I am 19, 5'6 and weigh around 165. I want to lose weight. What should I do? I have started on the treadmill

Question

but i do not know how long to go and/also how fast to go? Thanks. Also any other exercises that are great for rapid weight loss?

Answer 1

Hi, my background is health, fitness and nutrition and I have my own clinical practice specialising in women's health and nutrition based in Spain.

The first thing I'd say is aiming for rapid weight loss will not lead to long term weight loss, you will end up quickly becoming de-motivated, frustrated or sustaining injury.

However, you are definitely doing the right thing by not crash dieting and losing weight through exercise. You need to decide today that you are going to change your lifestyle, not just for the next week or month but for the foreseeable future!

You will be someone that other women envy and the person you have always wanted to become - you will be fit, glowing with health and slim!

The best way to get fit and lose weight is to train smart not long - DO INTERVAL TRAINING. This is the type of training advised by most experts.

QUICK RUNNING TIPS:
1. Always warm up so as not to hurt yourself
2. Put upbeat music on your iPod or mp3.
3. Take a bottle of water with you.
4. Invest in a pair of asics trainers (www.asics.co.uk) - you need good support and cushioning, I can't emphasise this enough. If your feet hurt you will end up giving up!
5. Cool down by walking slowly on the treadmill after your run and stretch for at least 5 mins so your muscles don't ache too much the next day.

30 MINUTE ROUTINE

TIME SPEED INCLINE%
5 walk 0
3 jog 1
2 run 1
2 jog 2
3 run 2
3 jog 1
2 run 1
2 jog 2
3 run 2
3 jog 1
2 run 1
2 jog 2
3 run 2
2 walk 0
5 stretch

Interval Training - fast 1 min, slow 1 min - can be applied to other CV machines in the gym. The cross trainer is another good machine to use. You will burn more calories when you use upper and lower body so running and cross trainer are the best.

Spinning is another great weight loss exercise. Horrible at first but once you get into it you'll love it as time flies. Make sure you have a good instructor who takes you through the technique and shows you good posture. If you don't get it right you can hurt your knees.

Set yourself realistic MONTHLY goals. Do not measure your achievement by weight loss alone! You could end up being disappointed when you should actually be pleased with yourself! Take your vital measurements today, your waist, thighs, arms, hips etc. You will build muscle through exercise which weighs more than fat. You can judge your progress every week on the same day at the same time, weigh yourself and measure yourself. Chart your progress.

Keep a Journal - every day record your exercise and what you have eaten. How are you feeling today? Also chart your menstrual cycle which affects your mood and weight. Over a couple of months you'll get to know your body and mind really well and you will begin to know what works for you, what makes you happy etc and you will also be able to see the improvements you are making to yourself and see the benefits of your change in lifestyle. You'll never want to go back to how things were!

You will not lose weight over night. To get the body you have always wanted will take time. The way I look at it is - how long did it take me to put on this weight?... the honest answers is usually years! You should say to yourself, I will aim to lose 2lbs a week. Your body burns more in the morning on an empty stomach ( i usually take an sugar free actimel so am I not hungry) but performs better about 3pm in the afternoon (don't eat in the 2hours before going to the gym).

You will lose more at the beginning and weight loss will slow after the initial first weeks.

Remember, there is no such things as targeted weight loss, you will lose weight from all over your body not just one area. Women tend to first notice changes in their arms followed by their bust, waist and finally thighs. Toning up these areas will make them look better and tighter.

I guess your aim is to lose around 18 - 25lbs? I would advise you to do this over 4 months. This may sound a long time but once it is off it will stay off! It is hard work for 4 months but thereafter you can maintain the weight easily through a few gym sessions and weight bearing exercise per week or maybe by that point you will be an exercise addict, love how fit and healthy you feel and want to go further, who knows!

Other essential advise - Do weight training. Get a qualified instructor to design a program for you. Do at least 2 sessions a week. Muscles burn more calories, the more muscles you have, the more calories your body needs to use to power you. Always give yourself 2 days rest between weight sessions so that the muscles repair themselves - this is how you the body builds muscle.

-Vary your exercise so you don't get bored.

-Buy Women's health and fitness magazines.

-Address your diet. Stable Blood sugar levels are the key to good weight loss. Follow a low GL diet (the best books are Patrick Holford's, find on amazon) for safe, quick weight loss.

-If you find you are not losing weight consider getting a food intolerance test. Many people are intolerant to wheat and dairy products. Food intolerances can hinder weight loss.

-Take a good multivitamin and antioxidant

-Drink at least 2 litres of water

-Assess your mental health, have you been stressed recently? Stress can hinder weight loss as it releases cortisol into the body. Stress affects your hormonal balance. Hormone balance for women is essential for wellbeing and health. Exercise alleviates stress and helps re-regulate hormones. It also boosts the immune system by getting your lymph glands pumping, clearing toxins from your body.

