Following a Cardio Plan for Weight Loss

Helawat

Source:
Adapted From: Fitness For Dummies, 3rd Edition
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-2994.html

If your goal is permanent fat loss, you need to burn enough calories to make a significant impact. Here's why: In order to lose a pound in one week, you need to create a 3,500-calorie deficit; in other words, you need to burn off 3,500 more calories than you eat. A 30-minute power walk on flat ground burns about 120 calories. So, to burn off 1 pound of fat by walking, you'd have to hoof it for more than 2 hours a day.

Don't worry — no one should suggest that you exercise two hours every day! The best way to lose fat is to create a calorie deficit by burning calories through exercise and cutting calories you eat. For example, over the course of a week, you may cut 250 calories per day by switching from mayo to mustard on your sandwich at lunch and snacking on light yogurt instead of Fruit-on-the-Bottom. Meanwhile, you could burn an extra 250 calories a day by taking a one-hour walk or a half-hour jog.


Cardio exercise is only one part of a weight-loss plan. You also need to revamp your eating habits and embark on a weight-training program. Also, keep in mind that losing weight is not as easy as it sounds on TV diet commercials. It takes a lot more commitment than just drinking that delicious shake for breakfast. And it takes time. Don't try to lose more than 1/2 pound to 1 pound each week, and don't eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day (preferably more). On a super-low-calorie diet, you deprive your body of essential nutrients, and you have a tougher time keeping the weight off because your metabolism slows down. Realize, too, that genetics plays a large role in weight loss. It's easier for some people to lose weight than it is for others.

Here are some general cardio guidelines for weight loss. We suggest that you consult a registered dietitian and certified fitness trainer to come up with a plan best suited to your specific goals and schedule.

How often you need to do cardio for weight loss:

Here's the cold, hard truth: You probably need to do five or six workouts a week.

How long your workouts should last for weight loss:

Here's another dose of reality: You should aim for at least 45 minutes of exercise, a mix of cardio and strength training, six days per week. Again, you don't need to do all this sweating at once, but for the pounds to come off, the calories you burn need to add up.
How hard you need to push for weight loss

To make a serious dent in your fat-loss program, work out in your target zone most of the time. But keep in mind: If you're pretty darned "deconditioned," as the politically correct like to say, even exercising at 50 percent of your maximum heart rate can help build up your fitness level.


You may have heard that exercising at a slow pace is more effective for weight loss than working out more intensely. In fact, many cardio machines have "fat burning" programs that keep you at a slow pace. But this is misleading. As it turns out, the concept of a fat-burning zone is no more real than the Twilight Zone.

During low-intensity aerobic exercise, your body does use fat as its primary fuel source. As you get closer to your breaking point, your body starts using a smaller percentage of fat and a larger percentage of carbohydrates, another fuel source. However, picking up the pace allows you to burn more total calories, as well as more fat calories.

Here's how:

If you go in-line skating for 30 minutes at a leisurely roll, you might burn about 100 calories — about 80 percent of them from fat (so that's 80 fat calories). But if you spend the same amount of time skating with a vengeance over a hilly course, you might burn 300 calories — 30 percent of them from fat (that's 90 fat calories). So at the fast pace, you burn more than double the calories and 10 more fat calories.

Of course, going faster and harder is not always better. If you're just starting out, you probably can't sustain a faster pace long enough to make it worth your while. If you go slower, you may be able to exercise a lot longer, so you'll end up burning more calories and fat that way.

Helawat

Source:
Adapted From: Fitness For Dummies, 3rd Edition
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-2994.html

If your goal is permanent fat loss, you need to burn enough calories to make a significant impact. Here's why: In order to lose a pound in one week, you need to create a 3,500-calorie deficit; in other words, you need to burn off 3,500 more calories than you eat. A 30-minute power walk on flat ground burns about 120 calories. So, to burn off 1 pound of fat by walking, you'd have to hoof it for more than 2 hours a day.

Don't worry — no one should suggest that you exercise two hours every day! The best way to lose fat is to create a calorie deficit by burning calories through exercise and cutting calories you eat. For example, over the course of a week, you may cut 250 calories per day by switching from mayo to mustard on your sandwich at lunch and snacking on light yogurt instead of Fruit-on-the-Bottom. Meanwhile, you could burn an extra 250 calories a day by taking a one-hour walk or a half-hour jog.


