Jump starting metabolism/weight loss

[April20]

I''ve been trying to lose a little weight for what feels like ages. In reality, I haven''t stuck to anything in the last year and have really buckled down in the last month or so. I lost about 30 lbs after college. 10 lbs or so of it creeped back on in my 20s and it was really okay. It was a great weight. And then I got married. And in the two years we''ve been married it''s gone to heck. I realize that I should have been much more diligent with that big life change.... I also turned 30. I swear those two elements doomed me. Or so I would like to think- I realize I have to take responsibility.

Okay, enough babbling... I''ve starting hoofing it on my treadmill 5-6x''s a week for 50 mins each session for the last six weeks or so. And I''ve been watching what I eat. And the weight still seems stuck on. What am I missing here? I realize I should probably keep a food journal. But what else? How long does it typically take to see results from exercise? My goal is to lose 20, 10 by end of summer (when we go on vacation)

would rock my world.

 

[neatfreak]

You really need to keep a food journal. It''s amazing what you really eat vs. what you think you eat. Weigh your food too to make sure portions are correct. I like to use sparkpeople.com to track. Makes it easy!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Definitely keep a food journal. Plan your meals at least a day in advance so you're prepared for any event and you don't get caught without something on-hand. Eat every few hours. For example, split your sandwich from lunch into two portions. Have one at 11am and one at 2:00. Your body needs to know it's going to be fed. Up your protein, fiber, and water intake. Cut back on salt, sugar, and refined carbs. And most importantly keep up with the exercise! Exercise is the hardest thing for me, but I find it makes the biggest difference. Try mixing things up a bit. Do 20 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the bike or elliptical. Also work in some intervals, put your treadmill on the hill program, or vary your speed every few minutes.

While it can take no time at all to see negative results, positive (visual) results take a little while longer. I would say 4-8 weeks depending on how out of shape you are/were to begin with. I'm willing to bet you'll have non-visual results way before, like better moods, more energy, etc...

Good luck!!

 

[April20]

I set the treadmill at 6% and do 20 mins at 4 mph, 20 at 3.7 and 10 at 3.4. I should probably change the incline up some too. I don''t have the option to switch machines because the treadmill is in my house and it''s all I''ve got. I have some small weights and one of those resistance thingys, but I''ve yet to actually use them. I need to get on that.

I would love to think i could plan meals a day in advance but the challenge is I travel A LOT for work. I''m typically gone 2-3 days a week, sometimes more. When I''m not traveling, I home office and do keep healthy options around. I''m not a big snacker, so that does help. When I am traveling (visiting job sites), I am lucky in that a lot of them have weight watchers entrees (I work for a food service company). That at least keeps me in check. When they don''t have that, I try to either hit the salad bar or grab something grilled. The challenge is trying to eat healthy at dinner!

I''m going to go check out sparkpeople when I get a few mins. Thanks for the input!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I agree with the others above.

I want to add this. Most of your calories are burnt with your basal metabolism...basically the energy you need to stay alive. If you can get that up a little bit, you burn more calories every hour for 24 hours. That will end up being more calories than the 1 hour of cardio you do. The best way to do this is resistance training i.e. weight training, yoga ect. If you increase your muscle mass, they will need more energy, and that will increase your basal metabolism.

As someone elce said, and easy thing to do is set your treadmill at an incline, because that works your gluts, and that is your biggest muscle. So you get a lot of bang for the buck. But you have a lot of big muscles in your upper body that you should work on too.

I have done a combo of caridio + weight training for years it it has worked great. I do cardio 3-4 days week and add weight training 2 days after my cardio.

 

[KatM]

Exercise-wise, i would try to increase the intensity through incline or speed. It sounds like you''re going ~3-4 miles, 6 times a week, which really only means about 2400 calories burned through exercise. Provided your food intake doesn''t change at all, that means that you''re only burning off ~2/3 lb a week. That''s why diet is really important.

A few modest changes to what you eat really make a big difference. If you chart what you''re eating and eliminate 2-500 calories per day, that''s where you''re going to see the biggest changes. I would research fiber too. It''s not only great for feeling full, it also inhibits some fat absorption.

 

[April20]

Okay, I''ve adjusted the incline to 8 and am trying to sneak in a second treadmill session on days when I have less going on. That combined with watching what I eat and I''ll see where I am next month.