Confused - deficit, cardio, lifting...

julesloveland

I'm so confused with everyone's different opinions on weight loss and fitness and possibly I'm won't be any clearer by the end of this thread, but are any of these principles correct?

The only way to lose weight is to eat at a deficit (I am currently -500 a day).
The best way to keep weight off over time is to lift heavy weights as the muscle gain will burn more calories/fat? (Which is it?)
Cardio is only for generic health and endurance, it has no bearing on weight loss or fat burn?

Help!!

Colt1835

The only way to lose weight is to eat at a deficit (I am currently -500 a day).
This is true. You can create a deficit with exercise, diet, or both.

The best way to keep weight off over time is to lift heavy weights as the muscle gain will burn more calories/fat?
The best way to keep weight off is to eat the amount of calories it takes to keep it off.

Cardio is only for generic health and endurance, it has no bearing on weight loss or fat burn?
Cardio is for cardiovascular health and it can also lead to weight loss, fat burn, and muscle loss. Paired with some weight lifting you shouldn't have to worry about the muscle loss.

jemhh

julesloveland wrote: »

I'm so confused with everyone's different opinions on weight loss and fitness and possibly I'm won't be any clearer by the end of this thread, but are any of these principles correct?

The only way to lose weight is to eat at a deficit (I am currently -500 a day).
The best way to keep weight off over time is to lift heavy weights as the muscle gain will burn more calories/fat? (Which is it?)
Cardio is only for generic health and endurance, it has no bearing on weight loss or fat burn?

Help!!

Losing weight comes down to burning more calories than you ingest. You burn calories all day long, exercise or no exercise. You burn calories breathing, digesting, checking your email, walking across parking lots, lifting weights, running, etc.

Lifting weights, or doing other resistance exercise, while losing weight helps to minimize muscle loss, meaning that you'll tend more to lose fat mass rather than lean mass. It also helps you strengthen muscle and, given proper nutrition, you can build *some* muscle while eating in a deficit.

Doing cardio increases your calorie burn (because all physical activity burns calories) and improves cardiovascular health. If you eat to fuel it, meaning burn 100 calories running/eat 100 calories, it's not going to increase your weight loss or fat burn.

Does that help?

rybo

To lose weight you must expend more energy than you take in. The composition of that weight lost (fat, muscle, water etc) depends on other factors.
The best way to keep weight off over time is to not eat in a surplus.
Any physical activity (cardio or otherwise) can contribute to the calorie deficit required to lose weight. However many people just choose to eat less.
Everybody wants health and fitness to be black and white, or an either or situation, but it's a continuum. Weights vs cardio, fat burning vs glycogen, etc etc

julesloveland

Ah ok, these help. So it's more like below?

Weight loss is through a calorie deficit whether that's caused by eating less calories than I burn normally or exercising to burn more calories than I eat (on the principle of -500 cal a day = 1lb weight loss a week).

Lifting Weights or resistance while losing weight helps minimise muscle loss and means I am more likely to burn fat and not lean mass.

Cardio is for cardiovascular health and burns calories (obvs) and burns fat - unless I eat back all the calories I burn.

Thanks!

Colt1835

julesloveland wrote: »

Ah ok, these help. So it's more like below?

Weight loss is through a calorie deficit whether that's caused by eating less calories than I burn normally or exercising to burn more calories than I eat (on the principle of -500 cal a day = 1lb weight loss a week).

Lifting Weights or resistance while losing weight helps minimise muscle loss and means I am more likely to burn fat and not lean mass.

Cardio is for cardiovascular health and burns calories (obvs) and burns fat - unless I eat back all the calories I burn.

Thanks!

Yeah that's right.

Cardio + strength training + deficit = Awesome results.

What are your goals?

julesloveland

Thank you Colt!

I'd like to get to 20% Body Fat, with visible muscle gains eventually. I am 5'5" and currently 11st 10lbs (34% body fat), so I have a way to go yet.

I am eating a -500 cal deficit, some days more depending on workouts, spinning once a week, body pump twice.

I'm wondering what else would be beneficial? I am a resistance kinda gal I don't enjoy cardio really - but I'll do it if I need to!

piperdown44

julesloveland wrote: »

I'm wondering what else would be beneficial?

Tenacity and clear realistic short, medium and long terms goals.

Colt1835

julesloveland wrote: »

Thank you Colt!

I'd like to get to 20% Body Fat, with visible muscle gains eventually. I am 5'5" and currently 11st 10lbs (34% body fat), so I have a way to go yet.

I am eating a -500 cal deficit, some days more depending on workouts, spinning once a week, body pump twice.

I'm wondering what else would be beneficial? I am a resistance kinda gal I don't enjoy cardio really - but I'll do it if I need to!

The only other thing I can thing of that might help is looking at your macros to figure out what is easiest for you. Some people like high carb low fat and other people like low carb high fat. It wouldn't cause you to lose weight faster, but finding the right balance for you might make you feel better. It also could help you be less hungry.

A lot of people eat LCHF and claim it makes them feel fuller throughout the day, but I find I feel fuller with a lot of carbs.

cwolfman13

julesloveland wrote: »

Ah ok, these help. So it's more like below?

Weight loss is through a calorie deficit whether that's caused by eating less calories than I burn normally or exercising to burn more calories than I eat (on the principle of -500 cal a day = 1lb weight loss a week).

Lifting Weights or resistance while losing weight helps minimise muscle loss and means I am more likely to burn fat and not lean mass.

Cardio is for cardiovascular health and burns calories (obvs) and burns fat - unless I eat back all the calories I burn.

Thanks!

Basically yes.....

But cardio doesn't really burn fat...well, it does and it doesn't...actually, you burn more fat as a fuel source while you're sleeping...but the body is constantly cycling through burning and storing fat. At the end of the day, if you've consumed less energy (calories) than you require to maintain the status quot you will have a net loss of fat regardless of exercise.

Regular exercise will help you maintain a healthy weight in that it increases your energy expenditure which in turn makes it more difficult (but not impossible) to put on weight. When I was training for my first century ride I actually put on weight because I was so hungry from riding hundreds of miles that I just overate...just to put things into perspective there.

Resistance training will preserve muscle mass and sculpt your body. If you're not super into cardio then just do the recommended minimum for cardiovascular health of 150 minutes per week of light work or 75 minutes per week of moderate work.

julesloveland

Thanks you're all so helpful!

julesloveland

Colt1835 wrote: »

julesloveland wrote: »

Thank you Colt!

I'd like to get to 20% Body Fat, with visible muscle gains eventually. I am 5'5" and currently 11st 10lbs (34% body fat), so I have a way to go yet.

I am eating a -500 cal deficit, some days more depending on workouts, spinning once a week, body pump twice.

I'm wondering what else would be beneficial? I am a resistance kinda gal I don't enjoy cardio really - but I'll do it if I need to!

The only other thing I can thing of that might help is looking at your macros to figure out what is easiest for you. Some people like high carb low fat and other people like low carb high fat. It wouldn't cause you to lose weight faster, but finding the right balance for you might make you feel better. It also could help you be less hungry.

A lot of people eat LCHF and claim it makes them feel fuller throughout the day, but I find I feel fuller with a lot of carbs.

I'm defo a LCHF girl. I get bad inflammation (pain) in my body from grains so I tend to eat protein, (good) fats and low carb. I don't drink or have refined sugar or eat processed foods (I'm a bundle of fun on a night out!!)