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Should I change up my routine?

Tsartele
Tsartele Posts: 683 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm currently sitting at 22% body fat and have been working weights and cardio for the last 4 months and I have lost 40 lbs. I still have some stubborn fat deposits on my chest and gut.I know that I have been gaining some muscle and have noticed some definition in my chest and arms. I was thinking about changing up my routine to do more cardio to try to burn off some of this fat but not totally sure if that is the best approach.

I am doing 10 min treadmill and 45 min elipticle twice a week and lifting 3x a week. About twice a month I play golf in addition to that. I count this as additional cardio session.

Thoughts??

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Eat a bit less or do a bit more cardio if you want to lose more fat.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    If you are currently still losing, I wouldn't change a thing. If your weight loss has stalled for 3+ weeks, I'd drop calories a bit. I'm not a big fan of upping cardio much without fueling it, which negates the point of upping it in order to lose weight. (My exception to this thought--If a person is completely sedentary without a medical need to be, s/he should up activity in general.)
  • Unknown
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  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited June 2016
    jemhh wrote: »
    If you are currently still losing, I wouldn't change a thing. If your weight loss has stalled for 3+ weeks, I'd drop calories a bit. I'm not a big fan of upping cardio much without fueling it, which negates the point of upping it in order to lose weight. (My exception to this thought--If a person is completely sedentary without a medical need to be, s/he should up activity in general.)

    I would only add to this with an interesting review piece at Pubmed talking about exercise (I did not see the modality of exercise mentioned...it might not be relevant) having a greater impact in decreasing visceral fat than diet.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27213481
    "In the absence of weight loss, exercise is related to 6.1% decrease in VAT, whilst diet showed virtually no change (1.1%). In conclusion, both exercise and diet reduce VAT. Despite a larger effect of diet on total body weight loss, exercise tends to have superior effects in reducing VAT."
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    edited June 2016
    I'm to the point now where I may maintain for 2-3 weeks, then loose 2-3 lbs. I just keep doing what I'm doing. I also have my trainer take measurements. Arm, waist, hips, chest, quad, and calf. That's what I rely on more than anything. The last time I measured, I had lost an inch off of my waist and hips. My weight had hardly changed. I personally don't do cardio.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    I'm to the point now where I may maintain for 2-3 weeks, then loose 2-3 lbs. I just keep doing what I'm doing. I also have my trainer take measurements. Arm, waist, hips, chest, quad, and calf. That's what I rely on more than anything. The last time I measured, I had lost an inch off of my waist and hips. My weight had hardly changed. I personally don't do cardio.

    This is a good point. Be sure to take measurements. You'd be surprised where you lose inches sometimes. Last month I lost almost a half inch off my neck, which hadn't changed size in nearly a year. Spots I measure:

    - hips around widest spot
    - waist at belly button
    - waist at smallest spot
    - thigh
    - calf
    - bicep
    - forearm
    - calf
    - wrist
    - neck
    - shoulders
  • michelle24p
    michelle24p Posts: 23 Member
    If you are still losing it is all good. Might consider doing weights 4x per week. You do a lot of cardio. Maybe do that after the strength training.
This discussion has been closed.

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