

    Do you belong to a gym or are you going to workout at home? For at home workouts, what works best for me is investing in a several class workout program that follows a 3 or 4 month schedule. Like another poster mentioned, Jillian Michaels has a few popular programs. I prefer Chalene Johnson's programs because they're fun and keep me motivated. I'm in week 6 of TurboFire (intense cardio, HIIT, kickboxing) with ChaLean Extreme mixed in, her strength training program and dropping 6 inches a week with proper diet. My weight loss is slow due to health issues and I've lost 5 pounds so far. Becachbody.com has lots of other popular workout programs too.

    Whatever you choose, get moving & stick with it! Good luck!
  • Anna_Joys_Journey
    Anna_Joys_Journey Posts: 253 Member
    I have a similar amount of weight to lose this time around - I re-injured my ankle and was pretty ina tive the past 2 years but have previously lost pregnancy weight and weight gained due due to inactivity after I initially broke my ankle. I get the best results when Icombine cardio, strength training and a calorie deficit.

    It's really important to choose an activity you enjoy. Swimming laps is great because the water provides natural resistance so you can do cardio and toning at the same time. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is very effective cardio, lifting heavier weights for less reps is very effective strength training -and don't worry, you won't get bulky.

    Do you belong to a gym or are you going to workout at home? For at home workouts, what works best for me is investing in a several class workout program that follows a 3 or 4 month schedule. Like another poster mentioned, Jillian Michaels has a few popular programs. I prefer Chalene Johnson's programs because they're fun and keep me motivated. I'm in week 6 of TurboFire (intense cardio, HIIT, kickboxing) with ChaLean Extreme mixed in, her strength training program and dropping 6 inches a week with proper diet. My weight loss is slow due to health issues and I've lost 5 pounds so far. Becachbody.com has lots of other popular workout programs too.

    Whatever you choose, get moving & stick with it! Good luck!

    I can't swim unfortunately...never learned as I'm terrified of water! Ridiculous, I know. :/

    I have several at home workouts (so no excuse to be overweight really) to choose from, and access to a gym if I desire. I don't typically like the gym because it's a military base gym and they not particularly like "fatties" in there. They will loudly moan and complain and cut you down for trying. If I do go to the gym I can only go after 8pm since I can't take my kids while I do classes, or I can use the parent room which has a couple treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and some free weights. I have no idea what to do with the weights though, so I pretty much just walk on the treadmill.

    I do want to do cardio and weights simultaneously, so that I can tone while burning fat...unless its advisable to do it differently?
    I'm thinking of doing a hybrid of TurboFire and Les Mills Pump. :)

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