Cardio!! Is bad??!

I thought cardio is the best exercise to do , now
But i was reading alot of articles on the internet
Alot of them say that cardio make you lose muscle?!! im scared of the treadmill and cardio exercises now
Im really confused yeah i want to lose fat and weight but i dont want to lose my muscles
«1

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    No.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Cardio won't make you lose muscle. Eating too few calories while losing weight will, though. I do both cardio (running) and weight lifting. My goal is to keep as much muscle as possible.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    No...cardio is how you train your cardiovascular system. Excessive amounts of cardio coupled with a lack of resistance training and an inadequate diet will result in muscle loss...but no...doing a little cardio is only going to train your cardiovascular system. You should be doing some kind of resistance training as well.
  • amymurray12282
    amymurray12282 Posts: 154 Member
    Keep doing your cardio. From what I've read, and I'll see if I can find some links for you, cardio is where a lot of calorie burn is while working out. Strength training builds muscles, which helps boost your metabolism, burning calories longer after working out.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Always consider the source of the article (and the biases / goals of the authors)

    When we're losing weight some of it will be a little bit of muscle but I wouldn't worry unless you were at an extreme calorie deficit for a prolonged period of time with very low amounts of protein.

    Having said that......I personally believe that everyone (barring physical limitations) should be doing some type of strength / resistance training. Not that it necessarily to build muscle mass but to preserve what you've got (especially important as we age) and to maintain bone density etc. There have been numerous studies that have demonstrated that a well designed fitness program (cardio & strength) can mitigate many of the health problems that older people experience.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.
  • This content has been removed.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    The way that happens is if you're in a calorie deficit and not supplying enough protein to help retain muscle. A lot of this became a concern a while back because long endurance athletes lacked upper body musculature. But they usually train to keep their weight lower and foregoing upper body workouts wasn't uncommon.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • amymurray12282
    amymurray12282 Posts: 154 Member
    edited August 2016
    I think this is only if you only do cardio for your legs, you'll lose muscle in your upper body.
    You should make sure to also do cardio for your upper body and then it won't be a problem.

    Cardio for your upper body? I have never heard of such a thing...isn't cardio for weight loss and increasing the strength of your heart and lungs, therefore increasing your body's efficiency in utilizing oxygen? Or am I just completely crazy (which is possible!)?
  • fatoomalrowaiei
    fatoomalrowaiei Posts: 95 Member
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??
  • amymurray12282
    amymurray12282 Posts: 154 Member
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Probably. Otherwise you won't be giving your body enough fuel, and you'll end up doing more harm than good.
  • fatoomalrowaiei
    fatoomalrowaiei Posts: 95 Member
    Always consider the source of the article (and the biases / goals of the authors)

    When we're losing weight some of it will be a little bit of muscle but I wouldn't worry unless you were at an extreme calorie deficit for a prolonged period of time with very low amounts of protein.

    Having said that......I personally believe that everyone (barring physical limitations) should be doing some type of strength / resistance training. Not that it necessarily to build muscle mass but to preserve what you've got (especially important as we age) and to maintain bone density etc. There have been numerous studies that have demonstrated that a well designed fitness program (cardio & strength) can mitigate many of the health problems that older people experience.

    I dont like strength workouts but i dont want to lose my muscles
    I eat my calories right and do cardio!
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    A lot of this became a concern a while back because long endurance athletes lacked upper body musculature. But they usually train to keep their weight lower and foregoing upper body workouts wasn't uncommon.

    Yes, if you look at an elite distance runner or endurance cyclist, you'll often see someone with relatively little upper body musculature and relatively big legs. Meb Keflezighi is a good example. In cycling, climbing specialists are especially prone to have twig-like arms. But they're elite competitors in sports where power per weight is important, so it's important for them not to carry excess weight, including excess muscle.

