In need of new workout schedule, what do you think?

Question

I have been so tired latley so i am trying to adjust my schedule. Do you think for weight loss that this would be effective: MWF do pilates first thing in the morning and then in the afternoon do my weight lifting session followed by H.I.T. training cardio for about 20 min. Then, on Tuesdays and Thursdays take a spin class at 6pm, and on saturdays at 9am. I am 5'5, 103lbs and i want to maintain my weight loss goals. I used to cycle at 6AM MWF but with school and it being so cold i am losing momentum. Is pilates effective in the morning, first thing on an empty stomach or do i need high energy cardio?

I used to cycle MWF at 6am but want to change it a little. Do you think if i did H.I.I.T. for 20min in the morning that would be as effective even though it is a shorter time. I weight lift later in the day on MWF and still cycle T/Tr/Sat in the afternoons. I have lost 30lbs and want to maintain. I eat 5-6 frequent meals all natural and balanced. Would 20 min be enough in the morning or do i need 30min? and what about pilates in the mornings?

Answer 1

It's actually always better to eat a breakfast and wait a little bit to do any cardio (speeds your BMR more than starving yourself).

H.I.I.T.? Did you mean High Intensity Interval Training? If so, great, focus on that.

Everything looks good, just remember nutrition and small meals every 1.5 to 3 hours to get your metabolism to be a red hot.

Answer 2

The reason you're feeling tired is because you're burning yourself up. Diet and exercise are a good way to get in shape, and stay that way. If you're 5' 5" you might not need to loose weight. It seems that you're already underweight. Working out without proper nutrition is counter productive. you won't loose more weight, you'll only burn yourself down to being malnourished, and not have any benefits of being healthy.

Here is a simple way to go about this. First and foremost, get proper nutrition with a balanced diet. Extremes in diet and exercise do not give anyone any benefit at all. Good old fashioned and boring balanced nutrition is the tried and true way to get in and stay in shape. Start your exercise program with aerobics first. This helps build endurance. Then go for resistance exercises to build muscle tone. After that, you go for weight training to build muscle mass and strength.

Please keep this in mind; muscle mass wieghs more than fat. If you work out with weights, you will build muscle, and weigh more. If you want to stay very lean and thin, consider aerobics as your regular exercise routine, along with resistance exercises to maintain muscle tone.

Balance your meals with a wide variety of foods. If keeping weight off is important, then reduce your portions. Howsumever, you should still try to eat at least three times a day. Balance and moderation does a lot more for you in the long run, then extreme programs where you eat once a year, and work out 80 hours a week. You should also consider practicing the virtue of patience. This will reward you with a sensible program that will give you far greater benefits then extreme programs.