Cardio for weight loss

[anon1968]

Hi. Ive recently gone back to the gym after a few months off to recover from breast cancer. I’ve gained probably 8lbs amd want to lose at least some of that for christmas and to help me feel better about myself.. Ive been doing 35 mins on the stepper and 20 mins on the treadmill 3 times a week, also one spin class. Will this help me lose weight? Or would i be better just running or just stepping, it is mostly my stomach, bottom, thigh area i need to lose from/tone up. I was pretty fit before my diagnosis and intend to get that back, i’d just really like to lose some of this extra weight asap to get me back to where i was before and back on track.

Thanks.

You don't get to lose weight in specific spots; where your body puts fat stores is genetic. But you can tone how the areas look a little, with almost any exercise where you feel work happening in those same areas. I don't think walking or spin will use many muscles in those areas, but things like Pilates or body pump might.

Mostly just bumping so others will see.

Thankyou for taking the time to respond. I didnt really explain very well, i do need to lose it all over, though mostly those areas, i just can’t really exercise my upper body at the moment so can’t really do classes, such as pump or combat so wondered which would aid weight loss/burn fat more, the stepper or treadmill. Thanks again.

Anything that gets you moving more will generally help. Diet will be a big factor if you want to lose weight, along with some cardio should help you on your way.

To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. It doesn't matter if you run or step to help this calorie deficit. Both will improve your leg tone.

PT tells me drinking lots of water helps to burn fat.
Porridge for breakfast, 2 pieces of fruit a day, no sugar at all, handful of nuts, protein meals +rice, no tea /coffee . Regular small meals, lots of veg. Multi vit daily.

PT is confused between the reality (you need water to catabolise fat) and speculation (adding more water will catabolise more fat).

Also, two pieces of fruit but no sugar?

Are you enjoying the routines? Is there anything you'd like to try? Overall body shape will be most affected by weights and building lean muscle will help the areas you describe. Fitness levels raise quite quickly with interval training. But whatever you do should be enjoyable and the main benefits are using your body well, celebrating its health and looking after your wellbeing. Is there a fitness instructor who will tailor a plan for you?

Weight loss mostly comes from diet. I don't like actual diets and they don't work. There's nowt more miserable than telling yourself you MUST NOT eat something. A healthy lifestyle which supports the weight you want to be and keeps you active and fulfilled is far better than a quick fix.

Brilliant news about your recovery. Just fab.

Are you sure the PT is qualified? That porridge for breakfast, is it every day for the rest of your life? And rice every day? Even if you don't like it? And those with a nut allergy? That may be a perfect diet for you but it's a shade restrictive.

Firstly I am sorry to hear about your breast cancer
I had breast cancer in 2012 and like you put on weight .
I found that a mix of classes helped me tone up and did Pilates and spin. I told my Pilates teacher about my mastectomy and she tailored the exercises for me .
Spin was absolutely fine . I couldn’t so body pump for about 18 months because my upper body was just too uncomfortable
I have been taking tamoxifen since then and I am definitely heavier / larger which I suspect is due to the medication :
However I am so relieved to be cancer free that I can put up with it !

Thanks everyone. I am enjoying the routine, the running more so i think, before diagnosis i had recently got back into running and and was planning to improve and increase that. I love classes, just the timetable at my gym doesnt really suit, i hadnt thought of pilates as i tend to enjoy the “jumping atound” classes more. i have heard lots of good things about it though so i will look at the gym timetable again. Diet wise, i’m a fussy eater so not easy to change (excuses i know lol) and am carb heavy, i think when i go back to work shortly i can concentrate on my diet more, i lost a stone in the year before diagnosis and was nearly at my target, I am on tamoxifen and slowly getting used to that, i think part of the weight gain is down to that as the only thing that stopped me feeling sick was eating. I’m also relieved to be cancer free, and maybe need to stop putting pressure on myself to lose weight and just enjoy being healthy again. Thank you all for taking the time to respond. Much appreciated.

Olelanderrules. Congratulations on being cancer free. Nice to hear, best wishes for a healthy future.

I would recommend adding strength training.

All the best with your recovery

I don't know if you said what your treatment was but worth remembering that tamoxifen could be making breast tissue swell. My Mum had a partial mastectomy (a wedge was removed and the breast reshaped). She took tamoxifen for five years and went up a good few cup sizes. This would account for a couple of pounds of extra weight in her case.

If running is what you like then you stick to running. You have been through enough and now it's time to do things that you will enjoy!

The best exercise is the one that you will stick to.