burning calories and working out?

Question

I'm am a 37 year old 170 lb male looking to start to work out for the first time in years. I am not fat but not in shape either. Last week I joined a fittness club and would like to loose the fat and gain some muscle. Maybe even a six pack. when I started on the treadmill in told me to start at 20 min and work up from there. After walking for the 20 min it said I lost around 100 calories? Don't you eat like 2000 a day? Even when I get up to 40 min a day that would only be 200 calories? Am I missing something? I know I need to use the other machines so will I be working out for 2 hour a day? I don't have time for that!??! What is the formula for success? Will I feel better afterward or will I feel drained always? What can I expect in 2 months, 4 months, 6 months?

Answer 1

Let's start with your treadmill question: Walking on a treadmill for 20 minutes may only burn 100 calories if you're walking slowly. However, the average male can burn around 600 calories by jogging briskly for 40 minutes. So you have two variables here: (1) duration, and (2) intensity. Increase either one, or both, and you'll burn more calories. WARNING: You can walk as much as you want, but don't jog for more than 40 minutes at a time or you risk burning muscle instead of fat. You need oxygen to burn fat, and if you're working yourself too hard you won't get enough. Also, you burn fat and glycogen when walking but only glycogen when jogging, and once the glycogen is gone you start burning muscle because it takes the most energy to maintain.

Now let's do some math. If you're 37 years old, were mostly sedentary before starting your weight loss plan, and weigh 170 pounds, you need to consume about 2,400 calories a day just to maintain the weight you have. You can lose weight by cutting calories alone, but you should NEVER cut your caloric intake below 1,800 calories a day -- if you do, your body will go into starvation mode and greedily hang onto every last bit of body fat you have while burning the tissue that requires the most energy to maintain (muscle). If you were to cut back to 1,900 calories a day, you could conceivably lose one pound a week without exercise, but exercise really needs to be a part of your plan if you want to shape up.

Strength training should definitely be in your regimen because it helps burn fat and more muscle means more calories required per day. Your body needs roughly 50 calories more per day for every extra pound of muscle you have, so you can REALLY ramp up your weight loss by adding muscle. If you can, work out six times a week, alternating days between strength training and cardio. Best fat loss workout is circuit training with light weights and more repetitions -- the trainers at your gym should be able to give you a basic circuit workout that hits all the major muscle groups. You should NEVER have to do strength training for more than an hour, and remember that intensity is going to be your best friend when doing strength training.

What can you expect in 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months? That depends on how well you stick to your diet and exercise regimen. You should definitely see a change in 2 months and you could have that six-pack in 6 months if you work it. Bear in mind that your diet will make you or break you, so if you need diet tips go to the Mens Health web site (http://www.menshealth.com/), click on the "Discussions" link, and check out the bulletin boards governing diet. Look for messages, stickies, and threads about "clean eating" and you'll find out everything you need to know about what to eat, what to avoid, how much and how often to eat, the list goes on and on.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I workout 5 times a week. Have been for three years now. I have learned the best way to maximize your time on the treadmill is to raise the incline, even if you have to lower the speed. I started doing this about 4 months ago and now I can burn over 1500 calories in an hour. Begin with an incline of about 5 and a speed of about 3.8, slowly during your workout, increase the incline in small increments. If the workout starts to becomme to difficult, lower the speed a bit. In time you will find your current range and be surprise at how quickly you advance. I currently can go between 3.5 - 4.2 mph and incline from 20 - 45. Most treadmills only incline to 15, but a few of the ones in my gym go to 50. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Everybodies formula is different. Walking won't burn a whole lot of calories. Running or jogging will double your output. If you can find a machine that works your upper body and lower body at the same time, you will burn more calories. Elliptical runners work most of your body; pushing and pulling with your arms while running/jogging. You should be drained after every workout. If you aren't, then you didn't push yourself. Workouts should never get easier. Find time, earlier in morning is best. Try cutting out 100 calories somewhere else throughout the day, (i.e. one less can of soda). Results will vary based on how dedicated you are to your goals. Best of luck and don't give up.

Answer 4

It's amazing how few calories you burn while on the treadmill, right? Especially when you consider a can of Coke is like 100 calories!

Try increasing the speed on your treadmill and increase yourself to running-that really burns up the calories! I try to burn 400 calories as a target on the treadmill/elliptical machine and spend about 1/2 hour lifting weights.

If you want to see your muscles, you have to get rid of the fat. That means adjusting yoru diet to include lots of fruits and veggies and lean protiens and water, and getting rid of much of the fat and carbs (processed ones, like sugars and flour).

You can lose about 10 pounds a month max, but any more, and you could be setting yourself up for other problems (my friend's hair started falling out). And-those who lose at a slow pace tend to do better in the long run than those who lose too quickly.

Answer 5

Your thinking it in to simple of equation. It's true that 100 calories is 100 calories no matter how you put it. But what you are doing is making your body leaner and more efficient in burning those calories. When you weren't working out your body got use to the idea that It did not need to burn as much energy as you were putting in. Because of years of human survival the body has evolved in a great energy storage device- hence FAT!! But once you get your body working out it will change how your body sees things. It notices that you are in need of much more energy and will start burning it off at times even when you are not even moving. So you might be 20 minutes on the tredmill but you your still buring during your sleep. Thinking of it as tuning up your car; so it burns the fuel more efficient but opposite..you want to be a fuel gusler!!