Is my exercising method any good?

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imlindaheart
imlindaheart Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't have a gym nearby and I don't have time to go out and exercise for 1 or 2 hours at a time + I have a 2-year old and no babysitter. I also work at home with my computer. So what I have done is I have taken 10 minutes here and there and done some dancing or simply running in space. Usually I do around 4-6 x 10 minutes. I also log this exercise and eat back about half the calories. Will it work the same or is doing 60 minutes continuous exercising better for weight loss?

Sorry for my English, not my first language.
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Replies

  • GettingFit5551
    GettingFit5551 Posts: 110 Member
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    I think what you are doing sounds great! It's a great way to get activity in. How are you logging your exercise?
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    The short answer...yes...even short periods of moving will help with weight loss. Bear in mind though that as you lose weight and your body adapts to the exercises that you do that same amount of exercise will burn less calories. You will either need to increase intensity and/or duration to continue to burn the same amount of calories that you are presently burning.

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.
  • imlindaheart
    imlindaheart Posts: 22 Member
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    Annie_01 wrote: »

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.

    Right now, at 267 lbs (121kg), getting fit is not my priority for a while yet. I will be able to get some "real" exercise done in a year from now, hopefully I will be in a better weight then too, to really start working on getting fit.
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
    edited January 2017
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    yes that sounds like a nice plan , you just have to remember if your trying to lose weight its more about how much you eat than how much you exercise ..

    good luck
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 549 Member
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    I was going to say the same things as rainbowbow. Try not to eat back all the calories. Especially on nice days, pack the 2 year old into a stroller & go for a walk. Also physically play with your child . . .a game of tag, swinging on a swing, playing with a ball. Get your body moving.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    Movement is better than no movement. It's not a huge calorie burn but it will help increase your burn a bit. I wouldn't go crazy on eating the calories back.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    imlindaheart wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.

    Right now, at 267 lbs (121kg), getting fit is not my priority for a while yet. I will be able to get some "real" exercise done in a year from now, hopefully I will be in a better weight then too, to really start working on getting fit.

    I was about your weight when I started and very sedentary. I walked but also used resistance bands. They were inexpensive and allowed me to work at my own level. They would also work well with your schedule and could be broken down in to mini sessions.

    This is similar to the set that I have...

    https://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-Exercise/dp/7245456313/ref=sr_1_5?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1485624323&sr=1-5&keywords=resistance+bands
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    I think it's great! Good job working with what you have!
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    Adding movement is always a good thing in my opinion. Also, if you are looking for a free easy way to add more structured exercises there is an app called SWORKIT you can download. It gives you custom workouts 5-30 minutes right to your phone or tablet anytime.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
    edited January 2017
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    That's a good start, but don't eat them back.
  • active562
    active562 Posts: 135 Member
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    Annie_01 wrote: »
    The short answer...yes...even short periods of moving will help with weight loss. Bear in mind though that as you lose weight and your body adapts to the exercises that you do that same amount of exercise will burn less calories. You will either need to increase intensity and/or duration to continue to burn the same amount of calories that you are presently burning.

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.

    Sorry to ask you but im really curious. So if I've been working out on the elliptical for a long time for the same amount of time , will I eventually start burning less calories? Im asking cause I found your answer very interesting.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,986 Member
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    active562 wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    The short answer...yes...even short periods of moving will help with weight loss. Bear in mind though that as you lose weight and your body adapts to the exercises that you do that same amount of exercise will burn less calories. You will either need to increase intensity and/or duration to continue to burn the same amount of calories that you are presently burning.

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.

    Sorry to ask you but im really curious. So if I've been working out on the elliptical for a long time for the same amount of time , will I eventually start burning less calories? Im asking cause I found your answer very interesting.

    If you don't increase your exertion level, then,
    yes, definitely, if you've lost weight, and
    yes, probably, even if you haven't lost weight, because you'll likely have gotten fitter and more efficient at that movement, and your body will be able to perform the same amount of that type of work (i.e., moving your body in a certain way) for fewer calories.
  • active562
    active562 Posts: 135 Member
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    active562 wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    The short answer...yes...even short periods of moving will help with weight loss. Bear in mind though that as you lose weight and your body adapts to the exercises that you do that same amount of exercise will burn less calories. You will either need to increase intensity and/or duration to continue to burn the same amount of calories that you are presently burning.

