Anyone lost weight with ONLY CARDIO??

thepetiterunner

There's a real synergy - strength and cardio go hand in hand.

^ This!

I initially just did running for a number of months and lost a fair amount of weight from just that, along with portion control and making better dietary changes. However, strength training AND cardio are amazing together. Think of it - you're building bigger muscles so you can burn MORE when you're doing cardio. It's fantastic.

I'd highly encourage you to reconsider adding it in 1-2 times a week. You'll be pleased with the results.

sandra80

that's me for the most part. did lots of walking.

milf_n_cookies

I lost almost all of my weight eating right and doing cardio, but even though I am at my "goal" weight I just had my body fat tested and I literally could have thrown up b/c the % is much higher then I would have ever thought. So now I am adding tons of strength training to get that number down!

thinclo

good question ive been wondering the same thing! bump

Rae6503

Weight training preserves muscles while you lose weight. If you lose weight without it you'll lose more muscle. Seems more efficient to keep muscle rather than lose it and try to get it back layer.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I did, then I ended up looking like this at my goal weight

lu136mickey

zumba all the way

ScatteredThoughts

I haven't done any real strength training yet, though I plan to in the near future. So far I have lost about 25 pounds by watching what I eat and walking/running on the treadmill.

Emancipated_Tai

Yes, I've lost 45lbs doing Cardio along. I clean eat about 85% of the time. However, I am starting my strenght training because it will help you lose weight faster and keep you from being flabby

BaconMD

Yes, you can lose weight with just cardio, but why not do some of each? Balance and all that?

yoovie

only 30 pounds, the rest was ST

escloflowneCHANGED

I started with cardio and lost 22 lbs in the first month and a half on only cardio but didn't lose any body fat%. Added strength training and lost less weight but I lost 5% body fat and I now lose 0.5"-1.5" per week on my waist.

Strength Training > Cardio when you you want to look better, cardio wins if all you care about is the number on a scale.

Shayztar

So far I've only done cardio too. Zumba, walking, and house/yard work. But I just saw my Dr today and she said I should start weights, even if just simple movements while watching TV. She said it would help to break any plateau if I hit one.

steffiejoe

I peddled( stationary bike) my way to my goal weight of 135 pounds. I did very little resistance training, think pink weights, LOL!!!

I am in the process of getting ready to start lifting heavy weights. I want to get my BF down to 20%. Right now my BF ranges between 22%-24%.

mcshaw10

Does anyone get their body fat % measured? The scale does not tell you everything. If you are trying to lose body fat and not muscle along with it, it is important to strength train. Unlike cardio, strength training will raise and keep your metabolism higher for longer after you are done working out...which makes you a calorie burning machine. Pretty sweet, huh? Obviously diet plays a huge role as well..

You can still add in some cardio as well, but strength training (more specifically total body circuit strength training) gives you both cardio and strength at the same time. WAY more bang for your buck, and much better/faster results. Just ask my clients!

Wiifitmii66

The primary form of exercise for me over the past two years has been walking; however I did notice that my muscles did not really start to tone up until I recently began doing strength exercises, and yoga.

Saruman_w

I did. But it made me skinny fat. Lost too much lean mass along with it. So now I'm working to fix that.

amuhlou

I lost 38 lbs and 13% body fat with pretty much cardio only. My muscle also increased, just not as fast as the fat decreased.

I say pretty much because I occasionally did yoga which isn't exactly cardio but it's also not traditional strength training.

Only in the past month or so have I started lifting weights.

whoreheyR1

I lost my first 70 pounds (in 5 months) by eating MUCH healthier and doing strictly cardio for exercise. I would use the elliptical for approx. 45-90 minutes, anywhere from 3-5 days a week... but I did start strength training/lifting in the past 2 weeks to build up some muscle mass and wish I had done it a long time ago! Honestly, because even though I just started 2 weeks ago I'm already starting to see an improvement and look a (little) bit more fit :happy:

BaconMD

Does anyone get their body fat % measured? The scale does not tell you everything.

