I been on my diet for almost a month can I start doing other workouts

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TeachergirlCeleste
TeachergirlCeleste Posts: 66 Member
edited January 2018 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, some weeks ago I was 340 pounds! I am now down to 324. I usually do cardio and strength workouts. I want to start doing squats to tone my butt. Should I consider doing this or should I wait until I get to 260 pounds.
My height is 5'8

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  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
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    Start by getting a food scale and accurately logging your calories. Your margin of error is going to decrease as you lose weight.

    Many people on here recommend starting a progressive resistance/weight lifting program as early as possible to preserve muscle. I say go for it and take it at your own pace. Definitely don't push your joints if some moves hurt without consulting with a doctor, though.
    Here are some great resources for weight lifting:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308750/so-you-want-to-start-lifting-great/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Strong Curves is an awesome program designed to get you a strong booty, maybe take a look at that!
    I started "Starting Strength" this week because it's a really good foundational program and I can definitely tell you that my booty is SORE today.

    Congrats on your weight loss to date and good luck!!
  • shivaslives
    shivaslives Posts: 279 Member
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    At first, keep it simple. See the nice flow chart and look at the red circle. It boils down to Eat Less, Move More. MFP can help you track both and establish goals to achieve your desired result.
  • UnicornSmoothie
    UnicornSmoothie Posts: 20 Member
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    I can't see that it would make much of a difference. Starting now will just add in another area of muscles to work out, so I say if you feel up to it and you want to get started now, go for it! There's no real need to wait.
  • jsminer827
    jsminer827 Posts: 62 Member
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    Squats can easily become part of a cardio or a strength training routine (one is for speed, the other with some weight). I don't see any reason not to incorporate squats, unless you have an underlying medical issue to be concerned with.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,798 Member
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    Go for doing squats, you cant spot reduce fat, but but squats and lifting and such will help you maintain muscle so when you do start getting closer to your goal, you will have more muscle and look more toned then if you just do cardio
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    This is the fitness and exercise forum and your post mentions exercises so I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you are asking about what exercises you should do.

    I would suggest that you speak with your doctor to determine what is safe/best for you. But people often don't want to go that route and if that is the case, I'd suggest doing whatever you feel comfortable doing safely. Good form is important to prevent injury. If your gym has trainers you might talk to them about where to start and teaching you correct form.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    You can start squatting whenever you want to.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    tinaalisa15 wrote: »
    Hello, some weeks ago I was 340 pounds! I am now down to 324. I usually do cardio and strength workouts. I want to start doing squats to tone my butt. Should I consider doing this or should I wait until I get to 260 pounds.
    My height is 5'8

    Don't put off strength training. Start now, (although you said you have been). I'm not sure what your current strength training includes, but compound lifts like squats should certainly be a part of it. There's a great thread about choosing a program to follow. There are lots of good ones to choose from
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    tinaalisa15 wrote: »
    Hello, some weeks ago I was 340 pounds! I am now down to 324. I usually do cardio and strength workouts. I want to start doing squats to tone my butt. Should I consider doing this or should I wait until I get to 260 pounds.
    My height is 5'8

    Squats are typically an integral part of a good strength program...if you're doing strength workouts (which you should be) then squats should be in there. Any good lifting program has compound movements like squats (or variations) at the foundation of the programming.

    There are many good beginner programs out there that are tried and true...no need to re-invent the wheel...running a structured program is going to be far more efficient and beneficial than throwing your own thing together.
  • jayemes
    jayemes Posts: 865 Member
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    ^ Ditto everyone who's saying to start squatting/progressive lifting program now (just make sure you're not doing anything that's causing you pain and talk to your doctor if you're concerned)
    Keep up the good work!
  • kennyb395
    kennyb395 Posts: 6 Member
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    New reaserch suggests that you should start weight training right from the start...it will build lean muscle which in turn will turn your body into a fat burning machine faster than cardio can...just be mindful that weight training will not show on the scales but will show in how your clothes fit...so yes do squats and other resistant excersise as well as some cardio..
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
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    I am doing the program in the book Strong by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. It is very beginner friendly. It includes 3 hour long workouts/week. Highly recommend. The book also gives insight into the benefits of weight lifting and talks about the importance of protein.

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