Am I doing enough exercise?

[arctica]

I only started Atkins a few weeks ago and have lost 14 pounds. I still have quite a way to go. However, I have always done a lot of walking and other exercise. I was power walking 5 miles a day (to and from the train station instead of taking the tube) carrying a backpack. I also would go at lunch time about 3 days a week and walk 3 miles but that was more of a fast walk than power walk due to the people in the way. Three weeks ago I added an additional five miles a day, albeit broken up into 2.5 mile chunks and that includes a 2.5 mile hill climb at the end of the day. Rather than joining a gym I have incorporated all this walking into part of my commute. I have not start weight training yet because I have FMS and am afraid of setting off an attack, although I am looking into taking a middle eastern dance class which will help with toning apparently. I got on Fitday and it says that I should be eating about 2000 calories a day which is impossible to believe as I have never been able to eat that much without gaining weight. I am currently eating about 1500 calories a day still doing induction and am absolutely not hungry at all. The only other thing I can think of to try is to actually eat snacks in between meals which I should probably be doing because I am also hypoglycemic. I am happy to say I have not had any low blood sugar since starting this WOL. The only other thing I can think of is to just not go for those long walks at lunch and just stick with the 10 miles a day.

[Esther]

It sounds like you're doing plenty of exercise! I don't even know what FMS is, but I am (well, was...) a severe hypoglycemic. Since starting Atkins I'm pretty well cured completely except possibly at certain times of the month, or if I cheat. It has stabilised me so well that I never snack unless I'm actually hungry - it's the carbs in what you eat that cause the dips that make snacks essential. Without the carbs, there are generally no dips, so I don't need the snacks. During TOM I keep a few slices of cheese handy, though... If I ever do feel hungry though, I eat straight away.

[spirittalker]

Your cardio is awesome. You should try to get some strength training in somewhere though. Doesn't mean you have to lift weights. I do Yoga right now for my strength training. Pilates is another one you could do. Swimming is great because it's cardio and stregth all rolled up into one great workout.

[arctica]

Thanks to both of you. I was looking at a DVD that is yogalates and I think I will buy that. I find it easier to work out at home than at a gym and ever so much cheaper. Can't really go swimming as our local pool is not very healthy. They had an incident last summer where they mixed the chemicals wrong and made a poison cloud which made people ill and they had to evacuate the town centre for the afternoon (small town in England). Good idea about the cheese and I think I might start keeping some in the fridge at work. You look amazing Esther. I am so proud of you and I hope I can look that good some day.

[ttdriver]

Great job with the cardio!! And I agree, adding in some weight/resistence training would be a super combination!

Congratulations on your success thusfar! Keep it up!

Betty

[2big4mysize]

great job with the walking as your cardio exercise.

Your blood sugar stability is do to the lack i=of insulin production because you don't trigger it with high blood sugar. if you are not having suymptoms then don't worry about your hypoglycemia just carry a snack in case it does go off but don't eat to manage an already controlled condition.

Those fitday numbers are for the general population of folk your size and weight you may have less muscle mass and therefore not need as many cals so if you are feeling healthy don't sweat it.


Keep up the great job you are doing working your Atkins

[snorkelman]

it sounds like you are walking enough. Is that powerwalking getting you up to your heart rate high enough so you are in your target range?

As for the calories, i assume you are a female, and if so, 1500 calories sounds right to me. 2000 may be too high for you. Just don't cut your calories too much or else you will go into starvation mode and you will stop burning fat.

Oh yeah, hate to rain on your parade, but probably most of that initial weight loss was water, not fat. You can be sure if you are losing water, fat or muscle if you start tracking your body fat % on a weekly basis.

But it sounds like you are off to a good start.

[arctica]

I guess I am doing what you would call powerwalking because I can do 2.5 miles in 25 minutes. I have not taken my heart rate while I am doing it but I probably should do. The calorie thing was just a concern because I don't want to lose muscle mass or go into starvation mode. I will just keep with what I am doing and see how things go. I am also not in a race to lose 100 pounds in 5 months so as far as I am concerned 14 pounds gone is 14 pounds gone, water weight or not and however long it takes to lose the rest of it is fine by me -- I am in it to get healthy not to win a race. I cannot believe that the rest of the 95 pounds will be only water weight. Unfortunately due to my long commute (3 hours out of my day) and my work schedule I cannot also spend hours in a gym. I would hope that 10 to 13 miles a day of power walking would be enough exercise in combination with my yogalates workout and my middle eastern dance class (once a week).

[2big4mysize]

water smater that is ridiculous to say only water weight! The doctor doesn't say okay I know you are storing X pounds of water weight so I will subtract that from your scale weight and only record the diference. It was body mass your heart and muscles had to support and move that you don't have any more. :joy :joy :joy

walking that many miles is great!!! you are doing fine. since you commute all those miles if you aren't the driver you might want to look at getting an isometric tape and do it during your commute, a few chair pushups too any free exercise you get is more cals burned and a healthier smaller you in the making.

Your speed will pickj up and you will see your muscles actually growing doing your exercise and eating your Atkins poroperly as you have plentyof protein to spare any muscle canabilism for fuel needs. DOn't let any misinformed muscle head tell you you are burning muscles for fuel when you exerice. :no :no

happy low carbing

[Esther]

Yogalates!

I have a couple of the Yogalates dvds and I think they are brilliant. To me it's a perfect mix of the stretching/relaxing from Yoga and the strengthening from Pilates. The presenter (Louise Solomon?) has a really weird hypnotic Aussie accent that can grate a bit - it either winds you up or gets you giggling, but the workout is so great it more than makes up it :yes