How much does weight factor in?

[Jaron]

When I look at a potential partner, I look at the beauty her soul and the wholesomeness of her character; Her body is but a vessel for what is really important.

Semen, right?

LOL. Gotta high five you there.

[Josquius]

On the subject of fatness my time for excuses are over with the coming of the warm weather (long since...) and my impending old age. Really need to get in shape. So I wonder; do gyms work?
I mean...does the equipment therein really make for so much more efficient exercise than just going for a long walk/bike ride/whatever?
I am thinking of joining one but don't know if I could get the motivation to go....and its pricey...

[Eddie Teach]

Well, as B4 said before (yuk yuk), increased muscle mass = increased metabolism. So if you go to the gym and do some weight training, it should help. If you go and walk on the treadmill, it won't be any better than walking outside.

[Syt]

Met a friend's sister again yesterday. She's about my height (6'2/185cm), but weighs about 310 lbs/140 kg. In other words, she's rather huge. Her boyfriend is about 5'4/165 , stocky and weighs probably 85 kg/190 lbs. They make for an interesting couple.

Generally, it appears to me that guys (on the whole) are more likely to like a woman with extra padding than vice versa.

[merithyn]

My 2cents
That a'int going to cut it. I would say your routine/cal intake is a big "factor" as to why you cant lose anything.

I would look at a more total body workout.

Dump the 1200 cal BS and tailor your cal intake to your body's needs. Go talk to a good PT in your area. You might be surprised you will require more. Your body needs fuel, the right fuel.

Look at what your eating and when your eating it.

The 1200 calories is based on my basal rate minus some percentage rate. (I forget what it is, but it's supposed to have me losing weight at 2 pounds per week.) It's not a random calorie mark. Remember, I'm a) female, b) short, and c) old. I don't need nearly as many calories as the typical guy.

What I eat is a problem, though. I have a very carb-heavy diet. Not so much sweets - I'm pretty good at limiting that - but breads, pastas, pita chips, etc. I don't care much for vegetables as a snack, and while I'll eat them with my meals, they often get forgotten when we're planning meals. I love fruit - but that's more carbs. Better carbs, but still carbs.

As for hiring a PT.    Have you not been paying attention? We're broke until Max gets a job. I can't even swing a gym membership until that happens, so I'm doing what I can where I can for the moment. By most accounts, the amount and intensity of walking I do should help me drop weight. Once I can afford a gym membership it will get easier, I'm sure. For now, I'll winging it.

Hey, at least I'm not gaining weight! And Max doesn't seem to mind (at least he says he doesn't, and I've never known him to lie about anything), so it's more of a health thing for me. Since I don't have cottage cheese thighs or ass, and I can manage a half-marathon in 3h 20m, I'm not too worried. For an old woman with a shitload of kids, I figure I'm doing okay.

[merithyn]

If you go and walk on the treadmill, it won't be any better than walking outside.

This isn't entirely true. On a treadmill, you can control how fast you go, how hard the inclines are, etc. When you walk outside, you get what you get. You're not forced to walk faster because the ground is making you, and if you live in flatlands (like I do), inclines will never happen. There are distinct advantages to walking on a treadmill.

[OttoVonBismarck]

I'm of two minds on walking outside vs. treadmill. If you walk outside, there is the advantage that depending on the type of route you take, you're forced to complete the exercise. If you plan to walk a mile and you walk a half mile away from your house, you're pretty much guaranteed to actually walk a mile that day--because unless you call someone to come pick you up, you have to walk back. That's one of the advantages.

Another advantage, at least to me, is walking outside is more "fun" than walking on a treadmill staring at the wall. However the more often you walk a given path the less fun I find it.

The advantage of the treadmill is if you set a speed you're forced to go that speed, outside you can get very leisurely. The biggest and final advantage, and why I run on a treadmill and not outside, is you can watch TV while doing it. I hate cardio and think it's very boring, so anything that occupies my mind while I'm doing it is good.

[CountDeMoney]

The advantage of the treadmill is if you set a speed you're forced to go that speed, outside you can get very leisurely. The biggest and final advantage, and why I run on a treadmill and not outside, is you can watch TV while doing it. I hate cardio and think it's very boring, so anything that occupies my mind while I'm doing it is good.

Otto hits it on the head. That's why I always had my rowing machine in the living room, so I could pull it in front of the TV.

Walking outside is fine and dandy, but the trees and the birdies don't make it any less fucking boring.

And your chances of being windshielded by a Dazzling Urbanite in her uninsured C-Class when she hops the curb fucking with her Bluetooth are substantially reduced on a treadmill.

[11B4V]

The 1200 calories is based on my basal rate minus some percentage rate. (I forget what it is, but it's supposed to have me losing weight at 2 pounds per week.) It's not a random calorie mark.

That cal level will go up when you do go to a better total body routine. BTW that (1200) is the min generic recommended cal level for women. Engage and work the whole body. 

Remember, I'm a) female, b) short, and c) old. I don't need nearly as many calories as the typical guy.

Internet girl . Look at some of the fitness/nutrition forums. There are people similar to you, that are or have gone what your going through.

What I eat is a problem, though. I have a very carb-heavy diet. Not so much sweets - I'm pretty good at limiting that - but breads, pastas, pita chips, etc. I don't care much for vegetables as a snack, and while I'll eat them with my meals, they often get forgotten when we're planning meals. I love fruit - but that's more carbs. Better carbs, but still carbs.

You have identified the problem. All you have to do is fix it.
What kind of Carbs are you eating should be the question to ask yourself.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/good-carbs-bad-carbs.aspx

As for hiring a PT.    Have you not been paying attention? We're broke until Max gets a job. I can't even swing a gym membership until that happens, so I'm doing what I can where I can for the moment.

Understandable for sure. Use the best asset since sliced bread.. the internet. Read, research wash rinse and repeat. Dont get sucked into fad dieting plans.

By most accounts, the amount and intensity of walking I do should help me drop weight.

But it's not, because you are not seeing results. It's not a total body type workout. i.e. Cardio/Strength Circuit Training, elliptical, etc.

Once I can afford a gym membership it will get easier, I'm sure. For now, I'll winging it.

It will, but there are still things you can do without fancy machines or gyms for a good total body workout. Look into resistance bands or kettle bells for example too. Dont laugh, but it's summertime so cruz the garage sales.

Hey, at least I'm not gaining weight! And Max doesn't seem to mind (at least he says he doesn't, and I've never known him to lie about anything), so it's more of a health thing for me. Since I don't have cottage cheese thighs or ass, and I can manage a half-marathon in 3h 20m, I'm not too worried. For an old woman with a shitload of kids, I figure I'm doing okay.

You bettcha. You have the mental battle won IMO. You got the desire, but unless you start seeing results, you may get frustrated.

Key point;
You are excersing but not losing weight=intensity not high enough and/or fuel problem (food, caloric intake out of wack).

Please dont take my direct answers wrong. I like to get to the point and not get wordy. This is a very interesting conversation.

[11B4V]

If you go and walk on the treadmill, it won't be any better than walking outside.

Horse shit

[11B4V]

I hate cardio and think it's very boring, so anything that occupies my mind while I'm doing it is good.

20 years of running my ass off in the Army. Bores the living snot outta me to run.

[11B4V]

The advantage of the treadmill is if you set a speed you're forced to go that speed, outside you can get very leisurely. The biggest and final advantage, and why I run on a treadmill and not outside, is you can watch TV while doing it. I hate cardio and think it's very boring, so anything that occupies my mind while I'm doing it is good.

That's why I always had my rowing machine in the living room, so I could pull it in front of the TV.

Engages a large portion of your body.

[OttoVonBismarck]

When I left the Army one of the things that I struggled with initially was eating. I've never really "let myself go" but there's been a few times in my life I've been carrying around some excess weight. One time was in High School, even though I was an athlete and was very active, I also spent a lot of time with my grandparents who basically poured sugar and grease down my throat constantly. That was fixed by joining the military.

The other time was when I first left the Army, at that point I had been a serious lifter for a long time. I was never interested in being some bodybuilding freak, but I think for someone who just lived a "normal life" and did weight lifting I was near the top of the shape you could be in in terms of muscle development. (Meaning people who were more advanced than me had adopted the "bodybuilding lifestyle." I've heard from friends that it's changing now, but at least when I was in the Army nutrition wasn't a big thing. I remember literally loading up on hamburger, biscuits and gravy etc every day in mess. Looking back I don't know what they were thinking, but the food was very unhealthy. But I was so active and also lifted weights so much in my free time, I was fine. But then once I left the service, all of a sudden I have no idea how to eat properly and my overall activity level went down immensely. Basically I just kept lifting weights but most cardio stopped, fat quickly accumulated.

Since then I basically had to learn how to eat properly, which at the number of calories I consume is essential to prevent problems.

[11B4V]

When I left the Army one of the things that I struggled with initially was eating. I've never really "let myself go" but there's been a few times in my life I've been carrying around some excess weight. One time was in High School, even though I was an athlete and was very active, I also spent a lot of time with my grandparents who basically poured sugar and grease down my throat constantly. That was fixed by joining the military.

The other time was when I first left the Army, at that point I had been a serious lifter for a long time. I was never interested in being some bodybuilding freak, but I think for someone who just lived a "normal life" and did weight lifting I was near the top of the shape you could be in in terms of muscle development. (Meaning people who were more advanced than me had adopted the "bodybuilding lifestyle." I've heard from friends that it's changing now, but at least when I was in the Army nutrition wasn't a big thing. I remember literally loading up on hamburger, biscuits and gravy etc every day in mess. Looking back I don't know what they were thinking, but the food was very unhealthy. But I was so active and also lifted weights so much in my free time, I was fine. But then once I left the service, all of a sudden I have no idea how to eat properly and my overall activity level went down immensely. Basically I just kept lifting weights but most cardio stopped, fat quickly accumulated.

Since then I basically had to learn how to eat properly, which at the number of calories I consume is essential to prevent problems.

Ha, true true.

Chow hall food. Got to love it. Disgustingly unhealthy.

God I remember, "You cant have two starches!" Thanks for the nutrition tip burger flipper. 

[Sheilbh]

Fruit are carbs?!