[CaliforniaDreamer]

Hello, Im an 18 year old female, and I really really need to lose weight. I know about calorie counting and portion sizes but my question is about exercise. I am on a 1500 calorie diet and I wanted to know how long I should be exercising, right now Im doing 30 minutes but Im not sure if that is enough and really don't know how to find out if it is enough.and also does anyone know good exercises I could do? any type of help/advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[krampus]

Just walk, swim or dance! 1500 calories should be a good starting point. They add up easily so be careful - maybe writing them down and eating exact servings would be helpful.

As for exercise, "enough" is when you're tired and a little sweaty and feel energized but not in so much pain that you swear it off for another month. Any is always better than none.

[rainbowstripe]

Hey there!

I think you could start a little higher than 1500. I weighed less than you currently do when I started and I started off on 1800 calories and slowly decreased it - 1500 is my current number for a normal day. As for the exercise, I think that 30 minutes a day is a good starting point depending on your fitness level!
What kind of exercise are you doing at the moment?

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Originally Posted by krampus

Just walk, swim or dance! 1500 calories should be a good starting point. They add up easily so be careful - maybe writing them down and eating exact servings would be helpful.

As for exercise, "enough" is when you're tired and a little sweaty and feel energized but not in so much pain that you swear it off for another month. Any is always better than none.

Thanks! I was thinking about dancing, maybe salsa.

Originally Posted by rainbowstripe

Hey there!

I think you could start a little higher than 1500. I weighed less than you currently do when I started and I started off on 1800 calories and slowly decreased it - 1500 is my current number for a normal day. As for the exercise, I think that 30 minutes a day is a good starting point depending on your fitness level!
What kind of exercise are you doing at the moment?

Thanks!, currently I jog/walk for 30 minutes 3 days out of the week, and I jog/walk for 15 minutes & do some type of strength workout (squats,sit-ups,lunges,push-ups,weights) 2 days out of the week. & usually on saturday I just walk for 30 minutes.

[LindseyLou]

Hi Honeybee!
I think it sounds like you have a really good plan, especially the exercise! I totally agree with Krampus, keep a food journal, online or in a little notebook. I use www.fitday.com and I love it. I can track my calories, weight, activities, set goals. On there (and other sites online - do a google search) you can figure out how many calories you should be eating based on your current weight and activity level. 1500 might be a tad low. You just need to do something you feel comfortable with and you feel you can stick to long-term. Great plan! Good luck!

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Originally Posted by LittleLindseyLouHoo

Hi Honeybee!
I think it sounds like you have a really good plan, especially the exercise! I totally agree with Krampus, keep a food journal, online or in a little notebook. I use fitday.com and I love it. I can track my calories, weight, activities, set goals. On there (and other sites online - do a google search) you can figure out how many calories you should be eating based on your current weight and activity level. 1500 might be a tad low. You just need to do something you feel comfortable with and you feel you can stick to long-term. Great plan! Good luck!

Thanks! I will check fitday out, I heard about food journals but I never got around to using one. I guess it will help out a lot.