cardio or weights that is the question

lkoconnell
lkoconnell Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
I am all over the place with this. I'm hoping someone can help she'd some light on this for me. What is better for losing pounds and inches? Strength training or cardio? Here's what I've been committed to doing for the last 4 months: 4 days weights and short cardio (1-2 miles treadmill 12 min mile) then 2 days of heavy cardio only ( 15 min. each on stairclimber, elliptical, treadmill) on these days I do intervals so like 2 min high intensity then 1 min slower. According to MFP I am allowed 1540 calories to lose 1 lb a week. I'm not always under my calories but I am very close i see or just a smidge over sometimes. Nothing ever too drastic.. I don't binge on junk, I try to make the healthiest choices possible without being really crazy about food.
I have not lost a single pound nor inch. My clothes fit exactly the same. So any suggestions? Should I just stick to cardio and forget weight training? I've read such differing opinions in all the googling I've done on this subject. Thanks everyone for letting get my rant on....

Replies

  • DebTavares
    DebTavares Posts: 170 Member
    Are you eating your exercise calories back?
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    Ok so if you're working out that much I would think you're actually eating much more than you think . . . or you're not burning as many calories as you think.

    Do you measure accurately what you eat? MFP is set up so that your goal for the day is actually already at a deficit so I would think that if you're truly exercising that much than I would think your exercising is not burning as many calories or you're eating more than you think.

    I am losing on around 2,000 calories a day and exercising 5 - 6 days/week so there has to be something up with either your intake or your output.

    As for what's more effective - it depends on what you want.

    Cardio calories are really only good for today, where as when you weight train you're building muscle to increase your BMR/TDEE because muscles will burn calories at rest more than fat.

    Cario and HIIT will burn fat faster, but weights will provide results long term. I would think that you'd want a combination of both, although if you're relatively new to exercising perhaps heavier on cardio until you've burned some of the fat and your body is slightly more conditioned than what it is now.

    How long have you been exercising for? And how long have you been eating this way for?

    Also, some others may want you to open your diary to provide more detailed feedback.

    Best of luck!!
  • lkoconnell
    lkoconnell Posts: 21
    No, my net calorie intake for the day is right around what I'm allowed. So if i understand it correctly my net calories for the day should be 1540 or there abouts to lose 1 lb a week
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Do you weigh your food with a scale? Are you comfortable opening your diary?

    I do both cardio and weights - it's because I not only want a healthy heart, but I want toned muscles, too. It really depends on what your end goal is.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    No, my net calorie intake for the day is right around what I'm allowed. So if i understand it correctly my net calories for the day should be 1540 or there abouts to lose 1 lb a week

    Yes pretty much . . . if you eat 2,200 calories but you burn off 500 then your body is actually only getting 1,700 calories for the day. You should net somewhere between your BMR and TDEE . . . and there's so many sites for figuring that out based on lifestyle, job activity, how active you are, age, weight, height, etc.
  • lkoconnell
    lkoconnell Posts: 21
    Thank you :O)
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    Do you weigh your food with a scale? Are you comfortable opening your diary?

    I do both cardio and weights - it's because I not only want a healthy heart, but I want toned muscles, too. It really depends on what your end goal is.

    You can't really "tone" your muscles in the sense that most people think you can - essentially we all have a six pack of abs because that's the shape of those muscles, just most of us have a layer (or in my case tons of layers) of fat over top of them.

    When you weight train, you're growing the muscles - they don't essentially change shape or tone, you're just growing them and in turn they will burn off the layers of fat which will give you the definition you're looking for.

    But I do the same thing - I was only doing weights/heavy lifting for a while but cardio and HIIT can definitely push my results and help with heart recovery and lower resting heart rate.

    Good Luck!!!
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    No, my net calorie intake for the day is right around what I'm allowed. So if i understand it correctly my net calories for the day should be 1540 or there abouts to lose 1 lb a week

    Yes pretty much . . . if you eat 2,200 calories but you burn off 500 then your body is actually only getting 1,700 calories for the day. You should net somewhere between your BMR and TDEE . . . and there's so many sites for figuring that out based on lifestyle, job activity, how active you are, age, weight, height, etc.

    This is true, but it's also crucial that you're logging your food correctly, and entering your exercise correctly. If you don't, you could very well be burning less or eating more than you think, and you won't lose the weight because those numbers aren't accurate.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    This is why if you have a regular exercise schedule I prefer to work with gross numbers.

    The answer to original question is you should do a bit of both. No requirement for fat loss to do cardio but it helps create a deficit and being fit is a good thing. Fat loss requires strength training to maintain LBM.

    It seems like you are underestimating cals or overestimating activity to me.
  • lkoconnell
    lkoconnell Posts: 21
    Thanks to everyone who has responded. I've concluded that I do need to be more deliberate and precise with food measurement. So ill give it a go and see what happens. Cheers

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