So many myths it’s exhausting.
Replies
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Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Find something you enjoy doing. No need to waste precious time on the dreadmill - there are a lot of enjoyable activities that you can do for cardio... dancing, walking around random neighborhoods (or snowshoeing/XC-skiing them), hiking, cycling, rollerblading, sports, window shopping,...
I feel like the odd man out because I actually enjoy the treadmill lol. But yes, definitely find something you enjoy doing!10 -
Fitnessgirl0913 wrote: »Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Find something you enjoy doing. No need to waste precious time on the dreadmill - there are a lot of enjoyable activities that you can do for cardio... dancing, walking around random neighborhoods (or snowshoeing/XC-skiing them), hiking, cycling, rollerblading, sports, window shopping,...
I feel like the odd man out because I actually enjoy the treadmill lol. But yes, definitely find something you enjoy doing!
I enjoy the treadmill too! My favorite audiobooks or shows and I'm good to go. No need to keep watching out for people/cars/stones or worry that I would get too cold/hot/wet/thirsty or need the bathroom.8 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Cardio is great for health and adding to your deficit. While it's good to be active, you don't need to go crazy with it. Start with your food intake.. then let the rest followJarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Cardio is great for health and adding to your deficit. While it's good to be active, you don't need to go crazy with it. Start with your food intake.. then let the rest follow
This! ^ Weights don't burn more calories but they shape your body better. Manageange the calorie part with diet. You don't "have" to do anything more. If you "want" to give yourself a little more dietary flexibility with calories and have the time, sure walk more. Getting the 10,000 steps is nice but controlling the diet is the key. That and resistance training will give you a great looking body.
What happens in the cardio class? You must get some calorie burn from that. Maybe I missed it earlier in the thread. Here is the thing. It's not a rules based thing with the exception of eating less than you burn. Everything else is a bonus. Be careful about too much focus on the scale. You can make some great body changes while not having weight drop that much. Take a look at this thread and the pics posted.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/42695689#Comment_42695689
This lady lost weight and gained it all back in a fabulous way!5 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »From your posts you do seem to be actively seeking to make sometime simple more complicated - perhaps that's a subconscious searching for a justification for...
"I have like 4 years on my journey to lose weight and I always give up"
(You aren't alone - I put off losing my excess weight for 20 years with a really silly excuse! Don't let searching for complication be your excuse.)
Losing weight is as simple and as boring as eating a bit less than you need to.
To improve that slightly then the phrase "eat less, move more" adds in improving health/fitness and creating a positive habit.- Eating a bit less than your needs is by far the biggest driver for creating a calorie deficit.
- Strength training is the biggest driver for muscle retention.
- Cardio is the biggest driver for CV health and fitness.
So do those three things consistently over an extended period and you will lose fat, retain muscle, improve health and fitness.
You could share this link with your trainer as their advice is poor for your stated goals but personally I think you need to simplify the process not complicate.
https://bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html/
Okay so I think I’ve been doing this wrong all along then. I lift weights and do a cardio class in the afternoon. But that’s really all I do, I am not really active. Should I walk for an hour or more in the treadmill just to increase my daily steps? I am not active. I go to the gym in the mornings to lift and in the afternoon I attend a cardio class and that’s pretty much it.
Actually I think you are still looking at this back to front.
All your focus is on how to burn more - if after 4 years you haven't been successful this could be the reason. You also need to stop eating so many calories (at least for a while until you get to goal).
Treadmill sounds a desperately dull thing to do and unlikely to be sustainable - if you want to be more active then build that into your daily/weekly routine. Make sitting down your last option not your first.7 -
To lose weight all you need is a calorie deficit which you can achieve through diet alone. But if your goal long term is to add some muscle and lose fat exercise is key. I’m a 38yr old woman with thyroid disease and I have been able to decrease my body fat percentage while adding some muscle so I can tell you what I did. I suspect that someone younger or without my medical issues would probably have faster results. I’ve been at this a little over 2yr now.
I started by maintaining a modest and maintainable calorie deficit while playing around with different workouts and activities just to explore what I enjoyed and get used to moving more at first. I really love hiking and boxing now. Doing this got me to the top end of a healthy BMI range.
