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Exercise Questions - Should I Lose Weight First Before Exercising?

Exercise Question:
I am starting a diet, limiting myself to 1000-1500 calories per day. I have aching in my legs and feet after a few hours of work and I'm much too tired to exercise when I get home. Is it feasible to try to lose a few pounds first, and then start an exercise program?

Exercise Answer:
First off, in terms of the aching in your legs and feet, I would highly recommend contacting a local physician and have them complete a physical on you just to make sure there are no specific medical issues. I recommend having this physical done before you start on any type of exercise/diet program.

I also recommend to focus on losing the weight slowly and correctly. The safest total weight loss per week is 1 pound. There is 3,500 calories in a pound of body fat, so in order to lose 1 pound, you simply need to create a 500 calorie deficit per day. Over the course of a week, this equals out to 3,500 calories or 1 pound. The best way to hit this 500 number every day is to create a 250 calorie deficit through your diet and another 250 calorie deficit through cardio exercise. Remember, you want to fuel your body with high nutrient foods and keep your metabolism "stoked" throughout the day. The worst thing you can do is limit your food intake to severely which will cause your body to go into starvation mode and hold onto your body fat reserves. Your body is thinking its getting ready for a period of famine and will hold onto all the energy it can to survive this period. I recommend eating at least 1,500 calories per day and make sure you're eating "clean" and nutritious food. You want to make sure to eliminate all the excess and empty calories from your daily intake. The best way to do this is to write down everything you eat. You can download our free diet journals here:

• Diet Journals

I recommend a general "clean" diet to adhere to. I would focus on lean protein sources (chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites) and non-white starchy carbs such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and boiled red potatoes.

I recommend starting on a light exercise program after your medical physical has been completed. You will experience the best results from a solid cardio program along with a nutritious diet when compared to only focusing on your diet. To create the 250 calorie deficit for cardio exercise, you can review these exercises below and choose the one you think will be right for you. You might want to try them all and see which one you like the best:

• Cardio Workouts To Lose Weight

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