Cardio vs. Weight Training
Replies
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You may want to ask your doctor why? I've personally done both throughout the process and I generally recommend doing both...but perhaps your doctor has some reason behind this suggestion.
While I generally agree that many a general practitioner knows little about actual nutrition and fitness, I wouldn't sit here and blindly tell you to ignore your doctor. I would discuss with him/her and possibly get a second opinion...but I'd want to know the "why" behind the suggestion and then go from there.
Has your doctore refereed you elsewhere? Like a dietician or anything?0 -
Lots of potential reasons to stress cardio over lifting, for a very overweight person just starting physical training. Asking the doctor to clarify is good advice.0
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I have been told to work weight training in with cardio now
I usually do 20 minutes cardio, then a few reps of weights, and then back to cardio.0 -
You may want to ask your doctor why? I've personally done both throughout the process and I generally recommend doing both...but perhaps your doctor has some reason behind this suggestion.
While I generally agree that many a general practitioner knows little about actual nutrition and fitness, I wouldn't sit here and blindly tell you to ignore your doctor. I would discuss with him/her and possibly get a second opinion...but I'd want to know the "why" behind the suggestion and then go from there.
Has your doctore refereed you elsewhere? Like a dietician or anything?
No, I haven't been referred to a dietician. We discussed what I was doing in terms of counting calories, etc. and she seemed fine with that. She didn't mention anything about eating "excersize calories" as everyone does here. She simply said not to go over 1200 calories and make sure I'm excersizing regularly. I will have to follow up on why she specifically recommeds cardio exlucsively prior to goal weight. Thanks again for everyone taking time to respond. I want to be successful this time!0 -
So I'm about 5 weeks into this. I have a LOT to lose and I've barely started to scratch the surface (15 lbs so far). Doc says cardio only until I hit my goal weight -- and then work weight training in after I've hit my goal weight. Has anyone else been told this? Or are you/have you done both throughout the entire process? Thanks.
I lost almost all my weight doing cardio only. Weight training, in conjunction with cardio, has kept the weight relatively steady and even added a few pounds of muscle back.
When one says "weight training," though, there can be a distinction between weight training for cardio (relatively light resistance, higher repetitions in a set) and weight training for strength/muscle mass. There is a huge difference between doing 10-15 repetitions with a 5 pound weight versus being able to doing only 3 repetitions with a 25 pound weight.
In reality you might find that as you close in on your goal weight that you may want/need to add it in.
You might ask your doctor why they want it this way. Without an explanation, you are left to ask a bunch of non-medical experts (like myself) who have been through our own personal journey with varying levels of success. Your mileage may vary.
I will hazard a guess, however,...because your fitness level is not high enough to support either a fairly moderate cardio or weight training regimen. Whether it be blood pressure, lung capacity and oxygen exchange rate, or other physiological indicators, your doctor probably wants you to build a "base" that you can work from. Once you have that platform, other things become possible.0 -
I am at the halfway point to my weight loss goal. I've been walking a couple nights a week, doing HIIT workouts 2-3X a week and do the weight circuit 2-3X per week. Its working. The weight is coming off slow but I can definately tell a difference in my muscle tone and stamina is improving as well to work out harder and better. Start slow and gradually work your way up the weight stacks. If you use a HRM you can see over time how much better you are able to push yourself to reach the fat burning/cardio health zones. The tape measurerer is a better judge than the scale. Good luck on your journey.0
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Thanks everyone! These have been really helpful to read through! One thing I haven't done is measure myself to track progress that way. I've been solely relying on the scale... I will definitely read up on the best ways to incorporate weight training and I'll start measuring the inches too. Thanks again!
My biggest regret. Take pictures and take measurements NOW!!!!! As you start to lose weight the scale will become more of a guideline. You may want to give yourself a 'range' vs a solid number to reach. As you build muscle the scale may not move and may even go up some - but the measurements will go down. Pictures don't lie.
At the check in (to record your weight) there is also a place to enter your measurements. Start today!!!!!!0 -
If I was in your position I'd go see the Doctor again and ask why he told you to only do cardio. There could be a reason he's not told you about. Just to be on the safe side, after all, you'd like to think that after gaining a medical degree, he'd know wtf he was talking about.
I don't disagree with the advice. Or the thoughts. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case. With what most doctors know about exercise and nutrition, you are more likely to get solid advice from them about your fantasy football team than you are about exercise and nutrition. Sad but true.
Source of this information? What percentage is "most"?
