Cardio for fat loss
Discussion
craigb84 said:
swiftpete said:
Why don't you get yourself a bike? It's good weather at the moment so it's not a chore and if you're prepared to get on it then riding is a good fat burner and is also low/no impact.
And often way more enjoyable than the gym. Best thing is that once you get so far out you have to ride back where as in the gym it's too tempting to quit when you hit a barrier. 
ewenm said:
Indeed, I agree that diet is the best place to start but I find it far more positive psychologically to run miles and miles every week and eat what I like rather than restrict what I eat and exercise less (I find that depressing).
Indeed. The mentally positive aspects of the 'feel good' factor post workout is something to be considered.dreamer75 said:
Hi,
I had fairly major back surgery a few months ago (fusion) and as a result am pretty limited in terms of what exercise I can do. That, combined with a lot of sitting/laying around and not being active, has meant I've got a bit pudgy! Not majorly, but enough that my work trousers feel a bit tight, and as the surgery went in through my stomach, I feel quite self conscious about a slightly tubby tummy as it makes the scar more prominent through thin dresses etc.
I've been able to go back to the gym in the last 4-6 weeks and slowly build up, and I can now do 15 minutes on the eliptical, and 15 minutes on the bike, plus 20-30 mins of weights (I either do upper or lower body in a visit), plus about 30 minutes of core work. I do this approx 2/week (in reality it's more like 2/8-9 days).
This is great for my flexibility and mobility etc., and strength is slowly coming back, but it's not helping my fat !
What's the best way of trying to burn some fat, given the limitations I have.. is it better to get to a certain heartrate on the machines and stay there, or better to do intervals or something?
I can't use the rower, and I can't run or do any other impact type exercise - bike and eliptical seem fine although the eliptical is limited to about 15 mins as my toes go numb after about 12 (until I can extend that period before numbness sets in - also back related).
There are a couple of other cardio machines in our gym but I'm not sure I can use them yet.
Any help appreciated! I probably need to lose about 5-6 kg's in total.
Hi OP.I had fairly major back surgery a few months ago (fusion) and as a result am pretty limited in terms of what exercise I can do. That, combined with a lot of sitting/laying around and not being active, has meant I've got a bit pudgy! Not majorly, but enough that my work trousers feel a bit tight, and as the surgery went in through my stomach, I feel quite self conscious about a slightly tubby tummy as it makes the scar more prominent through thin dresses etc.
I've been able to go back to the gym in the last 4-6 weeks and slowly build up, and I can now do 15 minutes on the eliptical, and 15 minutes on the bike, plus 20-30 mins of weights (I either do upper or lower body in a visit), plus about 30 minutes of core work. I do this approx 2/week (in reality it's more like 2/8-9 days).
This is great for my flexibility and mobility etc., and strength is slowly coming back, but it's not helping my fat !
What's the best way of trying to burn some fat, given the limitations I have.. is it better to get to a certain heartrate on the machines and stay there, or better to do intervals or something?
I can't use the rower, and I can't run or do any other impact type exercise - bike and eliptical seem fine although the eliptical is limited to about 15 mins as my toes go numb after about 12 (until I can extend that period before numbness sets in - also back related).
There are a couple of other cardio machines in our gym but I'm not sure I can use them yet.
Any help appreciated! I probably need to lose about 5-6 kg's in total.
Have you considered swimming? It's a sort of exercise that is often used by people rehabilitating from injuries or major surgeries, it's a very good calorie burner.
Also i'd suggest you try using My Fitness Pal. If you've got a smartphone there is an app, if not you can use it on the computer and it's great for logging calories and setting goals etc.
I agree with a lot of the above posters that your diet is probrably more important than any exercise you do and MFP is a decent way of getting to grips with it.
In regards to any scarring you might have, perhaps speaking to a personal trainer about whether or not there are any particular execises you could do to maybe 'tone up' that area that might make the scar less visible etc.
The problem with MyFitnessPal is that it appears to focus on weight loss, and not fat loss. At the stage of creating an account, you are asked what your current weight and what your target weight is. Which for someone like me is pretty useless, as I don't really want to lose weight but I'd like to trim some fat.
MacGee said:
22000 cals burnt and 7lbs lost....equals approx 3500 cals per 1lb fat...proves the formula.
diet starts in the kitchen as you can see. Squats will burn plenty of cals due to huge muscles burning and you see how quickly using them gets the HR up. One theory is that strenght training burns more cals than cardio!
The theory about calories required to burn a pound of fat is nonsense because whilst you have lost weight you've no idea what percentage is fat or muscle. diet starts in the kitchen as you can see. Squats will burn plenty of cals due to huge muscles burning and you see how quickly using them gets the HR up. One theory is that strenght training burns more cals than cardio!
However, I'm a big believer in strength training for weight loss.
As lots of folk have said the diet is probably the most important element in this equation.
I'm a big fan (sorry to post it again!) of Lyle McDonald and I truly believe to make good choices each time we eat, we have to understand how it all works or we have no chance.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/
It's also worth having a read on some of the other threads. There's a lot on weight loss in the transformation thread.
Lee
Thanks guys
Would love to get out on my bike, but unfortunately I'm not up to that yet - I've only just managed to get on the gym bike which is a nice safe controlled environment. The seating position aggravates the nerve damage so I have to be a bit careful
Having said that, in the next 1-2 weeks I plan to get my bike out and try it - being outside is much more pleasant than a gym with broken a/c !!!
It sounds like on the gym workout side of things I'm pretty much ok - i.e. raised heart rate for 10-15 mins each, on 2 machines, then 20-30 mins of weights, and then 30 mins of core specific.
So perhaps it's more the diet side of things
Grr !
(re the scarring I have done all the right things in terms of healing it, massaging it etc., but a wobbly tummy just amplifies it. Think of a horizontal scar about 2/3 the length of an iphone under your belly button - it just means the fatty bits can't spread out and make their own muffin top above the scar :lol: )
I have cut out alcohol during the week and I'm being more careful, but it doesn't seem to be enough.
If the average daily female calorie intake is 2000 (according to NHS website), then cutting to about 14-1500/day seems reasonable for weight loss? I am taller than average (5'9) but I don't suppose that makes much difference !
Would love to get out on my bike, but unfortunately I'm not up to that yet - I've only just managed to get on the gym bike which is a nice safe controlled environment. The seating position aggravates the nerve damage so I have to be a bit careful
Having said that, in the next 1-2 weeks I plan to get my bike out and try it - being outside is much more pleasant than a gym with broken a/c !!!It sounds like on the gym workout side of things I'm pretty much ok - i.e. raised heart rate for 10-15 mins each, on 2 machines, then 20-30 mins of weights, and then 30 mins of core specific.
So perhaps it's more the diet side of things
Grr !(re the scarring I have done all the right things in terms of healing it, massaging it etc., but a wobbly tummy just amplifies it. Think of a horizontal scar about 2/3 the length of an iphone under your belly button - it just means the fatty bits can't spread out and make their own muffin top above the scar :lol: )
I have cut out alcohol during the week and I'm being more careful, but it doesn't seem to be enough.
If the average daily female calorie intake is 2000 (according to NHS website), then cutting to about 14-1500/day seems reasonable for weight loss? I am taller than average (5'9) but I don't suppose that makes much difference !
ewenm said:
Fat-burning - the usual rule is steady state heartrate (IIRC) rather than intervals
I thought that was a complete myth, optimum fat burning zones, i.e. low heart rate at a steady pace. It's an invention by fat f
kers for fat fkers, to make it feel like their useless workout has been productive. The more intense the exercise, the quicker the calorie burn. mcelliott said:
ewenm said:
Fat-burning - the usual rule is steady state heartrate (IIRC) rather than intervals
I thought that was a complete myth, optimum fat burning zones, i.e. low heart rate at a steady pace. It's an invention by fat fkers for fat fkers, to make it feel like their useless workout has been productive. The more intense the exercise, the quicker the calorie burn. 
Quite possibly. If the target is also to lose weight though then you don't want to build muscle, so less intensive exercise to burn calories but not break down muscle fibres (and so encourage re-growth and over-compensation) might make sense. As said above, not something I've needed to worry about so not something I've studied carefully ewenm said:
mcelliott said:
ewenm said:
Fat-burning - the usual rule is steady state heartrate (IIRC) rather than intervals
I thought that was a complete myth, optimum fat burning zones, i.e. low heart rate at a steady pace. It's an invention by fat fkers for fat fkers, to make it feel like their useless workout has been productive. The more intense the exercise, the quicker the calorie burn. Quite possibly. If the target is also to lose weight though then you don't want to build muscle, so less intensive exercise to burn calories but not break down muscle fibres (and so encourage re-growth and over-compensation) might make sense. As said above, not something I've needed to worry about so not something I've studied carefully Cardio doesn't build muscle.
Is this getting all a bit too opinionated and involved for what Dreamer is looking for?
I think at this stage of your recovery a good balanced diet and the cardio you're doing should yield results, but wont be anything groundbreaking. Unfortunately you'll have to be patient and improve slowly, and as you improve the more stuborn weight should start to shift.
With recovery being your main goal (and keeping in mind you are getting numbness during your current excercise), I would suggest slow and steady is the way forward, rather than trying intervals or any other intense excercise. Sounds like you've improved your diet already, but to speed up potential weight loss you could improve this a bit more in all areas, and make sure you're eating little and often. Excercising in the morning is also beneficial as your metabolism tends to stay higher through the day.
Just keep doing what you can and take your time with it, you've done really well to get back in there and do what you're doing after a surgery like that, so dont get discouraged and dont over complicate things. Get the basics 100% right first and foremost and keep a diary of your progress, should help keep you motivated.
You could also try fitness specific forums, there may be other people who have had similar surgery and can give you the benefit of their advice.
I think at this stage of your recovery a good balanced diet and the cardio you're doing should yield results, but wont be anything groundbreaking. Unfortunately you'll have to be patient and improve slowly, and as you improve the more stuborn weight should start to shift.
With recovery being your main goal (and keeping in mind you are getting numbness during your current excercise), I would suggest slow and steady is the way forward, rather than trying intervals or any other intense excercise. Sounds like you've improved your diet already, but to speed up potential weight loss you could improve this a bit more in all areas, and make sure you're eating little and often. Excercising in the morning is also beneficial as your metabolism tends to stay higher through the day.
Just keep doing what you can and take your time with it, you've done really well to get back in there and do what you're doing after a surgery like that, so dont get discouraged and dont over complicate things. Get the basics 100% right first and foremost and keep a diary of your progress, should help keep you motivated.
You could also try fitness specific forums, there may be other people who have had similar surgery and can give you the benefit of their advice.
Ordinary_Chap said:
I don't think you need to worry about muscle building from different types of cardio, its not really going to happen except in miniscule amounts.
Cardio doesn't build muscle.
So how does that fit with the "fat burning zones" heart rates that people go on about (i.e. don't work too hard or you won't see the results)? Are those zones really just excuses for people who don't want to work hard?Cardio doesn't build muscle.
Thanks for the words of encouragement BB
I am not known for my patience! Weirdly I lost a load of weight when they stuck me on drugs which suppressed my appetite (that is a bizarre feeling), but once I got off those about 5kg's has gone on. And mostly around my thighs which isn't a good look ! Stupid pear shape !
I will try and find fitness forums to have a look at - the back forums are full of people who never got better, so not great places for fitness advice (most were horrified when I started doing home-based Pilates exercises under physio guidance at about 4 weeks, let alone back in the gym).
I do also have Myfitnesspal which is good, but it's a PITA when you cook yourself trying to work outwhat measurements of each thing you put in, so I tend to use it as a rough guide. It's good for tracking weight loss though!
