Starting excercise - need help!

lizzybabe123
lizzybabe123 Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
6 months ago I started my lifestyle change. I stopped drinking alcohol and cut out 90% of the processed foods in my diet. I lost 15 lbs!!!! I have since plateaued and my Dr said to add 30 min of light cardio 3x/week into my routine. He said anything that will raise my heartrate above 110 bpm steadily for a min of 30 min.
Today I did my 1st solid 30min brisk walk. Heart rate was on average 125bpm. It's now after lunch and I am STARVING. Is this normal???? Should I give in to the hunger craving or distract myself with lemon herbal tea and a good book??? Help please!!!

Replies

  • allieeveryday
    allieeveryday Posts: 85 Member
    Did you eat lunch? If you haven't you should start there. A 30-minute walk shouldn't make you ravenous.

    Are you counting calories? Weighing everything with a food scale?
  • twatson4936
    twatson4936 Posts: 121 Member
    A 30 minute walk might make you ravenous, it all depends on the fitness level. Someone that is super fit wouldn't be phased but a beginner might be. Eat something but make it mostly protein and carbs to build your muscles and replenish glycogen for your next walk. Something like Chocolate milk is good. About 200 calories. You probably burned at least half that walking. Make sure to mix it up a bit as you get more fit. Throw in some fast walking or jogging. If you do the same exercise the same speed every time then eventually your muscles adapt and it becomes less efficient exercise.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    What is your current calorie target? How tall, how old, how much do you weigh, and what is your goal weight?
  • lizzybabe123
    lizzybabe123 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm 39 yrs old, female, 5' 7", 174 lbs, goal weights 140lbs, cal target is aprox 1570. I ate a tuna pasta salad for lunch at 670 cal. I ended up snacking all afternoon on almonds and carrots which ended up being another 400 cal. I'm still learning calorie counting with what I had previously assumed were healthy snacks.
  • jenniferanderson3888
    jenniferanderson3888 Posts: 53 Member
    I talk about this all the time. And I wind up completely ruining my diet from exercise. I’m starving all day in just 30 minutes of Elliptical machine. I have decided that cardio will not help you lose weight. Only if it’s long and hard. You lose weight in the kitchen by creating a deficit. So I just decided to focus on the most important things. Weight training and diet.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    edited May 2019
    I absolutely experience what you're describing. So at times (like right now) I back off on the fitness progress by reducing the amount I'm 'working out' in order to make it easier to maintain my weight management goals in the kitchen.

    I tend to constantly adjust my level of exercise to suit my current situation.

    If I find that I'm on top of my eating. I'm able to maintain my calorie deficit without struggling or much effort I'll tend to increase the amount of exercise I'm doing as I'm in a good place to handle the appetite increase that comes along with it and continue to lose weight.

    If however I'm busy, stressed, not 100% on top of my calories, etc. Then I'll back right off the working out. I'll keep it to a bare minimum and keep my focus on my calorie in take which is where I'll get the most (weight loss) reward for my effort.

    This approach was an important lesson I learned from failed attempts to lose weight. Working out and calorie intake were inextricably linked in my head and stopping/reducing one constituted a 'failure' across the board. I've come to realise that while they're both important for overall health being flexible in how you approach them isn't necessarily a bad thing if it keeps me progressing.
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    Plan a snack, BUT when I first started losing weight evening were the hardest time for me. I had to learn that I just didn’t need more food. I had eaten enough. You’ll work out what your body needs. Keep up the exercise. It has been the biggest step to my losing 60+ pounds and keeping it off.

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