Need your Help...Which would be the Best Plan for Me (???)

[Poohbear]

I'm 5'5" and weigh 140lbs. I want to lose at a minimun 10lbs a month. My goal weight is 120-125lbs. I have a question...

Should I walk (4-5mph) for:

1.) 2 miles a day

OR

2.) 4 miles every other day

:confused:

[webby]

I think that consistency is key. You can walk everyday, or every other day, but you must get your heart rate up by making sure that you are walking at a pretty good pace. Otherwise, it will probably take you longer to start losing weight.

Also, remember that it's harder to weight when you only have 10 pounds or so to lose. It's much easier for someone with much more weight to shed pounds.

[Mariaat40]

[size=3][color=navy] I want to lose at a minimun 10lbs a month.

Also, keep in mind that you're much more likely to keep the weight off if you lose it slowly - 1 to 2 pounds a week. That's the recommended amount per week if you're aiming to lose fat, not water weight, etc. If you walk two miles a day, that's about 200 calories burned. You'll have to cut back your eating by another 300 calories a day to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week - more if you want to lose more.

[Leslie_C]

PB,
whats the rush gfriend? I think u look great! :) Anyway, for someone like me who is overweight it is more likely to be able to lose 10 lbs in a month especially in the beginning bc initial loss included mainly water, but at your size u arent very overweight if at all so I think 10 lbs a month is a big goal! maybe at least give yourself 6 weeks.

Anyway I think walking 2 miles a day would be better than 4 every other bc of the thermogenic effects of exercise. It will raise your metabolism for hours after, plus I find it curbs my appetite(when I fist start I could eat a horse but over time Im less hungry). If u miss a day u could walk 4 miles the next time.
Also as your body starts to get used to the walking u might need to change it up a bit bc your body will burn less calories as it becomes conditioned to a specific activity. try to vary it with either jogging intervals, or maybe do a workout video here and there. kickboxing and step are great workouts and fun too. When I was losing the most weight I was doing a bit of everything....the elliptical, floor aerobics, weights, kickboxing, step, spin....I kept my body confused! lol

I got this cool workout dvd at Ross that has like 30 or 40 workouts on 3 dvds for 12.99...I thought it would be great for variety of for some days I dont feel like fighting traffic to the gym.

[good2uuuu]

Also, throw in some weght training at least 2x per week and your metabolism will really soar. Also make at least two of your walks into 20 to 30 minutes of high intensity interval training to really challenge yourself. Research shows(can't cite specifically because I've read it in so many publications) that interval traingin will keep your metabolism up and your body burning more fat for 24 or more hours after you do it.

[Poohbear]

I think that consistency is key. You can walk everyday, or every other day, but you must get your heart rate up by making sure that you are walking at a pretty good pace. Otherwise, it will probably take you longer to start losing weight.

Also, remember that it's harder to weight when you only have 10 pounds or so to lose. It's much easier for someone with much more weight to shed pounds.So is 4-5 mph a good enough walking pace???

When I started exercising in the summer, I would start off jogging and running on the treadmill before, and my plan didn't last over a week. Now I just wanna take it easy. I noticed that when I go at a fast pace and alternate from medium to high intensity initially, it can make me feel tired sometimes. I want to feel refreshed. So I wanna start slow first, then work my way up. ;)

[Poohbear]

Also, keep in mind that you're much more likely to keep the weight off if you lose it slowly - 1 to 2 pounds a week. That's the recommended amount per week if you're aiming to lose fat, not water weight, etc. If you walk two miles a day, that's about 200 calories burned. You'll have to cut back your eating by another 300 calories a day to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week - more if you want to lose more.Yeah, I already have that in mind. Thanks for the tip. Hmmm, I guess I shouldn't say a minimum of 10lbs to lose....4-8lbs??? I guess that's unrealistic to some people, but I wouldn't consider 10lbs a month as losing weight fast. Also, I'm cutting out bread, potatoes, corn, and carrot products out of my diet. ;) Once I get my goal weight, I'll incorporate some of those products back into my diet, and keep exercising. :)

[Poohbear]

PB,
whats the rush gfriend? I think u look great! :) Anyway, for someone like me who is overweight it is more likely to be able to lose 10 lbs in a month especially in the beginning bc initial loss included mainly water, but at your size u arent very overweight if at all so I think 10 lbs a month is a big goal! maybe at least give yourself 6 weeks.

