Is there such a thing as too much cardio?

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shadowfax_3601
shadowfax_3601 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was on here a while back, then left, and now am back at it. I started Insanity last January, 2013, with great results, and then started walking/jogging at a local lake during the summer. I was up to 4 miles of jogging, but that was the only workouts I did. I didnt lose any weight for the past four months, and was jogging every chance I got. Now its winter and I cant jog at the lake, so I joined a gym a while back, and I am up to 6 miles on the treadmill, but still no weight loss.. and I mean none.. I dont eat anywhere near the calories I used to, and almost no eating out anymore. I just started tracking calories again this week, so although my diet may have something to do with it, I was wondering if doing only cardio is actually doing me no good.. I do still work in an insanity workout once or twice a week, but for the most part its all jogging.

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  • delaney056
    delaney056 Posts: 475
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    Do you do any resistance training?
    Any particular reason why you only jog?
    Your diet is most likely the reason why you aren't losing weight. Since you just started tracking this week, give it some time. I would also encourage you to add some form of resistance training into your exercise regimen.
    How often do you do cardio? It's not necessary to do cardio every day. I'd venture to say you might be overtraining also.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    You may be not eating enough. This is what caused me to be stuck in an 8 month plateau. I basically was exercising intensively and was not eating nearly as much as I should have. (Intense cardio daily, about 1500 cals/day). I increased my amount to 1900-2100 per day, and I have been losing weight like crazy.
  • shadowfax_3601
    shadowfax_3601 Posts: 8 Member
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    I just started doing some weight training on the machines this past week.. I know I shouldn't be intimidated by the weights, or the people that use them, but it seems like every time I try to go over and lift weights, I get embarrassed, and it lasts about five minutes. I am hoping this helps. I don't have any valid reason for only jogging, just something I set my mind to this past summer, and it was something I could do by myself, and outside when the weather was good. I am hoping that by tracking what I eat, I will pass on that doughnut the boss brings in a couple times a month. But for the past few months, it hasn't really mattered what I eat.. I started out last January at 275 lbs, and I am stuck at between 220 and 225.. and at 5'7", my goal last year was to get under 200.. and I got down to 225 by September, and thought I was going to make it.. but then it just stopped. I figured the more I jogged, the farther I went, the more calories I burn, the more weight I lose.. but its not working out that way.. I dont want to try eating more yet, but maybe more of the right things.. IDK.. Its frustrating..
  • DangerJim71
    DangerJim71 Posts: 361 Member
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    I do 10-18 hours of cardio per week depending on the season. Kinda hard to do "too much" cardio unless your trying to bulk up.

    I'm pretty fit btw although not as lean as I'd like but that's more of a diet issue than a cardio issue.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    It depends on your goals. For weight loss, all that matters is a calorie deficit. I would assume that you have not had one for awhile, and that is why you haven't been losing.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    You may be not eating enough. This is what caused me to be stuck in an 8 month plateau. I basically was exercising intensively and was not eating nearly as much as I should have. (Intense cardio daily, about 1500 cals/day). I increased my amount to 1900-2100 per day, and I have been losing weight like crazy.

    You were not stuck for 8 months because you were not eating enough. If that were true, no one would die of starvation. :ohwell:
  • meglizbo
    meglizbo Posts: 42
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    Honestly, it depends on the person. I had to stop doing Insanity because I could no longer sleep! I would raise my cortisol levels (stress hormones) to the point where my body would not wind down at night. Some people call it "chronic cardio" and while some can do it with little to no issues, others can't. Being part of the "can't" camp, I have found that I can work out as long as I like, just not at as high as an intensity. If I want an intense workout, it needs to be under 30 minutes, otherwise I can't sleep! The other thing is is that regardless of what I'm eating, if I do too much cardio I stop losing weight instantly. Do some research, and see what you can find! Everyone will tell you something different, but hey, everyone is different! You just have to find what works for you!

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