Lose weight with cardio
F_Jan
Posts: 4 Member
Hi, Im just starting my weightloss and fitness journey. I want to lose body fat. Is it a good strategy to start by doing zumba for an hour ,3 days a week. Keeping my diet clean?
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Replies
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You lose body fat by consuming less calories than you expend (and it has nothing to do with eating "clean", by whatever one's definition of that is).
Cardio can help establish that calorie deficit and exercise is a great idea for a number of reasons, but calorie intake should be your first priority. It's very easy to out-eat your exercise.12 -
Also, don't underestimate weightlifting.9
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Eat less and/or move more = success. Adding zumba will help burn calories, but you still need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, regardless of your activity level.
A clean diet has many definitions, but sometimes clean is high in calories. Count calories, eat in a deficit and you will see results.8 -
Here's how to lose weight with cardio:
Step 1: Be very fit
Step 2: Maintain your fitness with a high training volume.
For example, if you're a cyclist, have an FTP over 200 watts, such that 140w which is 500 calories per hour, is an easy ride. Ride 12 hours per week. Or, if you're a runner, be fit enough to run 12 hours per week at a good pace.
Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.7 -
I kept my diet mostly clean** and exercised energetically for at least 5-6 hours a week for a dozen years, and stayed obese (though I did get a lot more fit and athletic despite the obesity).
When I started eating the right number of calories, I lost weight quite expeditiously.
It's easy to out-eat almost any level of exercise, whether eating clean or dirty.
** "Eating clean" is not even remotely well-defined terminology. Normally I wouldn't use the phrase, because I think it's meaningless. However, I've read other people's diverse definitions, and I was mostly eating clean according to most of those, plus I've had other people call my eating that, even though I unequivocally reject the term.
Eat a balanced diet with plenty of nutritious food. Occasional treats are fine, too.
Editing to add: Zumba 3 times a week; eating a balanced, nutritious diet; and sticking to a sensibly moderate calorie deficit would be a good way to lose body fat. Adding some kind of strength training would also be a fine idea, as would making sure to get plenty of protein in that balanced diet.
Reasonable calories for weight management + balanced, adequate macro/micronutrients for nutrition + exercise for fitness = best odds of long term good health and good appearance.7 -
rfreitas1848 wrote: »Also, don't underestimate weightlifting.
I agree that weight lifting/strength training is useful, not matter how much I hate it, but it's not going to help the OP lose weight if they aren't eating in a deficit.3 -
The heavier you are, the more calories you burn walking. Here is a great calorie calculator that factors in weifht and incline. http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/walking-calorie-burn-calculator.shtml
I walk every day, and burn 700 cal, eat back 200, and lose an extra pound per week beyond my MFP target.1 -
I kept my diet mostly clean** and exercised energetically for at least 5-6 hours a week for a dozen years, and stayed obese (though I did get a lot more fit and athletic despite the obesity).
There was an Indian restaurant about a mile from where I used to live. Order seating in the summer. They let me bring my bike in, or at my table if I was eating outdoors. So I would stop there for dinner on the way home from a long ride. And since I had just done 30 miles (about 1,000 calories, although at the time I believed my HRM which said 3 times as many) I deserved a side of butter naan and some paneer pakoras along with my curry dish.
I don't know if that's clean or not, but I lost the weight I had put on when I started getting realistic about calories.7 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Here's how to lose weight with cardio:
Step 1: Be very fit
Step 2: Maintain your fitness with a high training volume.
For example, if you're a cyclist, have an FTP over 200 watts, such that 140w which is 500 calories per hour, is an easy ride. Ride 12 hours per week. Or, if you're a runner, be fit enough to run 12 hours per week at a good pace.
Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.
Even if you ride or run 12 hours a week, you can't outrun your fork.6 -
CarvedTones wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Here's how to lose weight with cardio:
Step 1: Be very fit
Step 2: Maintain your fitness with a high training volume.
For example, if you're a cyclist, have an FTP over 200 watts, such that 140w which is 500 calories per hour, is an easy ride. Ride 12 hours per week. Or, if you're a runner, be fit enough to run 12 hours per week at a good pace.
Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.
Even if you ride or run 12 hours a week, you can't outrun your fork.
That kinda depends what you put on your fork, wouldn't you say...?9 -
Diet is first and foremost. It will take some experimentation but if you can work with your body in terms of food and how it effects you, the whole process will be much easier. Also, realise that it can be a learning curve and that you're not going to know how steep (or shallow) it is until you start figuring out your diet.
As for exercise, make sure it's something you're going to enjoy, otherwise you're going to lose interest pretty quickly. I will say, if weights are your thing and you have a lot of weight, please pony up for a personal trainer, even if it's just for a month. Correct form is everything and you can do more harm than good (speaking from expereince, having diastasis recti).
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NorthCascades wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Here's how to lose weight with cardio:
Step 1: Be very fit
Step 2: Maintain your fitness with a high training volume.
For example, if you're a cyclist, have an FTP over 200 watts, such that 140w which is 500 calories per hour, is an easy ride. Ride 12 hours per week. Or, if you're a runner, be fit enough to run 12 hours per week at a good pace.
Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.
Even if you ride or run 12 hours a week, you can't outrun your fork.
That kinda depends what you put on your fork, wouldn't you say...?
Yes, but if you max out exercise and eating, eating will "win".2 -
What do you mean by "max out?"5
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Hi, Im just starting my weightloss and fitness journey. I want to lose body fat. Is it a good strategy to start by doing zumba for an hour ,3 days a week. Keeping my diet clean?
I am a testament to Zumba. I calculated my TDEE and ate at a deficit, roughly 500 calories less a day than TDEE and I did Zumba 3x a week. I eat nutritious foods but don't have anything on a "NO" list so I make treats work in. My Zumba teacher happens to be intense! But the combo of these things led me to almost a 50 pound loss over 48 weeks. I peppered in strength training but I wasn't consistent with it. Like @lee0806mfp1 said, you HAVE to like your workouts for the most part. If I did the calorie deficit along with 3x a week on the treadmill, I would have lost all motivation and interest in less than a month.3 -
NorthCascades wrote: »What do you mean by "max out?"
As much as you can fit into your normal life - working, sleeping and doing things besides just exercise in your free time. The problem with maxing out eating is you can do it while working, while doing things in your free time and even intermingled with exercise. Some people precede a 45 minute not really all that intense gym routine by eating a 400+ calorie mega protein bar then log an hour (because they were at the gym an hour) of circuit training or cardio with whatever machine they were on most and they they come away from that with what they thin is a deficit.2 -
Well, if you're eating as much as you can possibly fit into your day, you don't have any time for exercise, work, relationships, etc.
Bet let's limit this to real life.2 -
CarvedTones wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Here's how to lose weight with cardio:
Step 1: Be very fit
Step 2: Maintain your fitness with a high training volume.
For example, if you're a cyclist, have an FTP over 200 watts, such that 140w which is 500 calories per hour, is an easy ride. Ride 12 hours per week. Or, if you're a runner, be fit enough to run 12 hours per week at a good pace.
Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.
Even if you ride or run 12 hours a week, you can't outrun your fork.
That kinda depends what you put on your fork, wouldn't you say...?
Yes, but if you max out exercise and eating, eating will "win".
Might win would be more accurate, there are very few absolutes.
When you get into double digit hours of exercise it can actually become hard to eat enough. Last week of my recent training block I had circa 18hrs worth of exercise calories to eat and fewer meal times in which to eat my allowance plus suppressed appetite as well.
Wasn't aiming to lose weight but I did.NorthCascades wrote: »Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.
Very true.2 -
Hi, Im just starting my weightloss and fitness journey. I want to lose body fat. Is it a good strategy to start by doing zumba for an hour ,3 days a week. Keeping my diet clean?
Calories in vs. calories out. You can eat clean (whatever your definition is) or "dirty," weight loss still comes from a calorie deficit.
Do zumba if you enjoy it. Find ways to move more (calories out). Then manage your calorie intake too. Managing intake is often an easier (more consistent) way to build a calorie deficit. It may take an hour of zumba to burn off 1 candy bar.
Strength training can help you keep the lean muscle loss to a minimum. Look for a way to incorporate that too.2 -
Hi, Im just starting my weightloss and fitness journey. I want to lose body fat. Is it a good strategy to start by doing zumba for an hour ,3 days a week. Keeping my diet clean?
If you like zumba, go for it. But it will not be enough for weight loss if you do not monitor your calories. You can easily eat all the zumba calories back without even noticing.2 -
CarvedTones wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »CarvedTones wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Here's how to lose weight with cardio:
Step 1: Be very fit
Step 2: Maintain your fitness with a high training volume.
For example, if you're a cyclist, have an FTP over 200 watts, such that 140w which is 500 calories per hour, is an easy ride. Ride 12 hours per week. Or, if you're a runner, be fit enough to run 12 hours per week at a good pace.
Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.
Even if you ride or run 12 hours a week, you can't outrun your fork.
That kinda depends what you put on your fork, wouldn't you say...?
Yes, but if you max out exercise and eating, eating will "win".
Might win would be more accurate, there are very few absolutes.
When you get into double digit hours of exercise it can actually become hard to eat enough. Last week of my recent training block I had circa 18hrs worth of exercise calories to eat and fewer meal times in which to eat my allowance plus suppressed appetite as well.
Wasn't aiming to lose weight but I did.NorthCascades wrote: »Unfortunately, due to the universe having a sense of humor, this isn't really available to the people who could benefit from it the most. So it winds up mostly being about how much you eat.
Very true.
Yesterday it was supposed to rain but it was sunny instead, and I had some free time after work. So I can rode my bike for two happy hours. I had a large and satisfying dinner, but still had 1,100 calories left for the day. And I was under my carb goal. The situation required a pint of coffee iced cream, which will help me ride today in a spirited manner.
This goes back to what I said originally. Using cardio as a significant contributor to weight loss requires a high level of fitness. It's not for people who are starting in their journey.6 -
I don't know what kind of world you guys are in but I probably exercised 15 hours this week and I know I could put on weight if I tried. I can eat an entire jar of PB with a spoon and last I checked that's nearly a marathon's worth of calories. Yeah, it's much harder, I'll give you that. When I lost my weight six years ago, I knew a guy online that was started running around when I did and he lost around the same weight I did - 60/70 lbs. He's now an ultramarathoner. He runs around 150 miles a week but he's gained nearly the entire 60/70 lbs back. You can exercise insane amounts and still eat enough to outdo the calories burned.5
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MikePfirrman wrote: »I don't know what kind of world you guys are in but I probably exercised 15 hours this week and I know I could put on weight if I tried. I can eat an entire jar of PB with a spoon and last I checked that's nearly a marathon's worth of calories. Yeah, it's much harder, I'll give you that. When I lost my weight six years ago, I knew a guy online that was started running around when I did and he lost around the same weight I did - 60/70 lbs. He's now an ultramarathoner. He runs around 150 miles a week but he's gained nearly the entire 60/70 lbs back. You can exercise insane amounts and still eat enough to outdo the calories burned.
The same world as you Mike.
Just because you could or would eat an entire jar of PB doesn't mean others can or would.
My point is it is possible for some to exercise at a level where they can't keep up their calorie intake, just as it's possible for some others to exercise an extreme amount and still over-eat like your online buddy.
I've felt absolutely stuffed to bursting point with a 5000 cal intake and still had a 1500 deficit on rare occasions.
On the other hand some TdF riders are eating 6500 a day for 3 weeks and maintaining their weight with diligent effort.
It's the absolutism I'm disagreeing with.
