Losing Weight vs. Toning

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LKDandMe
LKDandMe Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been using the site to lose weight by eating 1200 calories a day and exercising five times a week. Until now, I have only been doing cardio but since I am at my goal weight my new goal is to tone. Consequently, I now do 3 cardio sessions and 2 toning sessions each week. Do I need to keep doing 1200 calories, switch to the amount I need to maintain my weight, or go somewhere in between if I want to tone while keeping my weight within a five pound range of what it is now? While I am at it, I am curious if anyone has experience gaining muscle mass? Will I be able to stay in my range or should I expect a big increase in weight from muscle? By the way, I am really sorry if there is a place on the site to get this info and I am blabbering it on here. If there is, please feel free to point me in the right direction. Thanks for your help!

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  • LKDandMe
    LKDandMe Posts: 4 Member
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    I have been using the site to lose weight by eating 1200 calories a day and exercising five times a week. Until now, I have only been doing cardio but since I am at my goal weight my new goal is to tone. Consequently, I now do 3 cardio sessions and 2 toning sessions each week. Do I need to keep doing 1200 calories, switch to the amount I need to maintain my weight, or go somewhere in between if I want to tone while keeping my weight within a five pound range of what it is now? While I am at it, I am curious if anyone has experience gaining muscle mass? Will I be able to stay in my range or should I expect a big increase in weight from muscle? By the way, I am really sorry if there is a place on the site to get this info and I am blabbering it on here. If there is, please feel free to point me in the right direction. Thanks for your help!
  • 1Corinthians13
    1Corinthians13 Posts: 5,296 Member
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    I am in NO WAY and expert. But if I were you, I would keep whatever MFP tells you as your maintenance calories. You won't be burning a whole lot while toning. I would probably do maintenance calories on the days that you do only weight training, then on the days you throw in a cardio, go back to the 1200 plus the exercise calories...does that make sense?
  • LKDandMe
    LKDandMe Posts: 4 Member
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    Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks for the input!
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
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    If you are "toning", you will not see much in the way muscle growth or muscle weight gain. You really need to challenge your body so that it will become stronger. Don't forget that muscle requires energy (calories) even at rest, so it is in your best interest to pump those weights!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    if you are trying to maintain your current weight you need to switch to maintenance calories AND eat back what you burn through exercise or you will continue to lose weight. It will also be a major strain on your body while you are trying to "tone up".

    But if you want to tone, you are going to have to do more than 2 days a week IMO. My fiance, who has a degree in physical education, works as a phys-ed teacher, and has a special interest in weights and strength training, is acting as my personal trainer (I'm at the same place you are, trying to tons what I already have) I work out 6-7 days a week, alternating workouts. Day 1- 1/2 hour intense cardio, 1/2 hour walking, and a wide range of arm excercises inc- bicep curls, hammercurls, tricep dips, and a bunch of other tricep exercises I can't remember. Day1s are my easy day.

    Day 2 I do- 1/2 hour moderate cadio (speed walking, badminton, etc), a series of back, leg and ab exercises including lat pull downs, squats, lunges, crunches, step-ups, calf raises, leg press, ab stabilizers and a couple others.

    I'm on day 5 of my routine today... and let me tell you I am SORE.

    For "toning" lower weight and more reps is best. I use weights that range from 5-25 lbs depending on the body part and I do 3 sets of 7-10 reps, depending on the exercise. I know it sounds crazy but after just 5 days I can see and feel improvments. He says I'll be in less and less pain as my bosy gets used to this process to, he said the 6th day of an alternating day program is usually the worst.

    I'm also eating more than usually. My net calories have been 1500 up from a previous 1300-1400 a day, I eat more because I'm hungry. Your body needs fuel to build muscle. Also the more muscle you build, the more your body can burn it's win win!:flowerforyou: good luck.

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