is cardio really going to help me lose weight?

amy_marlene

so i'm doing 30 minutes of cardio 5 - 6 times a week.
4 years ago i've lost 17 lbs in 2 months only by eating less and not working out. will my weight loss be slower because of cardio ( if i'm going to gain muscle ) ? i know that cardio is important to burn calories but does it slows down your weight loss ?
please don't give some negative comments,i'm just curious

erickirb

No, it will not necessarily slow down or speed up weight loss, if you are following MFP guidelines. For every calorie you burn in exercise you should eat them back to make sure your body is sufficiently fueled, this works because MFP gives you a caloric intake to lose your goal amount of weight with no exercise (essentially you lose the same amount per week whether you exercise or not) So if you exercise you need more calories then MFP originally gives you.

What the cardio will do is make you more fit, make you feel better, increase endurance, and strengthen the heart. You may also want to look at strength training as diet and cardio alone tends to lead to a loss of lean muscle mass, not just fat.

abbybean11

just the opposite - it will speed up your weight loss by burning fat and revving up your metabolism! if you can, try to add a little bit of strength training too, for toning.

ejohndrow

Why would cardio slow down weightloss?

Geramie

I highly suggest you read this article http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fat_loss_training_wars.htm

It explains everything so clearly

amy_marlene

No, it will not necessarily slow down or speed up weight loss, if you are following MFP guidelines. For every calorie you burn in exercise you should eat them back to make sure your body is sufficiently fueled, this works because MFP gives you a caloric intake to lose your goal amount of weight with no exercise (essentially you lose the same amount per week whether you exercise or not) So if you exercise you need more calories then MFP originally gives you.

yes,i'll try to eat my exercise calories. thank you

suztheq

I highly suggest you read this article http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fat_loss_training_wars.htm

It explains everything so clearly

Fantastic article. Thank you for posting it!