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.

    Sorry to ask you but im really curious. So if I've been working out on the elliptical for a long time for the same amount of time , will I eventually start burning less calories? Im asking cause I found your answer very interesting.

    If you don't increase your exertion level, then,
    yes, definitely, if you've lost weight, and
    yes, probably, even if you haven't lost weight, because you'll likely have gotten fitter and more efficient at that movement, and your body will be able to perform the same amount of that type of work (i.e., moving your body in a certain way) for fewer calories.

    So even to maintain my current weight , I must change my workout routine every couple of months?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,370 Member
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    active562 wrote: »
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    active562 wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    The short answer...yes...even short periods of moving will help with weight loss. Bear in mind though that as you lose weight and your body adapts to the exercises that you do that same amount of exercise will burn less calories. You will either need to increase intensity and/or duration to continue to burn the same amount of calories that you are presently burning.

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.

    Sorry to ask you but im really curious. So if I've been working out on the elliptical for a long time for the same amount of time , will I eventually start burning less calories? Im asking cause I found your answer very interesting.

    If you don't increase your exertion level, then,
    yes, definitely, if you've lost weight, and
    yes, probably, even if you haven't lost weight, because you'll likely have gotten fitter and more efficient at that movement, and your body will be able to perform the same amount of that type of work (i.e., moving your body in a certain way) for fewer calories.

    So even to maintain my current weight , I must change my workout routine every couple of months?

    Theory is one thing, practice may be another.

    I have no basis for saying this will be true for others, but changes in calorie burn due to increased efficiency/fitness have been gradual & minor for me - not really worth worrying about if my weight trend seems in line with my goals. With improving fitness, though, I do tend to push a bit harder just because it feels good to do it.

    Calorie burn with bodyweight changes have been more significant for me, and seem to be proportionate to what the calculators suggest.

    Based on my experience, I wouldn't encourage anyone else to abandon a routine that's working in their life, that they enjoy, just to mix things up in hopes of a better burn.

    YMMV, though.

  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    red99ryder wrote: »
    yes that sounds like a nice plan , you just have to remember if your trying to lose weight its more about how much you eat than how much you exercise ..

    good luck

    This. Calorie deficit is the key to weight loss. Mfp sets this up for you when you enter your stats. All you need to do after that is weigh food on a digital food scale and log diligently by being accurate with the nutrition. Checking mfp food database entries against the USDA entries and packaging works well. Eat the calories mfp gives you. Choose an appropriate calorie goal.

    Being active is a fantastic thing, and you're off to a great start, and I agree with all that mentioned not eating back these calories back.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    active562 wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    The short answer...yes...even short periods of moving will help with weight loss. Bear in mind though that as you lose weight and your body adapts to the exercises that you do that same amount of exercise will burn less calories. You will either need to increase intensity and/or duration to continue to burn the same amount of calories that you are presently burning.

    How fit you will become with exercising this way is another story.

    Sorry to ask you but im really curious. So if I've been working out on the elliptical for a long time for the same amount of time , will I eventually start burning less calories? Im asking cause I found your answer very interesting.

    The heavier that you are the more energy that you expend to do an exercise plus your body will become adept at what you are doing.

    Just an example...a 250lb person will burn more calories walking a mile than a 200lb person and a lot more than 150lb person. That doesn't mean that the person has to give up walking and do something else. It just means that they will have to increase distance and/or increase the intensity. They can increase intensity either by adding speed or incline. This is if you want to continue to burn the same amount of calories.

    When I first started walking (I was fairly sedentary) at 246lb I was burning close to 100 calories per mile. Now that I have lost weight and have become more active and fitter at most I am burning 60 calories per mile. To get the same benefit from my walking I have to keep increasing distance and intensity.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
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    Your strategy is pretty good! I agree with what advice has already been written.
    I'm a busy student, and I incorporate movement myself by scheduling study breaks for quick, brisk walks. I also do yoga as soon as I wake up. Perhaps you can schedule another 5-10 minute schedule into your morning routine?
    Also, your English isn't bad at all. ^^

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