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MikePfirrman wrote: »I don't know what kind of world you guys are in but I probably exercised 15 hours this week and I know I could put on weight if I tried. I can eat an entire jar of PB with a spoon and last I checked that's nearly a marathon's worth of calories. Yeah, it's much harder, I'll give you that. When I lost my weight six years ago, I knew a guy online that was started running around when I did and he lost around the same weight I did - 60/70 lbs. He's now an ultramarathoner. He runs around 150 miles a week but he's gained nearly the entire 60/70 lbs back. You can exercise insane amounts and still eat enough to outdo the calories burned.
So when people say "nobody can outrun their fork," what they really mean is "I knew this one guy who made bad choices."
That's fine, but let's please stop pretending that everybody has to make bad choices.
I mean, sometimes people die from being hit by a car, but we don't classify cars as weapons.7 -
Man, I won't try to speak for anyone else on this "max out" idea, but it would be dead easy for me to eat 5000 calories every single day, and not at all practical to get the daily 3000 calories or so over NEAT to offset it. YMMV, fer shure.7
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Just disagreeing with the notion that some have reached a level of training that it's nearly impossible to gain weight.5
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MikePfirrman wrote: »I don't know what kind of world you guys are in but I probably exercised 15 hours this week and I know I could put on weight if I tried. I can eat an entire jar of PB with a spoon and last I checked that's nearly a marathon's worth of calories. Yeah, it's much harder, I'll give you that. When I lost my weight six years ago, I knew a guy online that was started running around when I did and he lost around the same weight I did - 60/70 lbs. He's now an ultramarathoner. He runs around 150 miles a week but he's gained nearly the entire 60/70 lbs back. You can exercise insane amounts and still eat enough to outdo the calories burned.
I think the thing is that some of us don't actually want to eat an entire jar of PB. That's a bit of a cop-out becasue I don't actually like PB but I also wouldn't want to eat an entire jar of Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter. Yesterday I burned around ~1,050 calories after riding for a little over two hours so I could work on getting the last of the races and group rides in for the Zwift Academy (no, lets not pretend I'm even close to in the running for a pro contract) while avoiding the Innsbruck course. I ended up with around 800 calories left and that was after eating an ice cream sandwich that was 470 calories. Said ice cream sandwich is fewer calories than I burned on the Zwift group ride I finished 25 min ago.
When push comes to shove, I don't typically eat a lot of calorie dense foods unless I'm cooking with coconut milk, I've baked something or have bought something that's baked (like a loaf of bread, a pastry, or a slice of cake). That is why if I'm cycling on a regular basis, it's fairly reliable that I'll lose weight without a whole lot of effort.5 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »Just disagreeing with the notion that some have reached a level of training that it's nearly impossible to gain weight.
Would I be right in guessing you don't do endurance cardio?7 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »Just disagreeing with the notion that some have reached a level of training that it's nearly impossible to gain weight.
Some people here or some people generally? One of the major issues for the chefs of cycling teams that ride at grand tours is making food palatable enough that riders will actually want to eat it. It's not because they cook bad food, it's because the riders have to consume massive amounts of calories and they get tired of eating. There's an interesting documentary on Amazon Prime looking at this from the chef's perspective. And no - it's not a bunch of pseudoscience and BS.5 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »Just disagreeing with the notion that some have reached a level of training that it's nearly impossible to gain weight.
I don't think anybody is saying you can exercise so much it's impossible to lose weight.
I'm saying for a person whose goal it is to lose weight, and who has basic common sense, exercise can play a substantial roller in the process, given enough fitness. That's absolutely true, you can tell from math and from many people's experience.3 -
Man, I won't try to speak for anyone else on this "max out" idea, but it would be dead easy for me to eat 5000 calories every single day, and not at all practical to get the daily 3000 calories or so over NEAT to offset it. YMMV, fer shure.
I could eat 5,000 calories in a day, I think. But there's no way I could do it more than a few days in a row.4
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