Expert: Ken Alan - 4/28/2005

Question
I'm a 29 year old male, about 5'8" who currently weighs 175 lbs.  I'd like to lose at least 20 lbs this season.  I do watch what I eat and don't indulge in donuts and pizza or any fast food.  I do like to eat a bran muffin and mix a vodka cocktail before dinner, but I don't smoke.  I also lift weights and run the treadmill for half an hour 3 times a week.  I do wonder if working out too hard and running too fast gets in the way of my weight loss goals.  Is there a target heart rate I should focus on while exercising?  Or does real weight loss come from really pushing myself (without injury of course)?  I thank you for your help.  

Answer
Glad you like to workout.  May I ask what you want to lose the weight for?  Is it excess fat you have?  You told me a little about your diet, but I can't begin to answer your question unless you do a food log recording everything you eat and drink for a week, so your total caloric consumption can be calculated.  Is is possible to work out too hard, but it doesn't seem to be the case with you.  

You should consider meeting with a local registered dietician who can analyze your diet and help you with your meal planning.  It's worth it if you're really interested to achieving your goal of losing weight.

Hope this helps/.