I am not known for my patience! Weirdly I lost a load of weight when they stuck me on drugs which suppressed my appetite (that is a bizarre feeling), but once I got off those about 5kg's has gone on. And mostly around my thighs which isn't a good look ! Stupid pear shape !
I will try and find fitness forums to have a look at - the back forums are full of people who never got better, so not great places for fitness advice (most were horrified when I started doing home-based Pilates exercises under physio guidance at about 4 weeks, let alone back in the gym).
I do also have Myfitnesspal which is good, but it's a PITA when you cook yourself trying to work outwhat measurements of each thing you put in, so I tend to use it as a rough guide. It's good for tracking weight loss though!
Patience is not an easy thing, especially when you have this image and goal in your mind that you want to achieve, but you have to reset your expectations and set smaller goals that you can try and achieve every month, or every two weeks.
I can only imagine how difficult it must be, and everyones different so will have different speed and levels of recovery, you're already doing well compared to a lot of people from the sounds of it, so that's a good positive.
Also I know I said try and get the basics 100%, but try not to get too obsessive either. You need to treat yourself now and again and have a happy medium, or it'll be impossible to keep up. Plus dont be negative about yourself, nothing wrong with pear shape, it's pumpkin shape you have to avoid make sure you're not getting yuorself down. Although some people respond to "negative encouragement", it's much better to get excited about the improvements you are making rather than lamenting the ones you arent yet.
I can only imagine how difficult it must be, and everyones different so will have different speed and levels of recovery, you're already doing well compared to a lot of people from the sounds of it, so that's a good positive.
Also I know I said try and get the basics 100%, but try not to get too obsessive either. You need to treat yourself now and again and have a happy medium, or it'll be impossible to keep up. Plus dont be negative about yourself, nothing wrong with pear shape, it's pumpkin shape you have to avoid
make sure you're not getting yuorself down. Although some people respond to "negative encouragement", it's much better to get excited about the improvements you are making rather than lamenting the ones you arent yet.ewenm said:
Ordinary_Chap said:
I don't think you need to worry about muscle building from different types of cardio, its not really going to happen except in miniscule amounts.
Cardio doesn't build muscle.
So how does that fit with the "fat burning zones" heart rates that people go on about (i.e. don't work too hard or you won't see the results)? Are those zones really just excuses for people who don't want to work hard?Cardio doesn't build muscle.
There is a difference between anaerobic zone and aerobic training zone.
Anaerobic i.e. lots of hard effort will burn more calories and aerobic burns more calories stored from fat.
I've tried both and achieved good results using both in conjunction with weight training and a good diet. I'm personally unsure of which is most effective since I've had results with both, my answer is to do both on different sessions when I do cardio.
When I'm hard at it, I take a early morning run along the beach which I actually love, I love listening to the sea and having the quite time to think about things. I then have a weight lifting session in the evening followed by a short burst of high intensity training immediately afterwards.
Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Thursday 21st June 12:09
If nothing else it's an excuse for shopping I suppose 
BananaBok said:
Also I know I said try and get the basics 100%, but try not to get too obsessive either. You need to treat yourself now and again and have a happy medium, or it'll be impossible to keep up. Plus dont be negative about yourself, nothing wrong with pear shape, it's pumpkin shape you have to avoid make sure you're not getting yuorself down. Although some people respond to "negative encouragement", it's much better to get excited about the improvements you are making rather than lamenting the ones you arent yet.
make sure you're not getting yuorself down. Although some people respond to "negative encouragement", it's much better to get excited about the improvements you are making rather than lamenting the ones you arent yet.Ordinary_Chap said:
Its a complex equation and there are many sides to this (Goldblum is better at explaining than me).
I wanted some clarityon this a bit ago (few weeks?), and there is a few good responses...but I cannot recall the thread it was in.Hoofy said:
This thread proves one thing. Arguing over exercise techniques on the internet is certainly one way of losing weight. Wonder how many calories you burn per character typed?
2pc, but then I am using only one hand....Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff