am I doing enough to lose weight?

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missbutterfly92
missbutterfly92 Posts: 31 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I go to the gym six days a week. I do cardivascular on the cross trainer between 30-45 minutes, intensity increases each week, and afterwards I swim about four laps but if I am not swimming I just use the cross trainer. I am planning on booking aerobic classes and legs, bums and tums (or do it at home using Jillian Michaels workout dvd) but is this enough to lose 2lb a week and I am also eating healthy! Cut down on my sugar and carb intake and increased protein and iron.

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  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    You don't say how much you're eating. Do you use a food scale to track calories?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    You eat iron? Mmm, tasty.

    You can exercise and eat "healthy" all you like, but unless you're eating less than your body requires you won't lose diddly squat.
  • BodyByBex
    BodyByBex Posts: 3,685 Member
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    You don't have to go low carb. Just follow CICO.

    Weight, measure, and log your food accurately and, for the love of all that is holy, incorporate a rest/recovery day.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    missbutterfly92 wrote: »
    I go to the gym six days a week. I do cardivascular on the cross trainer between 30-45 minutes, intensity increases each week, and afterwards I swim about four laps but if I am not swimming I just use the cross trainer. I am planning on booking aerobic classes and legs, bums and tums (or do it at home using Jillian Michaels workout dvd) but is this enough to lose 2lb a week and I am also eating healthy! Cut down on my sugar and carb intake and increased protein and iron.

    The Bible: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • BodyByBex
    BodyByBex Posts: 3,685 Member
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    @SingingSingleTracker Thank you. I saw this posted not too long ago and wanted to show a friend but couldn't find/remember the link!
  • Xrix512
    Xrix512 Posts: 11 Member
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    Also, if your main goal is to loose weight, using a heart rate monitor can help you stay in the correct zone for max fat burning. Probably way less exertion than you think.

    Also, including some strength training will help you burn more fat. Throw in a couple of days of weights into your routine.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    Xrix512 wrote: »
    Also, if your main goal is to loose weight, using a heart rate monitor can help you stay in the correct zone for max fat burning. Probably way less exertion than you think.

    Also, including some strength training will help you burn more fat. Throw in a couple of days of weights into your routine.
    there's only 7 days in a week, my fren.
  • NekoneMeowMixx
    NekoneMeowMixx Posts: 410 Member
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    Xrix512 wrote: »
    Also, if your main goal is to loose weight, using a heart rate monitor can help you stay in the correct zone for max fat burning. Probably way less exertion than you think.

    Also, including some strength training will help you burn more fat. Throw in a couple of days of weights into your routine.

    ^This. Cardio is great and all, (for some folks) but personally I'm a huge advocate for weight training. Utilize both in proper moderation (REST DAY! REST DAY! REST DAY!) And like it's been stated above, make sure you're eating at a deficit/close to. If you're weight lifting you (or for any reason, really) you don't want to be at a crazy huge deficit or your body will go all "Oh gosh, I'm starving, best not lose any weight!"

    I did Stronglifts for about 2 months (albeit, sporadically) and now I'm onto Wendler's 3 days a week with 2 - 3 days of HIIT/Kickboxing, and hot yoga on the occassional Sunday (which is when I'll only do HIIT 2 days a week, so I can get that rest day in).

    Depending on where you are, (weight/goal-wise) the scale may not budge. Personally I'm at about where I want to be for weight, but am looking to shred inches. I misinterpreted that as a weight loss goal. Now that I've been weightlifting, I'm actually seeing all those stubborn areas begin to tighten up!

    Best of luck, hope this helps!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    To lose weight you need to eat at a deficit. To make sure your eating at a deficit you'll need to weigh and measure everything you consume.
    There is no need to give up carbs and sugar and do insane amounts of cardio.
  • rrruuunnn
    rrruuunnn Posts: 15 Member
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    What about your target heart rate. Are you going beyond aerobic to anaerobic? I always stay in my aerobic zone to build vo2 max.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,574 Member
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    I don't see a single thing about how many calories you're consuming. That should have been the very first point in your thread.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
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    If you were at a stable weight (not gaining) and introduce cardio to your week you will lose weight.
    3500 calories = 1 lb. Divide that by 7 days = 500. Burn 500 extra cardio calories a day and you'll lose one pound a week.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Well...are you losing weight?
  • missbutterfly92
    missbutterfly92 Posts: 31 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Well...are you losing weight?
    I've lost 3lb so far :)
  • CatherineD9889
    CatherineD9889 Posts: 30 Member
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    rileyes wrote: »
    If you were at a stable weight (not gaining) and introduce cardio to your week you will lose weight.
    3500 calories = 1 lb. Divide that by 7 days = 500. Burn 500 extra cardio calories a day and you'll lose one pound a week.

    Thank you for this easy formula! Makes perfect sense! Finally!
  • portugaline
    portugaline Posts: 95 Member
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    If you keep on reducing calories and add cardio you will end up not eating almost nothing doing a lot of cardio and not losing all the weight you want.

    Try to eat the maximum amount of fiber, protein, and other complex carbs you can and hit your daily calories not staying much bellow.

    The answer is most of the times more quality food and more exercise, not less. :)

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