    If you look at swimmers, on the other hand, it's a different story, because they need upper body strength and endurance. No one would mistake Michael Phelps for a bodybuilder, but he does have significant upper-body musculature. And for that matter, track cyclists often have strong upper bodies too because they're putting out so much power that they need to pull up substantially on the handlebars to get leverage. Do a Google image search on "Sir Chris Hoy" for a good example.
  • fatoomalrowaiei
    fatoomalrowaiei Posts: 95 Member
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Probably. Otherwise you won't be giving your body enough fuel, and you'll end up doing more harm than good.
    Oh thank you i guess i have to force myself
    1- So right calories
    2- Mixing up strength and cardio workouts
    And im fine?!
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Cardio for your upper body?

    Swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing are examples of cardio activities that use a lot of upper-body muscles.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Only eating 1000 calories is a good way to lose muscle, yes, regardless of whether or not you're doing cardio. Stay away from low fat, non-fat, no sugar, lite and low calorie foods. Add oils like olive oil or butter to your veggies or add cheese. Put mayonnaise on sandwiches. Use a creamy salad dressing, like ranch or bleu cheese and add crumbled or shredded cheese and nuts on your salads. Those are some easy things you can do to add calories without adding more food.
  • amymurray12282
    amymurray12282 Posts: 154 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    Cardio for your upper body?

    Swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing are examples of cardio activities that use a lot of upper-body muscles.

    Perhaps I misunderstood the point of cardio then? I'm not sure, though, how doing an exercise that uses primarily the lower body, such as walking or running, would cause you to lose muscle in your upper body though. I thought cardio benefited the ENTIRE body, and strength training was more targeted (ie upper body, lower body, etc).
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??
    Not eating enough will force the body to extrapolate energy from both lean muscle and fat. So you can also lose muscle doing it this way. Especially if you don't have a lot of body fat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


  • This content has been removed.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    Cardio for your upper body?

    Swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing are examples of cardio activities that use a lot of upper-body muscles.

    Perhaps I misunderstood the point of cardio then? I'm not sure, though, how doing an exercise that uses primarily the lower body, such as walking or running, would cause you to lose muscle in your upper body though. I thought cardio benefited the ENTIRE body, and strength training was more targeted (ie upper body, lower body, etc).

    Cardio is primarily for heart and lung health but it can have knock on benefits. Cardio is just working at a higher heart rate for a sustained period of time. I do bodyweight cardio, HITT, Tabata etc because it is combining strength and cardio, working smarter not harder. I also strength train with dumbbells as it's a more efficient way of strength training and I hop on my mini stepper for extra cardio because calories and low impact. I'll also throw in the occasional run. No one exercise has just one benefit. Even with running, you still hold your arms up whilst doing it so it's not totally devoid of upper body work.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited August 2016
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Probably. Otherwise you won't be giving your body enough fuel, and you'll end up doing more harm than good.
    Oh thank you i guess i have to force myself
    1- So right calories
    2- Mixing up strength and cardio workouts
    And im fine?!

    Are you meeting protein and fat goals? Fat is calorie dense (small portions). Look to add a handful of nuts, or spread peanut butter on apple slices, add avocado and full fat dressing to salads. Eating nourishing foods shouldn't be that difficult. We tend to add "bulk" to our meals in the form of fiberous veggies. Cut back on that a little if needed, it's not doing much to nourish existing lean muscle mass. A massive deficit can encourage lean muscle loss too.
  • amymurray12282
    amymurray12282 Posts: 154 Member
    bwogilvie wrote: »
    Cardio for your upper body?

    Swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing are examples of cardio activities that use a lot of upper-body muscles.

    Perhaps I misunderstood the point of cardio then? I'm not sure, though, how doing an exercise that uses primarily the lower body, such as walking or running, would cause you to lose muscle in your upper body though. I thought cardio benefited the ENTIRE body, and strength training was more targeted (ie upper body, lower body, etc).

    Cardio is primarily for heart and lung health but it can have knock on benefits. Cardio is just working at a higher heart rate for a sustained period of time. I do bodyweight cardio, HITT, Tabata etc because it is combining strength and cardio, working smarter not harder. I also strength train with dumbbells as it's a more efficient way of strength training and I hop on my mini stepper for extra cardio because calories and low impact. I'll also throw in the occasional run. No one exercise has just one benefit. Even with running, you still hold your arms up whilst doing it so it's not totally devoid of upper body work.

    Thanks for explaining! :) I never thought it was TOTALLY devoid (even if you're just naturally swinging your arms while walking, you're still using your muscles), so the initial statement just didn't make sense to me.
  • VividVegan
    VividVegan Posts: 200 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Only eating 1000 calories is a good way to lose muscle, yes, regardless of whether or not you're doing cardio. Stay away from low fat, non-fat, no sugar, lite and low calorie foods. Add oils like olive oil or butter to your veggies or add cheese. Put mayonnaise on sandwiches. Use a creamy salad dressing, like ranch or bleu cheese and add crumbled or shredded cheese and nuts on your salads. Those are some easy things you can do to add calories without adding more food.
    You just described my WOE. Beans/lentils, fruit, vegetables, rice, plant based powders, etc. Hasn't affected me at all.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    VividVegan wrote: »
    SueInAz wrote: »
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Only eating 1000 calories is a good way to lose muscle, yes, regardless of whether or not you're doing cardio. Stay away from low fat, non-fat, no sugar, lite and low calorie foods. Add oils like olive oil or butter to your veggies or add cheese. Put mayonnaise on sandwiches. Use a creamy salad dressing, like ranch or bleu cheese and add crumbled or shredded cheese and nuts on your salads. Those are some easy things you can do to add calories without adding more food.
    You just described my WOE. Beans/lentils, fruit, vegetables, rice, plant based powders, etc. Hasn't affected me at all.

    But you're not undereating, unlike the OP.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    VividVegan wrote: »
    SueInAz wrote: »
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Only eating 1000 calories is a good way to lose muscle, yes, regardless of whether or not you're doing cardio. Stay away from low fat, non-fat, no sugar, lite and low calorie foods. Add oils like olive oil or butter to your veggies or add cheese. Put mayonnaise on sandwiches. Use a creamy salad dressing, like ranch or bleu cheese and add crumbled or shredded cheese and nuts on your salads. Those are some easy things you can do to add calories without adding more food.
    You just described my WOE. Beans/lentils, fruit, vegetables, rice, plant based powders, etc. Hasn't affected me at all.

    But you're not undereating, unlike the OP.

    Correct. I think I was misunderstood.

    I'm not saying to stay away from those foods in general, but the OP is complaining she's not eating enough and isn't hungry. If she needs more calories she shouldn't be eating foods that are labeled as low calorie or low fat, she should be eating the full calorie and full fat versions.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    How as your 1600 calories calculated? If that's your calorie goal for losing say 2lbs a week at a sedimentary level of exercise, then yes, most definitely you are not eating enough if you're not even getting to the 1600 AND exercising on top of that. You can get away with it for a while if you have lots of fat stores but you'll end up in bad shape over time, sick, injured, muscle loss, etc. Again, it depends on how you calculated your calories, what your stats are (height/weight/age/gender). If you'd like to share that information I'm sure people here will help you figure out a good plan. Are you tracking your calories with an app/device or just entering it manually on MFP?
  • Marchy365
    Marchy365 Posts: 28 Member
    @fatoomalrowaiei I would highly recommend a full body scan. The scan measures your weight and other body composition factors like % body fat, lean muscle mass, skeletal muscle mass, visceral fat levels (fat stored around internal organs) and many other metrics. I live in Australia and this cost me $35AUD and I'll probably only go back every 6 to 8 weeks to check progress. Cardio IS very good for you, but so is sustainable weight loss. If you are calorie intake restricted because you simply don't have the appetite, you need to manage the amount of exercise you do. Your "body scan" consultant will advise you as part of the service.

  • fatoomalrowaiei
    fatoomalrowaiei Posts: 95 Member
    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    How as your 1600 calories calculated? If that's your calorie goal for losing say 2lbs a week at a sedimentary level of exercise, then yes, most definitely you are not eating enough if you're not even getting to the 1600 AND exercising on top of that. You can get away with it for a while if you have lots of fat stores but you'll end up in bad shape over time, sick, injured, muscle loss, etc. Again, it depends on how you calculated your calories, what your stats are (height/weight/age/gender). If you'd like to share that information I'm sure people here will help you figure out a good plan. Are you tracking your calories with an app/device or just entering it manually on MFP?
    Im really sorry to bother you, i just want to do everything right.. Not end up with loose skin or feel fatigue every time i exercise
    Im 20yrs , female, i weigh 79.5kg (175lb) i exercise 4 times a week (im not sure if it is strength or cardio, for ex i do jillian michaels boost fat metabolism for an hour and idk if it is strength or cardio "also youtube videos i do for my arms, legs, chest,butt..etc for an hour too!,next day i do 30min on treadmill , so idk if this is right as in "mixing up" my strength and cardio exercises
    ^^^thats what i am worried about
    As for food each meal i have carb fat and protein but i only get to 1000calorie
    And i am only planning to lose 1-2pound a week
    So I don't know if my exercises are okay ?!!
    But im sure my meals are not!!
    Sorry again and thank you
  • fatoomalrowaiei
    fatoomalrowaiei Posts: 95 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    Everyone needs a little cardio in their life. Too much will make you skinny, too little won't help you lose fat. Find a happy medium and do both cardio and some form of strength training and you'll have the both of best worlds. Some people simply hate cardio so they are down on it and prefer to do nothing but strength training. That's fine, but some of us need extra help to build muscle and lose fat. I have friends who are at least 50 lbs overweight but have a crap ton of muscle. They would benefit from cardio because they would lose the fat, I also have friends who have very little muscle and are overweight. They would benefit from both cardio and weight training to build muscle at the same time they lose the fat (I was one of these types). Genetics play a big role, some people can build muscle easily, and don't even have to work at it, others.. well.. we need help. Either way cardio is not bad unless you over-do it with a severe calorie restriction. Set your goals for your desired weight loss, then if you do cardio, up your calorie intake to compensate but stay within your pre-set goals and you'll be fine.

    For instance:

    No exercise goal: 2000 calories a day (that's about my maintenance level)
    After 800 calories of exercise I should eat" 2800 calories

    I would still not gain weight because I increased calories only by the amount of exercise I did.

    But...

    If my daily goal is say 1600 to lose a pound or two a week then I do 800 calories of exercise and don't eat more than 1600 calories, I'd effectively be sustaining my body on about 800 calories a day. At that rate I would lose fat, muscle, and who knows what else?!? So I should, at that point eat 1600 + 800 = 2400 calories and I'd still be able to lose those 1-2 lbs a week.

    So yea, keep up the cardio. Just make sure you're calculating your calories correctly. MFP will do this for you, so it's not rocket science. Set MFP to your desired loss without calculating in exercise, then allow MFP to add calories as you exercise (either enter the exercises manually in MFP or allow your apps to add it for you) and try and not have a huge deficit at the end of the day.

    So for me i must eat 1600 calories
    But i eat 1000 only not because i want to im just full
    I do cardio workout(youtube video) for an hour
    Or walk for 30min
    Does that mean i have to eat what i have burned?!
    Thank you so much!!!
    And do i have to eat 1600??

    Only eating 1000 calories is a good way to lose muscle, yes, regardless of whether or not you're doing cardio. Stay away from low fat, non-fat, no sugar, lite and low calorie foods. Add oils like olive oil or butter to your veggies or add cheese. Put mayonnaise on sandwiches. Use a creamy salad dressing, like ranch or bleu cheese and add crumbled or shredded cheese and nuts on your salads. Those are some easy things you can do to add calories without adding more food.

    Thank you so much for sharing
    Ill try adding nuts and cheese next time :))