This is one of those posts that I hesitated to write, because I don’t want to step on any toes.
But step by step, I’m going forward. And the reason I wanted to write this post, was to get your opinions and thoughts on exercise. Not if you think it’s a good thing, because probably most of us are in agreement on that fact. My question is: Can people sustain the level of exercise they are doing to lose weight?
Here’s an example: I read at least 10 blogs recently, where the men and women were super motivated to lose weight. Good for them!!!! But, in reading through their blogs, I was astonished at how much exercise they were doing. I’m not talking about just taking a long walk every day, or spending an hour in the gym a few days a week. I’m talking hard-core, training for the Olympics type of exercise. Doing two workouts a day, two hours at the gym, and then walking for an hour later. Riding bikes for hours at a time, then working at the gym. And these aren’t people who are training for a triathlon or anything. They are just working their behinds off to lose weight.
I admire that in a lot of ways. But it scares me for them. Unless you are training for a specific event, then can you really sustain that type of intense exercise forever? Or do you need to? Here’s my thoughts, and I’d love to hear yours. Exercising that much burns a lot of calories, and most of the people I saw, were losing weight, but not rapidly. Which makes me think they are eating to compensate for the calories burned. Understandable, and good in some ways. But are they eating so much, that when they reach their goal weight, and cut back on that crazy amount of exercise, will their eating habits be able to maintain their weight, or will they start to regain?
Do you see what I’m saying? Exercise is great, but the point of weight loss for me wasn’t just about losing weight, but changing my lifestyle from an unhealthy, sedentary life, to an active life that was both realistic and sustainable. So for me, that included exercise six days a week, but generally for 45 minutes at the most. I strength train a couple times a week, and am working to increase that a little bit.
How much exercise is too much? Or is there such a thing? For athletes this answer will be different. But for your average person, how much can you keep up? Sure, you may be able to spend hours and hours a week at the gym while you are super focused on your weight, but can you do that much exercise to maintain your weight loss? Or do you want to?
This may vary by person. But I wonder, if that person wasn’t an athlete to begin with, do they really want to spend that much time just to maintain a loss?
I’m not sure about this one. I just know, that when I read these people’s stories, and see the amount of time they are spending exercising, I worry for them. I worry about sustainability. What do you think? What are your goals once you get to where you want to be? Or if you are already there – what does your exercise routine look like? Diane
I wanted to thank Tammy and Hadley for the Lovely Blog Awards. I will pass them on tomorrow when I have a chance to spread around the link love! I feel very honored, and very appreciative.
I yammer about this far too often but its only because I so believe it:
I need to do a workout routine TODAY I can keep up when Im 80.
I needed to start a wo routine when in college (for me lots of free time) which fits into my lifestyle now (notsomuch free time).
for me it’s all about consistency. 40 minutes. daily. every day.
no long sessions—just for the long haul.
Very interesting. I totally see your point and agree. I feel like MizFit. I’m in this for the long-haul, so I did not make any changes that are super crazy weird, either with food or exercise. For exercise, I choose activities that I genuinely like to do – like dancing, zumba, kickboxing, and even my trusty kettlebell. But I also know that just moving, cleaning my windows, my house, washing my car, playing freeze tag with my kids — all those activities burn calories. I count all those things.
Its all about consistency. Slow and steady.
.-= Lola´s last blog ..Spilling the Beans =-.
I have NEVER added back food to compensate for calories that I thought I burned in exercise. And that is one of my pet peeves. My skin just crawls when I am in a yoga class (for example) and someone asks how much they have likely burned off (not much) OR when someone leaves a yoga class (for example) and walks across the parking lot to the coffee shop (in this day and age people are addicted to all kinds of flavored stuff that isn’t just coffee. . .).
AND
I exercised a LOT in the beginning – during weight loss. I walked or swam nearly every day. I hit yoga and Pilates and tai chi classes many times a day, nearly every day. Looking at my ‘exercise’ schedule on paper it would have seemed like a LOT. But I was not burning a lot of calories (and I knew it). I was working on my mind (quite a bit) because this was all teaching me to turn my mind off and work my body. It was things like balance, and isolating muscles, and tone, and coordination, and flexibility – this was really important.
