Hi I am new to this forum, and I really like it a lot.

I had a question on my routine to see if I am doing things correctly with my diet and weekly workout.

I have never ever been a fan of the gym until I realised that I gained about 17lbs in a span of 4 months my 2nd year in college. I am currently a 3rd year in college and I have slowly lost about 9lbs in about 4 months. As of June 2004, I started to lose the weight. I started going back to the gym in July, but didnt go for a month due to vacation. Now I have been back at the gym for almost 4 weeks, and I am getting back in shape. I have been going to the gym 4-5 times a week...well...heres my layout:

Everyday I do 100 crunches with my ab roller. 25 on each side and 25 with legs up and 25 with legs down.
M: cardio 20-40mins
T: Lift upper (sometimes)
W: cardio 20-40mins
Th: Lift lower (sometimes)
F: cardio 20-40mins
Sat: Cardio 20-40mins
Sun: rest


Usual Diet:
1 helping of pasta
raw spinach salad
some type of meat (chicken or beef)
2 helpings of Yogurt, frozen blueberries, strawberries, bananas, etc
water
2 cups of nonfat milk
honeybunches of oats
one a day vita pill/VIt C
Glass of OJ
2-3 cups of water
(It varies from day to day)

When I workout I normally burn between 300-500 calories and I always and only use the eliptical machine. This is because it's easier on my knees. Am I burning the right amount of calories?

Body: I am 20 years old, 5'8 and I weigh 148lbs. Daily I fluctuate between 147 and 149. I am seeing results very very slowly in my figure. My goal is to get down to 135lbs. I was told about 6 months ago that my body has 25% body fat. I dont know it now. But I am always hearing that it doesnt matter your weight cuz fat weighs less than muscle. And maybe I am gaining muscle.

All I want to know is if I am doing this right. Feel free to comment.
Thanks!

Space your meals out into 6 small meals a day

Dont skip your weights days, they will do more for you then 20mins cardio

Your doing too much on your abs IMO. Do that routine every 4 days or so at most. Doing that everyday is pointless.

Congrats on your progress thus far and welcome to JSF !!! :)

Welcome to the forum!

My main suggestion would be add more lifting to your workout. I don't know if you go to a gym or exercise at your home, but lifting at least 3 times a week is minimum to help lose body fat %. When you do your cardio, where is your heart rate at? Do you try to keep it constant? The best area for your heart rate to be for fat loss is around 130 bpm. If your heart rate is higher than that, (around 170), your oxygen supply is not getting to your working muscles enough-so you burn muscle, not fat instead. This is why it is important to lift and gain muscle, while doing cardio at a lower intensity for a longer period of time for optimal fat loss.

The only other info you did not give was how many calories a day you eat. If you are eating too few...your body is in starvation mode and it burns muscle when you do cardio and stores fat when you do eat it. You need to figure out your BMR and apply your activity factor to it to find out how many calories your body needs in a day to effectively lose fat. (This can be found under the Fat Loss Forums "My Guide to Nutrition for Weight Loss") For example, I am 136 lbs at 5'5", and I eat about 1650 calories a day to lose 1 lb a week. I used to only eat 1200 calories a day before I realized eating more is what your physically active body wants from you. As silly as it sounds, the more healthy food you eat, the more you lose due to the process of speeding up your metabolism. By eating a hearty breakfast and a total of about 5-6 meals a day, this alone will help speed up your metabolism along with your almost daily cardio.

I have learned so much reading through all the threads on the forum, and I know that through your experimenting with losing weight and information you gather over time, your goals will be met and the fat will eventually be gone. Best of luck!! :tu: