Exercise

[Neco]

Hi, I am sure this has been talked about many times before, but cant find anything after skimming the site for a while.

I have 5 weeks until my holiday and am in my 3rd week now (wow, 3 weeks, the longest before was 10 days!)

Will exercise speed up my weight loss? I went to the gym last night for the first time ina bout a year!! I managed 30 minutes on the treadmill (20 running, 10 walking) and 15 on the bike.

Am I going to see a bigger drop in pounds, or is it all for nothing? I felt OK after it too, just a banging headache, didnt feel dizzy or light headed or any of that.

Does anyone know? I know it will help with firming up, but the whole point of me doing this is to get as much off in the next 5 weeks.

Thanks - Neco

 

[LAINEY]

I think you need to realise that when in Ketosis (burning your own fat for fuel/energy), you are already kinda doing what the cardio part does in the gym - with the exception of cardio also increasing your fitness levels of course. As mentioned in replies to an earlier mail you sent some time ago, the key for you to do is TONING!! Absolutely go to the gym if you wish, but concentrate on free weights, the weight machines, assorted abdominal exercises, swimming, etc.
You seem really obsessed with the amount of weight flying off the scales, rather than your overall fitness level, health and appearance. Surely if you were lean & toned, and really happy at your image, it shouldn't matter what the reading on the scales says? Besides, if you do work-out (cardio and/or toning) then ultimately your muscle mass is going to weigh more, which will increase the scale readings regardless! In other words, your natural weight with no exercise whatsover could be, say, 13 stone. If you did same diet but toned up, you'd lose inches quicker, the diet would burn the excess fat, but as the muscle weighs more, you could be 13 stone 8lbs - but look fab as you're all toned up!
Does that make sense? You'll lose a huge amount in total before your holiday, but please remember, this is formulated so that your losing the pounds at a safe pace, without jeopardising your overall health & wellbeing. Good luck! If you want more info on what type of toning exercises to do, then feel free to mail me.

 

[Neco]

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it.

But surely a pound of fat weighs exactly the same as a pound of muscle.

So exercise burns fuel, which in my case has to be fat as in ketosis and no intake of carbs (other than the packs). Does this mean if i run 5 miles, this must equate to some form of fat loss also, above the normal I would lose without exercise. (does that make sense?>

I am not dim, just not sure about how exercise helps/hinders weight loss.

The reason I am hung up on a certain weight is that 2 years ago I weighed the weight I want to be in July, and felt really good and had a great holiday, confident in my appearance, semi naked body etc.

Anyway, lets see where the next 5 weeks take me. I only wanted a bit of re-assurance I would not be doing something wrong by running.

 

[Kate]

Please don't run while on a VLCD. Yes, it will speed up your weight loss - and it will do so by increasing the rate of protein oxidation i.e. burning muscle.

You can't build muscle while you're on a VLCD - you can only protect the muscle you've already got. Resistance exercise will do this. Gentle cardio will improve your fitness, lower your resting heart rate, improve bone density and many other good things. However, while you're in ketosis and you're on 500 calories a day, your body just isn't equipped to turn fat into fuel for running at the rate it needs to, so it'll go for your muscle instead.

Exercise is a fantastic thing, but it has certain fuel requirements and the harder you work, the more fuel you need to put into your body.

 

[fairesht]

Just wanted to say thankyou for very valuable information here!!