Once I reached a healthy weight I became more focused on my macros and training schedule. I do 3-4month bulk/cut cycles. I alternate between cardio and strength days when bulking and cutting. When I’m bulking my runs on cardio days involve more hills and I don’t time them. It’s more about challenging my body on different terrains. In the gym I’ll add more weight and less reps for strength days. When cutting I run longer on flat ground and work towards improving my speed getting my heart rate up higher and focus on increased reps without adding weight on strength days. For diet calories are still king but I focus on hitting my protein first for both cycles. When cutting I also reduce my net carbs (not super low but goal is 100g net max).
You will have to find the right combination for you. I currently lift twice a week, boxing once a week, Jazzercize with light hand weights (3-10lb) once a week, and run the other days. The boxing and Jazzercize both incorporate cardio and strength into the same workout which I really enjoy.3 -
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Jarettzy18 wrote: »From your posts you do seem to be actively seeking to make sometime simple more complicated - perhaps that's a subconscious searching for a justification for...
"I have like 4 years on my journey to lose weight and I always give up"
(You aren't alone - I put off losing my excess weight for 20 years with a really silly excuse! Don't let searching for complication be your excuse.)
Losing weight is as simple and as boring as eating a bit less than you need to.
To improve that slightly then the phrase "eat less, move more" adds in improving health/fitness and creating a positive habit.- Eating a bit less than your needs is by far the biggest driver for creating a calorie deficit.
- Strength training is the biggest driver for muscle retention.
- Cardio is the biggest driver for CV health and fitness.
So do those three things consistently over an extended period and you will lose fat, retain muscle, improve health and fitness.
You could share this link with your trainer as their advice is poor for your stated goals but personally I think you need to simplify the process not complicate.
https://bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html/
Okay so I think I’ve been doing this wrong all along then. I lift weights and do a cardio class in the afternoon. But that’s really all I do, I am not really active. Should I walk for an hour or more in the treadmill just to increase my daily steps? I am not active. I go to the gym in the mornings to lift and in the afternoon I attend a cardio class and that’s pretty much it.
Intense cardio sessions and a sedentary job are working fine for me. Some days I get zero exercise and maybe 2000 steps. I get a solid cardio session in every other weekday (sometimes things come up and I miss that). Some days I am more active outside of dedicated exercise, but the exercise is what improved my general fitness (able to walk for miles without getting too tired, up a few flights of stairs without getting breathless, etc).
I am not preaching cardio only; just saying that intermittent cardio seems to be just as effective as an overall increase in activity. It's also more measurable and easier to succeed at IMO. I can't change the fact that I have the most value sitting at my desk; I can move a bit more but I can't make my job be really active.4 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Losing weight largely comes down to diet...you have to consume less energy (calories) than you expend. You can gain weight, lose weight, and maintain weight doing all of the exercise you want, but if you're not taking in less calories than you're expending you won't lose weight/fat. If exercise in and of itself defaulted to weight loss then people who exercise regularly for their fitness would simply wither away.
More activity = greater energy expenditure...so yes, more activity can help, but if you eat maintenance calories, you're going to maintain.7 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Find something you enjoy doing. No need to waste precious time on the dreadmill - there are a lot of enjoyable activities that you can do for cardio... dancing, walking around random neighborhoods (or snowshoeing/XC-skiing them), hiking, cycling, rollerblading, sports, window shopping,...
The thing is I don’t have nothing to do. I just go to the gym sometimes work as a substitute and that’s pretty much it. I’m not active so I’m guessing this is why I don’t lose weight because I don’t burn enough calories? Idk.0 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Find something you enjoy doing. No need to waste precious time on the dreadmill - there are a lot of enjoyable activities that you can do for cardio... dancing, walking around random neighborhoods (or snowshoeing/XC-skiing them), hiking, cycling, rollerblading, sports, window shopping,...
The thing is I don’t have nothing to do. I just go to the gym sometimes work as a substitute and that’s pretty much it. I’m not active so I’m guessing this is why I don’t lose weight because I don’t burn enough calories? Idk.
You need to eat less if you aren't active. That's all there is to it. Eat fewer calories or move more (or both), whichever feels easier to you. Keep your calories in check in all cases.6 -
To lose weight all you need is a calorie deficit which you can achieve through diet alone. But if your goal long term is to add some muscle and lose fat exercise is key. I’m a 38yr old woman with thyroid disease and I have been able to decrease my body fat percentage while adding some muscle so I can tell you what I did. I suspect that someone younger or without my medical issues would probably have faster results. I’ve been at this a little over 2yr now.