Knowing how much is (or to be specific, isn't) taught in medical school and how much is (or isn't) covered in medical specialty board tests. Knowing that any doctor worth their salt will refer a patient for diet question to a registered dietician. Even the speciality that probably needs diet knowledge the most, endocrinology, relies heavily on RDs for their expertise on diet and nutrition. There is too much information that is constantly evolving to worry about in the rest of the field of medicine. Nutrition, diet and exercise are miniscule parts at best.
But what makes you think "most" doctors don't do this? And what percentage don't do this?0 -
She simply said not to go over 1200 calories and make sure I'm excersizing regularly.
Anybody else having alarm bells going off on that sentence alone? Let's say you do a lot of cardio. 300, 400, 500 calories. And you only eat 1000, 1100 calories. You are going to be netting 600-800 calories? That is what she is recommending?
If that is what she is saying, she is clearly out of her league. I'm sorry, but that is just bad medicine. Talk to her, but that is just so wrong it would be unbelievable if it really didn't illustrate what I think most docs know about diet, nutrition, exercise and weight loss.0 -
Doctors are idiots in most cases. They are not fitness professionals. You want to build up and preserve muscle during weight loss. Doing it after mean you have to rebuild the muscle you lost during your "cardio fat loss" and that isn't much fun. Trust me.0
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Thanks everyone for the responses! No, I don't have any medical reason not to weight train. I originally just assumed it was because the scale can go up when you weight train and I'm trying to lose... I wanted to ask because I hear so many people say that they swear by weight training...
I swear by weight training. Oh...and screw the scale. Who cares what you weigh. Do cardio and weight training together. Lift hard and heavy and learn good form. Weight is just a number...don't let it control you. I am 5'7" and 148ish pounds. I am a size 3 jeans. 3 1/2 years ago I was 155 pounds and a size 11 to 13 jeans. Pick up heavy stuff and put it back down. :-)0 -
If I was in your position I'd go see the Doctor again and ask why he told you to only do cardio. There could be a reason he's not told you about. Just to be on the safe side, after all, you'd like to think that after gaining a medical degree, he'd know wtf he was talking about.
I don't disagree with the advice. Or the thoughts. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case. With what most doctors know about exercise and nutrition, you are more likely to get solid advice from them about your fantasy football team than you are about exercise and nutrition. Sad but true.
Source of this information? What percentage is "most"?
Knowing how much is (or to be specific, isn't) taught in medical school and how much is (or isn't) covered in medical specialty board tests. Knowing that any doctor worth their salt will refer a patient for diet question to a registered dietician. Even the speciality that probably needs diet knowledge the most, endocrinology, relies heavily on RDs for their expertise on diet and nutrition. There is too much information that is constantly evolving to worry about in the rest of the field of medicine. Nutrition, diet and exercise are miniscule parts at best.
But what makes you think "most" doctors don't do this? And what percentage don't do this?
What makes you think they do? How many people here have said "their doctor said do" x, y, z. Versus how many people have said "a registered dietician said i should do " x, y, z. I'm married to a doctor. I was with her throughout medical school and through her medical boards,and recertitifcations which she is going through right now. For the 3rd time. She just came back from a board review class sponsored by the Academy. I asked her how much of the time (almost 40 hours of class time) was spent on nutrition). Nothing specific, it was woven into the class, but about 1/2 of 1%. In other words, a couple of minutes throughout 40 hours. I glance at all the journals when they come in looking for articles on nutrition, diet, weight loss, diet, and the like. LIttle to nothing. That's just the way it is.0 -
Doctors are idiots in most cases. They are not fitness professionals.
The first sentence is nonsense. The second is true of most. Doctors focus on your overall health, of which fitness is just one component.0 -
The age old discussion. Cardio is preferred by those who want to see changes in the scale, but true fitness isn't reflected by a scale alone. Adding strength will mean you loss fat faster but lose weight slower as the increase in muscle mass increases your overall weight. You have to decide what you really want i.e to lose weight and look flabby, or to lose fat, gain muscle and look great.0
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You may want to ask your doctor why? I've personally done both throughout the process and I generally recommend doing both...but perhaps your doctor has some reason behind this suggestion.
While I generally agree that many a general practitioner knows little about actual nutrition and fitness, I wouldn't sit here and blindly tell you to ignore your doctor. I would discuss with him/her and possibly get a second opinion...but I'd want to know the "why" behind the suggestion and then go from there.
Has your doctore refereed you elsewhere? Like a dietician or anything?
No, I haven't been referred to a dietician. We discussed what I was doing in terms of counting calories, etc. and she seemed fine with that. She didn't mention anything about eating "excersize calories" as everyone does here. She simply said not to go over 1200 calories and make sure I'm excersizing regularly. I will have to follow up on why she specifically recommeds cardio exlucsively prior to goal weight. Thanks again for everyone taking time to respond. I want to be successful this time!
You may want to consider going to a dietitian. Many doctors are NOT required to take any nutrition classes, so they stick with really old concepts which can be very counterproductive during your weight loss journey. Why would you want to eat 1200 calories when you can lose weight at 1800 calories. One of my best friends is a cardiologist and she never has taken a nutrition class. As she states, "if I need nutrition advice, I ask my hospital experts". In all reality, nutrition is just as much of a specialty as other medicines. It's why if I have a skin problem, I go to dermatologist. IMO specialist > GP.0 -
If I was in your position I'd go see the Doctor again and ask why he told you to only do cardio. There could be a reason he's not told you about. Just to be on the safe side, after all, you'd like to think that after gaining a medical degree, he'd know wtf he was talking about.
I don't disagree with the advice. Or the thoughts. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case. With what most doctors know about exercise and nutrition, you are more likely to get solid advice from them about your fantasy football team than you are about exercise and nutrition. Sad but true.
Source of this information? What percentage is "most"?
Knowing how much is (or to be specific, isn't) taught in medical school and how much is (or isn't) covered in medical specialty board tests. Knowing that any doctor worth their salt will refer a patient for diet question to a registered dietician. Even the speciality that probably needs diet knowledge the most, endocrinology, relies heavily on RDs for their expertise on diet and nutrition. There is too much information that is constantly evolving to worry about in the rest of the field of medicine. Nutrition, diet and exercise are miniscule parts at best.
But what makes you think "most" doctors don't do this? And what percentage don't do this?
What makes you think they do? How many people here have said "their doctor said do" x, y, z. Versus how many people have said "a registered dietician said i should do " x, y, z. I'm married to a doctor. I was with her throughout medical school and through her medical boards,and recertitifcations which she is going through right now. For the 3rd time. She just came back from a board review class sponsored by the Academy. I asked her how much of the time (almost 40 hours of class time) was spent on nutrition). Nothing specific, it was woven into the class, but about 1/2 of 1%. In other words, a couple of minutes throughout 40 hours. I glance at all the journals when they come in looking for articles on nutrition, diet, weight loss, diet, and the like. LIttle to nothing. That's just the way it is.
I never said anyone did anything. I questioned where you were getting these "statistics" of "most doctors ..." and what percentage = "most". But it seems it's just second hand opinion.0 -
Doctors are a funny sort, but they're just people like everybody else; drilling down deep enough, their judgement can be based on personal preference more than evidence. For example, my doctor was against me doing any sort of compound lifting. He spent years specializing in sports medicine for high school athletes, and he assumed my intention was to bulk up.
There are a couple problems here.
1) There's nothing particularly wrong with bulking. He just has a history of seeing individuals bulk and then let themselves go. And then they have any number associated problems with that. His solution is simply to not bulk at all.
2) When I explained that I was lifting as a way of maintaining muscle mass, he confirmed that weight training would do that, but insisted that compound lifts would be less desirable than isolated exercises on a machine---apparently because I can't be trusted with maintaining proper form. Those weren't his words, but that was the idea. I didn't bother mentioning that you can still hurt yourself on a machine, but w/e.
So my doctor is in no way uneducated from a medical perspective regarding potential injuries associated with weight training. He is, however, kind of irritating for assuming that not only do I *not* know what I'm doing, but I will inevitably cause some sort of horrible injury to myself. He saw me potential statistic rather than an individual, which seems to be pretty common with physicians.0 -
If I was in your position I'd go see the Doctor again and ask why he told you to only do cardio. There could be a reason he's not told you about. Just to be on the safe side, after all, you'd like to think that after gaining a medical degree, he'd know wtf he was talking about.
I don't disagree with the advice. Or the thoughts. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case. With what most doctors know about exercise and nutrition, you are more likely to get solid advice from them about your fantasy football team than you are about exercise and nutrition. Sad but true.
Source of this information? What percentage is "most"?
Knowing how much is (or to be specific, isn't) taught in medical school and how much is (or isn't) covered in medical specialty board tests. Knowing that any doctor worth their salt will refer a patient for diet question to a registered dietician. Even the speciality that probably needs diet knowledge the most, endocrinology, relies heavily on RDs for their expertise on diet and nutrition. There is too much information that is constantly evolving to worry about in the rest of the field of medicine. Nutrition, diet and exercise are miniscule parts at best.
But what makes you think "most" doctors don't do this? And what percentage don't do this?
What makes you think they do? How many people here have said "their doctor said do" x, y, z. Versus how many people have said "a registered dietician said i should do " x, y, z. I'm married to a doctor. I was with her throughout medical school and through her medical boards,and recertitifcations which she is going through right now. For the 3rd time. She just came back from a board review class sponsored by the Academy. I asked her how much of the time (almost 40 hours of class time) was spent on nutrition). Nothing specific, it was woven into the class, but about 1/2 of 1%. In other words, a couple of minutes throughout 40 hours. I glance at all the journals when they come in looking for articles on nutrition, diet, weight loss, diet, and the like. LIttle to nothing. That's just the way it is.
I never said anyone did anything. I questioned where you were getting these "statistics" of "most doctors ..." and what percentage = "most". But it seems it's just second hand opinion.
Put it this way: I have NEVER seen any CME (continuing medical education) classes offered covering diet, nutrition, exercise or weight loss. EVER. I've seen them for cosmetic surgery procedures docs can offer in their offices to boost their practice income. I've seen them on billing and coding practices. And of course on all the other medical topics: heart disease, diabetes, geriatrics, pediatrics, orthopedics, on and on, you name it. But NEVER, EVER diet, nutrition, exercise and weight loss. And I look at them all the time. I wonder why that is?0 -
She simply said not to go over 1200 calories and make sure I'm excersizing regularly.
Anybody else having alarm bells going off on that sentence alone? Let's say you do a lot of cardio. 300, 400, 500 calories. And you only eat 1000, 1100 calories. You are going to be netting 600-800 calories? That is what she is recommending?
If that is what she is saying, she is clearly out of her league. I'm sorry, but that is just bad medicine. Talk to her, but that is just so wrong it would be unbelievable if it really didn't illustrate what I think most docs know about diet, nutrition, exercise and weight loss.
You will need more than 1200 calories a day. As Leebestoad saud ALARM BELLS!!! Your body probably burns more than 1200 calories in a day if you were to stay in bed hence for any kind of function you will NEED more than that. Incorporating some strength training with your cardio will help burn the fat faster as your muscle will continue to burn fat as it is recovering.
You might want to see a registered dietitian and a personal trainer (make sure certified) and get their advice as well.0 -
You'll need to do resistance training and cardio. Keep changing it up so you confuse your muscles, if not they adjust after a while and you will not get the fat loss your after. The resistance training will keep your skin from getting flabby, it will also help you build lean muscle. Make sure you stay focused on nutrition. You'll need the fuel, drink lots of water0
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I've heard this, too. For some people who are morbidly obese, they need to get rid of A LOT of fat with cardio before they start incorporating anything else. The explanation I was given is because when you have that much fat in the way, you can't do the exercises correctly.0
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If I was in your position I'd go see the Doctor again and ask why he told you to only do cardio. There could be a reason he's not told you about. Just to be on the safe side, after all, you'd like to think that after gaining a medical degree, he'd know wtf he was talking about.
I don't disagree with the advice. Or the thoughts. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case. With what most doctors know about exercise and nutrition, you are more likely to get solid advice from them about your fantasy football team than you are about exercise and nutrition. Sad but true.
Source of this information? What percentage is "most"?
Knowing how much is (or to be specific, isn't) taught in medical school and how much is (or isn't) covered in medical specialty board tests. Knowing that any doctor worth their salt will refer a patient for diet question to a registered dietician. Even the speciality that probably needs diet knowledge the most, endocrinology, relies heavily on RDs for their expertise on diet and nutrition. There is too much information that is constantly evolving to worry about in the rest of the field of medicine. Nutrition, diet and exercise are miniscule parts at best.
But what makes you think "most" doctors don't do this? And what percentage don't do this?
What makes you think they do? How many people here have said "their doctor said do" x, y, z. Versus how many people have said "a registered dietician said i should do " x, y, z. I'm married to a doctor. I was with her throughout medical school and through her medical boards,and recertitifcations which she is going through right now. For the 3rd time. She just came back from a board review class sponsored by the Academy. I asked her how much of the time (almost 40 hours of class time) was spent on nutrition). Nothing specific, it was woven into the class, but about 1/2 of 1%. In other words, a couple of minutes throughout 40 hours. I glance at all the journals when they come in looking for articles on nutrition, diet, weight loss, diet, and the like. LIttle to nothing. That's just the way it is.
