Set the record straight, how do you lose weight?

Fighterwithin83

I have 86 lbs to lose. I started the C25K program last week and work out another 3 days a week strength training on a Bowflex (takes muscle to lose weight right?)
Well I was told by a few people this past week that running is bad for weight loss because your heart rate reaches the "cardio zone" and not the "fat burning zone" and that weight lifting is a waste of time when you're in a calorie deficit and trying to lose as much fat as I am.
I was also told that if I continue my exercise regimen there would be a point that I would have to choose between staying fat and strong or lose the muscle I built to continue to lose weight. I'm confused... I think I just need someone to tell me what to do!

freelancejouster

If you're eating at a deficit, as long as that deficit is above your BMR, you WILL lose weight, regardless of everything else you do.

Exercise is always beneficial to weight loss, even if one kind is very minutely more effective than another.

"fat burning zone" is not really a thing, you burn fat in every zone.

lilpoindexter

I think any cardio you do will be beneficial. I used to walk at the local park, and I was seeing weight loss. I had to stop, because I was boring myself to tears...I took up bike riding, and I use the eliptical at the gym. I've been exercising for about 18 months, and I've had a good plan of attack at the gym for about 11 months now..I concentrated on fat loss the whole past year. Even though I was lifting weights, I wasn't seeing any visible muscle growth...Something happened since the start of this year, where my muscles are finally starting to get swoll, in a good way. I'm seeing noob-like increases in size and strength now. My fat loss has slowed down to a trickle, but I think I've lost the bulk of the fat I needed to lose.

I think I did it right by concentrating on fat loss first....HOWEVER...even though I didn't think my muscles were growing, they were...I was laying the foundation for gainzzzz....alll kinds of gainzz.


Lastly...look at the people that gave you advice...do they have physiques that you want to emulate? If they don't, than obviously they don't know what they are talking about.

LindseyAlyssa

If you have 80+ pounds to lose, any physical activity you do will be beneficial. Cardio would probably be good initially to get your heart back into shape, but you do need to do some strength training to get rid of the fat while also conditioning (and yes, building) muscle. Other than the cardio I get from doing my body weight circuit, I do zero extra cardio. All my focus goes into strength training, and even though I'm eating at a deficit, my muscles are still seeing a benefit (and small growth) and I am losing fat. Once you lose the fat, then focus on muscle growth through bulking&cutting.

As for the "staying fat and strong or lose the muscle I built to continue to lose weight", I think they may have been referring to you losing your lean body mass if all you're doing is cardio. Cardio isn't going to preserve your lean body mass because treadmill work is mainly affecting your lower legs and heart. Strength training allows you to use your entire body which will at least help you maintain your lean body mass, rather than lose it. For example, while I might not have gained more than a pound or two of lean muscle through strength training, I have preserved the lean mass I started with because I am actively using all of my muscles when I workout. I feel it's a case of "use it, or lose it".

Hope this helps a bit.

krc99080

I will admit I've only been working at this for about 5 weeks this time and currently what's been working for me is tracking my calories and working out. I do a combination of cardio and strength training. I also try to do something active each day. It may a workout DVD or using an elliptical, or just a walk. I've found personally I have to do something active each day to keep up the motivation.


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ecw3780

with 86 pounds to lose, if you eat less and move more, you will lose weight. Don't listen to all the anti cardio or anti weight lifting people out there. Just do what you enjoy and eat less than you use to. Once you get closer to your goal weight, you can start to focus more on a specific diet and work out regiment. What it important now is to stick to an activity you enjoy and will continue to do.

Ed98043

I'm losing weight without exercising at all, just keeping a calorie deficit. There's no one answer for everyone, except that you just have to start.

Fighterwithin83

Thanks everyone for taking the time to give your input... I think I will just continue to do my thing, because I'm already starting to feel better and anything is better than how I was living before I started my routine!

WinnerVictorious

I have 86 lbs to lose. I started the C25K program last week and work out another 3 days a week strength training on a Bowflex (takes muscle to lose weight right?)
Well I was told by a few people this past week that running is bad for weight loss because your heart rate reaches the "cardio zone" and not the "fat burning zone" and that weight lifting is a waste of time when you're in a calorie deficit and trying to lose as much fat as I am.
I was also told that if I continue my exercise regimen there would be a point that I would have to choose between staying fat and strong or lose the muscle I built to continue to lose weight. I'm confused... I think I just need someone to tell me what to do!

this a germ of truth in some of that, but the conclusions are all wrong.

when you lift weights while on a calorie deficit, you are doing so to preserve existing muscle mass. you shouldn't gain any mass, but you can help retain it.

cardio does 2 things. it burns calories and it increases your cardiovascular fitness. the intensity at which you do cardio affects your cardiovascular fitness more than the amount of calories you burn. it does affect the calorie burn, but you can still burn a lot of calorie exercising at a low to moderate effort for a longer time.

the whole idea of a "fat burning zone" is broscience and not to be taken seriously.

if you are doing cardio and lifting and trying to lose weight you may need to cycle between periods where you are bulking (for muscle growth) and cutting (for fat loss) in much the same way bodybuilders do. you can't lose fat and build muscle at the same time, or at least it would be very difficult and slow-going to do so. it's faster and you'll get better results doing the bulking/cutting cycles like bodybuilders do.

bulking = lift + eat at surplus
cutting = cardio + eat at deficit + lift weights to preserve muscle

make sure you are eating enough protein no matter what.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I run 3 days a week. Hasn't slowed my weight loss at all. Actually seems to have helped a little.

fresh_start59

Here's my 2-cents worth. Keep in mind that I have a bunch of weight to lose and am certainly not an expert, especially when it comes to exercise. But I've done some reading on the subject.

