Confused about weight training and cardio

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NatakaTran
NatakaTran Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,

I am new here and wanted some advice on loosing the last 20 pounds I have been trying to lose for the past 3 years. I am a 36 year old female, I started my diet and exercise 5 years ago at 236lbs. I lost 100lbs in a year and a half. I still have a lot of flabby fat especially in my lower half and stomach. Over the past 3 years I have stayed consistent with working out and eating right but to no avail I have seen very minimal results. I try to work out at least 4-5 times a week for at least 45-60 minutes. I have a busy schedule so anything longer then that is impossible for me. I have always been a home work out person and that worked for awhile then I decided to go to the gym and use heavier weights to try and tone up after reading that weight training was best to lose overall fat and change body composition. I have been in the gym for the last 6 months and now I have went from a flabby size 6 to a flabby size 9. Please don't tell me to count calories I hate doing that and also I have tried many of the tips and tricks for eating like the six meals a day, 10 hour fasting you name it. So basically at this stage I just eat when I get hungry instead of starving myself to keep my diet on a certain schedule.

My daily workout consist of this.

15-20 minutes of cardio whether it be treadmill, elliptical
then I hit the weight machines. I vary my weight like a pyramid.
70lbs for 10 reps then drop it down for another 10 reps then drop it again for another 10 reps. 30 reps total for each machine.
I alternate my legs one day then arms and abs on another.

Also are there any good supplements that actually work? I just really want to get rid of the rest of the fat and look toned and tightened especially my thigh area. It is hard to wear jeans sometimes because of my thighs.

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    What lifting exercises are you actually doing in your routines? When I started training my trainer had me doing 3 set for each exercise and would start a little lower weight with 10-12 reps, up the weight and do 8-10 and then up it to where I was pushing about as hard as I coud and do about 8. I don't know that backing off your weights between sets is going to get your the maximum results, there are alot of big lifters on this site though so hopefully some of them chime in for you.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    i'd do your strength training before your cardio so you have the energy to lift heavier weights and try to incorporate some free weights rather than the machines :)
  • JamesDanek
    JamesDanek Posts: 95 Member
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    I appreciate you don't like calorie counting...

    But the ONLY way to loose body fat is to eat a calorie deficit.

    The only way to be sure of that is to make sure you consume fewer than you burn

    The easiest way is to count them

    All the tips and tricks in the world will not help if you are not in a deficit. 5:2 10 hour fasting 6 meals a day dont work if the net consumption exceeds or meets requirement.

    There are some supplements that might help but they too are useless without the calorie deficit.

    You can train til you are blue in the face but you wont burn fat without the calorie deficit.

    Sorry:ohwell:
  • Smamfa
    Smamfa Posts: 139 Member
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    I recommend you buy New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler - this gives you a 7 stage workout plan on free weights, not the machines. Ive just started the programme and I really like it so far.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    Please don't tell me to count calories I hate doing that and also I have tried many of the tips and tricks for eating like the six meals a day, 10 hour fasting you name it.

    You'll be spinning your wheels if you don't know what your actual intake is.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    As has already been said, the likely culprit is your diet. If you're gaining, you're eating more than you burn. Good new is, if you're lifting heavy, some off it is likely muscle, which is nice. I hate to say it, but you really might need to count calories. At least do it for a regular week, just to see where you're at. You might be shocked.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    Supplements are only a tool (and most are completely ineffective). A good protein powder can be helpful for getting enough protein, if you don't get enough in your diet, and a multivitamin can help make up for any nutritional deficiencies. Caffeine can give some people an extra boost of energy to hit the gym. None are going to make much of an impact on weight loss, however. As ther others have already said, a caloric deficit is the only way to acheive fat loss, and counting calories is the best way to maintain a healthy deficit. If you aren't tracking, there is a high liklihood that you are eating more than you think you are. It is exceedingly difficult to outtrain a bad diet.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
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    As most have already said, counting calories is the only way to know exactly how much you're eating in order to be eating at a deficit. Also, I would alternate your cardio days and your lifting days. When I was using a personal trainer she kept saying "cardio, cardio, cardio" for losing weight, and to do it for at least 30 minutes a day but more if possible. If you're only doing 15-20 minutes you probably aren't burning enough calories to make much of a difference.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Please don't tell me to count calories I hate doing that and also I have tried many of the tips and tricks for eating like the six meals a day, 10 hour fasting you name it. So basically at this stage I just eat when I get hungry instead of starving myself to keep my diet on a certain schedule.

    don't count calories.

    come back when you are ready to be told that. If i ate when I was hungry- I would eat literally ALL day long- none stop- I"M ALWAYS hungry.

    You don't want to do the work it's going to take to get you to where you need to go. And that's fine. Lots of people don't. But you have to understand- if you do'nt know what you are supposed to be eating to maintain- then you don't know what you need to eat to lose.

    Which means- you are just going to eat when you are hungry and keep posting on MFP complaining about why you aren't losing weight.


    So- come back when you are ready to actually lose weight.
  • StrictlyPro
    StrictlyPro Posts: 72
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    I don't like counting calories. That's why I use this convenient phone app to do it for me ;) It can seem tedious at first, but once you get into it, it is no big deal and importantly, you can lose or gain weight at will in a predictable fashion.
  • tfpdunn
    tfpdunn Posts: 68 Member
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    You've come to the wrong place if you want advice on losing weight without tracking the food you consume. Because people here know you lose at a deficit and gain with a surplus, whether in a traditional calorie counting approach or in a bigger macro approach.

    I agree with what was said above - come back when you're serious.
  • LumpySpacePrincess1
    LumpySpacePrincess1 Posts: 388 Member
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    I'm going to not grant your wish: count yo calories, girl.
    If you're that desperate to lose weight you'll do it. It's easy peasy lemon squeezy and your self-proclaimed flabby *kitten* clearly gives not even a remotely airborne fck about what you like.
    Deficit = weight loss.
    You can run from here to China, but if you eat all the calories back and more you will gain weight.
    And probably die. I don't condone cross continent marathons.
  • NatakaTran
    NatakaTran Posts: 2
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    Thank you for all the nice people who have offered there input. Firstly to those who think I am not serious then why the hell am I here? If I wasn't serious I would have never lost the first 100lbs that I did, I am just having trouble loosing the last of it and toning up. As for my diet I don't eat junk I eat relatively clean. My husband is Asian so we eat NO processed foods, lots of green veggies, fish, chicken and such, and yes I do know about portion control, I WATCH what i eat including no soda, juice etc...Mostly water and a cup of coffee in the morning. So before people judge or want to be *****'s ask me what my diet is before you come on here making rude comments. I came here for support not ridicule for my SELF PROCLAIMED FLABBY *kitten* as lumpyspaceprincess put it.
  • tfpdunn
    tfpdunn Posts: 68 Member
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    The entire concept behind MFP involves monitoring your caloric intake. So why do you think that you'd find support iand guidance when you insist you won't track your calories?

    SMH
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    What's your diet like? Diet for weight control and nutrition; exercise for fitness. Cardio is just weight lifting for your heart and cardiovascular system...weight training strengthens, preserves, and builds muscles. There's nothing to be confused about...your fitness regimen should incorporate elements of both.

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