cardio vs. weight training to control weight?

M

mizlaur123

Cathlete
I am in recovery from bulimia and am seeing a nutritionist and a therapist. Because i have only been consuming on average from 800-1000 calories a day for the last few years my metabolism is severely messed up. My nutritionist has me eating about 1600 calories a day working up to the 2000 i should be having for my 5'7 frame. But because my body is basically in "starvation mood" i've gained about 12 lbs. in 2 1/2 weeks. This kind gain is very upsetting me being in the recovery process. I work 2 jobs and often dont have enough time to squeeze in a cardio and weight training workout. I was just wondering which type of exercise would be best for me to do while i'm in the process for get my metabloism working again?
 
I am no dr, but i would say, you have suffered some muscle loss with bulemia. I would say building the muscle back will help you control it. After all muscle burns more cal through out the day than fat..

I just want to say, support is here.. Keep a positive attitude. We are all here to help...
 
I am not sure on what level of exercise you are looking for but when I first starting working out way back when I really liked the Slim Series from beachbody.com. It is light cardio/weights combined in most the them- Firm It Up is all lower body. They get mixed reviews if you do a search on this forum, mainly b/c they are boring compared to Cathe but they worked for me & I still use them today-just not as often as I used to. I tend to gain weight easily in my lower half & also tend to gain muscle quickly in my thighs so light weight/cardio mix is good for me & may be what you are looking for as it'll help tone & lose weight at the same time.

As for Cathe I love Drill Max & Kick Punch Crunch/Legs & Glutes dvd- that is a good one b/c you get both workouts on one DVD & the kickboxing will help tone arms & abs while burning calories & legs & glutes will give you an awesome leg workout.

Hope this helps & be sure to stick around & post on the boards- there are SO many great people who post here & all very supportive & friendly. Great job on getting help with bulimia. :)
 
MizLaur,
Is it possible that you *needed* to gain some weight? What does your therapist/nutritionist say about it?

I agree that a combination of cardio and weights is needed for optimal fitness. How much cardio vs. how much weights varies from person to person, and it's a topic that has come up often. You might have to experiment to find out what works best for you. But since you are crunched on time, you might consider circuit training where you combine weights & cardio into one workout. It's a great calorie burner and builds muscle endurance.

Good luck in your recovery!
~Cathy :)
 
well i am not pro at this but for your metabolism to get "working" again you have to communicate with your nutritionist and therapist. they are working you up to those calories b/c that is what maybe calculated for you to consume in order to live let alone adding in vigorous exercise you might need more. i would suggest working on strength condition with maybe short 20-30 min. low impact cardio here and there but i would communicate these concerns with your doctors to see what would be good for you b/c its hard for us to tell you what to do without knowing full well your medical history and the only ones that can help with that are the pros.

kassia
 
Hi, weightlifting promoted my recovery from bulimia because it helped change my mindset on how I wanted my body to look. As I began to notice definition in my muscles, I wanted more. So, I began to eat better and, in turn, my metabolism increased. I continued to do some cardio, but lifting weights, for me, altered my goal of being "skinny" to being strong. I highly recommend adding weights to your routine and alternating with cardio. HTH! :)
 
Im pretty physically fit. I have played sports or exercised of did both since i was like 5 years old. I used to run about 7 miles everyday up until about a month ago. Thanks for your advise!
 
Research shows that weight training (with or without cardio) improves self-concept and self-esteem more than just cardio. One of the main issues in any eating disorder is self-concept or, more specifically, a negative self-concept. Perceptions are not usually rooted in reality.

Trust your nutritionist and therapist. Act the act and carry out the behaviors and the feelings and thoughts will follow.

Lorie
 
HANG IN THERE. I AM IN THE SAME BOAT RIGHT NOW. SEEING A NUTRITIONIST AND THERAPIST AND I GO TO GROUP THERAPY ONCE A WEEK. THE MEAL PLANS ARE HARD AT FIRST BUT WE HAVE BEEN DENYING OUR BODIES SUCH GOOD FOODS. MY NUTRITIONIST TOLD ME ANY WEIGHT GAIN WOULD EVENTUALLY EVEN OUT OR MAYBE NOT IF THAT IS WHERE YOU SHOULD BE. ONE THING THAT HAS HELPED ME IS NOT WEIGHING MYSELF (SOMETHING I ALSO DID WAY TOO MUCH, MY HUSBAND TOOK THE SCALE OUT OF THE HOUSE) WHILE I LEARN TO UP MY CALORIES WHICH RIGHT NOW IS ONLY 1000- 1200 (I KNOW NOT ENOUGH) I DO CARDIO 3-4 DAYS A WEEK AND WEIGHTS THE OTHER AND THEN CHANGE THAT THE NEXT WEEK. I DO LOVE THE ROTATIONS ON THIS SITE SINCE THEN IT IS A NO-BRAINER. SO, MAYBE THERE IS A ROTATION TO FIT YOUR TIME FRAME. I KNOW YOU PROBABLY FEEL BETTER EATING MORE AND EXCERCISING BECAUSE I AM STARTING TOO. I WAS PURGING THROUGH EXCERCISE ALSO AND I WANT TO ENJOY IT AGAIN FOR HEALTH REASONS. RECOVERY IS NOT EASY BUT IT WILL BE SO WORTH IT.

GOOD LUCK
 
I lost 50 pounds with 5 hours cardio, 3 hours weights per week. But as I closed in on my goal weight, I lost muscle mass because I ran long distances and my muscle mass was compromised. Muscle mass makes your body look better and burns more calories while at rest. Keep lifting!!
 
I also do a group therapy once a week so we pretty much are in exactly the same boat. Thank you very much for your support! i hope recovery goes well for you. Good luck to you too!
 
Mizlaur, just wanted to say "good luck to you". I am thinking about you and hoping for a fast recovery for you. Sounds like you are on the right track. My aunt was 62 lbs years ago at 5'10 and is now 110 lbs and doing fine.
 
I'd definitely go with more weight training for now, perhaps a circuit-type workout (the kinds the Jari Love does) which also have somewhat of a cardiovascular effect and burn more calories than straight-set workout, while building shapely muscles.

But I'd be cautious about becoming too dependant on exercise as a weight-loss or maintenance tool, and perhaps substituting exercise bulemia for food-related bulemia by working out inordinately long or trying to 'work off' calories from food that you eat (I'm sure your therapy will help with this).

Sticking with a program of 1 hour of weight training, 2-3 days a week (using a Jari Love workout or something similar) and 2 days of moderate cardio (perhaps something like walking, which is very healthful, and won't beat your body up...you can also see the sites as you walk) would be a possible program.
 
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