mixing up cardio and weights for optimal weight loss

[himmygirl]

Hi Cathe,
First, I want to commend you and thank you and your team for the incredible workouts you have produced over the years. I love the new ones especially, and can say without any reservation that they have changed my life, enabling me to get into shape and lose 32lbs since January 2006. With five year old twins at home I could never have done this without you guys (and the Disney channel).

However, I have plateaued on my weight loss at around 150lb and really want to lose a further 10lbs. I have also been following weight watchers for the past several months and I am surprised that I am not still losing (I do the work outs at high intensity and on whatever step size you use).

My instinct has always been to do more cardio and less weights in terms of time spent exercising (usually the only cardio I do is what is included in the circuit w/os). One reason for this is that Weight Watchers rewards cardio time at a much higher rate in "rewards points" to exchange for food.

I wonder if anyone else on WW has experienced this conundrum with cardio points vs. weights points. Is it wise generally to try cutting back on cardio and increasing weights for fat/weight loss. I appreciate any input. Thanks.

Linda

[ejostling]

I have been "stuck" for about 6 months! I am assuming it is diet and not exercise. I work out six days a week to Cathe, or jog, etc. and however I mix the cardio with the weights I still don't budge. I will be focusing on my diet after the holidays, going for a "core" plan strategy and hopefully that will get me some good results. I can see the muscle changing under my fat layer, I just need to burn it off now! My conundrum is I love to eat! I actually looked back at my journals just yesterday and progressively I am eating more and more. Back to the old drawing board! Good Luck!

Sally

[kathryn]

One suggestion: if you are not already doing interval cardio, stick 1-2 interval workouts into your rotation (on non-consecutive days). Any of Cathe's Interval Max/IMAX workouts fits the bill.

[himmygirl]

Sally,
I'm sure you are correct that it is more likely my diet that needs a shake up. I have lost about 5lbs since the time I got the new workouts and starting doing the longer and tougher routines daily, but that is probably about all that is going to budge unless I change the eating.

I have also followed several links posted recently to the "feed the muscle not the fat" website, which recommends "core" type foods. I have thought about switching to the WW core plan, but I have such a sweet tooth (sigh). I know I really have to work on that one.

I was so motivated when I first joined WW and lost the first chunk of weight. I guess that's always the way; when you look at a photo and see yourself pretty big, you're like, "holy cow I gotta do something"! But later when you feel "not too bad", it's much harder to be disciplined. But I should at least aim to get down to my BMI recommended weight max, which is 145 for my height.

Kathryn, good reminder about doing the Imaxs. I haven't done those for a while. I think the blasts are harder than in the new workouts, though I would think over calories burned in say, the 90 minute body max2, would be at least equal to imax 2. Imax3 is off my list for a while, I can't handle quite that amount of jumping.

Linda

[avgm1972]

Linda,

Your story sounds VERY SIMILAR to mine. I discovered Cathe and Weight Watchers at about the same time - June 2005. On WW I went from 168 to 143 in 13 weeks; I was also working out to Cathe's FitTV versions six or seven days a week. I also prefer to do mostly cardio, becuase I fell like it is "doing more" for me. I kind of equate results with sweat, so cardio makes me sweat much more than strength training does.

I went off program in about October last year and got back to 160 on New Year's Day 2006 (I had also stopped working out regularly). I recommitted and got back to 140 and am now stuck between 140 and 145 and have been for about six months.

I read the Cedie saw better results with a mix of strength than just cardio and since our body types are similar I am trying to put in some weights too - I think the Circuit DVDs have helped me do this because they also incorporate a high intensity cardio. I am SO GLAD I finally bought the DVDs from Cathe in March instead of just doing the shorter FitTV versions!

I also thought about doing WW core but can't - I need some sugar every now and then! That's why I completely failed at South Beach I think ...

By the way, I am 5 foot 4 inches. I think the thing I have noticed since doing more weights is that even though the scale isn't moving, I can now take my size 6 stretch jeans off without undoing them ... this time in 2004 I was in a size 16!!!

GOOD LUCK!

