I've been out of the gym for a couple years because of my job. I quit smoking, and gained alot of weight. Now trying to get back into shape but never really did cardio before, just always lifted. My question is am I doing enough to get results
[I] am 35, 235, 6' tall, prob 15-20% bf
Work out consists of 25min on the elliptical keeping my heart rate about 155, then 25 min on the treadmill fast walk, heart rate at 150-155, then I run for a little bit to get my heart rate up to about 175, then walk again. Like I said I do that back and forth for about 25 min, its close to mile and a half. Then I jump to the stationary bike for 20 min to cool down sorta, heart rate 140-155.
As far as diet, high protein low carb, close to what I did when I was lifting but not as many calories. Example, morning, 4 egg whites 1 full egg and a piece of wheat plain toast, 2nd meal is a can of tuna over lettuce, 3rd is a chicken breast with brown rice, I have a piece of wheat bread with peanut butter on it for a snack before I work out, work out, have a protein shake, about an hour later is dinner, lean steak with a sweet potatoe and a green, then maybe some peanut butter with celery later for a snack.
So... Is this going to work to lose my weight again so I can start getting my body back or am I eating to much and not working hard enough?
I'm probably off on my bf, just trying to see if I am doing enough cardio and diet to lean back down before I start my weight training again. Like I said I've never been a big cardio guy before but I'm a little on the chunky side in my eyes and want to lose the weight first.


Your going to burn off muscle just as quick if you don't lift at least a little... I would not do all of that grinding cardio but try a HIIT style cardio, it's said that it burns fat far longer after the exercise ends than traditional cardio.
I'll get there or Die trying...
I was told before to stay away from the weights, but i will start them up again. I will just work out with weight like I am doing my cut and shred work out with alot of super sets. I will have to lift in the morning and cardio in the evening. The gym is way to busy in the evening for me to put my weights aside to super set in the evening. The kids normally do get out of my way when the 100lb dumbbells start getting thrown around but I will be using light weights and don't wanna be too rude.
So I take it, I should cut some of my cardio out then, or stay with it with the lifting? As far HIIT style, its pretty much what I already do on the treadmill, and cool down on the bike. The elliptical maybe should be taken out of my routine?


I do abut 30 min of hiit total and it does the job... I would not go too far past this in my opinion. But we all have our own responses to things so it might be that you respond to more, but I've never felt like more is better with cardio. But I'm naturally a thin guy.
I'll get there or Die trying...
Weights
What idiot told you that? And what was the reason?
Weight training perserves muscle mass.
YES!
The cardio program you're performing will strip the fat off you AND strip the muscle off, as well.
Examples
Endurance athletes are very lean with very little muscle mass. Part of that has to do with their gentic make up.
The other reason they have little muscle mass is because of ther catabolic training program.
Lengthy endurance training is the road to muscle atrophy.
HIIT
Sprinters training revolves around HIIT. Sprinters are lean and very muscular.
That in part because of their genetics and also due to how they train.
Treadmill
Yes, what you're doing on the treadmill appears to be HIIT.
So, what the point of performing 25 minutes on the elliptical?
Cooling down on the bike for 20 minutes is ok. However, I don't see much point a 20 minute cool down.
Kenny Croxdale
Everyone is different.
Everytime I hear someone address that issue, my head spins around 360 degrees and I speak in tongue...just like in that old movie, "The Exercist".
We are MORE alike that dis-alike.
Swfl, that means you're right: "...abut 30 min of hiit total and it does the job..."
The majority of us all respond to things the same way.
He's performing too much cardio. You nailed it.
Kenny Croxdale

you can do some cardio about 15 minutes then 30 minutes workout with weights then another 15 minutes of cardio.
that will bring in your workout some variation and motivation so you won't be bored.
As far as food , just stay away from sugar and minimize fat intake and carb intake but do not starve yourself. in short reduce calories, what works for me is that i never eat big meals at a time, i always stop eating long before i am satisfied and full...after a while it becomes easy it becomes a habit.

Interesting.