My scale does! It tells me my body fat %..

Di3012

has anyone lost weight with healthy eating but have their main form of exercise - cardio only - until this day?? what type of cardio do you do that has helped you lost weight?

I am aiming to lose body fat... and then start strength training after.

Yes, I have. 22lbs lost so far with running on a treadmill.

Started on 1st January 2012, I have 8lbs to reach my goal.

I am not "skinny fat" either, running uses muscles, therefore they do not disappear. I ensure I eat a lot of protein however, I need that to repair muscles that are torn (tiny, tiny tears) during my workouts.

ekloretto

I have. I've lost 17 pounds since the new year with all cardio. I use a BodyBugg and follow their calorie intake recommendation of 1450 calories a day, with a target total daily burn of 2450. I have a desk job and the only way I can meet that calorie burn is with major cardio. I actually use the Precor AMT (http://www.precor.com/products/en/home/amt/amtr-835-adaptive-motion-trainer) for 30-50 minutes, 4 or 5 times a week. Its my favorite machine! Tones my arms too!

Amy_Lee_2012

I've lost 75 pounds in 5 months by doing cardio and eating healthy. I started off just walking, as that was all I could manage. In December, I started doing Tae Bo for an hour a day. Now I do 2-3 hours of Tae Bo a day.
I just bought myself some weights and will start strength training, but I will continue to do Tae Bo everyday as it makes me feel great.

Di3012

has anyone lost weight with healthy eating but have their main form of exercise - cardio only - until this day?? what type of cardio do you do that has helped you lost weight?

I am aiming to lose body fat... and then start strength training after.

big mistake. Strength training goes first. I lost and maintained without cardio. If i don't want i can do no cardio and still lose fat. It's about the diet.

Don't tell that poster it is a big mistake. The only big mistake around here is people telling others that strength training is all that counts!

Strength training does not goes first. What goes first is what suits the person concerned.

BTW have you ever observed a lion, take a damn good look at its muscles, because that is all achieved through its day-to-day living and it bloody well does not include any weightlifting!!!

achief192

I lost 30 pounds from running. I did a few pushups too, but 98% of my exercise came from hitting the road. I was running about 12-15 miles per week. Started in June 2011.

mogriff1

Very good question, whereas this is the way I've been aiming my new workout regimine so far. My cardio consist of the treadmill with an incline walking moderate-fast pace, the cross ramp with an incline to focus on butt and thighs and the elliptical (frontwards and backwards for varying results). In addition the group fitness classes I take are spin, pilates, cardio kickboxing, zumba, total body toning and aqua aerobics. I notice that in a very short time (a few weeks of this) I have lost inches and am continuing to slim down nicely!).

Cardio will provide total body fat loss as well as visceral fat (the fat around your inner organs) reduction whereas strength training a specific body part(s) won't. But it is beneficial to incorporate both into your routine.

I haven't quite started strength training per se, but will very soon with light hand weights. 10 pound weights 3 sets of 12-15 reps will be my target. I want my arms to be lean and tone not defined and bulky. :-) (Heavy weights, few reps will do that).

EthanJeremiahsMama

Great post!

I've lost 20 lbs by mainly doing cardio (treadmill, elliptical) the first month and added strength/weight lifting after. I was "skinny fat" at first and once I added in strength/weight workouts I noticed better results!

auzziecawth66

i lost 50 pounds after my first baby, got down to 105 pounds doing only cardio. I was very skinny, like ribs sticking out skinny, but i still felt skinny fat. IMO to get the best possible body for me anyway I think that some strength training is important to help get some nice muscle tone as well and be skinny fit.

sassy_sparkles

Cardio is fantastic. Elliptical is my BFF. I force myself to do a little weight training and here's why. Building some lean muscle will help your body burn off the excess fat. I would reconsider your plan and think about adding some light toning and strength building. That's just me though. Only you know what's best for your body.

Good luck!

Larry0445

I have lost 17 lbs in 35 days by just walking on my treadmill. :-) And of course,eating healthy.