Confused and frustrated about the "proper" way to work out

It seems like there are as many theories about the proper way to work out to achieve weight loss results as there are people attempting to lose weight or help other people lose weight.  Reading the archives in this community only confirms that theory, as does looking up advice from doctors and personal trainers and all that.  How many days a week?  For how long?  At what heart rate?  What kind of working out?  What mixture of cardio and weight training?  What about yoga?  Is there such a thing as too much?  What is too little?  It's enough to drive a person to distraction.

Does anyone here feel confident making any universal statement, no matter how small, about how one ought to work out to achieve weight loss?  The more specific the better; the more agreed-upon the better.  I just want one or two truisms to take with me to the gym so I don't have to spend my entire time there worrying about if I'm doing it right or not.

[PrettyKitty1]

You see, everybody has different needs. What works for some, may not work for others. For example, I find that running and practicing the HIIT works for me to the point where I can basically eat anything and I will not gain weight.  Now, while running, my husband and I have different tempo. His heart rate is slow when he runs at my pace. My heart rate gets crazy when I try to run at his speed. So, you have to find your own balance. I would suggest you buy a heart rate monitor and try to see at what point you start sweating or even feeling like you are going to faint. Doing this a few times will help you achieve the heart rate you desire while exercising and be more in control.

To me, the universal laws are: proper diet and exercise. Some people exercise 3 days a week, othes work out 5 days, and others 6 days a week. Proper diet would be more of “stay on a food regime that is fit for you (some people need more sugar than others, others need more vitamin C or B than others etc depending on health condition)”

Likewise, exercising should be customized. You need to find what works for you. You have options, many options, from lifting to jogging, to walking or even biking. Some people find biking really fun, and other love the conventional walking for work out.

[Barb135]

PrettyKitty1 pretty well said it - you have to take the available information and find something that works for you.  If you try something and it doesn't work after a week or so, try something else!!  

Almost all types of exercise are good for you and of course, moderation is the key - and you can mix them up however, you want.  In fact, it's a good idea to change things around some because if you do the same thing every day in the exact same order for the exact same amount of time, your body will become used to it and it will no longer be a challenge.  Just be sure to engage in exercise that you enjoy so you will make sure you can stick with it.  It can be walking, biking, swimming, working out at the gym, exercise videos, etc.  Cardio, strength training and yoga are all good for you, so try to come up with a mix that works for you.  

I think one thing that you will find on a lot of sites and particularly MH is that keeping a food journal is extremely important.  You need to figure how many calories you NEED each day, based on your current weight, height, age, etc; then you have to create a deficit in order to lose weight.  3500 calories = 1 pound so if you want to lose one pound/week you will need to cut out 3500 calories/week (or 500 calories/day). If you create a journal, you can keep track of what you are eating and if something isn't working, you will have an idea of things to change.  

Additionally, it's a good idea to set up the weight and exercise trackers here on MH to help keep track of your exercise, the duration, etc - then you will know what works for you and what doesn't.  

Just be sensible and start out making small changes, one at a time - that way you will be able to tell easier what works best for you.  

Good luck and stick around - we'll help out any way we can.