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 =-.

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.

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 =-.

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! =-.

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! =-.

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!" =-.

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) =-.