I need advice!!

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pollypocket27
pollypocket27 Posts: 33
in Fitness and Exercise
How many hours a day do you workout daily? I've seen tv shows where they say to do 2 hours a day, some say 30-60 min a day, and another said 10.. Thought I would ask here and see what you guys do. List examples of your exercise and times please. (EX- Walking casually 2.0, 60min.) I am so sick of not getting high numbers on the scale. Since June of 2011 I am down 13lbs.. and feel like I'm not even close to where I should be by now. I see maybe 1-3lbs difference from time to time.. But in all honesty I don't feel, or look any different unless I'm sucking in or wearing spanks. Please help me! Thanks!

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  • Pooterly
    Pooterly Posts: 61 Member
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    I realized recently that losing weight isn't really about exercising but more concentrated in the diet portion of it. Exercise keeps your heart healthy and helps you become stronger and your body to be toned but if you really want to lose weight, you got to watch what you eat. It's like physics. There is no magic trick. You have to find a balance. The more I exercise, the more I want to eat. I am not perfect myself and I am trying to find a balance.

    I usually work out on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. I am a member of a gym and what really helps me is group exercises. When you work out, it is good to do both strength training and cardio. First, warm up. I usually do about 5 to 15 minutes of easy aerobics. This varies depending on how I feel. Sometimes I will walk on the treadmill at 3mph or sometimes I will do the elliptical for 10 minutes or sometimes I will do that boring stairmaster machine or sometimes I will do that bicycle. It just depends. Then, I do strength training until I get bored with it. I do light weights and about 15 reps and as many sets as possible. I use the machines at the gym. I try to work my entire body but I really struggle with my upper body. It is hard to do biceps and the incline bench press machine. :(

    Then after strength training, I do 30 minutes of cardio that makes me sweat. It is better to do an hour but I can't make it, lol.

    This is just me though. Everyone is different. Oh and then cool down and you're suppose to stretch. I think you stretch before cardio and after cardio but sometimes I forget...
  • peachied
    peachied Posts: 117 Member
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    I average about 45 minutes of cardio exercise a day. I have no idea how much time I spend lifting weights. I think my entire gym visit including getting ready, stretching, the exercises, and commuting to the gym and back is usually 1.5 hours.

    I guess you could try changing up your exercise routine. Try the stair stepper machine if you don't use it, or experiment with levels of intensity or the duration of the exercises you're familiar with. Just keep trying new things and have fun with it. You'll get fit no matter what you do because you're at the gym, working hard.

    Keep your head up
  • LesliePierceRN
    LesliePierceRN Posts: 860 Member
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    The ideal amount to work out is 300 minutes a week, which comes out to 5 60minute days.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    I don't think there's a magic number. I've always tried for 45-90 minutes myself but there's no real reason behind it other than I want to burn more. I also have a long walk to the gym and back, and I always include my daily walking in the total at the end of the day. Hope you find a good answer.
  • yluuuu
    yluuuu Posts: 21 Member
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    When I used to go to the gym, I would do cardio for 30 min then do circuit training for another 45-60. I don't have access to a gym anymore so I've been doing bodyweight exercises. Since bodyweight exercises are new to me, I only do it for 15 min a day. I can barely make it through those 15! I guess it all depends on what kind of exercises you're doing and how many calories it burns.
  • pollypocket27
    pollypocket27 Posts: 33
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    Thanks everyone! I need to make a plan and stick to it! I wish there was a gym close to my home..
  • EatClenTrenHard
    EatClenTrenHard Posts: 339 Member
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    How many hours a day do you workout daily? I've seen tv shows where they say to do 2 hours a day, some say 30-60 min a day, and another said 10.. Thought I would ask here and see what you guys do. List examples of your exercise and times please. (EX- Walking casually 2.0, 60min.) I am so sick of not getting high numbers on the scale. Since June of 2011 I am down 13lbs.. and feel like I'm not even close to where I should be by now. I see maybe 1-3lbs difference from time to time.. But in all honesty I don't feel, or look any different unless I'm sucking in or wearing spanks. Please help me! Thanks!

