Dan, yeah, I go against the T-Mag flow on that one. I was with you and everyone else (i.e., more is not better?) until I started playing around with (and testing) the effects of cardio on body composition. If diet is not optimized or there is no resistence training, cardio can really work against improving body composition.
I don’t know about you, but 70% of MHR seems to be what my heart rate might run if I were mowing the yard, playing out in the yard with kids, cleaning my house. It’s not huff, puff and pant; it’s a pretty aerobic (i.e., fat burning) heart rate. The body was meant to be used, wasn’t it? Compared to our ancestors, we’re pretty darn sedentary (at least I am). I don’t plow fields or dig up trees that I cut down or move rocks out of the field to build a fence.
Actually, Janee’s already made compromises, bringing down the level of intensity significantly, increasing calories, increasing carbs and including Surge PWO. It’s all about taking things to a higher level.
I guess I walk around about an hour or more per day. Doing more cardio isn’t that big of a deal. But 70% seems like a reasonably difficult intensity, while walking around for me is about 40-50% of my MHR.
But people who train at that intensity need to eat more to fuel the body, otherwise you get a ton of undesirable effects (catabolism of muscle, “stubborn fat” and a generally messed up metabolism). I guess that’s the key that everyone has already touched on, so I won’t harp on it.
And I can understand the urge to move around, especially when I have a sedentary lifestyle. But I guess I just hate cardio and I would rather lift weights.
TampaTerry,
Thanks for your recommendation. Your absolutely right, I am afraid of carbs. I do understand the need to increase calories, that my body is in a calorie deficit!
I still have a fear that I'm going to be at the mercy of a carb created binge. I can intellectualize all the information and certainlly process it on that level, but the fear factor is much more difficult to reconcile. I DO trust you and as I've seen the unanimous "vote" here is more calories.
I understand the science of introducing more good carbs to stop my bodys *DEMAND* for carbs that is causing me to break down / binge.
Its still scary and after reading many threads, the fear of carb binges and then the carb induced *coma* and cravings are not just from this newbie, but others as well!
I will give you the two weeks of course, I'm honored to have the help. My blinders are on! I have your post printed and on my fridge. I will keep a meticulous food log, as was suggested. I'm off into what might feel like uncharted territory to me, but I see I have a lot of support.
I'll post my progress.....who knows there may be someone like me out there that can benefit from all the help I've been given but won't post, just reads.
After all it took me four months to get the *nerve* before I wrote for help.
Thanks again for all the great responses. I appreciate everyones positive feedback.
Janee