caloric intake and (bad?) cardio

N

naomicnt

New member
Stats: I'm 20 years old, 117 lbs and 5'4" (looking to get back down to 105 which is what I've always weighed until a few months ago).

Diet: I eat terribly - anywhere from not eating all day to 2,000 + calories.

Exercise: I've been doing an hour of cardio at 80% of my target heart rate every day, burning about 500 calories an hour. I've started doing an extra half hour of low intensity walking for another 100 calories. I don't sprint (I had a leg injury and I walk a little funny, so if I don't hold on to the treadmill I'm apt to fall off!), but I walk fast with a high incline. I don't do weight training because I have no idea how to use the machines and can't afford a trainer.

Question: How many calories should I be eating to reach my target weight and am I doing the bad, fat-storing kind of cardio?

I've been exercising for about 2 weeks and attempting to diet for 2 months.
 
I'm not the local expert, but one of the things they always stress is that nutrition is the largest part of the equation. Regarding that, you state that you "eat terribly."

I guess my first question would be, are you willing to make a commitment to improve your nutrition?

As for cardio, I don't know of any kind of cardio that stores fat. All cardio will use your fat stores for energy. But the more intense your workout is, the more calories you will burn, regardless of how much of that is taken from fat.

Are you making progress with your exercise?
 
How would expending energy, using in mode of exercise, lead to a storage of fat?
 
I read through the posts about how the benefits of cardio are ambiguous without HIIT anaerobic training, which is what concerned me. I'm committed to making nutrition a priority, but 5 years of terrible eating habits is hard to break (as I'm sure most people here know). Also, I don't know what I should be aiming for calorie wise - the internet says 1,200, but posts I've read here say that's too low. I've also read that cycling between eating very few calories a day up to a normal amount of calories every day will help you lose weight fast because it keeps your metabolism going - is there any truth to this?
 
105 lbs for someone your height really doesn't seem like a good idea. Perhaps you should try building some muscle instead of dieting. And the only place I've heard mention of cycling between very few calories and a normal intake is on websites for those who suffer from eating disorders. Its very common advice on those boards. Is there where you are getting your information?
 
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