Now – I am full out into Cardio Classes – at my baby steps level. I can make my feet ‘go’ in zumba, step and fitness mix classes. My arms still not so much. And I have the step on the floor with NO risers under it. But I sweat. And I find that same peace of mind that I found in yoga. There is something about the routines and the music and the fellowship of the classes that is just as important to THIS ME – now – as those intro to yoga classes were long ago.
One of the instructors that I work with firmly believes that one of our goals should always be getting ourselves on and off the toilet for our whole lives. And if we can get on and off the toilet then we can also get up and out of chairs and bed and the car.
If I was a naturally go-go-go person living a very active recreational sports life – then classes would not be necessary. But I am a pretty non-spontaneous movement person – which is how I dug myself into my prior very fat hole.
I do two hours of cardio classes 4 days a week. And then I just try to move the other three days doing normal mom stuff. I am 48 years old. This is my 5th year of this process. My first two years were weight loss. My next two years were maintaining what I lost (which I did – not ONE pound gained). Now, in my 5th year, I am losing my last 20 pounds. Ten came off this summer (cardio, macro food plan). I am currently holding for a month and then will work on the last ten.
.-= vickie´s last blog ..Janice Taylor =-.
This is a really good point. Sometimes when I read other people’s blogs I’m blown away by how much they workout and feel that somehow I am falling short and not doing what I should do! I work out 5 days a week and more if I feel like it, but only for 30-45 minutes or so each day. I feel like this is sustainable. By the way, I nominated you for an award on my blog also!
Love your blog!
.-= Alissa´s last blog ..Feeling Special =-.
Diane, I think you are right on with this post. The thing all of us who have weight to lose should be concentrating on is developing a sustainable lifestyle, both with eating and exercise. Sure, you may find it beneficial to cut your eating down lower than the amount that you are comfortable with in order to lose weight. You may also step the exercise up a bit to help lose weight. However, if either of those go radically away from something that is sustainable, then you are edging toward an ultimate failure.
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Back in Town =-.
Great entry once again.
Just yesterday while running I asked myself this same question…* For how long will I be able to keep what I’m doing now to maintain my weight up for *
I am not over training by all means, but even with my hour to an hour and 30mins I do daily I question how long will I be able to keep this pace going before I throw in the towel and do nothing again.
I’ve learnt that I need to move, not moving makes me gain weight..sometimes is such a battle to get going with my training and other days so easy…
I think I’m personally going to fight this for the rest of my life – or will give it up all together.
.-= Marcelle´s last blog ..Crying Many Tears =-.
I’m not a person that’s thrilled about exercise, so that’s why I picked walking. I enjoy it and it’s sustainable – in bad weather I can go to the Y and use the treadmill. If a person truly enjoys working out a lot, I see no reason for them to stop. But, if you’re pushing yourself uncomfortably, then it’s not going to last.
.-= Amy H.´s last blog ..Turkey in August =-.
I agree with you. I do hope to get to the point where I can run 5K and 10K races, but I’m far from even starting a running program. For me the best option is to walk and stretch (Pilates or yoga) six days per week and strength train and do intervals 3 times per week. That actually already takes up a lot of time, which fortunately I have no shortage of.
.-= Hanlie´s last blog ..That’s what they said =-.
I think this often myself when reading those same types of blogs. I agree with you about the eating habits not changing can be dangerous, and I often wonder if they think of that when they are eating large amounts to sustain the energy they need for those intense workouts.
I know quality is better than quantity when it comes to exercise for me, and, as MizFit said, consistency is key. I have to do what is going to fit into both my freer and busier schedules and what I will enjoy doing for the rest of my life. Walking 30-60 minutes is my exercise, five days a week right now. I love it and I know I can do it “when I’m 80″ like a previous commenter said.
.-= Leah´s last blog ..Hindering Thoughts =-.
I exercise a lot, but I always have (even when I’ve gained weight)… so I know I can sustain it… it’s the eating part of the equation that is hard for me. I agree though, it is possible to start doing an unrealistic amount of exercise to accelerate weight loss, and then get into trouble when you reach goal weight and think you can stop (or cut back drastically) on the exercise AND start eating more too…
.-= Janet´s last blog ..Day 95 – Birthday Dinner Confession =-.
but the point of weight loss for me wasn’t just about losing weight, but changing my lifestyle from an unhealthy, sedentary life, to an active life that was both realistic and sustainable.
