How Much Exercise Do You Need to Start Feeling the Benefits?
It seems that this number fluctuates depending on your fitness level and goals, but the surprising 
answer is it takes way LESS time than you think to start getting into shape. A new study out of Duke University even showed that one hour a week for severely overweight participants had far reaching effects on their health, mood, and overall well-being.
If you are someone who is looking to lose 15-20 pounds you may find that 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous exercise is all you need in conjunction with a healthy diet.
If your goal is to lose more weight than that, you can always start with 30 minutes per day and gradually increase your workout time when you plateau.
Overall, the new studies that continue to be released are great news for anyone who's looking to live a healthy and fit lifestyle without spending hours in the gym.
Source: Duke University Medical Center
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Posted by: Derek | Oct 7, 2008 8:44:50 PM
Hi. I need to find out what to eat mostly. I work out mostly everyday. I'm looking for Nutrition. I'm at 236 ibs and needing to lose 50ibs. There are allot of diets out there, but is weight watchers a good thing to get into. Know it cost allot. I would like to lose 5-10 pounds every 2 weeks is that possible. Thank you for your time.
Posted by: PATRICIA WRIGHT | Oct 8, 2008 12:08:46 AM
I can only leave suggestions that may help you to lose the weight. I am also trying to lose weight and am 50% towards my goal succesful. Eat a large breakfast, medium lunch and small dinner. Do not eat after 6 p.m, you do not want to store extra calories that will not burn off during the night. You also need to make sure you are digesting and getting the most out of the nutrients you put in your body so do not drink during meals, but at least an hour before. Drink lots of water, as soon as you wake up, it will help flush and cleanse toxins from your body that may be stored and contribute to bloating and holding unto unwanted toxins that can hold onto fat in your system. No white foods like breads , white rice etc... Go for complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat. Eat your carbs mostly in the mornings, a little perhaps at lunch and opt for protien and veggies at dinner. Give time for food to digest between maels like 4 to 5 hours and stick to three meals a day if you can, eating snacks in between will distrubt the process. Sparkpeople is a site i am also on, which caslculates all your calorie and nutritional values for you daily. It has meal plans and recipes there. DO not add extra calories by drinking them, lower all carbs as much as you can. Fruits should be ate in morning and lunch only. I hope this helps
Posted by: Stephen Bivens | Oct 20, 2008 1:59:28 PM
I can relate my personal experience since I had similar weight and goals as Derek.
I am a 29 year old male, 6’2” 195lbs.
I decided to loose 50lbs by eating a raw diet for 1 year. (this was last November) I went 80 days 100% percent raw and lost the 50lbs within the first 60 days! Now this seemed like an extremely dangerous and precipitous weight loss but I never felt better in my life during this process.
My diet consisted of:
• plenty of fresh fruit (6-8+ fruits per day)
• fresh veggies (typically at night for dinner and as much as I wanted of whatever I wanted but especially included tomatoes and avocados)
• sprouted nuts (pine nuts and almonds)
• sprouted beans (pinto and garbanzo flavored with Cheyenne pepper, fresh squeezed lemon juice and a little sea salt)
• for breakfast: fresh “squeezed” fruit juices (apple, ginger, lemon, citrus, carrot, melon, etc.)
After the initial 80 started “cheating” a bit with cooked food and ended up gaining back 20lbs. Last month (September) I started eating raw again with a modified approach: I eat 100% raw during the week (same diet as above) and eat whatever I want (within a 2500 calorie/day limit) during the weekends. I lost the 20lbs within 2 weeks! I don’t know if it’s just me but my lbs fall off like crazy when I eat raw.
There are many things I experienced during this raw experiment: INTENSE cravings (some of the hardest things I have EVER done is resist these cravings), shorter sleep requirement (as little as 4 hours/night), laser sharp mental acuity, clear skin, non-existent body odor, the list goes on and on. For me avocados satisfied my intense cravings for fat and fatty food and I drank plenty of water to keep my system flushed.
I could go on but I’ll let you digest that and then I can respond to specific questions.
Posted by: Rochelle Gardner | Oct 20, 2008 2:19:08 PM
You shouldn't lose over 1-2 lbs/week. Losing weight too rapidly can cause health problems.
I have lost 56 lbs. since January 1st. I only have 4 lbs more to loose before I reach my goal. I will be in a "healthy" BMI category. I have tried multiple diets in the past: Weight watchers, South Beach, Atkins. They were all just a temporary fix that didn't last very long. I think the term is called Yo-Yo dieting where you loose the weight and then gain the weight you lost back plus some. What I am doing now is a lifestyle change that includes diet and exercise. My diet is based upon the food pyramid. I eat breadfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between. I watch my portions. I eat complex carbohydrates and stay away from anything white (bread, pasta, rice) I make sure I get the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. I drink six 8 oz. glasses of water per day. I take a daily multivit, and calcium supplement. I have had to learn to listen to my body. I had been over eating for so long that I forgot what hunger felt like. I journal everything I eat or drink. I am not a slave to the scales. The only time I weight myself is when I go to the doctors or when I drop into another clothing size. How I monitor my weight loss is by the way my clothing fits. I have gone from an 18 down to an 8 and am currently teatering towards a size 6. I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. I see my trainer once a week. For the most part my program consists of: Weight training 3 times/week, aerobic activity 3-5 times/week. Abs 6 days/week. One day off per week. I get up and exercise in the mornings before work and find that I have more energy thoughout the day. The outcome of this lifestyle change is not only physical. I have more energy, feel more alert, handle stress more effectively and have more self confidence. It has been an incredible journey with amazing results.
