Hello,
I am a 39 year old mother of two who runs a small business (one that requires me to sit alot at a computer). I am trying to lose 50-60 lbs and I have been losing weight over the last two months. The problem is, I become discouraged with routine too easily. Eating right has not been a problem because I am keeping my caloric intake at 1000 calories per day and sometimes alot less. For two months straight I have been going to the gym regularly 5 days per week. Now I am getting tired of the "routine" - I am one of those people who needs a change of routine frequently or I get extremely bored and "over it". I want to start jogging outside instead of doing the treadmill at the gym for 55 min. (When I use the treadmill I mostly fast walk and jog for only 15 minutes.) However, I know I cannot jog outside for more than 20-30 minutes (varying between walking and jogging). If I start doing this instead of the treadmill for 55 minutes will I sacrifice weight loss?
According to everything I've read, you should be switching up your routine at the gym to keep your muscles guessing. So no, I highly doubt you will sacrifice weight loss by switching to outdoor activity for less time.
In my experience, doing intervals of running/walking for a shorter amount of time has been more effective. Such as walking one minute then jogging for two. Another way to prevent boredom is by strength training a few days a week, plus weight training helps you build muscle that burns more calories.
Also, make sure you're eating enough! You'll put your body in starvation mode if you're not getting enough calories and you won't lose weight.
Good luck :)
Hey, nice to meet you Shan!
I agree with Hkg, you do need to be eating more than 1000 or less a day. You're supposed to strive for at least 1200, more if you're excerising, which your are. You will go into starvation mode. If you've been eating that little calories for a while now you might want to up the cals a little at a time to ease your body out of starvation mode without gaining too much. So you know, you might gain at first but that's normal. It will shed once your eating has stabalized at a more acceptable calorie range.
NEways, you getting bored and wanting to switch up your exercises is a huge benefit. Like Hkg said, it'll keep your body guessing. Outside stuff is so much more interesting. And varying up your speeds in your runs/walks will help you more than doing one or the other only. But again, varying that will only help too. Maybe run/walk one day, and only walk another or only run another. Or walk with weights?
Good luck!! And have fun outside!!
Hi Shanna.
I agree with Val and Hkg, especially about too much deficit forcing the body to squirrel-away calories like there's a famine coming. It seems that the body responds well when it is busy processing a continous supply of adequate nourishment.
You asked: "If I start doing this instead of the treadmill for 55 minutes will I sacrifice weight loss?"
I would suggest -- if running outside for 20 minutes presents the same challenge as inside for 50 minutes, then my simple mind says the net effect would be the same. The "running" calorie-burn entries in the CC activity-thingy don't differentiate between indoor or outdoor running. But my understanding is that outdoor running is more intense (in terms of energy required per minute) than flat treadmill running.
I've read that one way to prep for outdoor running is to set the t-mill incline at 1-2% to approximate the additional exertion required on the road. Btw, the incline on the t-mill is another way to increase intensity and vary your workouts.
I don't have a heart-rate monitor, but perhaps Val has already tried this... simply measure the burn via hrm for equal time/distance for both indoor and outdoor cardio.
But I would guess that your muscles would adapt to the "different" outdoor challenges, then your endurance would begin to grow steadily over time as you keep doing it.
Also, like hkg said, strength routines should change every 4-8 weeks. I never cared much for weight-lifting until I understood that progress is the result of continual change; and therein lies the challenge. To me, challenge is fun; same-same is oh so boring. So to break-up your week even more, alternate a day of cardio with a day of strength training, and keep trying to progress a little at a time in both areas.
You could set goals for progress (strength and/or cardio) and plan ways to improve a little at a time. If you need help getting started and progressing, there is a ton good advice referenced here on cc. For me having a "goal" and a "plan" is pretty motivating.
Other stuff... swim? bike? tennis/raquet-sports? volleyball? b-ball? chasing your kids around the playground? [monkey-bars are my personal fave.] Walk-run-blade-board-bike by the lake? Hike/climb in the woods? Just no more snow-shoveling -- please????
bfn.
