just starting to lose weight

Alright so I'm around 70 or 80 lbs overweight. I have a fairly active job though, lot of running around heavy lifting that sort of thing, and I think that is all that's kept me from completely going off the deep end.

I'm pretty sure my issue is my diet and inactivity outside of work are tbe main problems, so I've been making changes to my diet and have been trying to be more active when off work.

Mainly what im looking for is exercise advice, mainly for a beginner and ex smoker (2 months so I don't have a ton of time under my belt there). I know the best way to burn fat is with cardio, but I'm trying to get myself toned at the same time.

This is my first time really trying to lose weight so plz forgive my ignorance on the matter. When I got out of high school I just got really lazy, and my diet got horrible so here I am at 270 lbs and haven't really ever tried to get rid of it.

So any help or suggestions at all would be really nice.

Replies

  • You're right in that cardio is important. Weight loss is simple, you just need to eat less fuel than you burn, so some fat stores get used up. I'd make small changes if I were you. So each week make a new resolution, make Sunday your day to cut one more thing out/change another aspect of your life. So week one: no more drinks other than water, then week two: only eat desert on one day per week and have a sensible portion. Remember it's so not about depriving yourself of anything, it's about changing yourself to make you happier and healthier. I don't know I'd you know the Couch to 5K (often abbreviated to C25K) programme, but that's good for beginners in running. I have a running partner which is really helpful for me as I despise it lol but I know how good it is for fat burning.

    But remember you're doing it to be a happier, healthier you!

    Good luck with it all. :)
  • gnlmoschetti
    gnlmoschetti Posts: 2 Member
    Circuit Training would be best. Alternating bouts of cardio with weight lifting. If you are going to workout at home, Jillian Anderson's Body Revolution would be perfect. Lots of strengthening along with cardio, and she starts you out fairly easy to build strength before progressing the workout. Highly recommend it. BUT you most definitely need to follow a reduced calorie diet to lose weight.
  • Chaskavitch
    Chaskavitch Posts: 172 Member
    Lift weights. If you want to have muscle mass ever, just start now, and you won't regret it. If you're dieting and doing cardio without lifting weights, you're probably going to lose a good amount of muscle mass along with the fat. Lifting will help you maintain the muscles you have, so you'll look better once you get to your goal weight. Building muscle takes a LONG time, and keeping what you have now is infinitely easier than starting from the beginning once you lose all the weight.

    Try looking at some basic weightlifting programs like Stronglifts or 5/3/1, or if you'd prefer to do just bodyweight exercises / don't have access to a gym, look at Nerd Fitness, You Are Your Own Gym, or Convict Conditioning. There are videos all over YouTube that you can use to look at the correct form for different lifts or exercises. Go ahead and do cardio as well if you want, because it will absolutely help you lose the fat, but please, do yourself a solid and lift all the things.