Summer is coming! Lose weight get fit? Ask here.

[AXi1257]

I started working out last Oct with 30 min. a day of cardio. Now I make sure I do an hour a day almost every day. If I skip a day I try 90 min the next day. I try to make better food choices, but don't deprive myself. I've lost 15 pounds and will definitely look better for my Cancun trip on March 14. All those calculations etc. just flew over my head...wow a lot to think about! So if anyone wants to just do all that for me, make my food and be my personal trainer I'll lose the final 20-25 pounds without a problem!! Any takers??

[James]

Your ideal weight X 14 = calories you can't go over

subtract 500 calories a day for 1 pound of fat a week loss.

subtract 1000 calories a day for 2 pounds per week.

Make sure you get 1 gram protein per pound of ideal weight to prevent lean body loss. Those count towards your daily calories.

For example: If you are 150.

150 X 14 = 2100 calories. . don't go over that number.

1600 calories a day for 1 pound of fat loss a week.

1100 calories per day for 2 pounds of fat loss per week.

150 grams of protein a day = 600 calories which is part of your total daily calories.

www.fitday.com

ETA: Thats about as specific as I can get without your actual height and weight.

Originally Posted by AXi1257

I started working out last Oct with 30 min. a day of cardio. Now I make sure I do an hour a day almost every day. If I skip a day I try 90 min the next day. I try to make better food choices, but don't deprive myself. I've lost 15 pounds and will definitely look better for my Cancun trip on March 14. All those calculations etc. just flew over my head...wow a lot to think about! So if anyone wants to just do all that for me, make my food and be my personal trainer I'll lose the final 20-25 pounds without a problem!! Any takers??

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by AXi1257

So if anyone wants to just do all that for me, make my food and be my personal trainer I'll lose the final 20-25 pounds without a problem!! Any takers??

I can't make your food for you, but I could suggest an eating plan if you wanted. PM me if you'd like.

[ADqtPiMel]

Anyone want to PM me a twice a week lifting plan? I really don't like to lift and I slack like crazy if I do my own plans. Something challenging would be nice - I'm in good shape and am experienced with exercise (used to teach group fitness classes and I do triathlons). I have access to most equipment.

[Drolefille]

Or post such a plan here Cause I'm interested too though not quite a fitness instructor/triathlete

[CutiePie2000]

If you could upload docs here, I would post it and then you could see my lifting plan. However, you pretty much need 4 days to hit all the body groups. There are way more groups to work in upper body compared to lower body. Each day should take about an hour. Any longer and you have depleted the glycogen stores in your muscles, you will be fatigued and risk injury, strain, etc.

Lift first, cardio second: ALWAYS

Day 1: Shoulder and triceps
Day 2: Back
Rest
Day 3: Legs, butt and calves
Day 4: Chest and biceps

Throw some abs in wherever.

[jillybean]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

If you could upload docs here, I would post it and then you could see my lifting plan. However, you pretty much need 4 days to hit all the body groups. There are way more groups to work in upper body compared to lower body. Each day should take about an hour. Any longer and you have depleted the glycogen stores in your muscles, you will be fatigued and risk injury, strain, etc.

Lift first, cardio second: ALWAYS

Day 1: Shoulder and triceps
Day 2: Back
Rest
Day 3: Legs, butt and calves
Day 4: Chest and biceps

Throw some abs in wherever.

How many days should you do cardio exercises then?

[valkyrie]

I never do weights and cardio on the same day, ever. I tried it for about a month and didn't like it. I don't even wear the same clothes/shoes/etc. FWIW, I do cardio three or four days a week and weights twice. Of course, I am just a gym rat and not an expert on any of this.

This site is kind of cool, although I've only skimmed it.

Also, RU OX, do you ever do intervals? I would recommend that (although again, I'm not an expert -- it just makes sense to me).

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by jillybean

How many days should you do cardio exercises then?

You can do cardio 4-6x a week, depending on what your goals are.

[jwright25]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

Lift first, cardio second: ALWAYS

This is intriguing. I always heard the opposite - and that you should do cardio first to get the blood flowing to your muscles and to "warm" them up. Would you mind to elaborate on the physiological reasons why it is best to do cardio second?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by jwright25

This is intriguing. I always heard the opposite - and that you should do cardio first to get the blood flowing to your muscles and to "warm" them up. Would you mind to elaborate on the physiological reasons why it is best to do cardio second?

There is competing evidence, but most agree that it's better to lift after having a little bit of an increase in body temperature - there's actually increasing evidence that stretching is differently important than we thought (it might be better for lifting than running, for example), but sweating a little might improve pliability and make your lifting more effective (and safer).

However, there are noted advantages to lifting first (IIRC, mostly related to ATP replenishment and etc. being better at that point, plus metabolic benefits), then doing cardio, so most suggest a brief warmup, then weight work, then cardio work.

Realistically, if you're a novice, you should probably start with the one you're most serious about - the percentage gains at first won't really matter a ton. After a while, you can get with recent research and tailor your program a little better.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by jwright25

This is intriguing. I always heard the opposite - and that you should do cardio first to get the blood flowing to your muscles and to "warm" them up. Would you mind to elaborate on the physiological reasons why it is best to do cardio second?

You can do a "warm up", such as 5-10 minutes on the bike/elliptical/treadmill/stairmaster before you lift, but you should do your resistance training before you do your cardio (i.e. an aerobics class).

The rationale: when you do lift first, you deplete the glycogen stores in your muscles & you are a bit tired This is not a problem when you are doing cardio, because you are not bearing a load (i.e. lifting weights). You are also getting into fat burning stores, rather than glycogen burning stores

If you were to do cardio first (like an hour STEP Class or something like that), you will have depleted the glycogen stores in your muscles, and THEN if you were to try to go and lift thereafter you are more tired, and you risk compromising your form and potentially injuring yourself.

A lil' warmup beforehand is fine, but then after you are warmed up, you should endeavor to lift before cardio. (i.e. A 10 minute warmup on the machines should not constitute "cardio").