[PonyTx]

I have a question for those of you who work out. They say the most effective way to burn fat is to do interval training. What exactly is that?

I've heard you can run 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes for 30 minutes multiple times a week.

or

you run for 15-20 minutes two days a week and then do a long walk, like 40 minutes, for 2 days.

I've read that you should keep your workouts short 15-20 minutes of cardio, to burn fat, but if you go longer than that, your body will actually hold onto the fat, thinking it's being overworked and it needs to hoard calories. Yet for good cardo health you should do longer workouts every now and then, just not all the time.

What's the best way?

[CHips]

Originally Posted by PonyTx

I've read that you should keep your workouts short 15-20 minutes of cardio, to burn fat, but if you go longer than that, your body will actually hold onto the fat, thinking it's being overworked and it needs to hoard calories. Yet for good cardo health you should do longer workouts every now and then, just not all the time.

A few factors are going to come into play here, but I'm going to go ahead and brand that statement as false. Your body stores glucose in the form of glycogen in the cells. This is your main source of energy. Generally, fat loss does not occur until those glycogen stores are depleted. The rule of thumb I've always been taught is that it takes about 30 minutes of physical activity before any fat burning will occur(obviously, this will vary from person to person).

During the bulk of my weight loss, my nightly workout would start with a 20-30 minute run, followed by 30-60 minutes of calisthenics and weights.

However, you need to build up to that point. I suppose it is entirely possible for your body to go into "starvation mode" if it's not used to that level of activity.



Beyond exercise, I'm still convinced that diet accounts for 90% of weight loss. You're going to have to examine your needs and see where you lie. It won't matter how much physical activity is done if your intake is too high.

The Mypyramid tracker is a great tool to use for this purpose. You'll just want to keep a log of your entire daily intake and you enter it in whenever you have time.

USDA - CNPP - MyPyramid Tracker

It will show you how much you're taking in, right down to the specifics. Caloric intake, types of fat, fiber, a whole range of micro/macro nutrients, etc., etc.

From there, you can look into cutting certain items out of your diet, and working to bring in new items to ensure you achieve a proper intake of nutrients while still keeping your Kcal intake relatively low.



Some advice I will offer;

Do NOT go militant on your diet... This will ensure failure.

The same goes for exercise. Moderation is key.

I do not recommend starting an exercise regimen AND working on a change in diet at the same time.


A good way to look at this is as a change in lifestyle. What you're dealing with right now are behavioral habits(I like to label it as a behavioral addiction fueled by both positive and negative reinforcement) that have been adopted throughout your life. It is difficult to make the initial change, but once you've begun to train your body to act in a different manner and begin seeing progress, the pieces will start to fall into place.

Pushing too hard, too fast will lead to several problems. Primarily, discouragement due to the fact that you'll be miserable with the change in diet... As I said, I like to refer to eating habits as an addiction. Think of the matters regarding "old brain vs. new brain". The old brain(stem, mesocortex and cerebellum), besides acting in the basic physiological functions of the body, also acts in basic emotions and cravings; and is the focal point of addiction. The issue is getting the new brain, your conscious mind, to overcome the basic desires that have been built up over a lifetime. It can be done, and it's easier than you may think... it's largely a matter of motivation, support, and a positive attitude.


Personally, I think it's best to focus on one aspect at a time. Don't try to make a massive change right away. Instead, stick with your current diet and begin to slowly incorporate light-to-moderate physical activity into your daily routine. Not much, mind you... Just enough to where to slowly begin to get used to the activity and begin to develop good habits. In time, the amount of activity can slowly increase. Once you feel that you have it down, then you can look into another aspect of your lifestyle to change. remember, the goal isn't a temporary change to lose a few pounds; it's a move to change yourself for life.



Anyways, I could go on for hours and hours on this subject. If you prefer to talk about it in person, I'm more than happy to offer whatever advice and experience I can.

[TheDan]

Originally Posted by CHips

.

