Hi, I'm new to the forum and generally to goal-oriented training so just wanted to get some advice from anyone wi more experience than me. Basically, I'm going on holiday in 4 weeks and would like to tone up and trim down as much as I can before then.. I'm generally quite a fit person I think, I've exercised quite a lot generally from sports clubs but was hoping to lose some weight for the holiday.. I realise that diet is a huge part of increasing fat loss so at the moment I'm on quite a low carb diet as a bit of an extreme and high protein having cut out bread, pasta, rice and potatoes as well as rarely eating (if ever) foods that are high in fat.. So my meals generally are porridge in the morning, some fruit for snacking, some type of lean meat for lunch/dinner (normally chicken) with lots of vegetables. My exercise regime is also quite varied to avoid me getting too bored. I generally did a gym class/ hour cardio about 4 times a week and have been doing this for the past 2 weeks however I haven't lost any weight. Although some people may criticise my lack of carbs saying I'm not giving as much energy as I could to my workouts, I don't feel tired or hungry and can feel I'm giving the same if not better performances than I was before I cut them out 2 weeks ago. With 4 weeks to go I'm going to up the intensity and am now doing 5/6 classes a weeks (these range from step to power pump to legs bums and tums) and am going to do some cardio at home whilst watching tv on the cross trainer but wanted an idea of how long I should do it for as I don't want to overdo and then not be able to train for a while.. Any thoughts? Anything would be appreciated! Thanks!
How much is too much cardio?
- Thread starter Minimisspink
- Start date
allcdnboy1
New member
the amount of carbs you need will depend on the intensity. Most people eat too many starch-based carbs simply because that's what our government is telling us to eat (wheat is a major industry in North America, so the govt tells us we should eat a lot of it) So, if you aren't having hunger pains or any other side affects, than you are probably fine. Sounds like you are doing everything the right way and just keep at it. You may be able to drop an inch and a few pounds in the 4 weeks ... not a lot of time, but you can probably make some progress
Here is a good post on training for fat loss: http://training.fitness.com/weight-loss/training-fat-loss-51064.html
And for nutrition: Nutrition 101 – www.body-improvements.com
You haven't given yourself much time, and since you started only 2 weeks ago, there is definitely a chance that you can overdo it by trying to cram so much into your 4 weeks.
Keep in mind that if you've been doing something and it's not working, then don't keep banging your head against the wall by just keeping things the same... You said you haven't lost weight yet? Then it's a possibility that something isn't right.
Completely cutting out an important macronutrient such as carbs is never a good idea, your body needs it for a reason, especially if you're going to do high intensity training. Are you still eating lots of fruits and veggies?If you're cutting out the processed stuff like bread and pasta, and the starchy stuff like potatoes and rice, then make sure that you make it a priority to get in all of the recommended servings of fruit and veggies every day.
And for nutrition: Nutrition 101 – www.body-improvements.com
You haven't given yourself much time, and since you started only 2 weeks ago, there is definitely a chance that you can overdo it by trying to cram so much into your 4 weeks.
Keep in mind that if you've been doing something and it's not working, then don't keep banging your head against the wall by just keeping things the same... You said you haven't lost weight yet? Then it's a possibility that something isn't right.
Completely cutting out an important macronutrient such as carbs is never a good idea, your body needs it for a reason, especially if you're going to do high intensity training. Are you still eating lots of fruits and veggies?If you're cutting out the processed stuff like bread and pasta, and the starchy stuff like potatoes and rice, then make sure that you make it a priority to get in all of the recommended servings of fruit and veggies every day.
Firstly, to lose weight you need to do cardio (like your doing) which is good, and by the looks of things your not doing too much or too little. You only started 2 weeks ago and this is a very small amount of time to see any significant weight loss, it'll come you just need to give it some more time. Try training first thing in the morning. Your body will have used all its carbohydrate and glycogen stores during your sleep and so your body will burn the next available energy source when you start exercising, which is stored fat. Eat some fruit to get some energy so you don't throw up and go from there. Also, most cardio exercises use the muscles in your legs (running, cylcing, rowing) and so you should also see some muscle gains soon in your legs, and this probably will increase your weight as well (muscle weighs more than fat) so don't be disheartened by this. Just carry on doing what your doing and see how it goes. As long as your nutrition is good and you carry on with your exercising then you will be fine. Just give it time 
P.S. Don't cut out all your fat, make it a LOW fat diet not a NO fat diet.