I started by maintaining a modest and maintainable calorie deficit while playing around with different workouts and activities just to explore what I enjoyed and get used to moving more at first. I really love hiking and boxing now. Doing this got me to the top end of a healthy BMI range.
Once I reached a healthy weight I became more focused on my macros and training schedule. I do 3-4month bulk/cut cycles. I alternate between cardio and strength days when bulking and cutting. When I’m bulking my runs on cardio days involve more hills and I don’t time them. It’s more about challenging my body on different terrains. In the gym I’ll add more weight and less reps for strength days. When cutting I run longer on flat ground and work towards improving my speed getting my heart rate up higher and focus on increased reps without adding weight on strength days. For diet calories are still king but I focus on hitting my protein first for both cycles. When cutting I also reduce my net carbs (not super low but goal is 100g net max).
You will have to find the right combination for you. I currently lift twice a week, boxing once a week, Jazzercize with light hand weights (3-10lb) once a week, and run the other days. The boxing and Jazzercize both incorporate cardio and strength into the same workout which I really enjoy.
Well that’s my problem. I don’t know what to do because I do weight training and some cardio and try to eat healthy and I still don’t lose weight. I’m only active when I’m @ the gym because I don’t do anything else at home. So that is why I’m saying maybe using the treadmill for over an hour will help me walk more and burn more calories because of the steps. How can I know how many calories I burn each day. What device can I use?0 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Cardio is great for health and adding to your deficit. While it's good to be active, you don't need to go crazy with it. Start with your food intake.. then let the rest followJarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Cardio is great for health and adding to your deficit. While it's good to be active, you don't need to go crazy with it. Start with your food intake.. then let the rest follow
This! ^ Weights don't burn more calories but they shape your body better. Manageange the calorie part with diet. You don't "have" to do anything more. If you "want" to give yourself a little more dietary flexibility with calories and have the time, sure walk more. Getting the 10,000 steps is nice but controlling the diet is the key. That and resistance training will give you a great looking body.
What happens in the cardio class? You must get some calorie burn from that. Maybe I missed it earlier in the thread. Here is the thing. It's not a rules based thing with the exception of eating less than you burn. Everything else is a bonus. Be careful about too much focus on the scale. You can make some great body changes while not having weight drop that much. Take a look at this thread and the pics posted.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/42695689#Comment_42695689
This lady lost weight and gained it all back in a fabulous way!
Yes girl. This is what I’m trying to explain I weight lift because later on when I’m leaner I want to gain more muscle. But that’s a whole other story, right now my main goal is to maintain muscle and lose weight. The only time I’m active is when I go to the gym because when I’m in my house I don’t even reach 7,000 steps. But I have nothing else to do, so that’s why I said maybe walking on the treadmill for an hour can help my daily steps. Also, I’m familiar with the calorie deficit but i find it hard to track my calories burned even with my Apple Watch. What can be an accurate device so I can get familiar with my calories burned and make a deficit???0 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »To lose weight all you need is a calorie deficit which you can achieve through diet alone. But if your goal long term is to add some muscle and lose fat exercise is key. I’m a 38yr old woman with thyroid disease and I have been able to decrease my body fat percentage while adding some muscle so I can tell you what I did. I suspect that someone younger or without my medical issues would probably have faster results. I’ve been at this a little over 2yr now.
I started by maintaining a modest and maintainable calorie deficit while playing around with different workouts and activities just to explore what I enjoyed and get used to moving more at first. I really love hiking and boxing now. Doing this got me to the top end of a healthy BMI range.
Once I reached a healthy weight I became more focused on my macros and training schedule. I do 3-4month bulk/cut cycles. I alternate between cardio and strength days when bulking and cutting. When I’m bulking my runs on cardio days involve more hills and I don’t time them. It’s more about challenging my body on different terrains. In the gym I’ll add more weight and less reps for strength days. When cutting I run longer on flat ground and work towards improving my speed getting my heart rate up higher and focus on increased reps without adding weight on strength days. For diet calories are still king but I focus on hitting my protein first for both cycles. When cutting I also reduce my net carbs (not super low but goal is 100g net max).
You will have to find the right combination for you. I currently lift twice a week, boxing once a week, Jazzercize with light hand weights (3-10lb) once a week, and run the other days. The boxing and Jazzercize both incorporate cardio and strength into the same workout which I really enjoy.
Well that’s my problem. I don’t know what to do because I do weight training and some cardio and try to eat healthy and I still don’t lose weight. I’m only active when I’m @ the gym because I don’t do anything else at home. So that is why I’m saying maybe using the treadmill for over an hour will help me walk more and burn more calories because of the steps. How can I know how many calories I burn each day. What device can I use?
"Trying to eat healthy" is pretty vague. Are you logging your food? Using a food scale? Choosing database entries carefully?
MFP will give you a calorie goal. Exercise burns are difficult to get an accurate calorie count for, you kind of have to go with estimates and tweak as you go. That's why everyone here keeps repeating that you need to get your calories in on point, you have way more control over that side of the equation.9 -
Generally speaking, I log my exercise on MFP, use the calories it tells me I burned, and eat back half. I keep the other half as a cushion in case I underestimated my food calories and/or overestimated my exercise burns. Plus, if I'm hungry at the end of the day, I may dip into that 'reserve' too. It doesn't need to be 100% accurate, but it does need to be in the ballpark.8
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Jarettzy18 wrote: »To lose weight all you need is a calorie deficit which you can achieve through diet alone. But if your goal long term is to add some muscle and lose fat exercise is key. I’m a 38yr old woman with thyroid disease and I have been able to decrease my body fat percentage while adding some muscle so I can tell you what I did. I suspect that someone younger or without my medical issues would probably have faster results. I’ve been at this a little over 2yr now.
I started by maintaining a modest and maintainable calorie deficit while playing around with different workouts and activities just to explore what I enjoyed and get used to moving more at first. I really love hiking and boxing now. Doing this got me to the top end of a healthy BMI range.
Once I reached a healthy weight I became more focused on my macros and training schedule. I do 3-4month bulk/cut cycles. I alternate between cardio and strength days when bulking and cutting. When I’m bulking my runs on cardio days involve more hills and I don’t time them. It’s more about challenging my body on different terrains. In the gym I’ll add more weight and less reps for strength days. When cutting I run longer on flat ground and work towards improving my speed getting my heart rate up higher and focus on increased reps without adding weight on strength days. For diet calories are still king but I focus on hitting my protein first for both cycles. When cutting I also reduce my net carbs (not super low but goal is 100g net max).
You will have to find the right combination for you. I currently lift twice a week, boxing once a week, Jazzercize with light hand weights (3-10lb) once a week, and run the other days. The boxing and Jazzercize both incorporate cardio and strength into the same workout which I really enjoy.
Well that’s my problem. I don’t know what to do because I do weight training and some cardio and try to eat healthy and I still don’t lose weight. I’m only active when I’m @ the gym because I don’t do anything else at home. So that is why I’m saying maybe using the treadmill for over an hour will help me walk more and burn more calories because of the steps. How can I know how many calories I burn each day. What device can I use?
If you're not losing weight then you're eating more than you need. Eating healthy does not mean you're in a calorie deficit. That's where your focus needs to be first and foremost. Use a food scale, log everything and hit your calorie goal. You don't need to add exercise to what you're already doing unless you just want to.
Focus on calorie intake first.
I am not active outside of lifting and a little cardio. It is my intake that lets me manipulate my weight whether it's losing, maintaining or bulking.10 -
Very helpful thread!2
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Your food consumption is the most efficient variable to change for fat loss. Think of a donut for example. That little bit size treat that you can eat in a couple of minutes is going to be about 250cal or so. It will take about 60min on a treadmill at 3mph to burn that off. I would focus on your calories for fat loss. Think of the exercise merely as a bonus for fat loss.
What you eat will affect how much of your loss is fat vs. lean mass. There are lots of books on that topic. I like Lyle McDonald's writing style and he backs up his arguments. There are many others. The reality is some percentage of your loss will be lean mass. That is just how it works.
Focus on the exercise to improve your cardiovascular fitness and use the weights to try to build some lean mass. People tend to have this crazy idea they touch a weight and they will make huge gains. That is not the case. Very meticulous body builders can be happy with 10-15lb of lean mass increase in a year. Another bonus of exercise is the change in your mindset.