Cardio exercise is only one part of a weight-loss plan. You also need to revamp your eating habits and embark on a weight-training program. Also, keep in mind that losing weight is not as easy as it sounds on TV diet commercials. It takes a lot more commitment than just drinking that delicious shake for breakfast. And it takes time. Don't try to lose more than 1/2 pound to 1 pound each week, and don't eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day (preferably more). On a super-low-calorie diet, you deprive your body of essential nutrients, and you have a tougher time keeping the weight off because your metabolism slows down. Realize, too, that genetics plays a large role in weight loss. It's easier for some people to lose weight than it is for others.

Here are some general cardio guidelines for weight loss. We suggest that you consult a registered dietitian and certified fitness trainer to come up with a plan best suited to your specific goals and schedule.

How often you need to do cardio for weight loss:

Here's the cold, hard truth: You probably need to do five or six workouts a week.

How long your workouts should last for weight loss:

Here's another dose of reality: You should aim for at least 45 minutes of exercise, a mix of cardio and strength training, six days per week. Again, you don't need to do all this sweating at once, but for the pounds to come off, the calories you burn need to add up.
How hard you need to push for weight loss

To make a serious dent in your fat-loss program, work out in your target zone most of the time. But keep in mind: If you're pretty darned "deconditioned," as the politically correct like to say, even exercising at 50 percent of your maximum heart rate can help build up your fitness level.


You may have heard that exercising at a slow pace is more effective for weight loss than working out more intensely. In fact, many cardio machines have "fat burning" programs that keep you at a slow pace. But this is misleading. As it turns out, the concept of a fat-burning zone is no more real than the Twilight Zone.

During low-intensity aerobic exercise, your body does use fat as its primary fuel source. As you get closer to your breaking point, your body starts using a smaller percentage of fat and a larger percentage of carbohydrates, another fuel source. However, picking up the pace allows you to burn more total calories, as well as more fat calories.

Here's how:

If you go in-line skating for 30 minutes at a leisurely roll, you might burn about 100 calories — about 80 percent of them from fat (so that's 80 fat calories). But if you spend the same amount of time skating with a vengeance over a hilly course, you might burn 300 calories — 30 percent of them from fat (that's 90 fat calories). So at the fast pace, you burn more than double the calories and 10 more fat calories.

Of course, going faster and harder is not always better. If you're just starting out, you probably can't sustain a faster pace long enough to make it worth your while. If you go slower, you may be able to exercise a lot longer, so you'll end up burning more calories and fat that way.

jenbar

Love it! Thanks!
This is great advice!
Way to go. This is what this site should be about.
Slow and steady wins the race!
We all know what happened to that hare! Loser! And not in a good way!

I'll take being the tortoise any day! As long as it gets me that much closer to my goal weight and keep me there for life!
I don't like getting all gung ho and then fail months down the line.

sitarami

thanks for sha:flowerforyou: ring

REB89

thanks!:flowerforyou:

deanea

banks1850

I like it. Helawat, you always post the best stuff!

plantlady99

:flowerforyou:

charlie's girl

I have been working out fairly regularly for 6 months+, but I haven't seen much progress. I was using a treadmill and an elliptical machine at the gym. I spoke with a trainer at the gym and he suggested that I buy a HEART RATE MONITOR. This has made a huge impact on my motiviation!! It beeps at me whenever I need to speed up or slow down (drives my husband, who is my walking partner, nuts....but I LOVE it!!).
I signed up for the Memorial Day Fitness Challenge and tomorrow is my first weigh-in day since I started. I'm nervous and excited!! I hope I've lost at least 2 pounds. I've been logging in faithfully every day, but I did have one cheat day (It was a MESS!) I didn't beat myself up though, I just said, "Tomorrow is a new day, and I WILL be successful." And guess what? I was!!
I first joined this site MFP, a week ago when I signed up for the Fitness Challenge. On that day, my husband and I decided to start "wogging" each day around our subdivision's walking path, rather than going to the gym (since the weather had improved finally here in Idaho). Wogging is a made-up term, which means walking until my heart rate monitor starts beeping and then doing a slow jog until it starts beeping at me again. We have done this EVERY day, except for one. I love it!! We go for 3 miles each time, and my heart strength is really improving already. One lap around our walking path is .75 miles and I'm now able to jog about 1/5 of the way around before I have to walk again. This is a HUGE improvement since I started. My goal is to be able to do a whole lap without walking by Memorial Day.
Let me tell you, it's very difficult to stay motivated during the first lap each day. I hurt a little, I'm out of breath, and I have a poor attitude. But the nice thing is, since it's not a treadmill.....there's only one way to get back to the beginning....hoofin' it!! Talk about motivation!

I love this site!!

MontanaGirl

Thanks Helawat - that was a very informative article!! :flowerforyou: