Cardio or weights to lose body fat??

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Can someone tell me which is best thing to use in the gym to lose body fat?? I do alot of cardio and dont seem to be seeing much improvement on the scales

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  • bex220712
    bex220712 Posts: 17 Member
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    I'm already doing that. I do a hour of cardio 5 times a week and not seeing much improvement on the scale?
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Calorie deficit to lose weight most importantly. Lifting weights can help retain muscle as you lose so the weight lost is more fat vs muscle and you end up with a more defined appearance and more optimal lowering of bodyfat %. Cardio is great for health and burning calories.
  • bex220712
    bex220712 Posts: 17 Member
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    Yes I weigh my food. And I dont eat any of my exercise calories. Some days I struggle to eat my calorie intake. I have lost quite abit since Jan but was doing more swimming than gym. I also use the boditrax machine to weigh. My muscle has increased. I am quite strict on self so dont snack on bad things etc. Just baffles me how gym doesn't seem to be helping. I'm going to speak to one of the trainers and aww what they suggest
  • liz0269
    liz0269 Posts: 139 Member
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    I know when I first started, it took about a month before it started showing up on the scale. I lost two pounds but went from a size 14 to a 12. Are you measuring inches?
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
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    How long have you been doing this routine?
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
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    bex220712 wrote: »
    Can someone tell me which is best thing to use in the gym to lose body fat?? I do alot of cardio and dont seem to be seeing much improvement on the scales

    When you say "don't seem to be seeing much improvement on the scales" what do you mean by that exactly. Are you losing any weight at all, how much weight do you need to lose, what are your stats? A lot of people say they aren't losing weight, when they are losing maybe 1lb a week but expecting to lose more. It can be a slow process when your close to your goal weight.
  • Lolalikeslolagets
    Lolalikeslolagets Posts: 142 Member
    edited May 2019
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    Two years ago I started paying attention to how much protein I was eating and along with weightlifting I’ve been slowly shaping my body to how I want. I did CrossFit for 5 years before that and was very fit but looked the same as I always did. Weightlifting slimmed me down noticbly but I weigh 10 pounds more than I did 2 years ago. Usually it takes me 3 months to loose 5 pounds when I do a cut, and I’m about a month in to my cut now. Currently I don’t do any cardio but have recently restarted (well, I’m going to force myself) to see if my weight starts moving down. So I guess we’re in the same boat lol
    *edited to add- sorry loud kids made me hit done by mistake!
    If you lift weights it’s really good for you and way better if you want to change your shape. Try it but stick to a program for at least 3 months..
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    edited May 2019
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    I see you've posted about this problem a few other times, maybe not getting the answer you want instead of listening to the advice given. In other posts you say you've been counting calories since January but only came on MFP in April. Did you count on a different site or just guess? You also said you didn't realise how little you were eating, so maybe you could be eating more than you think if you don't realise how much you're eating. All things to consider.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited May 2019
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    How much do you have left to lose?
    how tall are you?
    how much is "not much improvement" what exactly is your trending rate of loss?

    You previous asked if swimming or gym was better for weight loss. Pick something you ENJOY doing and likely to keep doing. Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. what exercise you do doesn't matter big picture for weight loss, it matters for general health.
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/43705954#Comment_43705954

    If you are changing up your exercise routine you are likely seeing water retention as muscles repair themselves at each change.
  • Westbury84
    Westbury84 Posts: 13 Member
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    Need to hit the weights