If you are going to the gym every day for a month, you will undoubtedly see an increase in your health and fitness level. It is likely that you will lose weight as well, but this is dependent on other factors including your diet and caloric intake.
Tip
If you go to the gym every day for a month, will you see results? Assuming your caloric intake is at, or lower than, the level to maintain your weight, you can lose one to two pounds per week by going to the gym every day.
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Joining Gym for Weight Loss
The maximum weight loss in a month while staying healthy and maximizing your chances of keeping the weight off is approximately eight pounds per month, or two pounds per week, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For individuals trying to lose weight, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends doing moderate-intensity exercise for at least 300 minutes, or five hours, each week.
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To lose one pound, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume. Depending on the intensity of your workout, you can easily lose one pound per week by meeting this recommendation by running on the treadmill every day for a month or doing another high-calorie burn exercise to burn at least 500 calories per session.
According to Harvard Health estimates, your calorie burn during a one-hour workout varies by the intensity and your weight. The more you weigh, the greater the calorie burn. Here is the calorie burn for some common gym workouts:
- Running on a treadmill at six miles per hour: 600 to 888 calories
- Weight lifting: 180 to 266 calories
- Low-impact aerobics: 330 to 488 calories
- Elliptical trainer: 540 to 800 calories
- Swimming laps: 600 to 888 calories
Warning
When you your goal is to lose weight as quickly as possible, it is tempting to train as hard as you can every day. While less likely at a moderate intensity, back-to-back vigorous-intensity workouts over a long period of time can lead to overtraining, advises the University of Colorado Hospital.
If you experience symptoms of overtraining, such as unusual and persistent muscle soreness, heaviness in your legs, plateauing in your training or inability to complete a workout that was previously attainable for you, stop and consult your doctor.
Achieving Weight Loss
Going to the gym and getting exercise every day is only one part of the weight-loss equation. If you are eating too many calories you will not lose weight, no matter how much you workout. To determine the number of calories your body needs to maintain its weight, use an estimated calorie requirements calculator.
To get the most of your workout sessions, do not exceed that number of calories. To increase your rate of weight loss, decrease the number of calories you consume. You can decrease your caloric intake while still maintaining a healthy diet by making some easy substitutions, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some examples include:
- Drink water instead of soda or juice
- Use low-fat milk and cheese instead of full-fat dairy options
- Eat a salad or fruit instead of french fries or chips
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition"
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "What Is Healthy Weight Loss?"
- Harvard Health Publishing: "Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights"
- University of Colorado Hospital: "Overtraining"
- ExRx.net: "Estimated Calorie Requirements"
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Participant Guide: Burn More Calories Than You Take In"