I'm fifty pounds overweight how should I work out?

[Anonymous]

I'm 50 lbs overweight. I've started cardio - just walking at first now I've added a light jog to it. I brisk walk five minutes, jog for one, then walk for two , jog for one, etc. trying to build up my stamina but it's best I can do right now, but I'm excited I've lost three pounds in two weeks!
But I've read somewhere that muscles burn fat even at rest so I thought I need to start working out. But I have no idea what to do.
I mean I know I should bench press and probably do some bicep curls but after that I really don't know. Will working out while on a diet of fruit, veggies, and protein (fish, chicken) work? And if so what should I do?

[WhiteSteve]

Congrats on taking the first steps towards a healthier life!👍 When you do cardio, (once you've built up your stamina a little) keep your heart rate in the "Fat Burning Zone" for maximum fat loss. You can find your target window with the simple equation of 220-your age, which gives you your Maximum Heart Rate, and then operate between 60-75% of that number. Your in your 30s, so the good news is, the number is fairly low. Without doing the math out, roughly 120-125 bpm is probably about what you're shooting for. Good news is, it's not that strenuous! In my experience, you should be sweating about 15 minutes in, but I almost never get winded. Bonus points if you can do this in the AM before you've eaten, you burn 3x the fat on an empty stomach. The other good news: your body naturally doesn't want that extra weight on it, so the excess fat burns off fairly easily. I lost about 20 lbs last winter doing cardio 4 or 5 times a week, and getting in the gym first thing on the weekend mornings for the empty stomach or "starved" cardio for 45 minutes.

The bad news: you HAVE TO eat right or you're just spinning your wheels. That's harder than the actual cardio, haha. Get reeeeaaaalllll familiar with lean meats, sub quinoa where ever you can in lieu of rice or potatoes, drink water only, or tea and coffee with no cream or sugar. And that brings me to a major point: sugar is your mortal enemy during this time, avoid it as much as you can. Honestly, the diet takes a little getting used to, but after a while, I can't even imagine eating badly anymore. I'll allow myself a "cheat day" once a week or so and, you know, enjoy life, haha, and sometimes I'm kind of like "ugh... I remember this junk food tasting better" (Warning: this will not apply to pizza. Pizza is always awesome👍 Unfortunately, it's terrible for you😔) But just as an example, most nights I broil a piece of skinless chicken breast and eat it with quinoa and a vegetable. For lunch, I eat a grilled chicken salad most days, with a low or reduced fat dressing. It's boring, but I also have very limited tastes, so you might have more options with things like fish. I just have a million different seasonings to keep my chicken interesting, haha.

As far as lifting, do some light lifting each week, but at this phase you should just focus on fat loss primarily. To build muscle you need to eat a little differently than you would for weight loss. But get a little routine going, it won't hurt, but until the weight...

[WhiteSteve]

... is down a little you won't really see your results. But I'm telling you, eat reasonably well on a consistent basis, like 90% of the time, combined with the cardio in your Fat Burning Zone, and the weight will FLY off. This time next year you won't recognize yourself, I promise. Just stay committed. This is just science and biology at work, there's no mystery to it, and the reality is that almost anyone can achieve the results they want, you just have to set a goal and attack it. "Make progress, not excuses", I always say.

Best of luck, you got this!👍💪

[Muhammad1999]

Man change your diet , i have did and now i lose about 3kg per week.

[Coffinspire]

Not sure if I even have room to talk, but I would focus on your metabolism the most. I've only been 10lbs heavier than I am now, but at the time I was severely overeating and eating at weird times. My body gets hungry like clockwork, I get hungry at the same time everyday. So I literally eat almost all day (just a couple bites here and there but it adds up lol) and after I get home from work I'm not hungry anymore (I work in a kitchen... food everywhere!) so my food was already digested by the time I went to sleep and I maintained my weight.

[Ahrixxa]

Keep lifting and eat clean