Fat Loss - Best Exercise?

Thunderfan66
Thunderfan66 Posts: 105 Member
edited November 18 in Fitness and Exercise
What is the best exercise for faster fat loss? I am trying to lose a couple of kilos only but not having much luck. I've been eating well, doing 2x weight sessions, 1x yoga session, 3x dance classes and a 5km run per week. I don't have time to fit MORE in, so I'm just wondering if I should up the cardio and drop the weights for a couple of weeks to make more progress - or not???

Replies

  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    How much are you eating and how did you determine that goal?

    Do you weigh and measure all of your food?
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    2 things I would do.... I would start measuring/weighing all my foods and I would up my weights sessions and do less cardio.
  • Thunderfan66
    Thunderfan66 Posts: 105 Member
    I determined that goal by how much I weigh now and how I feel when I'm at a particular weight - to be exact I'd like to lose about 3.5kg.

    My diet pretty much consists of eggs, tomato and mushrooms for breakfast, carrot sticks and hummus for morning snack, chicken and salad plus an apple for lunch, protein bar in the afternoon and some kind of meat with vegies at night, plus 20g of dark chocolate if I feel like something sweet. I don't weigh and measure it all but I used to, and I feel like my portion sizes are not out of control.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    Thunderfan66 wrote: »
    I determined that goal by how much I weigh now and how I feel when I'm at a particular weight - to be exact I'd like to lose about 3.5kg.

    My diet pretty much consists of eggs, tomato and mushrooms for breakfast, carrot sticks and hummus for morning snack, chicken and salad plus an apple for lunch, protein bar in the afternoon and some kind of meat with vegies at night, plus 20g of dark chocolate if I feel like something sweet. I don't weigh and measure it all but I used to, and I feel like my portion sizes are not out of control.

    Yeah, but how many calories are you eating? Do you eat back your exercise calories? If you aren't losing weight, you are likely eating more than you think. Tighten up your logging for a few weeks and see how it goes.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    strong_curves wrote: »
    2 things I would do.... I would start measuring/weighing all my foods and I would up my weights sessions and do less cardio.

    Definitely this. Heavy weights at least 3-5x a week and short 20 minute HIIT cardio sessions 3x per week.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    HIIT will usually produce a slightly higher RMR and you burn more fat at rest than any other time during the day (even versus exercising). The key is REALLY doing HIIT. Lots of people claim they do, then when I see them after an interval casually talking to someone beside them, it's more like 65% effort than 85%-90% effort on the interval they did. GASPING for air should be a good indicator.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • Thunderfan66
    Thunderfan66 Posts: 105 Member
    What's the best type of HIIT to do? I have been doing a bit of running on the treadmill - 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off. But I'm happy to change it up.

    Doing heavy weights 3x a week and Cardio 3x a week won't happen, unless I could fit them into an hour session (20 mins cardio and 40 mins weights). The yoga classes and dance classes are non-negotiable, so all I really have to play with is the 2x weights sessions and the 5km run. I could possibly squeeze in one more session but that's it - my time is so committed with dance (teaching and doing it myself) and they can't be changed - currently out 5 nights a week with those classes.

    If someone could recommend a scenario involving 20 mins cardio and 40 mins weights that would be effective, I'm happy to try it!
  • JoKessho
    JoKessho Posts: 108 Member
    edited May 2015
    Thunderfan66 wrote: »
    What is the best exercise for faster fat loss?

    Sleep.
    After that, HIIT. Any kind, just make sure you push yourself, so that you can't do it for more than about 15 min

    Edit: if you can combine cardio and weights for a HIIT session try:
    -60 s sprint
    -a weight exercise of choice to perform until failure
    -50 s sprint
    -a weight exercise of choice to perform until failure
    Repeat this down to 10 s
    Very effective and it doesn't even take that long
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
    Best exercise for fat loss: counting calories and maintaining a deficit.
  • brad837
    brad837 Posts: 53 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    HIIT will usually produce a slightly higher RMR and you burn more fat at rest than any other time during the day (even versus exercising). The key is REALLY doing HIIT. Lots of people claim they do, then when I see them after an interval casually talking to someone beside them, it's more like 65% effort than 85%-90% effort on the interval they did. GASPING for air should be a good indicator.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    One of the best posts I've read on MFP...

    What he said!!!
  • mrsj40uk
    mrsj40uk Posts: 3 Member
    Running has always been the best weight loss tool for me. Along with weights. Cardio is essential for weight loss and fitness.
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