If you exercise....please can you answer my questions :-)

[fortysomething8]

Hello,

I'm just wondering the following.....

1. If you exercise regularly - how often? How many calories do you aim to burn over how long?

1. If you don't use calories as a way of keeping track, what do you do?

1. For those who don't go to the gym - how do you exercises? Running? Exercise bike etc?

1. Do you use any aids that have really helped you with weight loss/toning up? I was thinking of getting a waist trainer but not sure if it's a waste of money

1. How many calories do you aim to eat a day?

Thank you!

1. If you exercise regularly - how often? How many calories do you aim to burn over how long?

A few times a week.

1. If you don't use calories as a way of keeping track, what do you do?

I don't keep track.

1. For those who don't go to the gym - how do you exercises? Running? Exercise bike etc?

Weights and running. I just do whatever I want really. No schedule just whatever I feel like on the day.

1. Do you use any aids that have really helped you with weight loss/toning up? I was thinking of getting a waist trainer but not sure if it's a waste of money

No. Waste of £

1. How many calories do you aim to eat a day?

I don't track calorie, macros or anything else. I just eat what I want.

I try and get to the gym 5x per week. I do spinning, pump, yoga and I also run on the treadmill. I detest pump and find it really boring, but it gets great results and it's very important to weight train, esp as a 51 yr old woman...

I rarely count calories unless I am going on holiday. Then I will use MFP to track for about a month and I stick to 1000 a day.

Had to google a waist trainer. That looks like torturous nonsense. Surely it would weaken your muscles as you can't use them? And if you do lose weight, it'd be through sweating.

I average 4-5 times a week, will be higher in summer. I would never use a fitbit or count calories. I use apps, videos and walk (I am trying to build up distances at the moment). I had a suspected back injury earlier this year so I am no longer trying to move up to a heavier weights category (even though I probably could). Waist trainers are about visual appearance and a bit of a cop out. I aim to be fit, flexible and physically/mentally strong. I get annoyed with people who do fitness with the aim of getting thinner. It is much more important to general wellbeing than aiming to fit into a pair of jeans.

If you exercise regularly - how often? How many calories do you aim to burn over how long?

4 to 6 times a week. Calories are not in any way a good measure of quality of exercise.

If you don't use calories as a way of keeping track, what do you do?

Heart rate and strength, I aim to really get my heart racing plus lift weights and do yoga to increase my strength.
A mix of HIIT, strength/weights and yoga or swimming for flexibility. It is important to get a well rounded workout over the week

For those who don't go to the gym - how do you exercises? Running? Exercise bike etc?

Outside of the gym, running, yoga, swimming, I go on lots of walks but don't count those as working out.

Do you use any aids that have really helped you with weight loss/toning up? I was thinking of getting a waist trainer but not sure if it's a waste of money

Gimmicks are pretty much all useless.

How many calories do you aim to eat a day?
Calories are not all equal, it is more important to focus on sufficient protein and vitamins from good sources, then also add carbs and fats so your diet is balanced.

Women te d to focus too much on cardio and calorie counting, generally it doesn't work on its own strength training to build up muscles is more important. Muscle is denser than fat and takes more energy to maintain so if you focus on getting strong you will be healthier and loose more fat overall. Body composition is more important than weight, am to increase muscle and reduce fat.

Wow, some of you are so active!

If you exercise regularly - how often? How many calories do you aim to burn over how long?
Three or four times a week, depending on the schedule of my runs (every other day). I don't aim for a certain calorie burn number, I run 5k each time.

If you don't use calories as a way of keeping track, what do you do?
I started out using the Couch 2 5k app to go from a total non-exerciser to a runner. Now I just time my run. My Fitbit does all the tracking I'd ever want, but I don't tend to check it much anymore.

For those who don't go to the gym - how do you exercises? Running? Exercise bike etc?
Running in my local area. Occasionally, I will do workout videos from Youtube if it's pouring with rain.

Do you use any aids that have really helped you with weight loss/toning up? I was thinking of getting a waist trainer but not sure if it's a waste of money
Is a waist trainer like a corset? I don't think that would help with exercise/calories. Maybe would change your shape.

The aids that helped were good trainers for running, the Couch 2 5k free NHS app, free version of My Fitness Pal to track food, and willpower. I work 7am til 6pm weekdays and it can be very hard to find the motivation after a shitty day, but I know I feel better afterwards if I run.

How many calories do you aim to eat a day?
I'm on a weight-loss journey, have lost 4 stone so far, but still a long way to go. I aim to stay below 1900 calories, and don't eat back calories burned on a running day.

If you exercise regularly - how often? How many calories do you aim to burn over how long?

5-6 days a week. I don't pay attention to how many calories I burn.

If you don't use calories as a way of keeping track, what do you do?

I go by my step count. I try and do at least 15,000 steps a day.

For those who don't go to the gym - how do you exercises? Running? Exercise bike etc?

I walk dogs for a living and I also horse-ride. I walk dogs anywhere between 5-7 days a week (normally 4 hours a day during the week, and an hour or so at weekends), and I ride for an hour a week, as well as doing the occasional two hour hack.