Chris
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P.S. Don't cut out all your fat, make it a LOW fat diet not a NO fat diet.Chris
(removed)
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I think you need some carbs in there too, if you have some (just some) to digest your system isn't worrying those are the last carbs it will ever see. And drink lots of water, your new favourite beverage.
Now... to your cardio...
LBT, Power/Body Pump, Step, are not the fat burners you want them to be, in my experience they do not have the intensity. Does you area run more intense classes? EG, Body Attack, Body Combat, Sports Circuits, Meta-Fit?
Now... to your cardio...
LBT, Power/Body Pump, Step, are not the fat burners you want them to be, in my experience they do not have the intensity. Does you area run more intense classes? EG, Body Attack, Body Combat, Sports Circuits, Meta-Fit?
thanks to all, for sharing very nice information.
I believe that doing the cardio is one of the most incredible weapons in our fat-burning arsenal, however there is no unanimous answer as to what is considered too much. Unfortunately it is not a one size fits all, so I usually just listen to what my body tells me, you can't go wrong in there.
You need to keep in mind that cardio is a good form of weight lose but not the quickest one. Don't try to lose fat doing cardio without strength training.
Excessive cardio burns muscle, causing the skinny-fat look. You need strength training to prevent muscle loss & build muscle. Although some of us do not want to get muscle, they just want to lose their weight. But this is the fact.
What about your current weight? I always recommend choosing such cardio you do enjoy most. I would like to share some data so that it would be easy for you to choose the correct cardio and the best timing:
• Running: 145-lb person can burn 300 calories by running at 5.2 mph for 30 minutes. The same person would burn about half of that with a brisk walk.
• Bicycling: By using the power of your legs, you increase endurance while burning lots of calories, anywhere from 250-500 in 30 minutes, depending on how fast you go and how high your resistance is.
• Elliptical trainer: A 145-lb person burns about 300 calories in 30 minutes.
• Swimming: If you Spend 30 minutes doing the breastroke and you'll burn almost 400 calories.
• Walking: It's harder to get your heart rate up with walking since its low impact but, if you work hard at it, a 145-lb person can burn about 180 calories in 30 minutes.
• Jumping rope: A 145-lb person can burn a whopping 330 calories with a 30-minute workout, but you'll want to slowly work your way up to that.
See, they are just the best example of cardio exercise. But there are also others like, rowing, step aerobics and kickboxing. Choose any one you enjoy most since spending only 30 minutes for per day would not be too difficult for any one.
Excessive cardio burns muscle, causing the skinny-fat look. You need strength training to prevent muscle loss & build muscle. Although some of us do not want to get muscle, they just want to lose their weight. But this is the fact.
What about your current weight? I always recommend choosing such cardio you do enjoy most. I would like to share some data so that it would be easy for you to choose the correct cardio and the best timing:
• Running: 145-lb person can burn 300 calories by running at 5.2 mph for 30 minutes. The same person would burn about half of that with a brisk walk.
• Bicycling: By using the power of your legs, you increase endurance while burning lots of calories, anywhere from 250-500 in 30 minutes, depending on how fast you go and how high your resistance is.
• Elliptical trainer: A 145-lb person burns about 300 calories in 30 minutes.
• Swimming: If you Spend 30 minutes doing the breastroke and you'll burn almost 400 calories.
• Walking: It's harder to get your heart rate up with walking since its low impact but, if you work hard at it, a 145-lb person can burn about 180 calories in 30 minutes.
• Jumping rope: A 145-lb person can burn a whopping 330 calories with a 30-minute workout, but you'll want to slowly work your way up to that.
See, they are just the best example of cardio exercise. But there are also others like, rowing, step aerobics and kickboxing. Choose any one you enjoy most since spending only 30 minutes for per day would not be too difficult for any one.