Posted by: mike ja | Oct 20, 2008 2:39:38 PM
I had not had a day of exercise all year, then first of July started training for an event coming up in January. I started at 236 pounds. Here in mid October I have lost 48 pounds of fat and added 8 pounds of muscle. I plan on losing an additional 30 pounds over the next two months to get down to event weight. For me it is all about monitoring what I eat and drink and chart it: write it down. I do the same with the exercise. This year I am also adhering to the guidelines proposed in the Younger Next Year book: no white rice, no white potato, no refined flour or sugar products, little red meat, and only non-fat dairy. I do lots of soups and juicing... I supplement protein and vitamins. I exercise a lot. It is working.
Posted by: Roni-Sydney | Oct 20, 2008 5:51:59 PM
What supplements or vitamins did you
take on the raw food diet Stephen?
Posted by: Shirley | Oct 23, 2008 9:53:01 AM
This is a question for Steven Bivens: First though a great big congradulations!!! I have read about raw diets and yours sounds do-able. Just a question though, How much in the way of beans, etc did you eat, and how do you know if you get enough protein?
Posted by: Rosalie | Dec 1, 2008 2:40:56 PM
Hi. I'm 14 years old and i want to lose 10-15 pounds. What's the fastest way to do this? I try to excerise 30-40 min. a day and I'm a cheerleader. What's a good food plan that's easy to follow?
Please give me any tips
Posted by: Stephen Cabral | Dec 2, 2008 7:07:40 PM
Hi Rosalie,
Keep in mind that at 14 years old your body is still growing and coming into its own.
It's best to include a solid nutrition and exercise program that will keep you healthy and allow you to lose weight (provided you honestly need to).
Without actually meeting you and having an "okay" from your doctor saying it is fine to go ahead with a weight loss program I can't ethically provide you with a custom plan.
I would recommend looking over my previous posts for some great fat burning exercises and workouts you can do that will definitely help you get in even better shape.
Posted by: Fitness expert | Dec 13, 2008 8:18:25 PM
You know what? the whole 1-3 lbs safe weight a week thing is all "blah blah blah blah blah." Yes its true that this only applies to fat weight loss, but many americans are grossly overweight not because of fat.They are overweight because of fact, the fact that they consume too many carbs/too much sodium/ and don't drink nearly enough water.
Did you know that the average american's diet exceeds 4,000 mg of sodium chloride(salt) a day. Some people consume even more. That along with carbs(the simple ones/sugary snacks) contribute to alitte thing called "adema". Adema is the condition wherein the body is highly bloated and holds onto every single drop of water, creating 5-20 lbs of water retention weight. The salt is a
blood pressure regulator for the body, but when the body is grossly loaded with insane amounts of sodium(salt) it begins to hold/store large amounts of water to dilute(filter and stabilize) it.
The end result is extra bulge in the stomach(what you think is stomach fat is really retention of water in fat cells),limbs, and face. As for the carbs, its already been explained by several above posts. So basically, you should keep sodium consumption down below 2,000 as often as possible, eat less salty foods, check labels for sodium content, don't ever add salt to your food unless it is really needed, exercise 30-60 min everyday,drink plenty of water(not too much as you could die from intoxication of the brain/look it up.), and cut sugary foods down in 1/2 of what you normally would eat/moderation(its hard to give it up completely, plus, studies show that total deprivation only leads to massive binge episodes that could sabotage all your progress).
All things considered, just make good(or better)choices and live a happy life to its fullest. You can't go wrong with that.
disclaimer:
I am not or never been a medical doctor, phd, or physician. I am simply a fitness advocate who has had over 10 years experience in bodybuilding/sports/martial arts, has done extensive study/research of the above topics, and has seen all the so called "miracle wonder diets" come and go.
You should consult a qualified medical physician or health care professional before altering your
daily dietary habits in any way and before starting any exercise regimen.
I hope this helps anyone who reads it.
The internet is knowledge and knowledge is power.
Use the internet to the fullness of its ability to bring that power to your grasp.
Peace.
Posted by: Elizabeth | Jan 21, 2009 5:28:57 PM
hi, i'm 20 years old and my weight is 115, i'm only 5'1. I just want to know how much exercise and diet i need to do.In order to not gain any pounds, since it took me about 6 months to go from 140lb to 115lb and I do not want to go back. I used to go to the gym about 6days a week and eat very healthy mostly raw, but now since I'm living at the school dorms it is really hard to get that kind of nutrition.
Posted by: Brooke | Apr 11, 2009 2:10:27 PM
Elizabeth,
I totally understand what your going through. Before I left for college I lost 25 pds and was at about 115. It is so hard when you are always going out, drinking and late night eating. Take is for me...dont do what i did! The main thing that you need to do is plan plan plan. On Sunday go to the grocery and plan your meals. Of course things and parties are going to happen so choose your drinks wisely. Instead of going for a long island have a less sugary drink and if your going to eat late try and grab some protein. Try to go to the gym 3-5 days a week but most importantly watch what you eat. Fruit Veggies Wheat and Protein. I hope this helps you. I have been out of school for 2 years now and wish that I had done it differently. You have already lost the weight which is half the battle keep it up and you will feel great and have a great college experience.