This is exactly how I feel. I want to build a base of exercise that I can maintain regardless of lifes little bumps (travel, children, career changes, etc). I’m right now working on building up my endurance on Bob Greene’s “Back to Business” Plan. Why? Because I saw the end goal (70 minutes of cardio 5x’s a week/ 3 days strength) as something I could work into my daily schedule for the rest of my life if I’m determined enough to do it.
Great post. Really thought provoking. it’s always sad to see people set themselves up for burning themselves out so quickly.
.-= Just_Kelly´s last blog ..Weekly Update: Sickness(?), Special Olympics, Veggies, and Clutter Butt (oh my!) =-.
I think you bring up some very good points. For me, key was to find the right amount of exercise that I could do for the rest of my life AND that my weak/many-times-injured ankle could handle. I also had to actively tell myself that working out did not mean I could eat more.
.-= Andrea@WellnessNotes´s last blog ..What To Do With Lots of Celery? =-.
I have thought this very thing. Someone once said “Don’t do anything to lose weight that you can’t continue to do to maintain that loss.”
Thanks for this post! I often kick myself for not going farther or doing more. I think shows like, The Biggest Loser, make people think that the only way to lose weight is to hit the gym for hours upon hours. I have heard them say on The Biggest Loser that you aren’t really working out until you puke. This is great for people on a TV competition, but in real life not so much. Thanks for the reality check!
.-= LoriAnn´s last blog ..Accepting Weight Loss Complements =-.
I understand what you mean. I see some of the same things – and especially when someone is just starting out on a weight loss journey and then does incredible amounts of exercise while eating 1200 calories. That can be a complete recipe for disaster. It’s part of that all-or-nothing mentality that derails so many people.
I exercise a lot, but because I enjoy it. This is something I am easily able to maintain, and I do love pushing myself. Honestly, though – I would not expect others to do my routine, just as there are some people who do much more than me as their baseline. It’s very individual.
I might go on a 30-mile bike ride tomorrow. Is that too much? To some people it is, to others it is just a small part of what they do.
The other point of exercise is that it should be cyclical. You don’t go all out all year long. There are periods of rest and recovery in the larger scheme of a year, as well as the shorter time frames. I don’t do the same type or intensity of workouts in the winter that I do in the summer.
I may come at this from a bit of a different angle because I feel like in this portion of my journey I have started to become an athlete, which is not something I ever would have thought possible at 250 pounds (nor did I even want to do it).
.-= Lori´s last blog ..Go Glamour! =-.
First off, thanks for directing me to your recipes section. There are a couple chicken recipes that I think everyone will enjoy.
Again, you always post such thought-provoking, interesting posts. Thank you for that. I love to think things through and you give me plenty of (0-calorie lol) food for thought.
If you look at my sidebar, you’ll notice I haven’t exercised in two weeks. I’m rebelling. Part of it was a pain issue, but when the pain went away, I didn’t get on the band wagon. I have never exercised to burn calories, but with fitness as goal. And this whole week I’ve been thinking the same thoughts as you’ve written in your post: What can I do for life, plus what can I fit in my life. I don’t quite have the answer. I am working on it. But the bottom line is I have to be able to continue what I start.
.-= Jo´s last blog ..Whew! =-.
I have to say that this is such a great post. I am that person who exercised hard-core for two hours a day (doing 30 minutes of interval training on the bike, 50 minutes of weight training, and then back on the bike for another 30-35 minutes). Now I did not do this every day, but I did it many times a week. And while I didn’t compensate with food, I did injure myself. Because of my biomechanics, I was more prone to patellofemoral syndrome, and I injured both knees. I have been in physical therapy for almost five months, and I have had to reduce my cardio a lot. Perhaps if I had not been so hard-core, I would not be dealing with such a long recovery with this whole thing.
In addition, I was annoyed with being able to do so little cardio, that I stressed my muscles too much with weights and pulled a pec muscle pretty badly. So now I have had to do physical therapy for my chest and shoulder.
Boy have I learned my lesson. While exercise is key to lose weight and stay healthy, too much is problematic. I read MizFit’s blog as well as Lynn Heraldson-Bering’s blog regularly, and both of them look great without overdoing the exercise. (And you look good too!) So I totally agree with everything you say here!
I’m so glad you brought this up because my workouts are going to have to last me a long time. I also often feel like the runt of the blog litter because I’m not losing faster or doing more hard core exercise but this is the pace that will get me there and hopefully keep me there.