Do you use any aids that have really helped you with weight loss/toning up? I was thinking of getting a waist trainer but not sure if it's a waste of money

Nope, just decent footwear and I use my phone to give me a rough idea of how many steps.

How many calories do you aim to eat a day?

I don't really monitor it very closely, but I probably have around 1500-1700 calories a day, more if I've had riding on top of a full day at work.

Oh, I used to love the gym especially the camaraderie. Post covid, i can think of nothing less appealing. I love exercising barefoot or in my garden and the freedom of going straight for a wash in my own bathroom rather than a grimy, communal facility. It is cheaper as well - I'm not just talking about gym fees but the flat whites and other crap that was a regular purchase beforehand. With my yoga practice in particular, I feel more connectedness through practicing alone.

4 days a week. 2 reformer Pilates, 1 cycle class and 1 session at home where I use light weights, kettlebells stretch bands. The at home session comprises of squats, lunges, planks, dead lifts, etc. I chose 3 moves and do 3 sets of each. The classes last 45 minutes and my at home varies between 40-60 mins.

I love crisps and salted caramel ice cream way to much to track calories! I don’t have a strict diet but I try to aim for 7-10 fruit & veg (80 ish grams each) a day and will add a protein when I can.

Also @fortysomething8 if you're not exercising at all at the moment then don't worry about how much, how often, how many calories etc. it's all just detail.

Aim to 1. Go to the gym and 2. Do something and 3. Eat fruit and veg. That's enough to focus on!!

People tend to be too strict and then not stick to it because it's unsustainable. Sticking to smaller goals is much easier and then you can build on it / refine.

I always walk 10k steps a day minimum with my fog. Sometimes I slow jog them instead

In addition I do one other activity daily. I either cycle or swim or do yoga or rowing or bands or walk another 10k. I often do this additional activity with friends so that it’s social

Excise calories. I stopped counting as it was all guesswork and seemed to slow my weight loss.

I hate exercise and work full time out the house (with a commute) so don't have a lot of time during the week at all

Having said that, I walk from the train station rather than getting the tube/bus and by doing that I speed walk 5km a day (2.5km each way) with my backpack on (which isn't light).

I try and go to gym once a week and do a run on the weekend (5-7km normally). I also walk the dog on weekends (about 5km at a time).

I have an Apple Watch so keep an eye on it via that. I thought I wouldn't use it but I must admit I enjoy seeing the stats/impact on my health etc.

Fog = dog 🐶

And I don't count my calories but I am mindful of what I'm eating if that makes sense

2x Chloe Tings a week
1x yoga session
1x live zoom session with near-personal trainer (very small class)
5x 30 mins walking (to work & back)
2x 1hr walking (on weekends)
Don't count calories spent or eaten. Too depressing when you realise that a thirty-minute walk "earns" you a jaffa cake!

1. Samsung watch with movement goals.
2. As above.
3. Smallish home weights - also have a mini trampoline that I occasionally use.
4. Don't monitor calories in-just trying to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

I think it depends on your goals what you do - I'm trying to stay healthy and maintain bone strength (50+). No marathon or bikini competitions!

Hi
I’m a size 12. I could be a bit lighter. But I don’t exercise for weight loss. It’s for health and my anxiety/insomnia too.

I don’t exercise to lose calories and fitness watches etc aren’t always accurate.

Exercise I do depends on my shifts I work full time on 3/4 days

12/13 hour days on a ward. It’s already active and covers a lot of steps. On a good week I do 2x30 min spin classes, 2/3 yoga practice and some form of strength: currently resistance bands or kettle bells. We also as a couple walk at least once at a weekend for ‘minimum 3 or usually much more miles We have a couple of evening
walks too on days off.
My watch tells me I burn calories but I don’t rely on them.

I don’t count calories, I’m aware of average calories in foods I eat. I’d say I eat under 1800 most days bar ones I go out for food or get a takeaway. I don’t cut out food groups or foods I enjoy. I do value nutrition and macros. Lots of colour in my diet and protein too.

Ive no idea about waist trainers but if you carry excess weight there surely they won’t work?

I play badminton for 4-6 hours a week because it's fun and I enjoy the company. I've got no idea how many calories it burns to be honest, and no idea how many I eat. A lot of leisure time is spent going for walks and other active things, and have an active job. I'm lucky in that I've always been fit and slim, which is why I'm a bit laissez faire. However I do think that the primary aim of exercise is that you should enjoy it, otherwise you won't want to do it and won't get the other benefits.

To keep I just keep a mental note of the kind of things I'm eating and adjust as I go along. Everything in moderation etc. I do try and eat healthily though, and don't drink much.

I exercise daily, 3-4 times a week intensively, gym for weight training, running walking, cycling, stretching and toning exercises every night. No idea about how many calories burned, as don’t keep track. I don’t count calories either. The only equipment I use at home are resistance bands.

You can’t out-train a bad diet.

You need to be active every day and find ways of putting sustainable exercise into your daily routine. For example, ditch the car and walk everywhere. Aim for over 15,000 steps a day (the figure of 10,000 is a minimum not ambitious).

I have no idea what a “waist trainer” is but it sounds like a gimmick.

