losing muscle?

Question

i need to lose some muscle and some fat...what would be the best way...i just started dieting and exercising....how long should i walk on the treadmill everyday to lose a good amount of weight? i need to lose about 100 pounds...

Answer 1

100 lbs is a lot. It's a fabulous goal to have but its going to take you a lot of time. This isn't a short term goal like 20 lbs over summer that you can see the end and the light at the end of the tunnel. This is a serious lifestyle change. For that you need professional help.

Look into a gym with a nutritionist on staff. Keep a food journal and write down every single thing that passes your lips all day. Each minor lil thing. Then look over what adds the most excess calories to your day. Perhaps its twinkies or doritos. Cut them out entirely. Cut out sodas as well. Excess unnecessarly calories.

Do you eat a lot of fast food? Cut that. Pack your own lunch. In order to lose weight you need a clean work environment. If the temptation is not in your house, you are less likely to drive to the store specifically to buy it. Take a friend grocery shopping with you--or make your list and call the store. They will pack everything up and charge your credit card. Drive to the curb and pick it up--then you can't add such things as Impulse items that have no nutritional value.

The nutritionist will help you figure out whats the right portion size for you. What items are more dense and fill you up more. Simple substitutions to have more complex carbs, more fiber and less simple carbs. You will increase the frequency you eat so you won't be hungry. You will eat roughly 5-6 times a day and every 3 hours. But you will eat a lot less at each meal.

For the exercise, a trainer is great b/c if you are 100 lbs overweight you don't know what you are capable of. You will get tired sooner than you should and think you are too tired to go on anymore. But you aren't. Your body can do so much more than you think it can.

I recommend having a weight loss friend. Someone that goes to the gym with you. Often you can talk yourself out of working out b/c you have laundry to do, the phone rang, you had errands to do. But if you have a friend that you go to the gym with, you feel more guilt about it. You are carpooling together and you cancel you are sabatoging your friend's weight loss goals as well.

As far as a general rule, you should do about 45-60 min of cardio a day at the target heart rate (which is a lot faster than people tend to think). Cardio is the best way to lose weight. You can change it up--it doesn't need to be the treadmill every day.

You also need to do strength training to change this fat into muscle. Strength training will not be every day b/c your muscles need a chance to recover afterwards. You'll work your arms one day, then the legs, then the arms.

But you'll need the dedication to work out every single day. It needs to become a lifestyle change. I recommend reading Dr Phil's book The Ultimate Weight Loss. It helps on all areas of weight loss. It's not just physical. There is a mental attachment to food that must be overcome as well.

This is an amazing goal you have set for yourself. I wish you the best of luck. But you cannot do this alone. You will need a good support group.

Answer 2

Doing lots of cardio aerobic exercise will have anyone lost fat and muscle due to tissue catabolism. 100 pounds will take at least 1.5 years when done safely, so don't give up.
Probably 45-hour on the treadmill, but I think it's also great to run outside.

Answer 3

you may want to re-think the muscle losing part. Muscle burns a lot of calories and more muscle will help you transform your body more efficiently and quickly. Losing fat is all good, not muscle. Good luck.

Answer 4

Why would you think loosing muscle is good? Muscle burns 3 time as much calories as fat.

Answer 5

if your muscular you need to stretch to lengthen your muscle so they become leaner and not appear bulky...if you wanna lose fat...keep doin cardio..it is recommedede to do abnout 30-60min of cardio a day...but for 3 times a week..;)