.-= Gigi´s last blog ..Greetings From the "Me First" State =-.
I can’t even maintain monthly, much less weekly, or heaven forbid, DAILY exercise! So keeping it up isn’t really my issue! LOL
I will get better at it though. It seems to go in spurts for me. As the weather gets nicer, I will be more inclined to do more. But when it still feels like 95 degrees at 9 pm at night…not so much!
.-= Hopeful´s last blog ..Right Around The Corner! =-.
Thank you for writing this post! You brought up some very good points. Lately I’ve been wondering about the exercise thing, wondering mainly if I was doing enough. Startng to feel the pressure of adding another workout in. Somewhere. Somehow……… But now I’m thinking I’m good where I’m at for now. I can sustain this, and it does fit into my schedule nicely. And I’m getting results. Slowly, but surely.
Also, I have an award for you waiting on my blog. You made my list for the Very Lovely Blog Award. I love the way you have lost so much weight and managed to keep it off. I am in awe of this accomplishment and am feeling very inspired by this! I also love the way you reach out to others and offer words of encouragment. It really does mean a lot to those of us still trying to find our way on this journey to health and fitness.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..May I Have the Envelope Please? =-.
Great post Diane! I feel the same as you. I read sometimes how much people exercise and sometimes even start to feel guilty.
I try to exercise 5 times a week, 3 times running (an interval, a short and a long run), 1 Pilates class and one week Fitness, the other I want to start Zumba.
I need to exercise a lot otherwise I won’t lose weight. But it’s essential for me that I like the exercise I’m doing, otherwise I throw the towel in the ring. At this moment I like what I’m doing but an hour per exercise is enough for me. I do have a job, a house to clean, a husband and a social life too
.-= Fran´s last blog ..A day in my life: Friday August 21th 2009 =-.
Great post Diane!
I think many people could work smarter–not harder, you know? I clearly need to step up my workouts. I can do so much more now than just walking—but that still makes up about 85% of my exercise.
I wonder if “target heart rate” has anything to do with the lower loss numbers of some hard core trainers. If they’re burning into the “beyond red zone” level—perhaps their burning only 20% fat—when if they kept it steady at their perfect target, they could be burning 80% fat. It’s hard to explain to some who are convinced that more exercise equals more results. Same as trying to explain to someone that’s eating too few calories a day that eating more will actually help them lose more. It all sounds completey backwards. But I believe in the backward truths about weight loss and exercise and metabolism issues.
Your blog is amazing and your success is incredibly inspiring to me. I wonder where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing twelve years from now. I hope and dream to be where you are—writing and inspiring—cheering and lifting people up long enough for them to see that they can get out—they can break free…they honestly can.
You’re such an amazing person,
Thank you for your wonderful support—
Sean
.-= Sean Anderson´s last blog ..Day 340 Handing Out The Hardware and Giving Up Isn’t Possible =-.
I normally average 3, 30 minute workouts a week. 1 strength training and 2 cardios. But I’m in a challenge to tone up at the moment for 8 weeks, which consists of 2 cardio and 3 strenth training. Although I need to still lose some weight, I realise that I probably won’t while doing this challenge, although it would be a plus. I think if I can tone up a bit, it will help me to burn more calories from muscle after this challenge, and therefore when I go back to my normal workouts and more restrictive food intake, it should help. Just my theory, but it can’t hurt to try. Live and Learn.
.-= Teresa´s last blog ..This is it, No turning back now =-.
I’ve backed off on the exercise a little, somewhat for this reason. If I do it as much as I can, it tends to strain the rest of my life (as in, too tired to cook, clean, hang with friends). Luckily, I do tend to eat less, not get as hungry, and I think this is better. Walking doesn’t seem dangerous, but some of the more strenuous stuff is likely to lead to injuries, and I don’t always think more is better. That being said, I’ll probably continue with at least an hour or two daily, though not always strenuous. As I approach maintenance, I’m going to get more serious about strength training, with cardio on the side. I still bike to gym, and most other places, unless they’re closer than a mile, then I walk.
.-= julie´s last blog ..Honesty sucks. =-.
I did not get to reading all the comments yet BUT I am one that exercises a lot. BUT, my routine has changed over time. I did less time when I was younger & way busier with long work days, I did more when I was training for things like 5ks or bodybuilding.
