Exercise

lukefellows
lukefellows Posts: 11 Member
edited November 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Since the new year I have started tracking all my calories and am regularly around 1300-1400 per day. Nothing stupid, just no takeaways, cola or snacks basically. I've lost around 8lbs just by effective diet and increased walking (dog). I haven't restarted any "proper" exercise routine yet as I'm seeing the actual gains in calorie control- both on the scales and how my clothes are fitting.

Should I head back to the gym sooner than later?

Replies

  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Run don't walk.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    as a guy you should be eating more than that and yup - get your behind to the gym :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Eat more, exercise more. But why are you eating so little?

    One of the benefits of exercise when losing weight is to signal your body to retain muscle mass. Remember you want to lose fat not fat and muscle.

    Whatever you do don't increase your calorie deficit with the exercise though - hope you realise you are supposed to eat back exercise calories?
  • lukefellows
    lukefellows Posts: 11 Member
    I do mate yes. Part of my problems over the last year or seven is that I've done the exercise and lost absolutely nothing with no change in body either. I will endeavour to get three forms of exercise in this week.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    are you weighing your food on a scale? if not you should be,sounds like you are eating more than you think if you are gaining and your clothes are fitting a lot tighter. get a scale,weigh all solids and semi solids in grams and all liquids in oz. find the correct MFP entry and go from there.
  • lukefellows
    lukefellows Posts: 11 Member
    I am yes. Thus the weight loss since I have been doing it all
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    Want to change the shape of your body and improve fitness or just get smaller? Incorporate strength training and a little cardio if it's the first. If it's the latter, it's very possible to do that without exercise.
  • lukefellows
    lukefellows Posts: 11 Member
    I'm very stocky (currently 15 st 11lbs) and want to get smaller. If I train weights normally this just added mass so I'm resistant to doing that. Going to pick up some running and swimming
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    For me personally exercising is not just about weight loss, but about the energy it gives me, and the fact that I enjoy it and I feel (and am) much healthier in terms of my cardiovascular fitness. Nobody can tell you what to do and everyone has to find what works for them, but personally with exercise I feel the best way is to find something you actually enjoy so you want to do it for itself and not just as a means to an end. :)
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    lukefellows wrote: »
    I'm very stocky (currently 15 st 11lbs) and want to get smaller. If I train weights normally this just added mass so I'm resistant to doing that. Going to pick up some running and swimming

    There's no way you can be adding mass if you're eating at a deficit!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    CollieFit wrote: »
    For me personally exercising is not just about weight loss, but about the energy it gives me, and the fact that I enjoy it and I feel (and am) much healthier in terms of my cardiovascular fitness. Nobody can tell you what to do and everyone has to find what works for them, but personally with exercise I feel the best way is to find something you actually enjoy so you want to do it for itself and not just as a means to an end. :)

    +1
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    @lukefellows I've only seen people who successfully lost a good amount of weight regret they didn't start weight lifting sooner in their weight loss journey, rather than the reverse.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    yeah you wont gain mass in a deficit. I wished it worked that way but it doesnt.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited January 2016
    lukefellows wrote: »
    I'm very stocky (currently 15 st 11lbs) and want to get smaller. If I train weights normally this just added mass so I'm resistant to doing that. Going to pick up some running and swimming

    No way a 28-year old, 220+ lb. male is going to put on mass while eating 1300-1400 calories per day. A few pounds of "newbie gains" at most, but you don't build mass while eating at a deficit that huge. It's highly more likely that you're losing a significant amount of lean body mass along with the fat.

    Strength training (and adequate protein intake) helps spare lean body mass while losing fat, which is a good thing. It's a lot harder to put muscle on than it is to maintain what you have.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories