How much should I exercise? (I'm new)

leftoverprattf
leftoverprattf Posts: 8
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, so I'm new here, and this is my first REAL attempt to lose weight the HEALTHY way. I

I'm really excited to get healthy, but it's kind of a bumpy road. I've been on MFP for about 2 weeks now and I just found out that I've been doing it wrong--I haven't been eating my workout calories back and my metabolism has been slow /:

SO, I'm restarting. I'm definitely going to try to eat my calories back now.
But I kind of need advice on my workout.


So about me:
I'm 18, female, 5ft 3in, and 130 pounds.
My BMI is in the healthy range, but I still want to lose a couple pounds& be fit.

I have a lot of free time on my hands, so I have a lot of time for the gym. I've been going for about 2 weeks now, almost every day (1 or 2 days off a week), and been staying for 2 hours of cardio (TuboKick, Zumba, CrossBody machine, Treadmill, Stairs, Swimming, Jogging, etc.) and occasionally another hour for Yoga.

So MFP says that 1 hour of Turbo burns about 550 cals, 1 hour of Zumba about 330 cals, and Yoga about 150 cals. I burn about 600 cals on the CrossBody machine and about 180 cals from the Stairs.


So if I go for 2-3 hours, I burn about 800-1100 cals per day. I thought it was good to not eat my exercise calories, so I've been trying to put in as much exercise as I could, but now that I know I have to eat it back, I might find it a bit difficult to eat an extra 1000 per day (it's not like I can pick up a cheesecake--I have to watch the carb/sugar limits!)


Overall, am I doing too much? I like exercising, but should I slow down to make my eating-back habits easier to follow? How long do you stay at the gym? Any other advice?

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • fyre_1
    fyre_1 Posts: 3
    If you enjoy the exercise and ur not feeling any adverse effects keep going. The truth is we only need food to fuel our body, nothing more, nothing less. However be aware of your BMR.....

    Try having a protein shake to fill in your calories
  • clickmaster
    clickmaster Posts: 54 Member
    Don't drink protein shakes. Get your protein from real food..the kind you masticate. If you need to know about protein, check my answers at the following links.

    Read my answer about protein supplements here --> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtGdwn5cqfesP6O1LkavjSjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110821092640AA3hq12

    Read my answer about how much protein you need --> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AocOxl_9XssWhHrAUe8xbxrty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20111220215008AA0RjXM

    Read my answer about supplements here --> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmA35VDViBrL0y9rSkKcLknty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20111001134224AANB0OV

    Read my answer about supplement scamming here --> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aii1OzUVjBo7o550CXhmvVbty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20111014151252AAak0J4

    You need to define what fitness means to you. Then you need to create realistic and achievable goals. Then you need a strategy to accomplish those goals. There is no one in this forum who can tell you what you should do given only your age, height, and weight. One thing is certain, however. Your weight is in the normal range and losing a couple of pounds should not be a very "bumpy road". Your metabolism is fine too so try to avoid the metabolic myths such as you can "jump start" or "master" your metabolism. It will only change on a prolonged basis with age, lean body mass, or pathology. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/metabolism/WT00006)

    You may want to read about eating disorders simply because you appear to fit to profile of a person with ED.
    • Studies indicate that by their first year of college, 4.5 to 18% of women and 0.4% of men have a history of bulimia.
    • Anorexia is the most deadly mental illness.
    • A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover
    • About 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder (does not include over eaters)
    • 0.5% of American women suffers from anorexia.
    • 2.5% of American women suffers from bulimia.
    • 1.1% - 4.2% of females suffer from bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.
    • About 10% of college women suffer from a clinical or nearly clinical eating disorder, including 5.1% who suffer from bulimia nervosa.



    Good luck and good health!!

    ♠
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    As you've said, you're already at a healthy bmi, so I'd think about your goals - why do you want to lose any more? Is shape more important than the numbers on a scale?

    I'd recommend a thread on here called "relativiely light people looking to get leaner" as it is full of great and reliable advice.
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