[himmygirl]

Alexandra,
We have a lot of similarities. I am 5'4" also and was 180 when I started WW, got down to 150 in March (in about 12 or 13 weeks) then went off WW for the summer and gained back about 8lbs. I am also an apple body type.

Since Cathe put out the new workouts and I got motivated again to exercise daily, I have lost the 8lbs that I gained. I am back to 150, but, like you I can feel the difference in my clothes more and many people have recently complimented me on my "weight loss." I can easily get into 12s and some 10s so I feel pretty good about my body. At 44, I appreciate that I can still do the tough workouts and the high impact moves. I am going to try alternating weight training days just to see if it makes a difference.

I'm glad you got Cathe's tapes. It's great to have a good variety of them so that you don't get bored and also to mix up the type of workout that you do. I am so grateful for Cathe's videos. I love having my own gym at home (in my basement). The best part is that I truly enjoy the workouts. There is no question of needing motivation to exercise; I look forward to it every day. Great job for getting down to 145! Keep up the good work.

Linda

[kyliemarie]

Linda,
I am a lifetime member on weightwatchers but am paying because I'm not at goal - yes we all must recommit - I never used my reward points in exchange for food. I ate my 20 points each day and exercise was just a bonus way of getting more weight off. I'm however, not hard core when it comes to exercise. Usually no more than 4xs a week at no more than an hour each time. I seemed to drop most of my weight when I ran/jogged on my treadmill for about 30 minutes a time. Hope this helps and good luck

[rmrmr]

Hi Linda,

I've experienced the same problem with weight watchers, activity points and exercising. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find the magic combination for me either. I am a cardio junkie by nature, but also enjoy lifting heavy weights. I have been at a plateau for quite a while now and am looking into joining another weight loss program. Weight Watchers really helped me with clean eating and portion control. Of course, Cathe took care of the exercise program.

I just wanted you to know you are not alone.

Diana

[hkbecky]

>However, I have plateaued on my weight loss at around 150lb
>and really want to lose a further 10lbs. I have also been
>following weight watchers for the past several months and I am
>surprised that I am not still losing (I do the work outs at
>high intensity and on whatever step size you use).
>
>My instinct has always been to do more cardio and less weights
>in terms of time spent exercising (usually the only cardio I
>do is what is included in the circuit w/os). One reason for
>this is that Weight Watchers rewards cardio time at a much
>higher rate in "rewards points" to exchange for food.
>

Hi Linda,

I know exactly how you feel about plateau-ing. I was doing Cathe workouts 6x per week with a mix of cardio - weights and cardio+weights. My body got so accustomed to these workouts that I stopped losing inches and actually put on inches!

So this is what I did - I switched to eating VERY clean. By VERY clean I mean I followed the Blood Type-diet check out www.dadamo.com for more information to a T. I'm type O, so I ate everything O's are supposed to eat such as meats, veggies and fish and avoided everything I should avoid wheat, starch & dairy. It actually wasn't that extreme and if you read the book Live Right 4 Your Blood type, you'll get a very detailled explanation of how this eating style works. It's not really a diet, but a lifestyle change. If you're looking to change your body, you can't continue the way you've been going.

Back to my workouts. I stopped for a week. Yes, stopped for a whole week and then jumped right back in. In 1 month, I broke out of the plateau and started re-losing again, with minimal effort.

If you work out to DVDs, the moves are often repetitive. Although Cathe's are the best in the market, it does not provide enough variety in a short span of time to keep your muscles guessing. Up your cardio to 4-5x per week and keep the weight training to 2=3x per week.

The most important is your diet. No bread, no pasta, no starches or grains to lose weight faster. Try that. BTW, I got all this info from a nutritionist as well who recommended I try the blood type diet. Not just for weight loss, but for overall health reasons. I've been on it for about 10 weeks and I now feel more energized on less food, I don't need to snack as often and I have very regular sleep and bathroom patterns - all signs of better health.

Good luck!
Becky

[himmygirl]

Becky,
Thanks so much for your feedback and the link to the blood diet. I briefly checked out the link, but will need to review more carefully. I can see that you and others are correct in that I just have to eat clean to get results. Thanks again for taking the time to respond everyone.

Linda