I have been on this routine for a while & even did it when I was working some longer hours BUT I know that it is my choice & up to me when I want to change it. I always tell people when they ask me that this is not about me, it is about you & what you can do long term.
I have been able to sustain this for a lot of years now, at least 10 BUT I have made changes to how I do things & what I do as I have aged.
I agree with you on the food thing. Many people think they can eat just because they are working out. Me, I want to eat more than 1200-1400 calories a day so I do work out more. BUT, I eat more healthy stuff. I don’t make it an excuse to eat fat calories just because I am working out. I have been at the 1200-1400 a day thing & I was just always hungry & when I would eat more but not exercise more, I would gain.
I think we have to understand that every body is different & just because one person can work out only 40 minutes to an hour & stay looking great does not mean that works for another person.
WE all have to find what works for us & those people out there working out like crazy, like me,
, will have to find a way to adjust their food as things change. That is what I have always done. Things change, we change & we need to LEARN to adjust with those changes.
I doubt I will be able to maintain my current workout when I am 60 which is only about 8 years away BUT I intend to do everything in my power to stay fit & healthy in terms of what is right for me & for my own personal goals.
Great thinking going on here Diane. I am sure I am in the minority in terms of my workouts & your readers BUT again, it is what is right for me at this time. PLUS, I love the muscle & want to see it so I work hard for that. At some point, I may not care to look so lean or have this lower bodyfat & I will cut back… not sure when though !
I AGREE with your post! BIG TIME!
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..First day back OP and I… =-.
Being a huge fan of The Biggest Loser, I have often wonder the same thing. Can people who exercise sooooo much sustain it once they have reached their weight loss goal.
Whenever any one does anything to an extreme, the old adage “moderation in all things” comes to my mind. I do believe that it is possible to do too much of a good think.
When I lost my weight the first time, I fell in love with exercise and hiking. But, I never did more than I could fit into my life. It was very sustainable and worked for me. The problem was that when I started to make poor eating choices and the weight started to come back on, I completely stopped being active. If I had kept up my exercise routine, I probably wouldn’t have gained my weight back so quickly.
.-= 2Bmeagain´s last blog ..Inspiration Comes at the Strangest Times =-.
Most of the time people can’t keep it up. I try not to go crazy with exercise. Although I love it now I want to learn what I like and what I will be able to do for 60 + years.
After reading some of the comments, I do feel guilty I’m not doing enough! I try to do an activity each day. I can only cope with the gym 3 sessions a week, so on the other days I enjoy a solitary walk or swim.
For me the exercise is the easy part as I really love it. It’s the ‘watching what you eat’ part that is hard work!
I am *often* that person that bites off more than she can chew, so I think I understand what you are talking about here, Diane. As someone who randomly decided to train for and run (well, jog) a marathon almost 8 yrs ago and hasn’t done much of anything since (aside from gain weight), I can really, really identify with the people who take on big mongo exercise projects only to burn out sooner or later down the road.
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Fiber Friends: The Full Plate Diet =-.
As someone who works out for an hour 3 times a week, and goes for a few 5ish mile bike rides as well, I often wonder if I should be doing more, especially cardio, to lose weight faster. But for right now, I’m happy with what I’m doing, and I like the benefits of feeling stronger and having more energy.
.-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Ponds Giveaway Winner! =-.
I am definitely NOT one of those people. Somehow I just can’t get motivated to exercise with that kind of gusto. Walking about an hour a day is just about my limit, and I have trouble doing that.
.-= Ida´s last blog ..Be careful what you say =-.
Great post and i’ve often wondered this myself… When I started to lose weight I wanted to make sure that I could carry on “forever”. I have changed my diet to Clean/Intuitive Eating & exercise 5-6 days a week (usually 6) for 30-45 minutes a day. Definitely ‘doable’ forever. I love my daily dose of exercise!
I have 4 kids and could NOT take out 2-3 hours a day to exercise.. nor would I want to! lol!! It’s all about reality in my world! 
I believe any type of change you make to lose weight and be healthy should be something you can maintain for a lifetime. For me, I could never work out 6 days a week for the rest of my life. So I work out 3 – 4 times a week. It’s all about balance. Usually when you start a new diet you are super motivated and doing drastic things to lose weight (eg. 2 workouts a day) but it will not last. And it just may turn you off from exercise for good.