Anyway I think walking 2 miles a day would be better than 4 every other bc of the thermogenic effects of exercise. It will raise your metabolism for hours after, plus I find it curbs my appetite(when I fist start I could eat a horse but over time Im less hungry). If u miss a day u could walk 4 miles the next time.
Also as your body starts to get used to the walking u might need to change it up a bit bc your body will burn less calories as it becomes conditioned to a specific activity. try to vary it with either jogging intervals, or maybe do a workout video here and there. kickboxing and step are great workouts and fun too. When I was losing the most weight I was doing a bit of everything....the elliptical, floor aerobics, weights, kickboxing, step, spin....I kept my body confused! lol

I got this cool workout dvd at Ross that has like 30 or 40 workouts on 3 dvds for 12.99...I thought it would be great for variety of for some days I dont feel like fighting traffic to the gym.
Yeah, I think I'll do 2 miles a day. I'm not overweight at all; I just want to be in better shape. I always feel tired and heavy and haven't been eating right. I just wanna feel more energized. Do that's basically why I'm doing this to get more in shape, but at the same time, lose a few pounds. I'm sure you have a goal weight you would like to weigh. I'm happy with my body, I just want to be in better shape and start taking better care of my body by doing a little exercise each day. :)

[Poohbear]

Also, throw in some weght training at least 2x per week and your metabolism will really soar. Also make at least two of your walks into 20 to 30 minutes of high intensity interval training to really challenge yourself. Research shows(can't cite specifically because I've read it in so many publications) that interval traingin will keep your metabolism up and your body burning more fat for 24 or more hours after you do it.
Thanks for your advice but... In the past, I've tried weight training and interval training starting off and my work out plan didn't last. It burned me out. I want to start off slow with walking. It is said that all you need is to walk a few miles a day for exercise to be healthy and that's what I wanna start off doing. After I get walking at a fast pace (4-5mph), I will incorporate weight training and interval training again into my workout plan. I'm not trying to lose a whole lot of weight here, just trying to get in shape, so I think walking will be sufficient. ;)

[lonesomedove]

Pooh Bear why are you cutting out the carrots? I'm just wondering, I've heard about people cutting out potatoes, bread and corn, but never carrots, thanks.

[Isis]

I enjoy walking 2 miles per day outside or inside on my treadmill. One doesn't have to walk or jog at 4-5 mph. Some people prefer jogging but I've learned that walking is most beneficial. 3 - 3.5 mph is a pretty good pace and easy to keep up as a daily routine.

[Poohbear]

Pooh Bear why are you cutting out the carrots? I'm just wondering, I've heard about people cutting out potatoes, bread and corn, but never carrots, thanks.i'm following what anky did when she loss weight. plus, for my body type, i'm not suppose to eat the veggies of carrots or celery.

[Poohbear]

I enjoy walking 2 miles per day outside or inside on my treadmill. One doesn't have to walk or jog at 4-5 mph. Some people prefer jogging but I've learned that walking is most beneficial. 3 - 3.5 mph is a pretty good pace and easy to keep up as a daily routine.
today, i exercised on the treadmill at a steady 4mph for 2 miles. I felt great afterwards. :) I really don't need to burn myself out alternating every 2 mins from 4mph to 6mph. This morning, I felt so tired and draggy. Now, after 4 hours from working out, I feel wired and energized! :grin: i think i will be able to stick with this as long as i stay motivated. i better take a shower so I can get up before I work at 8am in the morning! :look: