Where to start? Cardio or Lifting?

[ABeast1Day]

Let me start off with this disclaimer first and formost. Im new to working out/eating healthy. Im in no position to give advise so I wont. I will just tell you my experience and you can take it for what it worth. Ill leave the advise giving to those who know what they are talking about,and ALOT of these folks on here smart.
I've battled weight issues for along time. I tried many times to lose it. I did ll the things I THOUGHT I was supposed to do. Cardio like a mad man and eating 5~6 small meals a day. It never wworked..why? Because I hated it. I hated cardio and I hated obsessing over my meals. 4 months ago I was told its about calories in vs. Calories out... and that being muscular helps you burn fat.
So instead of worrying about 5 or 6 meals I set my caloric intake at 2100 per day and used myfitnesspal to track it. I logged everything I put in my mouth.at first I didn't care where the calories came from as long as I stayed at or slightly under 2100,as time went by I realised that I was making healthier decisions as to what I was eating. Not long after that I was hitting my macros and eating all good healthy foods. I also started to lift weights. Just a simple push/pull/leg routine 6 days a week.I choose this because I was able to get in and out of the gym in bout 45 mins. It fit my schedule great. As a result I have lost 40 plus pounds in 4 months. With very little cardio. Just enough to warm up before my workouts and some extra alks and bike rides with my 3 sons.
It works. Just keep with it..
Im not telling you to not do cardio.(its great for you) im just saying getting the weight off is more important and that there are other ways to do it. Lift heavy,GET YOUR DIET IN CHECK and don't worry about your heart rate...
sorry to ramble. But your story sounded alot like mine. So I thought id share it.

[tryintorebuild]

Dont overthink it too much just get active first and you will notice progress. I am with the majority here that say do both. Looking forward to seeing and hearing about your progress. Find out what works for you everyone id different and everyone has different goals . Best of luck to you.

Best advice I've seen in this thread. It's bodybuilding not rocket science. More movement means more calories burned. Op should expect to lose a little muscle mass as he loses fat weight. But he probably won't even notice it until he gets down around 200 lbs. What he will notice is his arms will get smaller as he loses weight, but they'll look better anyway. The trade off is worth it.

[MightyKingOdin]

Best advice I've seen in this thread. It's bodybuilding not rocket science. More movement means more calories burned. Op should expect to lose a little muscle mass as he loses fat weight. But he probably won't even notice it until he gets down around 200 lbs. What he will notice is his arms will get smaller as he loses weight, but they'll look better anyway. The trade off is worth it.

Not sure I agree with that. It’s the type of movement that brings results. There are many lard asses in my neighborhood that think by going for a walk a few times a week will bring them results.

Six months down the line, they’re still walking and personally they've achieved jack shyte.

A waste of time if you ask me. More like soothing their guilty conscience.

You have to become serious about your goals and attack it with passion and determination. Do it properly or leave it altogether.

[tryintorebuild]

Not sure I agree with that. It’s the type of movement that brings results. There are many lard asses in my neighborhood that think by going for a walk a few times a week will bring them results.

A waste of time if you ask me. More like soothing their guilty conscience.

You have to become serious about your goals and attack it with passion and determination. Do it properly or leave it altogether.

No arguement there. I don't think that's what the Op had in mind though. You're right, after he gets going he has to continually increase what he's doing. I just see people who won't do anything, because they can't do much. "I can't bench 3 plates and run a 4.6 forty, so I better just stay away from the gym. Oh, could you pass me another dinner roll?"
I'm just saying start where you can. He shouldn't get discouraged if he tires quickly. If he pushes until he tires out, he will find that limit stretching consistantly.

[jturner181]

Surprisingly my body has kicked in gear faster than I expected....

Thanksgiving - I ran the turkey trot 5k in 34:47 with one full day of rest before and several days of jogging 2 miles prior to that. I was pleased and it kick started a newfound confidence that I 'could' get over the hump and push thru....despite my current weight.

Since Turkey day, I've worked out daily and rotating between runs and weights. I have been pushing myself with the weights but also careful to keep form and be safe as my strength increases. I'm working on two body parts per gym visit.

Wednesday I was feeling strong and decided to test myself a bit... I ran 5.22 miles in an hour (walked the last for minutes), burned 922 calories, and felt strong at the end of the workout. This was the first time I've ran continuously for 5 miles in years....... Felt like my lungs of old were back and my fit level took a step. I'm still in the low 240's weight wise but continue to me amazed at how my body is responding.

Today (Friday) - I ran the same 5k I ran on Thanksgiving and completed it in 33:16... ~1.5 minute improvement in a week.... Funny thing was I felt weak before running today. Had I felt strong, it would have been better.

My fear is that I'll see huge gains on the front end and fewer as the weeks progress but I don't care... I have to hit my goal.... No excuses this time.

Interesting note - I started sweating a bit typing this out and thinking about how my workouts made me feel.

Have a good night all!