I never said anyone did anything. I questioned where you were getting these "statistics" of "most doctors ..." and what percentage = "most". But it seems it's just second hand opinion.
Put it this way: I have NEVER seen any CME (continuing medical education) classes offered covering diet, nutrition, exercise or weight loss. EVER. I've seen them for cosmetic surgery procedures docs can offer in their offices to boost their practice income. I've seen them on billing and coding practices. And of course on all the other medical topics: heart disease, diabetes, geriatrics, pediatrics, orthopedics, on and on, you name it. But NEVER, EVER diet, nutrition, exercise and weight loss. And I look at them all the time. I wonder why that is?
No need to SCREAM. I get it. You were just making an exaggerated statement based on your limited personal experience.0 -
If I was in your position I'd go see the Doctor again and ask why he told you to only do cardio. There could be a reason he's not told you about. Just to be on the safe side, after all, you'd like to think that after gaining a medical degree, he'd know wtf he was talking about.
I don't disagree with the advice. Or the thoughts. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case. With what most doctors know about exercise and nutrition, you are more likely to get solid advice from them about your fantasy football team than you are about exercise and nutrition. Sad but true.
Source of this information? What percentage is "most"?
Knowing how much is (or to be specific, isn't) taught in medical school and how much is (or isn't) covered in medical specialty board tests. Knowing that any doctor worth their salt will refer a patient for diet question to a registered dietician. Even the speciality that probably needs diet knowledge the most, endocrinology, relies heavily on RDs for their expertise on diet and nutrition. There is too much information that is constantly evolving to worry about in the rest of the field of medicine. Nutrition, diet and exercise are miniscule parts at best.
But what makes you think "most" doctors don't do this? And what percentage don't do this?
What makes you think they do? How many people here have said "their doctor said do" x, y, z. Versus how many people have said "a registered dietician said i should do " x, y, z. I'm married to a doctor. I was with her throughout medical school and through her medical boards,and recertitifcations which she is going through right now. For the 3rd time. She just came back from a board review class sponsored by the Academy. I asked her how much of the time (almost 40 hours of class time) was spent on nutrition). Nothing specific, it was woven into the class, but about 1/2 of 1%. In other words, a couple of minutes throughout 40 hours. I glance at all the journals when they come in looking for articles on nutrition, diet, weight loss, diet, and the like. LIttle to nothing. That's just the way it is.
I never said anyone did anything. I questioned where you were getting these "statistics" of "most doctors ..." and what percentage = "most". But it seems it's just second hand opinion.
Put it this way: I have NEVER seen any CME (continuing medical education) classes offered covering diet, nutrition, exercise or weight loss. EVER. I've seen them for cosmetic surgery procedures docs can offer in their offices to boost their practice income. I've seen them on billing and coding practices. And of course on all the other medical topics: heart disease, diabetes, geriatrics, pediatrics, orthopedics, on and on, you name it. But NEVER, EVER diet, nutrition, exercise and weight loss. And I look at them all the time. I wonder why that is?
No need to SCREAM. I get it. You were just making an exaggerated statement based on your limited personal experience.
In all fairness, his claims align with my experience too and I know many doctors on a personal level. None of them have had any classes in nutrition. So unless it's a personal interest, they are just as uneducated as many of us.0 -
Here you go. This may help. I strength train ...pretty much exclusively. Full body circuits, with intensity ....you will get the cardio with it. Excellent way to lose fat, develop muscle, body recomp. And! builds a great foundation fir maintaining your body. For LIFE.
As you will see from my pic if you read the article - I had FAT to burn : )
I'm a trainer now. primarily work with women over 40. Squats and deadlifts. That's how I roll !
http://eatmore2weighless.com/scale-goal-weight-and-bmi-charts/0 -
Too many people, including medical professionals, don't understand the different between weight training and strength training.
What they don't want is you (or anyone) hitting the weights and hurting yourself by lifting things too heavy for you. What is good for you is using appropriate (i.e. light at first) weights to get lots of different muscle groups used to working again. There's fat in all of them, and the best way to get it out is to work it out.
How good a shape is your Doctor in? Mine is a great guy and a good doc, but I wouldn't take advice on nutrition or exercise from a guy with a big paunch on him, as he does.0
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