Do I HAVE to do cardio to lose weight?

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Replies

  • cokefloat1
    cokefloat1 Posts: 86 Member
    Think you need to find the right kind of cardio. I know a couple that are good....!





    Tennis and Dance Central you dirty minded people!
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    Weight loss = Calorie Deficit
    Heart health = Cario exercises (walking, running, cycling, etc.)
    Body comp and toning = Strength exercise

    A healthy way to lose weight is a combination of everything.

    I think this an excellent summary. I like cardio because it makes me feel healthy, and powerful. I went from not being able to run a block without being winded to being able to run close to a 5k. (actually running my first 5k next month!)

    Find a form of cardio you like, it's not just running! Try biking, rowing, hiking, etc. and find something you enjoy doing. If you enjoy it, it's easier to stick too!
  • amw1919
    amw1919 Posts: 74 Member
    I used to be exactly like you! I HATED cardio with a passion and swore by strength training. Until I gave cardio another try and saw how much faster the results came for me. The important thing for me is to make it enjoyable and mix it up. My fiance and I will cycle for 2-3 hours and have a great time while doing it - all the while burning lots of calories. Or I'll get into a tv series and do the elliptical while watching an episode. I just have to keep my mind off of the fact that I'm doing cardio. Also, as mentioned before, it allows you to eat more calories on those hungry days! Good luck!!
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I used to be exactly like you! I HATED cardio with a passion and swore by strength training. Until I gave cardio another try and saw how much faster the results came for me. The important thing for me is to make it enjoyable and mix it up. My fiance and I will cycle for 2-3 hours and have a great time while doing it - all the while burning lots of calories. Or I'll get into a tv series and do the elliptical while watching an episode. I just have to keep my mind off of the fact that I'm doing cardio. Also, as mentioned before, it allows you to eat more calories on those hungry days! Good luck!!
    I have a love / hate relationship with cardio. I love to do it outside in the right conditions but hate doing it inside or in bad weather or outside once it gets dark. I agree on switching it up too. Sometimes I'll run different distances or walk my dogs a couple of miles. Other times I'll use my rowing machine or hit a heavy bag. I need to do more of all of the above though, time management is the enemy though as I only have a limited time before it starts gettting dark after work.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    Cardio is not as bad as you make it seem when you find something that you love to do. I get soooo bored quick of just the basic walking or even workout programs that are suppose to last a month or 2. After week to I am totally bored and need something different. Now I am doing zumba on my wii. It is fun to me and its like normal dancing. Maybe get in the pool. Summer time is coming and we all love the pool or the beach. Walking gets boring but it is super easy. It couldn't hurt to keep looking for something that you love, before totally disregarding all cardio. It is not necessary for weight loss, but it is very good for your health and it does give you more of a deficit to work with. 20 minutes 2-3 days a week simply cannot be that bad.
  • blb85
    blb85 Posts: 187 Member
    I just posted on your other topic that you posted regarding "not seeing much of a difference in body/weight" and I know you want to lose 2 lbs a week... The only way you will come close to that number is by doing cardio as well! You need to create a calorie deficit that comes from nutrition (usually 250 deficit a day) and exercise (another 250 deficit a day) for a 500 deficit a day which adds up to 3,500 a week (3,500 calories = 1 pound). You do the math.

    I recommend checking-out a website like this: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ so you know an estimate of your metabolism is a day, and go from there.
  • 1911JR
    1911JR Posts: 276
    I'm reading everywhere that either I do or I don't so It's kind of confusing. I just want to know if it's possible for me to depend solely on strength training and calorie deficit, because in all honestly, cardio makes me lose motivation to lose weight! It's just so tedious and takes so long that I lose motivation and I get lazy pretty quickly. However, with strength training I'm only doing about 30 minutes, it's not all this jumping around, and I just prefer it a lot more to doing any cardio. I also feel like I get a better workout because my heart rate is up the entire 30 minutes. I'll be spending a lot of time at home for the next few months since I'm taking classes online, don't have a car right now, and I'm staying in a small town with not much to do and no trails to walk. I definitely won't be getting a lot of walking done so I'm wondering if I should still be adding in cardio because of that or if it's okay to do strength training 3x a week to lose weight. Thank you!!:)


    Honestly, the more you read the more confused you will be. Now are you ready for the truth?

    Well here it is, trade the time that your reading posts and searching for answers on the internet in for a walk. And if walking is not good in your area. Do some high knees and squats and donkey kicks. So step away from the keyboard and move that body! You can even crank up the music and dance a few songs! Make it fun.......
  • DebbieGo52
    DebbieGo52 Posts: 11 Member
    Its that whole calories in, calories out, but you will tone up quicker as muscle takes up 3 times less space. So you will look smaller with less weight loss. I figure you can't go wrong adding cardio, they are lots of different types, find something that you really like.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    I used to be exactly like you! I HATED cardio with a passion and swore by strength training. Until I gave cardio another try and saw how much faster the results came for me. The important thing for me is to make it enjoyable and mix it up. My fiance and I will cycle for 2-3 hours and have a great time while doing it - all the while burning lots of calories. Or I'll get into a tv series and do the elliptical while watching an episode. I just have to keep my mind off of the fact that I'm doing cardio. Also, as mentioned before, it allows you to eat more calories on those hungry days! Good luck!!

    Completely agree! It's so important to find cardio you like - I tried running and I hated it!! Not because it hurt and I struggled, but I just wasnt into it. So in comes a friend who goes to the same gym I do and she suggested I try a spin class. I know spin isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for me! I spin 2-3 days/week and lift 3 days. I love it and for me it works - my butt looks way better and my legs aren't just big, they're shapely ;)

    Find what works for you and you will look forward to doing it!

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