Whether you are trying to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, we all struggle together. One of the pestering topics that creeps into our minds far too often is weight loss. So many of us often find ourselves thinking “I need to lose weight, I need to go on a diet and I need to exercise.”

There are a lot of questions when it comes to weight loss.

When seeking answers, the solutions are not easy to find. People struggle daily to find the right weight loss plan or maybe never start at all due to lack of knowledge or how-to, busy schedules or missing motivation. Weight loss comes in many forms. There is really not one answer because everyone is different and everyone has to set personalized goals.

My hope is to answer some of your questions. Maybe I’ll help some get started, some struggling to break through a plateau or maybe some perfectly comfortable at their current weight; nonetheless I can help keep you there.

 

How much do I need to exercise to lose weight?

Well, if you are just beginning or have more weight to lose any activity is going to increase calorie burn and jump start your metabolism. It is recommended for all to participate in cardio three to five days per week a minimum of 20 minutes and strength training two to three days per week. How much weight you’re looking to shed and your current physical fitness level will vary the intensity of your workouts.

 

Where should my target heart rate be?

First find your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 (i.e. 220-28=192 beats per minute). You should never exceed this number. Target heart rate is what you want to meet when trying to maximize your workout. To find THR, subtract your age from 220, and multiply the result by the percentage of exertion desired on a scale of 100 percent (i.e. 220-28=192×70 percent =135 beats per minute).

You can find your heart rate with a fitness watch or monitor, or using the good ol’ method fingers to the side of your neck or the backside of the wrist. Count pulses for 10 seconds and then multiply by 6 that will give you your current heart rate.

• High intensity 80 to 90 percent

• Medium intensity 70 to 80 percent

• Low intensity 50 to 60 percent

• Those of us just beginning will want to work at low intensity until our level of fitness improves. The low intensity zone is also good for warm up and cool down.

If you consider yourself at an average level of fitness range, choose between low and medium intensities. If you’re physically fit and looking to maximize your calorie burn and fat burn it is recommended to work medium-high intensity intervals peaking high intensity for short periods.

The fat burning zone is between 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate. Sustaining this heart rate for a longer duration is recommended for fat burn results.

 

What can I do to break through a plateau?

This is a frustrating time for you. You’ve tried changing your diet, you’ve tried increasing hours of exercise and getting more sleep. What more could you possibly do?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Keep your eye on the prize. There is no better feeling than seeing weight loss results and feeling healthy. The healthier you become, the more you want to maintain that lifestyle.

2. Kick it up a notch, but not too much. At this point you should be doing 5 to 6 days of cardio per week at approximately 60 minutes and 2-3 days of strength training and optimal stretching. Try adding interval training if you have not already.

3. Watch your calorie intake a little closer. Track everything you eat. Try decreasing or eliminating beverage calories (pop, coffee drinks, juices etc.) and dry foods such as breads and crackers as they carry a lot of calories for little return to your stomach. Also make sure at the end of the day you have not eaten more calories than you’ve burned. There should be a deficit between intake and output causing weight loss.

4. Drink more water! You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Add 12 more ounces of water for each 30 minutes exercised per day.

“When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.” -unknown

Lacey Peters is a fitness instructor at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA, as well as a life coach and overall fitness enthusiast. Above all, she believes in optimal well-being and life balance. She can be reached at lpeters@nb-ymca.com