Healthy Weight Loss Goals and reccomendations

[emustangs32]

Hi, I am new to this site.  I have used a fitbit before, then I went to an jawbone up and up24.  I decided that I liked the consistency of the fitbit, so I went back to the fitbit.  I am currently trying to lose 50 pounds.  I am starting with the goal of 20 lbs in 90 days.  I think at my age and size that is a realistic goal.  I just started doing the Spartacus workout 3 times a week (basically a circuit workout) and doing abs and extra cardio twice a week, with the goal of 1200 steps and 5 miles regardless of workout day.  I have been eating 1800 cal or less a day.  I am currently 26 and weigh 230.  This is my highest weight (barring freshman year of college briefly), and I have "recently" been as low as 190.  Any advice/recommendations, workout routines, foods, habits, etc anyone wants to comment is always welcome.  

Thanks

[scoobydooteresa]

emustang

have you ever thought about joining myfitnesspal.com  its great to track your calories and exercise i love it and i see so many fitbit users on there as well

[whome]

---

emustangs32 wrote:  I just started ..., with the goal of 1200 steps and 5 miles regardless of workout day.  

---

Those will have to be mighty big steps! Did you mean 12,000 maybe?

Good luck

[kcunningham2008]

Don't forget light weight lifting!  Without it you are not gaining muscles and therefore not losing fat!  Also, make sure to drink a lot of water!  Also, using MyFitnessPal has helped me and getting a food scale to make sure I am eating proper portions!  Good luck! 

[lindalou_66]

I've been getting my 10k steps at least 5 time per week for the past 6 weeks and I've not lost 1 pound.  I wasn't good at tracking my food so I know that has something to do with it.  You would think that getting your fat ass off the couch and moving almost every day would make some kind of difference in 6 weeks! This week I'm logging everything, but then I find that I'm getting conflicting information on calorie counts (frustrating).  I think I also need to get some weights in the mix as well.  My husband has been walking with me and that's what has kept me motivated when I'm dead dog tired at the end of the day.  It's also motivating to stay on track with my friends on fitbit.  I also have MFP and I'm after using fitbit's food tracking for a week, I think MFP does a better job and has a better food data base.  Anyway, I'm rambling, but thanks for the remark about the weights because I think I need to figure out how to add them to my routing.  I belong to Planet Fitness too!  How many days per week would you suggest I work on weights?

[kcunningham2008]

I lift weights 3 times per week.  One day dedicated to biceps and back muscles, one day dedicated to triceps, chest, and shoulder muscles, and one day of leg muscles.  I do this with 30-45 minutes of cardio and abs!  

[emustangs32]

Haha thank you for the good luck wish.  And yes, I did mean 12,000 steps

 

[emustangs32]

---

@kcunningham2008 wrote:

Don't forget light weight lifting!  Without it you are not gaining muscles and therefore not losing fat!  Also, make sure to drink a lot of water!  Also, using MyFitnessPal has helped me and getting a food scale to make sure I am eating proper portions!  Good luck! 

---

Portions is always a struggle for me, as well as frequency of eating.  Water is huge, I think I am going to have to start tracking that I have never tracked that before and am sure I am well under my "quota".  I am trying to stay away from weight lifting until I have lost 20 lbs in the first 90 days.  I used to be a frequent weight lifter and have pretty good muscle memory and don't want to gain muscle weight until I know that I have lost some of the extra fat I am carrying arround.  I am doing low weight high reps (circuit trainging basically) when I do use weights for "phase 1" and then I will incorporate more weight lifting in "phase 2".  Thanks for the great advice

[emustangs32]

Is that not what I am on now?  If it is something different please do share

[Heybales]

You'll find that to be a big mistake later with your aggressive weight loss goal of 1.6 lbs weekly and no strength training.

You will lose muscle mass, no way around it.

Much easier to retain than attempting to build later.

So I'm guessing with that goal amount and exact 90 days this is a contest, so the fact you could lose fat weight but not total weight, is why you aren't interested in lifting.

Considering in a steep deficit like that you aren't going to gain any muscle, only strength, don't worry about it.