Conflicting advice from my gym

The fact you are doing something is the first step. Don't get discouraged!! You have been dedicated for 4 weeks now and are starting to enjoy it, is a lot more then most people are doing.

What is your nutrition like? It will be what ultimately decides if you will achieve your goal or not.

Cardio is good, but not best for weight loss. Light to moderate cardio, will get you better at doing light/moderate cardio. Building muscle will burn more fat. But if you are only doing light resistance training AFTER a cardio session, chances are your not training that resistance with any intensity or much effort.

Take a look at some strength training programs available out there, that will give you more bang for your buck. For Ex, Starting Strength, Stronglifts, New rules of lifting for women, etc.....

Any exercise burns calories. You might not be doing the most efficient exercise but if you are enjoying it then you will more likely stick with it. If you are consuming less calories than you burn then you will lose weight so stick with it and don't get disheartened. It will come off eventually.

Like above commenter says include resistance training in your workout. I tend to do 30 mins cardio and then rotate between legs, arms and core for resistance. I eat 1200 calories plus calories from exercise. I have lost about 11lbs in 2 months.

Keep at it and don't give up!

The whole fat-burning zone is a bit misleading. The best exercise is one you can stick to.

BUT

The way to lose weight is to watch what you eat - the impact of exercise on weight loss is minimal. It's still very good for you in all sorts of other ways, though!

Louise, I'd keep doing what you've been doing as you enjoy it and are more likely to stick with it. But for now I'd be focussing more on your diet and keeping within your calorie goal. Are you doing that?

I'd need some really good justification as to why someone 7st overweight aged 49 was given intervals that made walking difficult for the next few days.

I would like you to ensure that you are pushing yourself more as time goes on though. Is there something built into your program that means you will be pushing harder as you get used to the exercises?

Cardio is good, but not best for weight loss.

Inasmuch as weight loss is governed by consuming less energy than one expends, so all about what one eats.

But if you are only doing light resistance training AFTER a cardio session, chances are your not training that resistance with any intensity or much effort.

Agreed

Optimising weight loss is as much about how the body is made up as the figure on the scale. Exercise of any kind burns calories, but it's indiscriminate about what form those calories take. Essentially one can end up lighter, but in poor shape.

Resistance training and cardio training are complementary, but to get best effect need to be worked in a supporting way, rather than competing with one another. Cardio helps the CV system and endurance, resistance training helps optimise the loss towards retaining lean mass, so increasing the proprtion of loss from fat. The energy expenditure gains from optimised lean mass are negligible so the "muscle burns more" thread isn't significant; single figures per day for most.

In that sense I'd agree the advice above about looking at some form of structured resistance training programme, and since you're already gong to the gym then you might as well use the tools available; free weights. Resistance sessions should be done either before a CV session, or on a different day. That gives most opportunity for each mode of training to have its effect. Burning your stores in CV and then resistance training isn't going to lead to having enough fuel to get the best form the resistance session.

Personally I do one bodyweight resistance session per week as the only session and a second bodyweight session after one of my shorter runs.

As far as the "fat burning zone" thing is concerned, it's a theory that's been discredited for some years. working in the "fat burning zone" just means that one can keep going for longer, hence consuming more total energy over the course of a session. I'll run 12-15km in that zone, but couldn't do the same at high or very high rates.

You say you're following a healthy eating plan but are you weighing and measuring all your food and accurately tracking your calories? Because that's what's key to weight loss.

At a recent consultation I mentioned to the gym instructor I was disappointed there was no weight loss and he told me I was training all wrong. I was reaching cardio level but had to work in the fat burning zone. He gave me a ten minute taster of what I should be doing, ie circuits and interval training. ...
Any thoughts on this please. Thanking you in advance.

That you need to talk to see if someone at the gym knows what they are talking about.

As above - weight loss is about calorie deficit. More exercise means you can eat more for the same deficit.

This website/app here is ideal for monitoring what you eat - as your diary/details are hidden, we can't see what you're doing.

The 'fat burning zone' is a particular heart rate which your body tends to fuel from fat.
If ten minutes left you to being knackered, then it's unlikely you were in this zone.
HOWEVER, if you exercise harder than this, you won't burn any less fat and burning more calories from other sources should still lead to long term fat loss.

I only had 2st (28lbs) to lose and managed it with cal counting and exercise but not "til you drop" stuff which I hate.

To echo others it doesn't matter what is best if you hate it. I only do what enjoy or I'd never go back.

I walk and do mini tramp at home or do weight machines at gym. Whatever you do, don't give up.

