Looking for advice about exercising and losing weight

amother

Wed, Nov 20 2024, 11:09 pm

hi,
I'm almost 50. I am 5 ft 5 in and weigh 185 pounds. I feel like a giant blob. DH is not so attracted to me. DD is in Shidduchim. I want to look and feel more normal at her wedding IYH, may it be soon, than I did at my last child's wedding. I am prediabetic; I want to feel healthy again!
The last time I lost a ton of weight was a few years ago. I lost 20lb over about 6 months through careful dieting and exercise. It was really hard.
Somehow this time its even harder, I assume because I'm getting older.

The only types of exercise I enjoy are:
walking
elliptical
swimming
dancing

I am sure I would lose weight if I went to three weddings each week, but alas I don't get to invited to many weddings lol

Today I walked 15 mins and went on elliptical. This was after a hiatus of about 4 months of no elliptical. I was on it for about 5 mins and my heart rate was so high! Over 175bpm (beats per minute)!
I googled it and learned that it's not a healthy heart rate for my age, a healthy heart rate at exercise should be no more than 170bpm, and really no more than 149 ideally.
How can I get back into exercising while not raising my heart rate so high?
maybe I'm doing something wrong.... I dont know how to do a warm up. How do you warm up before exercise, I never learned this stuff. And if I do warm up first would that make my heart rate more steady and less high?

caould somebody in the know please advise?

(I dont need advice abdout eating healthy, I know how to do it, I'm just not so motivated unfortunately, but I do need to do it!)

amother

Sunflower

Thu, Nov 21 2024, 3:31 pm

Your heart rate is getting so high because your body is not conditioned to do the exercise and is working very hard. This does not mean you should stop it unless you are in really bad discomfort and pain. You need to keep going and with time it will get easier and your HR will get lower because its easier to exert yourself.

If you start running a mile today it will be hard. Once you have been doing it x3 for a month it will get easier and easier. Easier to do it and less stress on your body. It is good to elevate your HR with exercise and become more fit because eventually that lowers your resting heartrate which is good for cardiovascular health especially when combined with weight loss if your body needs to lose weight.

amother

Ebony

Thu, Nov 21 2024, 3:51 pm

Exercise is for strength and heart health and quality of life. Most people that exercise only (and don’t diet) don’t lose weight.

Strength training 3x a week
Walk 20 min twice a day
Eat 40g protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eat protein first, then vegetables or fruit, and then if needed, minimal grain. Avoid sugar and processed food. Weight and track calories and macronutrients.

Aurora

Thu, Nov 21 2024, 4:31 pm

From one of my friends who is a gym bunny: exercise controls what your shape looks like (unless you really go nuts), but diet controls how much of that shape you have.
It's really good for you, but you also need to change how and what you eat if you really are serious about the weight.
And I get that you only like cardio things, but lifting weights would pay off for you tremendously.