Cardio

Should I Do Cardio To Lose Weight?

When it comes to shedding those extra pounds, cardio is one of the first things that pops into your head. You’ve probably heard your buddies raving about running, swimming, or cycling, and you’ve read all those online articles claiming that cardio is the ultimate secret to weight loss. But should you really do cardio to lose weight?

Sure, cardio can give you a quick calorie burn, put you in a good mood, keep your heart happy, and even burn some stored fat. But the truth is that cardio won’t help as much as you think it will. Here’s why relying on cardio won’t cut it:

Your Appetite May Increase

Unfortunately, going all out with vigorous cardio exercises can make you way hungrier than the amount of calories you actually burned during the workout. In fact, your hunger levels will naturally increase after a burst of cardio activity in an attempt to remind you to fuel up again. While this reminder could be nice, it isn’t ideal if you’re trying to lose weight!

For example, imagine going on a five-mile run. The average-sized runner only burns 100 calories per mile. So, you’d burn 500 calories on your run but would likely feel pretty hungry after you got back. You could easily consume 500 calories in your post-run meal. Just think about it — the average burger has around 520 calories! After a five-mile run, you’d probably be ready to take down a burger and some fries — or even two burgers!

Your Body Will Adapt To Cardio Really Quickly

One of the biggest drawbacks of cardio is how quickly your body will adapt. At first, you’re burning a lot of calories, but sooner or later, you’ll hit a wall. And to keep dropping pounds, you’d need to constantly up the ante on your cardio game. So, that 30-minute cardio workout could easily become a 2-hour workout or even a 5-hour workout once your body adapts. It’s a never-ending cardio loop — and that’s completely unsustainable!

You Won’t Necessarily Build Muscle

What’s more, cardio won’t ncessarily pack on any extra muscle. In fact, it can shrink your muscles, and that’s not exactly a win for your weight loss goals. After all, if you have more muscle, you’ll have a higher metabolic rate, meaning you’ll burn more calories throughout the day, whether you’re sitting on the couch, exercising, or sleeping. On the other hand, constantly doing cardio will pair down your muscles, which can lower your metabolic rate and make it more difficult to lose weight.

You’re Not Going To Burn A Lot Of Calories

Yes, cardio will burn some calories. But it won’t burn as many calories as you think it does. The reality is that most people tend to overestimate how many calories they burn — and even fitness trackers can be way off the mark. Some overestimate calorie burn by up to 93%!

The actual amount of exercise needed to burn off calories through cardio alone is incredibly high and unsustainable. For example, you might do one hour of high-intensity cardio, thinking your workout will burn off your dinner and dessert. But the reality is that would only burn off one cookie! As a result, it’s not uncommon for people to eat back what they think they’ve burned and actually end up gaining weight!

You Might Forget To Pay Attention To Your Diet

You know what’s funny about cardio? Sometimes, it can make you forget all about your diet game plan! When you’re sweating it out on the treadmill or doing those high-intensity interval workouts, you might find yourself thinking, “I deserve a burger, some fries, and a milkshake.”

It’s all too easy to get caught up in cardio, but a holistic approach is best! Diet and exercise should go hand in hand, meaning you need to keep a watchful eye on what you’re eating to make sure you’re on track to meet your fitness goals.

The Trick To Losing Weight

So, if cardio alone won’t do much for your weight loss goals, what can? Resistance training and healthy eating patterns!

Resistance training, also known as strength training and weight training, can be more effective than cardio when it comes to long-term weight loss. Not only does resistance training burn calories, but it also builds muscles, which can raise your resting metabolic rate and make it easier to lose weight and maintain your weight loss. Yes, you might gain weight with resistance training, but don’t worry! That’s completely normal because gaining muscle without fat is incredibly tricky.

You’ll also want to pay attention to your diet! You can do all the cardio and resistance training in the world, but if you neglect your nutrition, you won’t see the results you want. Remember that it’s not just about what you eat but also how much you eat. Portion control and mindful eating is a must!

Lose Weight With Me!

If you’re trying to lose weight, the key is balance! Diet keeps your calorie intake in check, while cardio exercise kicks those extra calories to the curb and resistance training can build your muscles and increase your metabolism — and you’ll need all three to meet your goals. Plus, remember that it’s not all about shedding pounds. You also want to feel better, healthier, and more energized, and you can’t rely on cardio and hope to get you there.

Ready to lose weight but need a little help? I’ve got you covered! Reach out to me today at happyhelen@gmail.com

Why Cardio Isn’t Working For Your Fat Loss

Cardio is excellent for boosting your mood, building stamina, keeping your arteries clear, and strengthening your heart. But you know what it isn’t ideal for? Fat loss.

Unfortunately, the idea that cardio is the best way to lose fat has been flying around for decades — and people have been blindly subscribing to this idea. However, the truth is that cardio is not the way to go if fat loss is your goal long term. Here’s why:

Why Cardio Won’t Cut It When It Comes To Fat Loss

1. It Won’t Burn As Many Calories As You Think

Cardio doesn’t burn as many calories as people think it does. Most trackers are wrong because your metabolism changes on a daily basis - so how can any single wrist tracker know how your body changes each day? Most people start cardio workouts believing they’ll quickly burn calories and shed body fat — and yes, you can burn SOME calories through cardio. Heck, you may even lose 20 pounds 3 in months by running 5 miles a day and eating 1200 calories. However, long term - ask yourself, is this sustainable? What happens when my body adapts to this cardio? Then what?

