What should I try?

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HANBALL236
HANBALL236 Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone! I figured that in order to lose weight I need to combine a healthy diet with some exercise. The thing is I HATE running. I like walking and biking. Are these two sports just as effective as running if I were to be active 5 times a week for 45 minutes? Also I do NOT like doing abdominal workouts. O had a question about that too. Can losing weight with cardio help me lose weight from around my stomach and help my belly get toned a bit? Thanks

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  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Read the stickies, because it's evident that you haven't. I'll point you in the right direction: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    Weight loss comes from a caloric deficit; this is eating less calories than your body needs to maintain its weight.

    Remember that a caloric deficit is needed for weight loss, and exercise is for physical fitness.

    It doesn't matter what exercise you do. As long as you enjoy it, keep doing it.

    You can't spot reduce fat. Your genetics dictate where your fat comes off of. Just keep losing and it will come off everywhere.
  • BeingKevin2
    BeingKevin2 Posts: 13 Member
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    First, you made a wise choice - combining a healthy diet, while counting calories, and adding exercise is key to improved health which will include weight loss if your calorie intake is at a deficit.

    Any activity will help, so I tell people to try them all - you never know what you will find you enjoy. If you like walking, walk. If you like biking, bike. If you like swimming, swim. Regardless of what it is you are moving. If you get tired of one move to another. Just keep moving.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,157 Member
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    HANBALL236 wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I figured that in order to lose weight I need to combine a healthy diet with some exercise. The thing is I HATE running. I like walking and biking. Are these two sports just as effective as running if I were to be active 5 times a week for 45 minutes? Also I do NOT like doing abdominal workouts. O had a question about that too. Can losing weight with cardio help me lose weight from around my stomach and help my belly get toned a bit? Thanks

    If you like walking and biking, then go out and enjoy walking and biking. :) That's mainly what I do for exercise too.

    And also stick to CICO (calories in < calories out)

  • HANBALL236
    HANBALL236 Posts: 20 Member
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    Thank you for the advice everyone
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
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    Many people "hate running" because they suck at it. Perhaps even most people "hate running" because they suck at it. That would be quite a human response. I'm not insinuating this is you or trying to provoke an argument, but the observation may be true for you nonetheless. Hating running because of poor performance and how one feels doing it is a very common thing.

    One way to not suck at running is to give it a fair shake, start small, run slow, and build slowly. Those who do this are often surprised at how easy endurance is to build and how good it feels.

    Truthfully when I started running last September I hated how it felt because I could not even complete one kilometer without stopping multiple times. Gasping and wheezing. Perhaps the difference for me is that I used to be a runner, a distance runner, a decade or so ago, so I knew that simply by taking it easy and keeping at it I would improve. That didn't stop me from hating how it felt in those first weeks and months... believe me I did. But I had faith because I had prior experience - it was easy to believe in improvement.

    Yesterday I ran 21+km on a lovely lake side trail and felt good during it and great afterwards and today. Not bad for being a post-pneumonia case last year -- 105 pounds too heavy -- to today fit and on track to reach my goal weight in a few months.

    Enjoy walking and biking (I do!) but if you are at all curious if running could work for you, there are plenty of people here and threads to help you along the way.

  • HANBALL236
    HANBALL236 Posts: 20 Member
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    Thank you so much I might try running ☺
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
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    +1 to trying anything and giving it a fair shake.

    The human body is really quite amazing. Most of us are capable of so much more than we can possibly imagine at the start of our journeys. Push yourself in different (safe) ways and most importantly have fun!

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