You also need to be aware that exercise isn’t the magic melting away of calories. I train really hard in 3 sessions per week of a mix of heavy weight lifting and HIIT, then do something like a pump class for active recovery. The heavy sessions probably only burn around 500 calories even though I’m left completely dead!

It would be a wonderful thing if the notion of exercising to lose weight was shelved by the mainstream and the focus was put entirely upon the mental health/strength/flexibility benefits. Unfortunately, there are additive ridden fake foods to sell and now menus showing the calories for every dish. This will reinforce unhealthy thinking and discourage others from trying altogether.

Thank you for all these fab replies!

I've started to really look after myself, I'm the biggest I've ever been due to some medication I'm taking and the weight is proving hard to shift!

Lesson learnt on the calories, I do find that very stressful anyway so I won't be so strict on myself!

Id love to join a gym but being a single mum of 3, working etc iota just not possible. I joined one in January thinking I could fit it in somehow but it's just not possible so I'm doing all my exercise from home.

I've bought on exercise bike which I do 40 mins a day on, try push myself a little more each time. I watch my steps too.

I've cut out all the crap on eating.

It varies but I eat a lot of:

I have porridge for breakfast with raspberries
Scrambled eggs on 1 thin with plum tomatoes and rocket or tuna salad.
For tea I have salad or chicken and veg.
3x cups of tea a day
2x Kallo rice cakes and maybe one of those 7cal jelly pots.

Drinking lots of water

My weight is getting me down so I'm just really trying but I need to remember I've had 3 kids! I'm not 18 anymore and the weight won't just fall off me like it has done in the past.

Thanks so much Mumsnetters!

IME, most people who exercise don't count calories. What do you think will be achieved by counting calories?

Have just seen your recent post and parts of that seems more sensible. Eat healthy food and not too much. Exercise as much as you can. Don't expect quick results but the eventual results will be sustainable as you are effectively training your lifestyle and body compared with what for some people may be decades of less good dietary habits. Good luck.

I started seeing a wellbeing advisor at the beginning of the year so very much a work in progress but...

Currently aiming for 3 x 30 minutes a week, ultimately working up to 5 x 30 mins or equivalent. Will likely be fewer, longer sessions.

I don't really worry about how many calories I'm burning. I've not looked after myself well in the past or done any regular exercise so anything I do is a bonus.

Lily Sabri videos on YouTube. She's great...gorgeous but very down to earth, great music and lots of options. I love that each exercise has a countdown timer, she allows 30 seconds between moves so you're not rushing to get the hang of it and doing it wrong. I find with her videos that just as I'm getting bored or struggling she moves onto something else or winds it up which is brilliant for me. Also incorporates demonstrations of simpler moves for beginners/the less fit. DD started with her videos last year and now if a fully fledged gym bunny so I use her old yoga mat, resistance bands and light weights.

I found the body analysis scales my advisor uses brilliant. They calculate my basal metabolic rate so my calorie allowance for the day is 1750 based on that. I only weight with her once a month and it's great to be able to see the invisible progress and really keeps me motivated, eg...last weigh in I had only lost 1kg overall weight, but the stats showed I'd converted 4kg of fat to muscle, improved my hydration and dropped a point on the visceral fat scale.

I will probably invest in a pair of similar scales next month for home use as I only have one more session.

I've bought on exercise bike which I do 40 mins a day on, try push myself a little more each time.

just pedalling for 40 minutes won’t necessarily do much beyond overall mild improvement of your aerobic capacity. you need to do something that will put a certain amount of stress on your body. If you just pedal at the same rate you won’t get any significant training effect.

Interval training can really change this. That’s what Spin classes are- intervals of high intensity interspersed with intervals of active recovery.

See if you can find some routines on YouTube. You may find that a 20-30 minute HIIT session is far more effective than just pedalling without much point for 40 minutes.

I exercise 2-3 days per week. More if I’m lucky. It’s important to set actual achievable goals when it comes to habits so that was what I decided was a baseline minimum I could always meet. I ride horses. I don’t measure calorie burn, and that’s partially because I enjoy doing it so calories aren’t important AND because all fitness trackers overestimate calorie burn. The low end of that is they overestimate by about 30% and the high end is as much as 90%.

I don’t count anything. I just get out and do an active thing that I enjoy. That’s it.

As far as aids go, high intensity interval training and properly guided free weight sessions were very very beneficial.

Waist trainers have their place, but they’re not an aid to toning or weight loss. They can help in certain situations when paired with physio for specific conditions. You can certainly injure yourself with one, as a previous poster pointed out you will not correctly strengthen muscle groups while wearing one.

I stopped monitoring calories years ago. I eat only when I’m hungry, and only in portions that satisfy me. I’m not afraid to say no, to go out for a meal and leave things on the plate, or to have exactly what I want when I am really hungry.
It was hard work to heal a fractured relationship with food but the minute I did the weight dropped off and I now weigh the same as I did at 18 (am in my 40’s). When I got serious about losing weight I started with food. It’s easier to handle than finding time to exercise, the day already has time in it for eating so the focus on changing how I ate was much more crucial.