 Re: need a plan
<steven.sklar@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1185984509.945790.198310@d55g2000hsg.googlegr oups.com...
> Hello,
>
> I am very new to fitness and am looking for a little help in putting
> together a plan to lose weight. I am 5'6" and weigh about 170
> pounds. I would like to lose about 30 pounds. I have been running
> about a mile and a half 3 days a week for the last month and still
> have not noticed a significant difference. I have not been on any
> kind of diet and realize that this might be a problem. Any help in
> putting together a diet and exercise routine would be greatly
> appreciated. Obviously I would like to lose the weight as quickly as
> possible but I understand it takes time.
>
> Thanks
Running 1 1/2 miles is only going to burn you about 150 calories. That
means you burn about 450 a week in exercise - this isn't enough. YOu need
to elevate your heart rate doing anything you like, for 30-60 minutes 4-6
days a week. This sounds like a lot, so start at the low end and work up.
Try 20 minutes 3-4 times a week, and slowly increase.
Now for your diet:
First of all, you need to eat less than you burn to lose weight. Figuring
out how much you burn, and how much you are actually eating is a good place
to start. How much you burn (without exercise) is going to be roughly 12 x
current bodyweight in lbs - so for you around 2000. To figure out what you
are eating, try inputting all of your food intake (yes, every little bite,
sip, and nibble). Once you have established that calorie intake, you need
to figure out how to reduce your intake, and make your diet healthier.
You have to create a caloric deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb of fat.
This means, with a 500 calorie per day deficit, you can lose 1 lb of fat per
week. I personally don't think one should lose much faster than that,
unless they are severely overweight.
To achieve that deficit, you should strive for a combination of calorie
cutting and some form of exercise. Could you post what you typically eat in
a day? Cutting out things like soda, fast food, fried food, heavy starchy
food like potatoes, pasta and rice, full fat dairy products, fatty meats,
processed or boxed food items is a good start. Drinking lots of water,
eating lots of fresh veggies and fruits, lean meats, low fat or fat free
dairy is a good base.
Many people make the mistake in thinking that this "diet"; which is actually
a permanent change in the way of eating, means deprivation. Not so. I eat
all sorts of foods that are "off the good list" so to speak. The plan for
me though is to be 80% good, and 20% bad. It keeps me healthy and happy.
 | 
Linear Mode