    Very heavy weightlifting (Intense workout) 45 minutes 3 days a week (UPPER BODY) 8 reps max.
    Lower body weightlifting (just to boost BMR for 36hrs) 15 minutes , 3 days a week (LOWER BODY) 10-12 reps.

    Cardio 1 hour , (Interval cardio) Get just to 85% maximum heart rate, then slow down, then repeat. (increases Vo2max + once again increases BMR but only for next 12 hours)

    Cliffs:
    Spending 1.5hrs on average in gym everyday, 7days/week.
    Lost 16pounds of fat in 1 month.
    Increased muscle endurance
    Increased my stamina(can run more without chestpain or any chest discomfort)
    Increased strenght

    AND ALL THAT ON A 1500 CALORIE DIET., I weight 196 pounds, and my lean body mass is around 160 pounds(0%bodyfat mass), ill have 6pack at 175 lbs.
    i repeat, i eat 1500calorie per day, and i didnt lose any strenght, except 16 lbs of disguisting fat. since 17th of january
  • Athena413
    Athena413 Posts: 1,709 Member
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    I say work out smarter, not harder. Some people put in HOURS a day at the gym, but they're doing just cardio, and still not getting the results they want. Do less cardio and more weight training - it will build lean muscle, which in turn melts fat and inches and burns more calories for a longer period of time after your workout. You may not lose pounds as quickly, but you'll lose inches and tone up (you won't bulk up because you're a girl and you can't without supplements), which is ultimately what every girl really wants. Who cares what the number on the scale says if you've got a hot bod?!
  • franks1wife
    franks1wife Posts: 11
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    I know exactly how you feel. I have been doing Zumba since August of 2011 and I have only lost 15 pounds. On the flip side of that, I HAVE LOST 15 POUNDS AND KEPT IT OFF! So don't worry about it going slow, at least it's going. And to answer your question, I do Zumba (intense dance exercise) for 60 minutes, three times a week. Hope this helps.
  • iKristine
    iKristine Posts: 288 Member
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    Exercise and fitness are great tools to add to proper diet and nutrition to help you lose weight. Fitness is not a tool to be used exclusively to lose weight.


    2 hours a day ? Is that consistent, or just I spent two hours "at" the gym. I know ppl who do this one day a week, for whatever reason works best for them.

    It's all about your goals. If your training to be a marathon runner, or something similiar I would say two hours a day 4-5 days a week is appropriate. If your just looking to get fitter, lose weight, then someone who is serious about it would spend anywhere between 30 m- 2 hours 3-4 days week. Just all depends.

    For example. I want cardio stamina, muscle strengthening, weight loss. I walk to the gym 30 min 1.5miles as a warm up, weight train for 30 minutes (if all machines are free) then I might do spin for 40 minutes. But I might jsut do one or the other. I also do hapkido 2 days a week for hour and walk home.

    I make it a point to weight train 3x week, hapkido 2x, spin 2-4x week ( I just love this one so I over do bit) and always walk to and from.

    I average 2000c burn on sedentary days. 2500 - 3100 on workout days. Since my goal is 2lbs a week, I just subtract 1000c daily. So on sedentery days I will do 1200, then take 1200 from high days to make up difference etc etc. So that the average is 7000 week.

    But for someone who is sloth and sedentary for long time, 30 minutes a few times a week just walking is great! The minimum I would say is this. Anything more is based on your fitness goals. I started out doing this, then as I became fitter upped it to where I am now. When I reach my ideal, I will redo this to jsut 3 days a week. Weights and cardio same day.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    I do about 30 minutes a day, and that's been the "consistent" time since I started almost a year 1/2 ago. Sometimes I'll get going and do longer work outs (like when I really started training for a half-marathon)...but at the very least I try to get in 30 minutes.
  • pollypocket27
    pollypocket27 Posts: 33
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    Thank you everone for your wonderful tips and advice!

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