Dam Tim, good write up. I am very impressed. Its 99% dead on. The only thing I would add, which is just detailing what you said, is that if you change your diet and start working out then for the first 3-6 weeks 20 minutes of cardio will be a good trainer period for your muscles to get used to longer more rigerous periods or adjust to the change. This will also help if you are starting a diet and excersize program at the same time. They kind of do go hand in hand, so starting them at teh same time is important. For example if one goes running this morning for 45 minutes, then goes to Burger King for lunch, whats the point, ya know. But again like you said dont go hardcore on both right off the bat because it will ultimately end in failure.

The key with Cardio is to keep your heart rate in check. If you can keep your heartrate at a good, safe raised level then you will burn fat. Keeping your heart rate at a raised high level will then start to begin to hold onto fat because your working too hard and your body will store it expecting the overworking in the future.

Also like Amanda said modifying your workouts will help too. Running for 20 minutes 2 days, walking for 45 minutes 1 then biking on the next will keep you from getting complacent and bored. but when running for 20 minutes stops making you tired or breath hard then you need to pick it and push longer.

Thanks Tim!

[CHips]

Originally Posted by TheDan

For example if one goes running this morning for 45 minutes, then goes to Burger King for lunch, whats the point, ya know. But again like you said dont go hardcore on both right off the bat because it will ultimately end in failure.

I used to do this. I thought I was "allowed" to enjoy a burger and some fries because I believed that I had burned enough Calories in my workout. Little did I know at the time that the 1,200 Calories contained in the fast food meal consisted of 3-4 times the amount I had burned off.


Before I say anything else, I will add that weight loss is highly subjective... In other words, everyone has to find their niche. There is no single program that acts as a "cure-all" for the entire population.

But in regards to diet, it is my belief that tiny steps do work best. To provide myself as an example, I started my weight loss with no concern for my diet. As I slowly developed a system of daily habitual exercise and saw a little bit of progress, I begin to feel a desire for a better diet to gain maximum yields from my effort. The changes were extremely slow, but 3 years later, I am 100% satisfied with my diet. To put it simply, it was all a mind game.

...But like I said, everyone is different. If I comment on my own experiences, I don't expect them to be taken as law; just as a reference. If someone feels that they can take on both challenges at once, then the best of luck to them! If it doesn't work out, there are other methods.

[86drop]

just my .02 to add here. don't think of long distance running as the only form of cardio. personally, i'm not a fan of running for long periods of time. other things like High Intensity Interval Training, short periods of around 90% energy exertion followed by periods of only around 50% energy exertion following a rotating cycle, are useful. but don't limit this to running. doing something such as a good heavy bag workout can account for your cardio routine. besides, beating the hell out of a big bag is loads more fun than running around the block. don't know if you have access to a rowing machine but they are also excellent forms of cardio.

[JENA]

Chips I checked out that site, its really neat, but does it tell you anywhere what your total calorie intake is? I couldn't find that.

[CHips]

Originally Posted by JENA

Chips I checked out that site, its really neat, but does it tell you anywhere what your total calorie intake is? I couldn't find that.

Have you already entered all your information? If so, there should be a section that lists everything. there's also a charts and graphs section that puts it all in a visual form.

I don't remember exactly where to click - I've been using a different program lately. In a little bit, i might see if my profile still exists and I'll check.

[RyanD]

Originally Posted by PonyTx

I have a question for those of you who work out. They say the most effective way to burn fat is to do interval training. What exactly is that?

I've heard you can run 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes for 30 minutes multiple times a week.

or

you run for 15-20 minutes two days a week and then do a long walk, like 40 minutes, for 2 days.

I've read that you should keep your workouts short 15-20 minutes of cardio, to burn fat, but if you go longer than that, your body will actually hold onto the fat, thinking it's being overworked and it needs to hoard calories. Yet for good cardo health you should do longer workouts every now and then, just not all the time.

What's the best way?

Get a heart rate monitor, and find what your 35-40% max heart rate is. Work out long and slow in this range and you will burn fat. You will also find that it doesn't seem challenging, but stick with it, and the results will come.

Overdoing it on and working out at a high intensity level will only burn muscle...thats why marathon runners and triathletes are so stringy.

Rule of thumb for fat burn...long and slow.

[REDHOT86]

Originally Posted by Firstlady

Jeff works out at home and drinks Badger Milk.

WTF???