Newbie :)

Options
crazydavies
crazydavies Posts: 1
in Motivation and Support
Hi All,
Not exactly sure how to use this but here goes. I have decided to use this and Runkeeper to try and help me achieve my weight loss goal. I have about 3st to drop by beg July so it is a tough one but I am going to give it a go. Any tips or suggestions most welcome. I have limited time and want to use walking/jogging and strength building excercises to achieve this. Let's see how it goes :)

Replies

  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Options
    Some wise advice I have seen on this site over the last couple years:

    "You can't outrun a bad diet."
    "Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym."
    "You eat less to look good in clothes. You exercise to look good naked."

    Most of your weight loss will come from eating less than your body needs to maintain its weight. To do that, set up MFP with a reasonable weight loss goal, then faithfully stick to the calorie goal that MFP sets, and use your first 3-4 weeks' worth of results to adjust your goal. With only 3 stone (42 lb. for the Yanks) to lose, I wouldn't go over 1 lb. per week. You could try 1.5 lb. but I bet you'd feel miserable. There are 13 weeks between now and July 1, so at best, you could lose about half your total. (Actually I see from your profile that you've already lost 10 lb., and have 32 to go. In that case, you could get close with an aggressive 1.5 lb./week target, but that will be hard to maintain in the last month or so.)

    If you try to lose faster, you will be eating so little that it will be very hard to stick with the program, and you will end up losing a significant amount of muscle in addition to fat.

    Meanwhile, running will burn some calories and strengthen many muscles. The Couch to 5K plan is a great one for beginners to use. It also helps to do some strength training to maintain muscle; bodyweight exercises are fine.

    Generally speaking it's a bad idea to set a time frame for weight loss. It encourages behavior that is unsustainable in the long term, and it's therefore usually followed by regaining the weight. What's important is to come up with a lifestyle change that you can stick with in the long run, and that won't happen if you're miserable.

    Good luck!
  • yhealthy2000
    yhealthy2000 Posts: 111 Member
    Options
    I lost about what you are working on losing. I didn't have MFP back when I started several years ago. When the children were two and three, my workout journey began. I started very small with running 10 minutes on the treadmill at home. I kept that going and made it part of my daily schedule. Then I started to go to my HOA gym. I learned to work on those excercise machines. Long story short, I kept workout in my schedule consistently! And, ate healthy. Now, 16 years into it (last 8 years I've been a gym goer)....I'm fit and firm!!! Never looked better and felt better...healthier and happier!! My friend, the key is being consistent - Consistent with your excercising and eating healthy! Lifestyle change that you will love and enjoy!!

Categories