.-= Robin´s last blog ..What Your Car Colour Says About You =-.
This is something I have to remind myself of quite a bit, as I get caught up in seeing how many calories I can burn or how many fitness minutes I can log. Exercising is one thing I haven’t struggled with being consistent about, so I sometimes try to do more than I know I can maintain forever. And I find that at certain times in my life I have more time for exercise than others, so I adjust when necessary. Right now, for example, I have a lot of free time because I am unemployed, so I will work out for an hour at a time because I can, but I know it won’t always be that way.
.-= erin´s last blog ..Friday Five: The Fruit Edition =-.
This post really struck me, I used to workout insane amounts when I was an (overweight) athlete. Now, I workout much less intensely, I can/should step it up some, but I know me. I know that I’ll get super motivated for like a week. and then stop altogether. Now I’m trying to incorporate active habits in my life so that they are sustainable.
.-= MackAttack´s last blog ..taking so long =-.
After years of over exercising to lose weight I no longer think of exercise as a way to shrink my body, I think of it as something that I enjoy doing and that is good for me emotionally and physically. If I am training for an event I run a lot more but I no longer think that I will do this much to lose this much – it didn’t work for me, it burnt me out and I ended up not liking exercise when I was doing that.
.-= A Girl Running´s last blog ..Little Lentil =-.
I think that sometimes people need to go all in to get any sort of start at all and if getting results quickly will give further motivation to continue exercising, then that is the first step. I don’t know that anyone who starts a routine that intense every really intends on keeping it as a longterm plan, and in that sense knows that they will have to work to build a more sustainable routine. I think need to make a lifestyle change to have any longterm success and so I would encourage people to be realistic and not buy into instant result plans.
.-= chocolateprn´s last blog ..I went! =-.
It absolutely breaks my heart to read a post in which someone’s just starting out or stalled or whatever, and she’s pledging to work out for 4 hours a day, 7 days a week for the next 3 months (or something equally huge). I know that she’s not going to be able to sustain that. She’s either going to injure herself or have the normal life interruptions or get plain old tired–whatever it is, she’ll likely feel like she failed and quit doing anything. It doesn’t have to be that way, and I wish the advice for moderation was well-received, but in my experience, it was received as a lack of support.
From the beginning, my goal has been 30 minutes exercise 5-6 days per week. I frequently do more than that, but if I don’t have time, 30 minutes will do. Even if it’s yoga or something non-cardio. It’s still *moving*.
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..Binge Fighting Tips for the Weekend (and any other time) =-.
As a disabled person attempting to lose weight, one of the first things I had to do was make peace with the fact that exercise was probably not going to be a big factor in my weight loss.
I walk and do yoga several times a week and am now adding the stationary bike and the elliptical trainer VERY slowly since I can easily aggravate the problems I have already.
I fear that most people who are exercise-a-holics and watch every gram of food they put in their mouthes are heading for disaster.
BTW, I love your blog and always appreciate your comments on mine!
.-= NewMe´s last blog .."You Look Great!" =-.
Awesome as usual. I got half way through your blog and had to stop to ask my husband if he’d read it yet. Yes, he’s a HUGE fan also. We were just talking about this exact thing. I’m 50, he’s 57. I joined the gym in FL and when we got back to MI, joined here. He joined also. We went 6 days a week and built up our cardio time and our strength training time too. I got thinking one day that it was just too much. Oh, it was OK right now, but could I keep it up even when I got back to Florida? No, I don’t think so. I just quit going. Doh! Now I need to go back and start all over…just at a slower pace. One I can keep up for the next 30 years.
.-= Debby´s last blog ..A persevering Pixie =-.
I wouldn’t worry or be so alarmist, actually. Thirty-forty minutes or so per session might be great for someone maintaining, but for someone trying to lose weight, upwards of 60-90 minutes may be necessary. And this is coming from the American Heart Association’s updated guidelines, as well as the American College of Sports Medicine:
http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7764
I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately where those who are losing a great deal of weight through disciplined eating and lots of exercise are actually scared. I’m sensing the source of some of that fear in this blog.
However, weight loss mode is not forever. The amount of caloric intake and physical activity will obviously change once that person is in maintenance and, thus, living life.
