How much exercise to lose weight?

Question
Hi there!

I'm trying to slim down while getting fit at the same time. I'm 19, female, 121 lbs and 5"4'. I know you can't spot tone but pretty much all my excess fat is stored in my stomach, hips and thighs.

My BMR is 1300 calories, so I've been eating that exact amount daily (I don't have much of an appetite so I have to force myself to eat that much - I know I shouldn't ever go below it although I could easily only eat about 1000 calories). I eat really healthy unprocessed protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. I've nearly completely cut out sugar and sodium. I also drink a lot of water.

So my question is, I think I've got the dieting part right, so how much exercise should I should be doing in order to drop about 4 pounds and tone up? I have been doing a 12 minute cardio workout during the day and going for a fast walk/jog/run every night for about 40-60 mins (and am starting to do HIIT), is that enough?
I've heard weight-training helps a lot but I don't belong to a gym or have any weights...

Please help! Thanks so much :)

Answer
Ashlee,

It sounds like you are on the right track! Keep up the good work! To lose fat, experts recommend about 10 calories per pound of body weight and 12 calories/pound to maintain. If your BMR is 1300, it should be higher with exercise. The key is to burn more than eaten. Splitting the cardio through the day as you are doing will likely increase the BMR per minute. It takes time.

Hope this helps.  

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