Can someone help me understand what I should be doing?

otranquility
otranquility Posts: 47
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I weight 219 pounds.

On most weeks, I do a combination of swimming and zumba.

My goal is to loose 1.5 pounds a week. I would like to eventually get down to 150.

What type of exercise should I be doing? Where should my heart rate be? How many times a week should I be doing these activities?

As of right now, I really am lost as when to eat, how to eat, when to work out and how. I try to keep under my calories (I don't always make the right food choices though). I work out and usually eat some of those burnt calories (just to make sure I am at 1200 calories).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • la_traviesa36013
    la_traviesa36013 Posts: 73
    bump
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    If you have already lost 16 lbs. you are on the right track! Just in-put how many lbs. you want to lose per week and you will get a calorie number; just restrict your calories to that amt, keep doing the type of exercise routine you are doing because variety is good (SWIMMING is one of the BEST exercises you can do.) As you progress you will get stronger and then you will decide what you want to do nutritional wise>>>Relative Nutrients for YOU, what suits you and your Health goals. Do some RESEARCH online, READ Articles. Just be patient and STEADY!
  • lukybug
    lukybug Posts: 209
    Check out this site - http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/healthtool-target-heart-rate-calculator

    If you are loosing weight, you are on the right track. Are you using a HRM? Just wondering how you are tracking calories burned and your heart rate. Feel free to add me :o)
  • sabrinalg
    sabrinalg Posts: 237 Member
    You're on the right track. Sometimes the scale doesn't move the way that we want it to that's why you should take your measurements, and go by the way your clothes feel on you. As for you're heart rate if you get a heart rate monitor it will let you know when you're in your zone as well as how many calories you burn from exercising.
  • otranquility
    otranquility Posts: 47
    Check out this site - http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/healthtool-target-heart-rate-calculator

    If you are loosing weight, you are on the right track. Are you using a HRM? Just wondering how you are tracking calories burned and your heart rate. Feel free to add me :o)

    I'm not using a HRM at the moment. What I usually do is just pause for a bit and count how many heart beats I have in 30 seconds and then times that by 2. I was told by a friend that I should aim to have 120 beats per minute to burn fat.

    And I track my calories burned by just typing the activity I do into my log and it usually calculates it there.

    Is there another way to track?
  • Jitteryspork
    Jitteryspork Posts: 550 Member
    You are apparently doing well already. I think the key for some people wont be the key for you. You will have to experiment.

    What works for me is eating every 2-3 hours a day. Nothing big.. usually under 200 calories. This really depends on how many calories you have total. I have only 1360 so I have 6 meals a day averaging approx 200-250 calories each. Sometimes if I am not super hungry I eat less then 100-200 calories and that just helps with dinner which tends to be bigger in the end.

    I eat MOST of my exercise calories back, but sometimes forcing myself to eat more is hard. I at least make sure I make it to 1200 net like you said.

    As for water (and not many people believe in this) I take half my weight and drink that in ounces.. i.e = 232lbs/2 = 116/8 = 14.5 cups of water... or 116 ounces depending on how you measure. Some people say you should drink an extra cup for every 30 minutes you exercise etc... but the key is to just not let yourself get thirsty.

    Exercise. I believe a person can exercise everyday as long as they are not working the same muscles everyday. Don't overwork yourself but definately push yourself. If you go and lift a 10 lb weight and it is easy then move to 15 lbs.. dont just use 10 lbs because you CAN do it. At the same time dont jump from 10 to 50lbs.

    Cardio.. set a goal. Example - 1 mile in 10 minutes. Work until you can do it. Then try to do 1.5 miles in 10 minutes. Etc.

    There is no KEY that is universal just do what works for you. :) Hope I helped.
  • otranquility
    otranquility Posts: 47
    Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!
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