These people who are making great efforts to lose weight and be healthy should be commended and supported, and perhaps given more guidance on how to maintain. There just doesn’t seem to be enough blogs or materials out there on how to maintain, and so it becomes the new unchartered territory to be feared, when it shouldn’t be so worrisome.
Weight loss mode should be temporary, of course. Maintenance is merely a downward adjustment of habits that would have already been developed. No one should need to exercise for 90-120 minutes every day for the rest of their life, unless they’re a professional athlete, etc.
And for those who need to lose a lot of weight, it is a combination of them finding what works best for them (if 2 hour workouts works, then so be it) and understanding that a LOT of physical activity may actually be what is crucial to losing weight. 40 minutes might be great now that someone in their healthy weight range, but it didn’t get me over my plateau at 180 lbs last year. I had to step up my exercise to over an hour, and it worked. For me. It might not be the same for someone else, of course.
I guess the bottom line is that everyone is different. And some people will require much more (or less) exercise to achieve their goals.
.-= Camevil´s last blog ..Size 6 on an All-BK Diet? Read it here first! =-.
Oops, forgot to answer your question:
I workout a little under 2 hours every morning, 6 days a week.
1 hour of cardio
20 minutes of abs or squats/lower body on alternating days
30 minutes of weight lifting every day, alternating muscle groups.
I started 3 years ago when I was 250+ lbs doing 20 minutes on my bike 3 days a week. I lost about 30 lbs. in about a year. I’ve stepped up in increments since then, and can run or bike for an hour, plus some weight lifting and core/lower body exercises. I am now in the 140′s (I’m 5’7″), down over 100 lbs. with about another 10 lbs to lose, but I’m not in a race anymore at this point. I feel extremely healthy and love to workout. My favorite part of the day is when I go running with my dog (I did not include that in the workout schedule) when I get home form work. My knees are going to dictate how long THAT continues, tho. *snickers*
Once in maintenance mode, my initial plan is to shave off about 20 minutes of cardio and ease up on some of the pilates-like exercises. Perhaps 5 days a week. I love the weight lifting, though, and may actually up the intensity depending on how I progress. It is all going to be trial and error, but I’m not going to overthink or overwork it. The bottom line is I’m going to stick what works, with tweaks here and there as needed.
BTW, I probably came across as arrogant, which is fine. It’s just that there’s so much second guessing amongst female weight loss bloggers, there’s an overall lack of self-confidence. So it’s hardly surprising when we trip up the first few times. We really are stronger than we think, once we put our mind to something and commit to it and research/educate ourselves on what we need to do.
.-= Camevil´s last blog ..Size 6 on an All-BK Diet? Read it here first! =-.
Sustainability is key with the exercise. Wanna know who inspires me with exercise? Elderly people.
For years and years, I’ve always admired seeing 70 year old, white-headed seniors rockin’ it out, lol. I love to see them walking down the street 3x faster than I can right now. It just inspires me to no end. I want to be them when I get to their age. I want to fully enjoy my retirement years because my health is excellent and I can get up and do things and enjoy all that free time. I’ve heard so many stories about elderly people being busier in retirement than they ever were working jobs and raising kids…but it’s a good kind of busy, doing exactly what they wanted to do in their golden years, because they have the healthy bodies to enjoy it.
.-= Tammy´s last blog ..Things Are Really Bad =-.
My BF and I get into it over this topic.
I complain that I’m exercising a lot more than I have in the past and not seeing results that I think I should. But I continue day-in-day out, much like the turtle, and know one day I will be my best.
He pipes in that I need to do MORE exercise in order to see results. He exercises all out – off and on.
I have, in the past, worked my butt off to get in shape (class reunion!), got there, looked great for a day or two, then fell back in to my old routine and all that hard work went down the toilet.
Success, to me, is being able to sustain my exercise no matter what is happening in my life.
I used to walk for 30 minutes a day. I’ve bumped it up to 45 minutes lately. And I lift weights 3 times a week and it takes about 20 minutes.
I think those hours-long workouts are a little over the top and the articles that have been published recently about too much exercise bring up the scientific reasons why they don’t necessarily help you lose weight. I’ve read a couple different places that your foods are much more important for losing weight. Exercise is more about health and strength.
.-= MamaBearJune´s last blog ..HYC check in =-.
Great really very nice . I totally see your point and agree. I feel like MizFit. I’m in this for the long-haul, so I did not make any changes that are super crazy weird, either with food or exercise.