How Long Do I Need To Work Out For And Diet To See Results?
I’m a 5′5 woman that weighs 134 pounds. I don’t see myself as fat, but I always say “there’s room for improvement”. For the last 5 or so months I’ve been dieting (the healthy way) by cutting out a lot of junk food and reducing my calorie intake. I joined a gym, met with a trainer and have been going at least 3 times a week, sometimes more. The trainer said I didn’t really have weight to lose. I think otherwise. He set me up on a program which included strength training and cardio. He said I would most likely see myself getting toned, rather than the number change on the scale. Well, this much time has passed and I haven’t lost a pound (or gained…thank god!), seen any change in my body besides my arm muscles getting a little more defined. I figured I would have noticed my body changing, but it really hasn’t. I’m on the verge of cutting out even more calories and going to the gym way more than I already do. Any ideas? Are there better machines to use for faster results? I mainly want my legs to be skinnier and my “love handles” to disappear! Everything else is okay…for now!
It takes time to lose weight in a healthy way, especially if your body has been accustomed to this weight for quite some time. Ironically, cutting back on too many calories, especially protein, will cause your body to hold onto more calories, thinking its being starved, or your won’t see any weight loss. Your metablolism will burn more calories, the more you eat. So….snacking throughout the day, versus chunked meals, may work better for you.
If your body is used to being 135, you will see toning and sculpting of your body immediately, and weight loss later; versus cutting calories, upping your cardio will help burn more.
Best wishes!
You should talk to your trainer, you might need to come up with a healthier eating plan or diet, cardio is great for weight loss but at that height and weight you don’t want to loose too many pounds, you want to tone up! good luck
The rest of your life
Weight training and high intensity cardio tones muscle and builds your anaerobic metabolism. You burn what you had for lunch, essentially and build muscle.
If you have a heart rate monitor, set it to Zone 2 or between 70-75% of your maximum heart rate. Yeah, I know, its slow and its boring but it will burn fat instead of carbs. Training in Zone 2 with a long duration effort improves your aerobic baseline endurance. It also burns FAT as a primary fuel source. Many triathletes use this at the beginning of training for their season to ensure they have a solid aerobic endurance baseline.
I would suggest running for 30 minutes at a conversational/Zone 2 pace. 4x per week–outside or on a treadmill. Increase duration by 10% per week. Do this for 12 weeks and you’ll be ready for any 10K or 1/2 Marathon and be able to finish with a smile. As time goes on you will find yourself running faster but your heart rate still in Zone 2. You can also cross train biking and swimming in zone 2 to help recover from days you’re not running. Oh I almost forgot, you’ll lose weight and your body fat percentage will go down. Don’t cut out the calories–you’re going to need them.
Ask your trainer about Zone 2, aerobic baseline training and see what they have to say about incorporating it into your current workout. It sounds like you’ve been put into a cookie cutter program. Be more specific about your personal goals — e.g. tell them you want to be able to run a 1/2 marathon in 12 weeks.
See you at the finish line!
Your problem is not your weight, it is your attitude.
you have asked for professional help (the gym trainer) then you insist that YOU know more then HE does. That is REALLY a stupid waste of time and money!
Because of this attitude, you will NEVER be satisfied with anything anybody tells you. So why even ask? Just do as you damn well please — including making a mess of your health, if that makes you happy.
if you want some REAL advice, go back to that trainer, and do the things you’ve paid him to show you!
By The Way, it take about two weeks of working out and dieting so some some SMALL results. if you are losing more than two pounds a week, you are losing too fast, end your health is in danger.
But be aware that if you are exercising your are GAINING muscle weight! So, while you are burning fat, you are gaining muscle. with a good exercise program, you may even GAIN weight. but muscle weight is healthy! Muscle weight burns more calories and uses more energy (fat does neither) so while your weight goes UP, you are more healthy than you were at a lower weight.
but of course the trainer already told you that, and you implied that he was a liar . . .