New to Working Out

Hello All!

I am 8 years post lap RNY and am just recently (within the last year) feeling comfortable enough with my body to REALLY hardcore workout. I am currently doing high impact cardio aerobics for 40-50 minutes in the morning 5 times/week and join my husband doing DDP Yoga during the evening 3 times/week. I am technically in the maintenance phase but would still like to lose another 60 lbs. I have some questions for those who are workout junkies :)

1) I have been told to drink a protein shake or take in some protein within the first hour after working out to rebuild muscles. How many grams of protein should I be taking in during this consumption?

2) Do you keep track of the calories burned during your exercise? And if so, do you calculate this into your daily calorie consumption?

Any other advice that may be provided from seasoned athletes is truly appreciated.

Thank you!

Exercise makes very little difference in weight loss. It all comes down to calories. If you truly want to lose another 50 pounds, then give yourself a year to do that. It will not be an easy year, but you will need to cut 500 calories a day to lose a pound each week.

At 200 pounds you need about 2000 calories a day to maintain. To lose a pound a week, cut 500 a day and to lose 2 pounds a week, cut to 1000 per day.

Use an app like My Fitness Pal to track everything that you eat and drink. My Fitness Pal will keep track of the calories burned during exercise. It will tell you to eat more, but don't listen to it. Our metabolism is slower after surgery. It will take hard work and lots of time but you can get to your goal.

If you decide you need protein shakes, then make sure to count the calories in them. For me, protein shakes would only add pounds.

The best online place that I have found to figure out my goals is using the calculators on If It Fits Your Macros

I used My Fitness Pal on my computer to set up those macros

Thank you for the advice. I'm not sure where else to cut calories. At the beginning of the year I was eating about 1600 calories a day and have over the year cut down to 800-1100/day. Taking another 500 away wouldn't leave much. I use a food journal and My Fitness Pal to track my calories so I know it is accurate. I just recently starting using protein shakes again and found what you said to be true. I started gaining after using them. This week I started using them less often.

Use a food scale to be sure that the portions you are putting into MFP are accurate. At 1000 calories a day you should lose at least a pound a week. Sometimes you have to eat less and exercise less to get the weight loss to start.

Just wanted to thank you, White Dove, for your advice.  Since my original post two days ago,  I have stopped exercising so intensely, cut my calories to 800-900 a day, and doubled my protein to a minimum of 100 grams a day.  I have since dropped 2 lbs.!!! A big success since I had been on my plateau for quite some time. 

Well I'm not a seasoned athlete, but I'm training to be. I eat a Quest bar (20 grams protein) within a 1/2 hour of my workout, but I count it as my breakfast or lunch - so I don't have an extra meal just because I worked out. I have both a Fitbit HR (just got it last Monday) and a Jawbone that I've been wearing for over a year - I'm doing an experiment to see how they line up. They automatically keep track of calories burned but I don't count on that as being accurate. I typically don't eat the calories back either. Unless it's Halloween 2015. Then I fail and get back on it the next day.

Thanks for the advice, iloveravens. Just out of curiosity, what is your daily calorie and protein intake?

1000-1400 calories, I aim for 80 grams protein. I weigh daily. I'm still losing and still in my honeymoon phase of surgery. I may need to adjust down the road but this seems to be working for me right now.

1) Unless you are doing hardcore weight-lifting or doing serious competition body building you can completely ignore trainer advice to "eat protein" or "refuel" after a workout. As long as you eat your breakfast (protein forward of course) within 60 minutes of working out in the morning you will be fine. I keep my daily protein consumption between 100-120 grams per day when I'm working out; 80-100 when I'm not.

2) I track my exercise in My Fitness Pal but only to track my consistency. I don't "eat back" the calories I burn. If you have an extra 60 lbs. of fat to lose your goal is to always be in a calorie deficit.

I workout after work so as far as protein goes I just make sure I eat my dinner within that hour. I don't want to eat the extra calories that comes with a lot of these protein bars. As far as how many grams. I just try to eat my daily 80 grams.

As far as keeping track of calories burned. The calorie calculators are notorious for being way off. Because of this I don't want to over estimate. So no I don't include my calories burned. I just keep track of times and weights lifted...things like that. For my own amusement...to see if there is any improvement.