Does cardio really suck for fat loss?

It sounds like pretty much everyone is in agreement. Its possible to lose weight without exercise by having a calorie deficit. I find I can do some cardio without really eating any or much more that day, which makes it easier for me to set up that calorie deficit.

I feel that I do best when I incorporate both weight training and some cardio in my regime, as well as carefully tracking calories. This is an unbeatable combination. I wouldn't personally go to the gym just to do cardio, but I have started doing some after my weight training and it seems to be working. I also go for long walks and walk/runs outside when I can between gym visits. I believe low intensity is good as well as HIIT, although the jury is still out on the relative benefits. For somebody that is reasonably fit most seem to suggest it is the optimal way to go. I do lower intensity though!

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Totally agree...if what you are doing for cardio is something you hate, then find something else you like.....there are many, many options for cardio.

If you are finding your cardio routine boring than DO SOMETHING ELSE.

Doing exercise you find boring is just a form of torture. Make it interesting or find other forms of exercise you actually enjoy.

I did dancing for one year, great exercise and extremely enjoyable.

Most of my workout is cardio, but I also use weights. When I first started I did 15 to 20 minutes per machine. I did do a huge diet change. I hated cardio also. I take pictures every 4 weeks. I take measurements every 2 weeks. As I see my results, I have decided I love cardio and can't wait to hit the gym. My start weight was 226 pounds. I have lost 27 pounds since January 1,2014. I feel 100% healthier than I did 3 months ago. I think it's a combination of all 3. Good look finding what you like.

I attribute a lot of my weight loss to cardio. I truly hated it in the beginning, too. But then I bought a bike (the BF was getting one, so I got one to match on a lark), but then I fell in love with cycling (waaay more so than he did), I starting riding my bike more and more and more, and the pounds really started to fall off. Now I bike about 6000 miles a year and I'm nearly 100 lbs lighter.
If you can find exercise (any exercise - cardio or strength) that you really enjoy, then it will make weight loss a lot less work. I'm sure you could lose weight without cardio, but it might not be as fast (or easy & fun as it was in my case). Good luck finding a system that works for you!

Your calorie deficit is why contributes to weight loss not specific exercises. Exercise is for fitness. Diet is for weight loss

Just not true. Any exercise burns calories and therefore leads to weight loss. It also leads to increased fitness. Anything which contributes to a defecit helps.

Yes it is. All that is required to lose weight is a calorie deficit. The proof is in the people who lose weight without exercise.

Yes but they're saying that exercises INCREASES your caloric deficit therefore aiding weight loss...

That's true, exercise DOES raise your calorie deficit, but it's not required to lose weight. The OP hates cardio, and if you hate doing something you might as well find something you like to do.

If a person wants to exercise, there are a whole lot of other options out there, such as weightlifting, yoga, walking (this can be cardio if you walk really fast, but it does not have to be), and probably other things.

If you don't exercise, you won't get the benefits of cardio, such as lots of endurance and being able to eat more, but you can still lose weight.

Your calorie deficit is why contributes to weight loss not specific exercises. Exercise is for fitness. Diet is for weight loss

Just not true. Any exercise burns calories and therefore leads to weight loss. It also leads to increased fitness. Anything which contributes to a defecit helps.

Yes it is. All that is required to lose weight is a calorie deficit. The proof is in the people who lose weight without exercise.

Reading comprehension would help here.

I was disagreeing with his statemement that exercise is not for weight loss. It is and can be. More than eating less can cause the needed deficit, one of those things being exercise. Exercise uses calories. Its not difficult to understand what I meant, just easier to misunderstand i guess. Maybe thats my fault? Possibly my bad explanation?

Thank you for clearing that up.

Really nobody is at fault. You disagreed with someone who basically said that weight loss starts in the kitchen and fitness starts in the gym. That's okay, I just respectfully disagreed with you. Exercise really is not for weight loss, though it does contribute due to calorie burns. There are many people who cannot exercise for whatever reason, or who simply don't want to exercise, and they lose weight just fine.

Oh, and by the way, I am 100% for exercise due to my own experience. I love my cardio and my weight lifting. While they most certainly have contributed to my weight loss, they have contributed much more to my endurance, my general health, and strength.

Your calorie deficit is why contributes to weight loss not specific exercises. Exercise is for fitness. Diet is for weight loss

Just not true. Any exercise burns calories and therefore leads to weight loss. It also leads to increased fitness. Anything which contributes to a defecit helps.

Yes it is. All that is required to lose weight is a calorie deficit. The proof is in the people who lose weight without exercise.

Reading comprehension would help here.

I was disagreeing with his statemement that exercise is not for weight loss. It is and can be. More than eating less can cause the needed deficit, one of those things being exercise. Exercise uses calories. Its not difficult to understand what I meant, just easier to misunderstand i guess. Maybe thats my fault? Possibly my bad explanation?

Thank you for clearing that up.

Really nobody is at fault. You disagreed with someone who basically said that weight loss starts in the kitchen and fitness starts in the gym. That's okay, I just respectfully disagreed with you. Exercise really is not for weight loss, though it does contribute due to calorie burns. There are many people who cannot exercise for whatever reason, or who simply don't want to exercise, and they lose weight just fine.

Oh, and by the way, I am 100% for exercise due to my own experience. I love my cardio and my weight lifting. While they most certainly have contributed to my weight loss, they have contributed much more to my endurance, my general health, and strength.

Oh, I agree with you. What I was saying was fueled by the Original posters question about being told that her cardio wasn't helping her weightloss. Any form of exercise will help with weightloss. I wasn't disagreeing about it helping endurance or making anyone more fit. That is its main purpose in life. I just felt compelled to point out (in case anyone starting out read the post and thought that exercise wouldn't help them lose weight) that it will help. I wasn't trying to cause any argument. Anyhoo, me typing isn't enough exercise for me to lose weight. :laugh:

If you hate cardio, then maybe you should mix it up with some strength training.

I do cardio but I like it.

When you lose fat, it is from eating less calories than you burn. The cardio component is just there to help you burn more calories, which aids in fat loss.

I entertain myself by setting a new goal each week e.g. to run 5 minutes longer at 0.5mph faster. I also do intervals when running. I do agree it can get boring, make sure you incorporate a couple of strength workouts. Use it as a time to think! I don't know what your life is like but I am so busy with work, house stuff etc. I use my time on the treadmill and bike to get my head straight - make plans!

I don't mind cardio but just wish I had time for everything I wanted to do...cardio, weight, ballet, yoga...

Cardio burns calories, therefore it aids in weight loss. But exercise only burns a small percentage of what your body will naturally burn in a day through metabolic activity.

In the long run, exercise is an excellent habit that will help keep you healthy and feeling good. It is a good way to develop positive, lifelong habits.

Cardio helps with creating a deficit, but you don't have to do it if it really bothers you that much...Just start running sprints instead of 30 minutes of boring running. You can do sprints for 1/3rd the time and get a far better cardio workout.

I am your opposite - I LOVE cardio, hate weights. But for me, cardio is not a treadmill, elliptical, or any machine in a gym. It's walking outside, doing an aerobics class (love Zumba and step!!! Hate Boot Camp!!!), or swimming. Cardio is important for overall fitness, but you don't need it for weight loss as long as you are burning calories doing something else, as others have pointed out.

nb: I know that the other stuff (weights, etc) is also important for fitness. But I can't bring myself to sacrifice cardio time for that - yet...