Don't cancel! There is nothing wrong about making an effort! Considering your blood pressure has decreased to the point where you were told you can stop taking the control medication that in itself is a HUGE accomplishment! If you think the work out the instructor gave you was too much for you to handle just scale it back. Instead of 50lbs do 20 instead of 4 reps of 10 try 2. Work your way up starting from a place that is comfortable with you. And keep up with your cardio if its a workout you enjoy. If you don't enjoy your workout you aren't going to stick with it.

Now for the scale. Weigh is just a number now. If you are only basing your progress on the number on the scale you are going to become disappointed. Start measuring yourself, pay attention to the fit of your clothes and when you do weigh yourself pick the same day, the same scale, the same place at the same time. Good luck!!

I am not using the My Fitness Pal App to track my weight loss, I am using another reputable healthy eating plan. Yes I am writing down everything I eat . Thank you for your advice everyone

As you used the word 'plan' -
Just to be clear; myfitnesspal is not a 'plan', it is merely a tool (though it does offer some basic guidelines).
Like a paper and pencil or spreadsheet, it is merely a way of recording information, but one ideally suited.

What calorie deficit are you eating at and as above, do you weigh food etc to ensure you 'calories in' is as accurate as can reasonably be expected.

As above; certainly if nothing else you've seen good results at the Doctors, so I'd keep on exercising even if it doesn't end up being the complete solution to weight loss.

I am 7 stone overweight and recently decided enough is enough and I must really do something about it!!
I have started watching my diet and joined a gym. I have been at the gym for 4 weeks now and I can manage about 40 minutes cardio (20 minutes on treadmill/10 minutes on cross trainer/10 minutes cycling.) I then do some of the weight machines.
I am actually really enjoying it and look forward to going. I went to the doctors this week and he checked my blood pressure and it was normal, I was absolutely delighted and have stopped taking the medication.
However, my weight doesn't seem to be coming down at all. I haven't yet taken my measurements to see if there is a difference there as I am afraid there will be no difference there too!!
At a recent consultation I mentioned to the gym instructor I was disappointed there was no weight loss and he told me I was training all wrong. I was reaching cardio level but had to work in the fat burning zone. He gave me a ten minute taster of what I should be doing, ie circuits and interval training. That ten minutes was on Friday and I haven't been able to walk until today. I dont feel fit enough to do that type of exercise yet. Surely after having been idle for so long, that fact I am doing something is better than nothing, but to be told I am exercising wrong is soul destroying. I may as well cancel my membership if I am exercising wrongly !!! Any thoughts on this please. Thanking you in advance.

When starting a weight loss/exercise program, there is not a single "ideal" program that you begin and then stay with forever.

Your fitness program will adjust as you progress through your journey. The first step is mobilization and initial adaptation. This just means getting your body moving, establishing a consistent schedule, learning about exercise, finding out how your muscles work, building up endurance, and getting over the initial stiffness/soreness that can come with a new routine.

This stage requires less intensity than you will need later to make progress. Based on your description, you are doing the right things. Keep in mind that when staring out and building up, if you were previously sedentary or not at a high level of fitness, you are not going to burn a huge number of calories at first--probably only 200-250 session. So you may not see dramatic results at first.

After a few week, you can start to get more aggressive with your training. This means pushing the cardio intensity, lifting heavier weights, and introducing some harder interval workouts. But by then, your body should be ready for this next step.

First don't let someone get you discouraged... nor your progress. Keep going!!!!

Next, you do have to find what works for you so maybe right now what you're doing doesn't work. The 40 mins of cardio - how long have you been doing it? You said you recently got to that time.

I will tell you what worked for me. I did 40 - 50 minutes of cardio (jogging or stationary bike) getting my HR up over 160 (42 y/o female) for all but 5-7 minutes of the workout (warm up and cool down). I did that 4 - 5 times a week for 6 months and reached my goal of lossing 20 pounds. I kept going cuz I wasn't happy yet, so I lost another 10. Once I got to my goal weight, THEN I added in strength training. I also read something on Bodybuilding.com that recommended people not worry too much about strength training until they're within 10-20 pounds of their goal. Right now are you really wanting to get good pecs and bi's or are you trying to lose pounds? NOW I do strength training 3xweek and cardio 3x week and have lost a couple more pounds, but more importantly I'm starting to shape my body and it's very exciting. Sooooooooo after all that, I'd recommend doing more cardio and make sure you're eating at a deficit and you'll lose weight. Period. It will happen. Yes building muscle does help burn fat, but it's something like 6 more calories a day per pound of muscle you add. And adding pounds of muscle takes a bit. So since you're trying to drop weight right now, how about focus on cardio? Then add in strength training as you get closer to your goal?

No matter what....... don't get discouraged!!!! You keep going! You even said you haven't lost weight but your BP is good enough to have come off medication and that right there is definatley a great achievment and something that is a result of your hard work. Keep it up and the rest will come!