Not only that, it takes an extremely high workload to burn a significant amount of calories through cardio alone.  For instance, an hour off high intensity cardio may burn off one cookie-  if you are lucky.  You would need to be on the treadmill for 6 hours everyday at this rate! It is a common mistake to hit the treadmill or do some laps at the pool and think we’ve  burned more calories than reality, which generally means you’re more likely to eat more calories than actually burned.  

To make matters worse, it turns out that activity trackers generally overestimate calorie burn. Some fitness trackers overestimate calorie burn by up to 93%, so if you try and eat back what you think you’ve burned, you won’t be able to enter a calorie deficit and lose fat. Instead, you may actually gain weight. 

2. It Can Increase Your Appetite

On top of that, cardio can raise your appetite disproportionally to how many calories you actually burn. Let’s say you spend thirty minutes swimming laps at the pool. You’ll probably feel extra hungry when you get out, which can lead to consuming excess calories later on in the day. 

3. You Adapt to Cardio - Quickly 

The main reason why cardio for fat loss doesn’t work long term is because you adapt to cardio QUICKLY! Meaning overtime, you’ll need to keep increasing the cardio workout to burn MORE calories.  Can you do 6 hours of cardio a day? And even if you can somehow do this, your body will still adapt to it eventually.  

Cardio also won’t build muscle-  it actually pairs down muscle. So on the other hand, if you incorporate strength training into your routine and increase your caloric intake, you’ll be able to build muscle to increase that metabolism. More muscles mean a higher metabolic rate. You’ll burn more calories by merely existing, as muscle tissue requires more calories to function than fatty tissue. So, you can say hello to increased calorie expenditure throughout the day, whether you’re watching television or taking a nap. In the long term, keeping fat off will be much easier if you build muscle vs. pair down muscle with cardio. 

4. It May Cause You To Overlook Your Diet

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that cardio is the be-all and end-all when it comes to fat loss, which means it’s all too easy to sweep your diet off to the side. By over-relying on cardio and doing no resistance training, most people gain the weight back within a couple years.

Lose Fat Effectively With Me!

Cardio has its place and its health benefits, but it won’t work if your goal is fat loss long term. Instead, you’ll need to focus on your food intake and turn to resistance training. We need to get that metabolism roaring! By focusing on resistance training and your food choices, you’ll be attacking the problem from both ends. Over time, you’ll lose fat, your metabolism will speed up, and you’ll see results you can actually maintain.

Ready to lose fat? Contact me today at happyhelen@gmail.com!

Do You Need Cardio to Lose Weight?

If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the first things you may be considering is doing some cardio. But actually - research shows that cardio is not necessary to lose weight and not only that, it is not a great strategy for long-term fat loss. So, if you were dreading those long runs, swims, or bike rides, don’t worry! With a combination of proper nutrition and resistance training, you can lose weight more effectively than with cardio alone.

A Combination of Exercise and Diet Is Best

Studies have shown that a combination of exercise and a healthy diet is the most effective way to lose fat. In one study, overweight postmenopausal women were placed on a diet-only program, an exercise-only program, or a combined exercise and diet program. Women in the exercise-only program only experienced 2.4% fat loss, while women in the diet-only program saw 8.5% fat loss. Those in the combination program experienced an impressive 10.8% fat loss. 

Some of you may have heard of HITT (high intensity interval training) as an effective way to burn fat.  Now while HITT cardio does burn calories and work type I muscles more efficiently than LISS (low-intensity steady-state) cardio, resistance training is actually better for long-term fat loss. Resistance training burns calories, builds type II muscles, and increases your resting metabolic rate, making it easier to manage your body’s fat ratio over time.

Resistance Training vs. Cardio

Let’s discuss the difference in terms of resistance training vs. cardio for fat loss.  Yes, if you compare side-by-side someone who does an hour of running vs. an hour of resistance training - yes, the cardio will burn more calories in that hour.  But the reason why this does not work for long-term fat loss is because over time, your body adapts to cardio, which means you have to keep doing more and more of it to have the same result.  I have personal experience in this- I was a marathon swimmer which means I swam anywhere between 3-6 hours in one session in the ocean.  I swam about 20-30 hours a week.  I did LOTS of cardio but guess what — my body never lost a pound! My body adapted to that cardio very quickly.  Just ask yourself - are you REALLY going to be doing 3 hours of cardio a day for the rest of your life to keep the same weight? 

Resistance Training for Long-Term Fat Loss

Building muscle is one of the best long-term strategies to long-term fat loss. When we build muscle, we increase our metabolic rate and burn more calories at rest.  Not only that, having muscles prevents injuries, protects our joints and increases our quality of life.  You don’t need to be lifting like a bodybuilder to have benefits — you just need some progressive loading that’s done safely.  However, building muscle and strength is something that requires patience to see over time - which means you have to trust the process! 

Some clients panic because when they start lifting, they gain muscle and fat and the scale goes up.  THAT IS OKAY! It’s very hard to gain muscle without fat.  Also diet is key — it doesn’t matter cardio or resistance training, a proper balanced nutrition will always have a huge impact on what happens to your body.

When starting your resistance training regiment, complex multi-joint resistance exercises are the way to go.  These are movements like deadlifts, squats, overhead presses -  as they use many joints at once and recruit more muscle movement.  This increase in muscle movement will increase caloric expenditure as well.  Muscles use around 7 to 13 calories per pound of muscle while fat only uses 2 to 5 calories per pound of muscle.  Of course, everyone is different but the point is - the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn doing anything! 

If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle and need a little help with your resistance training, reach out to me at happyhelen@gmail.com today!