How many days....

MyWedding13

How many days a week should I be working out in order to lose weight? How often do you all work out? I am trying to set a goal of number of days per week and how long of a workout but I really don't know where to begin.

lturpyn

Good luck with this!  I actually just posted a rant/plea for help myself so I thought I would offer what advice I could.

A few years ago I started working out 4 times a week (for an hour) doing cardio exercises combined with a bit of weight training (about 20 minutes of lifting small, 5 - 8 lb weights at home) and combined with the diet I was following, I lost a lot of weight in a short period of time (almost 30 pounds in 3 months).

Now (+ the 30 pounds from before), I'm back to 4 - 5 times a week but am not having the same success as the previous time, but I definitely feel healthier.

Whatever you decide, it's definitely great that you're starting now, so that you won't have to stress about it as your wedding approaches!  Good luck!

jonchrissy

I aim for 4 days a week, but usually get in 3. I'm not around on weekends to go to the gym so I can really only get there Monday-Thursday. My goal is maintaining my weight, so I feel like I have a little more give, if I was trying to lose, I would probably try and stick with 5 days a week with 2 off days thrown in (like Saturday/Wednesday)

raynes

Losing weight is about much more than just "working out".  You could be at the gym 7 days a week doing an hour at a slow crappy pace on the elliptical and lose nothing, or you could spend 2 days a week, lifitng heavy weights for an hour and consistently lose body fat.

But really, it comes down to your diet.  No matter how much or how often you're working out, if you eat too much (or eat crap food) you won't lose weight.

I go to the gym 2-3 times a week for a full body heavy weight lifting session with free weights and cables.  While my weight has stayed the same since January, I've lost nearly 5% body fat (so, 9 lbs of just fat) and many inches.

veritasatori

For cardio, three days per week (60 min. each) is my absolute minimum.  Five is always my "dream" goal.  Usually I get in 3 or 4. 
On most days that I don't do cardio, I use free weights and do stuff like lunges, planks, push-ups, crunches, etc. 

MyWedding13

Thanks for all of your advice! Not working out as much is my downfall when it comes to being healthy.

grrrace

I have been working out Mon-Fri (I refuse to work out on weekends!) with some pretty intense cardio for 45-55 mins and then weights that focus on different body areas 3-4 times a week for about 15 mins. 

I have been more conscience of my food choices and try to never let myself get that starving feeling. I have also upped my veggies and water by a lot.

It's only been 5 weeks, but I'm down 8 lbs and I am feeling so much healthier than I did when I first started!  

Good luck with everything! 

anne.azano

Humans aren't meant to be sedentary, you should do SOMETHING every day, even if it's just a walk.  Don't work out intensely every day by any means, but our bodies can handle a helluva lot more than we ask of them.