-Take medical advise if you have not exercised for a long time or suspect you may have any medical condition.

-Keep motivated. I recommend you look up www.seeyourselfslimmer.co.uk - send a digital photo to them as you are now and they will slim you down and show you what you will look like. Put this on your bathroom mirror or you fridge to keep you motivated!! I think it costs about 20£.

Some personal trainers recommend you take a L-cartinine capsule an hour before exercise, up your intake of green tea. Taking a seaweed Kelp tablet in the morning can be effective for some too. But remember, consult a qualified personal trainer, nutritionist or doctor before. Your health is the important thing you have, look after yourself, nourish yourself and keep your body moving. This is basic survival and shouldn't be an option. Exercise is something that should be the priority, not something to squeeze in. Happy body equals happy mind as well as long pain free life!

Good luck! Don't mean to be cheesy but... make today the first day of the rest of your life! Let me know if I can be of any further help!

Answer 2

As a new mom myself I completely understand the frustration you're feeling with the extra weight gained during pregnancy. It is tempting to want to do something drastic in order to get the 'quick' results... but this approach is unhealthy and will not yield lasting results. Your goal should be to lose no more than 2 pounds per week ... if you're breastfeeding then taking the weight off should be much easier. If you're not breastfeeding just walk daily for a minimum of 30 minutes (at a fast enough pace to get your heart rate up a little) and cut back on the amount of carbs you eat (avoid excess breads... cakes, cookies, etc.) Just remember everything in moderation. It's not easy. I lost 50 lbs. once and it took almost a year (allowing myself to cheat and eat some ice cream every once in a while) to get the weight off. Best wishes.

Answer 3

I am also on a diet right now.
Am not doing a lot of exercises, because at the end i always abandon if i do several type of exercises.

What i do is to jump rope.
I know someone who has been jumping rope and just in 1 month she has lose a lot of weight.

Right now i have already lose maybe 4 kg.

Try to jump rope, no need to jump a lot.
As for a first time do maybe 60 but me now i jump about 150 everyday.
And drink at least 2 liter of water and also have a balance diet.
Don't eat rice or even pasta when you are on diet.
For bread try eating whole wheat bread and no need to eat this a lot.

And don't drink coffee, some might say to drink coffee to lose weight, but do this.
And also don't drink things with lot of sugar.

And don't put in your mind that you are on diet, as it will never work.
Just do as if it's a normal thing in your life.

And do sleep well also.

Well maybe you will get better answer,
but it's what i do to lose weight and it really works.

Good luck.:-)

Answer 4

if you are using a tread mill try going slowly. Start from the lowest speed and slowly increase it to brisk walking speed. When you get the hang of brisk walking, you can take on a higher speed. One hour every day in the morning before breakfast is what my dad does everyday and it gives him the energy to go for the whole day.
Then there's dieting. You can start by reducing the food intake. If you can, try not to eat snacks or in-between meals. Eat only three times a day and make sure you eat an early dinner. Preferably 4 hours before you go to bed. This way, the food you took in would have digested by the time you go to sleep.
There is no easy way to weight loss but strict dieting and a disciplined excercise schedule.
Good luck and hope this helps

Answer 5

cardios on treadmill is a good start. First start medium and then fast for one minute hten slow down, do this few times, this way you will pump your metabolism without going breathless. also increase the elvation level, this will add more strength to your workout and lose weight. Here are the weight loss execises that make you burn more calories in less time

Answer 6

Avoid non veg items. Weekly once u take non veg. that too small quantity.

Take more vegetables and chapaties (wheat),

Rice once in a day.

reduce snacks - oil contents - take snacks ie small qty. Eat groundnuts instead of snacks. good for health.

monthly once dont take any thing except a cup of milk or tea or coffee from the morning till 6.00pm. - take any food item at 8.00pm

daily morning u can have a habit of drinking a lemon juice in empty stomach instead of coffee. u can have coffee later ie after 1 hr.

or

daily morning u can have a cup of hot water with two drops of honey.

Daily go for a walk early in the morning around 1 to 2 kms which makes ur mind fresh and body fit.

dont use vehicles unnecessarily. Always try to go by walk if it is walkable distance.

I am sure if u follow this u will reduce within 6 months.

Answer 7

You do not have to exercise at any special rate . All exercise burns calories if you get your heart rate pumping to about 120. When you are fatigued , rest ...you'll bulid up your exercise tolerance as you go along. At 5'6 inches you don't have that much to lose. Eat fruits vegetables and lean meats and continue exercising to your personal tolerance and you'll lose about 10 lbs per month.

Answer 8

Eat those greens. I think people have over analyzed a little too much on weight loss techniques. If you eat healthy and exercise once a day you should be back to normal in no time.

Answer 9

Eat early in the day to lose moew weight

Answer 10

Get up and walk 10 minutes before each meal