Thread: Working Out/Exercising/Losing Weight

Steroids and heroin.

Well the way I look at it, more weight or resistance is good for building muscle, more reps are good for toning.

I think you should figure out your bmr, or basal metabolic rate... the amount of calories you burn just sitting and doing nothing.

Once you have that information you can begin to consider how many calories you eat in a given day, and research online as to how much you burn through exercise.

calories consumed - bmr - calories burned from exercise... that will give you your net calories gained or lost for the day. Once you get your calories consumed to be less than your calories burned, you'll be on the right track.

Do not eat less than 1500 calories a day, you'll do yourself more harm than good that way. Once you go lower than that, your body will actually start lowering metabolism to hang onto every piece of food because it thinks you're starving... you'll end up actually gaining fat.

It's also important to think about muscles as little calorie burning factories. Each muscle cell burns calories just by existing, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn just sitting around.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that muscle is actually heavier than fat. Many people get frustrated and quit because as they begin to work out, they actually gain weight because they are building muscle before the fat starts to dissipate. Also, muscle is harder than fat... so even though you may be losing fat, your clothing/appearance and etc may still feel the same or even tighter. That's because fat will give way to clothing, where muscle will stay steady... like trying to push your finger into a marshmallow and then trying to push into a brick or something.

Its a really hard trade off because you need calories to build muscle. Your weight gain is probably just enough to counter your fat loss.I would try some supplements if i were you. I got a deal of a huge thing of protein for like $40, the good stuff (whey). Your workout looks good but I wouldnt rest for 3 days either. At least do some light cardio. I heard your muscles only take 24-48 hours to repair, so a week seems a little long.

Yea you want to eat more, smaller meals and spread them out. snacks help too. Fruit is an easy snack as it takes no preparation. I also love peanut butter on whole grain bagels. good protien

That would be good if you can. Might want to try like 4 and work your way up. definitely not 2.

You can find a bmr if you google bmr calculators-this is how many calories you need just for your organs and your body to work. Also, yes the protein shake is great for after a workout, also try adding a few carbs after your workout-a banana, rice cake, any type of fruit etc.

Sounds like you are doing alot of strength training and that's good, but incorporate some cardio. How long are your training sessions?
Do the cardio before your strength training, this will keep your heart rate up and your body will continue to burn calories throughout your strength training. Try cardio for 30 minutes atleast 3 times a week. And dont be afraid to mix it up, your body will get tired of doing the same things everyday/week and may stop burning. So, try to mix up your strength exercises as well, like change the order you do them, or try other exercises. 30 min of cardio doesnt have to be just a treadmill or similar, trying running with your dog if you have one, jumping jacks, swimming, roller blading, anything that is going to get your heart rate up.

Tracking calories can be a pain, but try to get into the habit of looking at food labels and serving sizes. livestrong.com is a really good website that has information about nutrition and calculators.

Yes, and 3 meals and 2 snacks a day every 3-4 hours will keep your metabolism going. I am a certified personal fitness trainer and lost about 60 pounds so if you need anything let me know.

P.S. pack a lunch for work ! Work is designed to make us fat if your job is not an active one

Since I'm a technical sort of guy I love reading the real facts behind things like the chemistry going on behind the scenes inside our bodies. Read this and you'll know more than virtually everyone about how the body burns fat and how to use it to your advantage. This article is by my favorite nuclear physicist/mad scientist. Bodyfat, Weight Loss, the Physics of Body Weight Control