Keep it simple. It has to be a plan that works for you and your life long term. Most of us that creep into the unhealthy weight category have problems with extremes. Finding a balance that will work for you and your life is difficult and is the most important aspect to focus on if this is to be a life change. I'll be honest. I have done this once before, and now I am doing it again.2 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »Okay so I have varios forums on the same topic but the days goes by and I get more confused. My trainer at the gym said if my goal is to lose weight I need to cut the weights and focus more on cardio. Others say I should lift heavy and do a little cardio. My goal is to lose weight and maintain muscle. I have fat to loose but my goal later on is to gain muscle and make gains. Where can I educate myself what can I do? I have like 4 years on my journey to lose weight and I always give up. So many of you have a lot of experience. Please help. I feel there will always be mixed comments and different information on this topic. AGH.
It's easy to maintain muscle by doing 1 to 3 sessions of muscular training per week, especially when your young.
When you exercise, you burn mainly carbs and some fat. The lower the intensity the higher percentage of fat you will burn, but you will still burn mainly carbs.
If you want to lose weight and maintain muscle i would recommend doing more cardio and doing a couple muscular sessions per week to maintain your muscle.6 -
Jarettzy18 wrote: »Jarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Cardio is great for health and adding to your deficit. While it's good to be active, you don't need to go crazy with it. Start with your food intake.. then let the rest followJarettzy18 wrote: »
Always so much good advice and knowledge.I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.
If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.
You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.
While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?
Cardio is great for health and adding to your deficit. While it's good to be active, you don't need to go crazy with it. Start with your food intake.. then let the rest follow
This! ^ Weights don't burn more calories but they shape your body better. Manageange the calorie part with diet. You don't "have" to do anything more. If you "want" to give yourself a little more dietary flexibility with calories and have the time, sure walk more. Getting the 10,000 steps is nice but controlling the diet is the key. That and resistance training will give you a great looking body.
What happens in the cardio class? You must get some calorie burn from that. Maybe I missed it earlier in the thread. Here is the thing. It's not a rules based thing with the exception of eating less than you burn. Everything else is a bonus. Be careful about too much focus on the scale. You can make some great body changes while not having weight drop that much. Take a look at this thread and the pics posted.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/42695689#Comment_42695689
This lady lost weight and gained it all back in a fabulous way!
Yes girl. This is what I’m trying to explain I weight lift because later on when I’m leaner I want to gain more muscle. But that’s a whole other story, right now my main goal is to maintain muscle and lose weight. The only time I’m active is when I go to the gym because when I’m in my house I don’t even reach 7,000 steps. But I have nothing else to do, so that’s why I said maybe walking on the treadmill for an hour can help my daily steps. Also, I’m familiar with the calorie deficit but i find it hard to track my calories burned even with my Apple Watch. What can be an accurate device so I can get familiar with my calories burned and make a deficit???
Tracking calories burned is of secondary importance. There is no way outside of a metabolic ward to get more than a ballpark estimate. Honestly, you are way to focused on the exercise part. Focus on the diet part. And as Kimny and others said, weight measure and be very tight about accuracy. That is the way to lose weight no matter what exercise you do or what the burns are.
"Trying to eat healthy" is great for the "what" of what you are eating but it doesn't tell you anything about the "how much". It's the "how much" that is the biggest single factor in weight loss.14 -
OldAssDude wrote: »Jarettzy18 wrote: »Okay so I have varios forums on the same topic but the days goes by and I get more confused. My trainer at the gym said if my goal is to lose weight I need to cut the weights and focus more on cardio. Others say I should lift heavy and do a little cardio. My goal is to lose weight and maintain muscle. I have fat to loose but my goal later on is to gain muscle and make gains. Where can I educate myself what can I do? I have like 4 years on my journey to lose weight and I always give up. So many of you have a lot of experience. Please help. I feel there will always be mixed comments and different information on this topic. AGH.
It's easy to maintain muscle by doing 1 to 3 sessions of muscular training per week, especially when your young.
When you exercise, you burn mainly carbs and some fat. The lower the intensity the higher percentage of fat you will burn, but you will still burn mainly carbs.
If you want to lose weight and maintain muscle i would recommend doing more cardio and doing a couple muscular sessions per week to maintain your muscle.
Fuel substrate during exercise is irrelevant. Overall calorie deficit is what matters no, matter what the exercise or fuel substrate.
PS: I would fire your trainer for giving you that advice. It is always easier to preserve muscle mass than it is to build it. His advice sounds like the typical Bro advice from a lot of the weekend certification trainers.6
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