fat loss

[charmed2570]

can anyone help me in the area of fat loss I need to lose 52 more lbs. to be at my target goal of 130 from 182. What types of machines really get your metabolism running high and melt it off? I want muscle but I am realistic I know I have some major weight to get off first, right?

[Aimers1022]

I am in ur same position. After reading on this board, this is waht i've come to understand?

Well i'm no expert, in fact, i know VERY LITTLE. But one thing i have learned while checking out this board is that developing muscle is what is going to help you lost the fat, right? Becuase even if you do cardio, you are only burning calories as you are doing the exercise. But if you lift and develop muscles, they are burning calories constantly. I know it seems kind of counter intuitive, becuase it sure does to me, but the ladies on here sure seem to knwo what they are talking about. So what i've noticed here is that people who want to have visible muscle mass and lose fat should focus on lifting and building muscle.

Did i get this right guys?
The misconception that excessive cardio is the only way to burn calories and lose weight is a really hard thing to believe given all the wrong information we have. The way i see it tho, what is the worst that can happen by lifting weights? You get stronger? Look tighter? I'll take my chances and take it easy on the cardio!

[Paichka]

No matter how much weight you have to lose, if you want to be healthy and adopt a fitter lifestyle, your strategy needs to be three-pronged. Like the invasion of Europe.

FIRST: Weight Lifting. Muscle is far more metabolically active that fat, which is inert tissue that stores energy for your body to use later. If you build more muscle, that will raise the number of calories you burn each day -- upping your metabolism. Any weight-loss regimen needs to include weight lifting -- it'll help you firm up, get more energy, feel better, etc etc. Weights are wonderful. Write this on your mirror in lipstick. :-) For a beginner, I recommend a full body workout three times a week. You can look at some of the threads on this forum for suggestions.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=450692

This is a good one to get you started.

SECOND. Cardio. You DO need some cardio, but not nearly as much as some people would have you believe. Cardio is good for strengthening your heart, upping the efficiency of oxygen transport in your blood, and also for zapping fat. I'd recommend 3 to 4 days a week of cardio -- three days of interval training and one longer day of steady state cardio. If your interval workouts last 20 minutes, say, then your long day should be 30 to 40 minutes. Personally, my body responds very well to cardio and I'm in really good cardiovascular shape, so I do 5 or 6 days of cardio as a stress reliever. If you're just starting out though, 3 or 4 days is plenty to get you started. You can add more as you become more fit. Just listen to your body.

THIRD. Diet. In order to fuel these workouts, you need to eat correctly. Too many people try to cut their calories drastically in order to cut fat -- this is just going to convince your body that you're starving and cause it to hold on to that fat harder than ever. Additionally, you're going to get cranky, and inevitably binge, get depressed at your "lack of self control" and the vicious "i hate dieting" cycle will begin anew. First, you need to figure out how many calories you need a day -- I don't know your height or age so I can't estimate for you, but I know that I need roughly 2100 based on my height, weight and percent bodyfat. I also know that I burn roughly 600-800 calories a day working out. To lose weight then, I eat between 2000 and 2200 calories a day depending on that day's activity level.

In order to lose a pound of bodyfat a week, you need to create a deficit of about 3500 calories. Eat between 300 and 500 calories less than you take in and this translates to roughly a pound a week loss, which is a nice safe and steady rate.

I recommend journaling to keep track of your food intake. We tend to underestimate how much we eat, so online programs like iShape (paid) and FitDay (free) are invaluable for giving us honest feedback on what exactly we're putting into our bodies. Personally, because I do a lot of cardio and I expend a lot of energy running around here in Iraq, my protein:fat:carbs ratio is 30% Protein, 20% Fat and 50% carbs. Some people eat more protein, some people eat more or less fat, many people eat fewer carbs than I do...it all depends on your activity level and goals. If you want to build muscle, for example, eat more protein. Keep your fat intake at less than 30% of your daily total though, and try to get most of your fat calories from healthy sources like olive oil, peanut butter or nuts.

Read some of the journals posted on this forum and most of all, ASK QUESTIONS. Post your meal plan, your workout plan, whatever, and ask for critiques & help. We're all glad to help out -- everyone was a beginner at one time or another, and some of the women on here are SO inspiring.

hope this helps!
Sunny