From everything I've read, it boils down to calories in / calories out. Eat less than you burn and you will lose weight.

Running helps you to burn calories and increase your cardio endurance. In other words, it can help you to lose weight and get heart healthy.

Weight training helps you to get strong. Lifting weights (heavy weights, not the little 3-pounders that I own) will help you retain your muscle mass as you lose weight. (lean mass allows our bodies to more efficiently burn calories) Strength training It also helps to strengthen your bones, which is especially important for women as we get older.

The fat burning zone stuff appears to have some scientific backing. Working out in the "cardio zone" burns carbohydrates AND fat. In other words, it burns even more calories that just working out in the "fat burning zone."

Here is a link that explains it in layman's terms:
http://www.coachcalorie.com/the-fat-burning-zone-myth

In short, eat healthier, consume fewer calories, do a little cardio, do some strength training, be patient, and you'll lose. Exercise is hard (at least for me) but I think patience is the hardest.

DavPul

I have 86 lbs to lose. I started the C25K program last week and work out another 3 days a week strength training on a Bowflex and I'm going to use MFP to make sure I'm staying in a reasonable calorie deficit

Do this, ignore whoever these people are that are giving you TERRIBLE advice, and you'll be doing exactly what I and many others have done to succeed in losing weight. Tune out the noise.

MidwestAngel

I have 86 lbs to lose. I started the C25K program last week and work out another 3 days a week strength training on a Bowflex and I'm going to use MFP to make sure I'm stay in a reasonable calorie deficit

Do this, ignore whoever these people are that are giving you TERRIBLE advice, and you'll be doing exactly what I and many others have done to succeed in losing weight. Tune out the noise.

/thread

MaraDiaz

I lose weight by eating less and moving more.

Sarauk2sf

I have 86 lbs to lose. I started the C25K program last week and work out another 3 days a week strength training on a Bowflex (takes muscle to lose weight right?)
Well I was told by a few people this past week that running is bad for weight loss because your heart rate reaches the "cardio zone" and not the "fat burning zone" and that weight lifting is a waste of time when you're in a calorie deficit and trying to lose as much fat as I am.
I was also told that if I continue my exercise regimen there would be a point that I would have to choose between staying fat and strong or lose the muscle I built to continue to lose weight. I'm confused... I think I just need someone to tell me what to do!

Not true - you strength train to maintain LBM

Eat at a deficit, include cardio to help with that deficit or for cardiovascular or other reasons and strength train.

lpherman01

If you're eating at a deficit, as long as that deficit is above your BMR, you WILL lose weight, regardless of everything else you do.

^^This^^ is all you need to know. Like some of the others here have said, the rest is mostly BS. Yes there are certain heart rate zones where you can "burn" more fat with less physical effort, but there is more to health than that. I ride my bike like a banshee, and suppliment that with running. I have never been healthier, and all of my numbers (heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol etc) are perfect. You need cardio to do that, so don't avoid it. I lost 60 lbs in 6 months and have had absolutely no problem keeping it off.

IronPlayground

Wow! I hate that you got really awful advice.

Main thing is to maintain a calorie deficit. There are many benefits to both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training.

You will gain strength while eating at a deficit since there are neural adaptations to increased resistance. You will see an increase in muscle size through hypertrophy and you will experience increased bone density. You will not experience much new muscle while eating at a deficit, but that is not something I would worry too much about at this point.

You are on the right path with what you are doing. Please disregard that poor advice you were given.

taso42

You lose weight by burning more calories than you consume. That is the premise of calorie counting and this website.

MidwestAngel

You lose weight by burning more calories than you consume. That is the premise of calorie counting and this website.

How dare you bring logic into this thread.

shantiwrites

Four years ago, I lost 45 pounds. As you see by my 'ticker' below, I regained it all. But I lost it by exercise and regained it when I quit exercising. Yes, I ate better when I was exercising because it felt like I was cheating myself to do all that hard work and then eat junk.

But one bit of advice that helped me last time - and that I'm following again this time as I get back on the healthier-me path - is to start slow. I was 50 pounds overweight and had not been doing much exercise. With that much extra weight and poor cardio endurance, it was important for me to start with just simple walking until my tolerance was built up. However, I walked with wrist-weights - initially just 1 pound weights and then built up to 5 pounds - in part because I am always in a time-crunch. I'm doing it again now and am already up to 3 pounds. I walk 4 miles at roughly a 3.5 mph pace and my arms are always doing *something*. It's not heavy-duty weight lifting, but it's rebuilding those muscles that I let get all flabby again. In a few more weeks, I'll add weight lifting into my routine once I've restored some of that healthier circulation and joint support.

One of the quotes from my favorite motivational book (Younger Next Year) said that "If you turn your exercise into a fight between your joints and your muscles, your joints will lose, every time." This book advocated a 4-6 week period of very light, gentle lifting if you are a complete Noob at lifting or if you are very out of shape/over weight to give your joints a chance to become stronger and more limber before you start pushing them.

This is all 'safety' stuff - but I agree with what has been said here. Move more/eat less and you wil lose weight. Building your heart and your muscles will help you enjoy the healthier new you!