Quote:
Originally Posted by Acura604
folks.. need to go down by about 10lbs. started a 6 day/week cardio routine at my gym Jan 23. 30-45mins of treadmill comprised of 30mins walking at 3.5mph and 10-15mins of light jog at 5.0mph.
also.. begun a 'calorie deficit' program using an iphone app - myfitnesspal.
and am trying to limit to 1600 calories per day which so far is working.
so... after almost 2 weeks, I've lost about 1.5lbs... I'm wondering if I can lose it quicker switching to weights and reducing the cardio to 20mins walking at 3.5.
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good on you for making the lifestyle change.. it can be a very difficult thing to do.
The body is very smart and flexible - it needs to be constantly challenged to adapt to the stress from exercise.
What is the most efficient way to take on a goal? The same way as anything else.
Tackle it from different sides and angles. Doing cardio is good. But if doing cardio is the only method you are taking on to achieve your goal of weight loss, it will become that much harder. Your metabolism will eventually reset to it's previous incompetence with metabolizing fat.
This is why running is a GOOD way to start losing weight, but may NOT be the BEST way. It gets people off the couch and start moving/exercising. Once you have gotten into the habit of getting off that couch and getting active, there are far better ways to make efficient use of your time.
Take up a sport that utilizes all the muscles/different types of muscles in your body. Running primarily utilizes the lower body, so you are neglecting muscles that create movements in different planes of your body. I don't care what people say about running on a treadmill being a full body exercise, because it's fucking NOT. swinging your arms while you run is not an upper body exercise.
Here are a few sports/activities that will challenge your body to move in different planes of movement, and tap into different aspects of your metabolic systems: Football, basketball, martial arts, dance, wrestling, etc etc and the list goes on.
Most importantly though, is that you be patient with your exercise and do not use the # of lbs you lose as a measuring stick. Within the short time frame of a few months, weight fluctuates just like the stock market - you lose some you gain some.Try not to focus on it too much on such short duration. Think big, and think long-term. One of the main things exercise does for you, is its ability to improve your
quality of life.. Day by day it will make you feel healthier and stronger in several domains. Focus on that instead, and you'll feel more consistent with the benefits you get from exercise. Trust me, a year down the road and you've attained the weightloss goals you set for youself.... those 20-30lbs your lose will be nothing more than blank numbers.
Give yourself a year, and if you stay consistent with exercise I'll guarantee you you'll get into the best shape of your life.