Thanks for the comments , as always
I am wondering about when some of you say that if you don't exercise you will lose fat but keep the same flabby shape. Are you talking about cardio exercise or toning? I have been doing some cardio but I am leaving the toning until later on because I need to focus on my numbers dropping on the scale for now. Just wanted to clear that point up so I know which exercise to focus on more
There's been a lot of mention on 3FC of being something called "skinny fat." You might have a BMI in a normal range, but have a relatively high body fat percentage - sort of the opposite of elite athletes who have obese or overweight BMIs but very low body fat. When I started college, I was about 40 lbs overweight. I dropped 15 or so by changing my diet and getting more excercise - but I lost the other 25 the next semester when I took a weight training class for my PE credit. I wasn't lifting heavy, and I added a very small amount of cardio (just 10 minutes or so on the bike at the begining of class to warm up) - but the weight training is really what I credit with helping me take off that weight. I really, really wish I could strength train right now, but physical issues prevent pretty much any weight bearing and even gentle excercises with stretchy bands cause pain. I have no doubt that, even if I wasn't losing faster, I'd be dropping sizes faster if I was able to weight train. Like Robin mentioned, you could see a small gain or a stall at the begining of adding strength training, but as long as you're expecting it, it shouldn't derail what you're doing. I think you mean that psychologically, right now, you need to see consistent loss on the scale, but I really urge you to let go of that if you can. Whether you strength train or not, at some point in your journey you're going to be faced with a scale that shows a gain or just won't budge for a few weeks - even when you're doing everything right. If you let that derail you, you can't be successful.
If you're healthy enough to exercise I think you should even if it's just 10 or 15 minutes day. I have learned lately that exercise really has other benefits besides dropping the pounds. Exercise helped me this week I have been feeling depressed and stressed out from family things and final exam week. It REALLY made me feel good yesterday. I worked out really hard and it made my mood so much better. There are psychological benefits of exercising as well as many health benefits.
Also, I agree with the strength training. It's important to do both cardio and strength. I have noticed after almost 5 months my legs, arms, and stomach are shaped a lot better then they were before - even when I was this weight before.
There is a problem if you don't exercise all the time when you are losing weight - you lose muscle as well as fat. The most important muscle in your body is your heart.
Don't let strength training scare you. Purchase an inexpensive resistance band. Take 15 minutes every other day to use it and amaze yourself.
I think I've been scaring myself away from exercising because I don't have the time (or, to be honest, the will) right now to go to the gym for an hour a day, and instead I'm just not doing any exercise at all.
So my question is how much exercise is "worth it"? A lot of people are saying even 10 minutes helps. Is that true? I always heard you need at least 30 minutes of cardio a day. And...that's just not going to happen while I'm so big I feel like my heart's going to explode after 10 minutes of an exercise video.
Hum...guess I better keep doing the toning to then I guess I have been doing "strength training" without even knowing it because I use stretchy bands during my Leslie Sansone videos. I assumed that strength training was pumping iron in a gym LOL. Thanks for the encouragement and wake up call. I am going to make an effort to keep up with the exercise when I am physically able to. Its harder when you have physical obstacles in the way but I have been telling myself " if you want it bad enough you will push through the pain" If I can do 30 mins 3-4 times a week and keep up with the tension bands, I think that should be good for now until I get a little smaller.
I exercise as I diet. But I don't really do it for "burning calories", or for weight loss per se. I do it because I want to have a healthier heart and body, stronger muscles, and, primarily, because my main problem is insulin resistance, and exercise helps burn up excess glucose in my blood and lower my insulin resistance.
From what I've read, weight loss comes more from changing your diet, but becoming stronger, leaner, and more flexible comes from adding exercise.
I guess I have been doing "strength training" without even knowing it because I use stretchy bands during my Leslie Sansone videos. I assumed that strength training was pumping iron in a gym LOL. Thanks for the encouragement and wake up call. I am going to make an effort to keep up with the exercise when I am physically able to. Its harder when you have physical obstacles in the way but I have been telling myself " if you want it bad enough you will push through the pain" If I can do 30 mins 3-4 times a week and keep up with the tension bands, I think that should be good for now until I get a little smaller.
