Cardio vs no cardio

2

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    I'm a number girl and like to rationalize things with numbers. If I run 50 minutes I burn about 350kcal. Note, this depends on weight and distance run. Generally, miles * body weight in lbs * 0.64 works quite well.

    So cool, 350kcal from running. If I do this for a week I'll lose 1750kcal. Or half a pound. Meh! Can I do this every day, without a break? Unlikely. Rest days are important. So I might lose a tiny bit of weight from running for 50 minutes a few times per week. Nope, doesn't seem like a good weightloss plan. (mind you, I'm maintaining. Just making a point)

    Running is high impact, it's hard on your joints, bones, etc. I can ride a marathon every day, comfortably. I can walk 350 kcal every day, comfortably. Your example is about running, not exercise generally.

    I believe they were just pointing out the caloric deficit part of exercise in general, saying cardio or no cardio it's not much of a difference, you can't lose a significant amount of weight with a poor diet and only exercise.

    A chap called Guy Martin rode a tough mountain bike event called the Tour Divide with a very simple eating plan - eat as much as possible, whenever possible. That included a huge pizza for main course, calzone for dessert and one to take away and eat on the trail.
    When he finished the event he described himself as looking emaciated and like a concentration camp survivor.

    BTW - cardio or no cardio would make on average 500+ cals a day for me difference, I wouldn't call that "not much" would you? If I wanted to create a significant and long term deficit using cardio I certainly could, that some other people couldn't is also of course true.

    Be very careful about using absolute terms or projecting supposed typical situations to apply to everyone.

    Like I stated above, I was just trying to clarify that they were using running as an example to show the 350 deficit. All examples, not saying everyone only burns 350 or everyone only has to run. I was just pointing that out. And by "not much" I meant if you eat an unhealthy large amount of high fat/high calorie foods consistently - and you are not participating in a 2745 mile bike ride - then burning 350 calories a few times each week will not get you very far. I am not projecting situations onto anyone for the third time it is just EXAMPLES. 350 calories is 350 calories, does not matter how you burn it, it was just a situation. The bottom line was diet is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Jeez.

    Nobody says diet isn't important. But some people are saying cardio can't help with weight loss, which is false.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited July 2019
    sijomial wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    I'm a number girl and like to rationalize things with numbers. If I run 50 minutes I burn about 350kcal. Note, this depends on weight and distance run. Generally, miles * body weight in lbs * 0.64 works quite well.

    So cool, 350kcal from running. If I do this for a week I'll lose 1750kcal. Or half a pound. Meh! Can I do this every day, without a break? Unlikely. Rest days are important. So I might lose a tiny bit of weight from running for 50 minutes a few times per week. Nope, doesn't seem like a good weightloss plan. (mind you, I'm maintaining. Just making a point)

    Running is high impact, it's hard on your joints, bones, etc. I can ride a marathon every day, comfortably. I can walk 350 kcal every day, comfortably. Your example is about running, not exercise generally.

    I believe they were just pointing out the caloric deficit part of exercise in general, saying cardio or no cardio it's not much of a difference, you can't lose a significant amount of weight with a poor diet and only exercise.

    A chap called Guy Martin rode a tough mountain bike event called the Tour Divide with a very simple eating plan - eat as much as possible, whenever possible. That included a huge pizza for main course, calzone for dessert and one to take away and eat on the trail.
    When he finished the event he described himself as looking emaciated and like a concentration camp survivor.

    BTW - cardio or no cardio would make on average 500+ cals a day for me difference, I wouldn't call that "not much" would you? If I wanted to create a significant and long term deficit using cardio I certainly could, that some other people couldn't is also of course true.

    Be very careful about using absolute terms or projecting supposed typical situations to apply to everyone.

    Like I stated above, I was just trying to clarify that they were using running as an example to show the 350 deficit. All examples, not saying everyone only burns 350 or everyone only has to run. I was just pointing that out. And by "not much" I meant if you eat an unhealthy large amount of high fat/high calorie foods consistently - and you are not participating in a 2745 mile bike ride - then burning 350 calories a few times each week will not get you very far. I am not projecting situations onto anyone for the third time it is just EXAMPLES. 350 calories is 350 calories, does not matter how you burn it, it was just a situation. The bottom line was diet is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Jeez.

    Nobody says diet isn't important. But some people are saying cardio can't help with weight loss, which is false.

    It's not false, it's incomplete/misleading. Anytime someone talks about 1 side of the equation without talking about how it fits with the other side of the equation either doesn't know what they are talking about or don't care to take the time to put together a complete and helpful response... and that's when we end up wiht threads like this that just go in circles.
  • julieweberr
    julieweberr Posts: 21 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    I'm a number girl and like to rationalize things with numbers. If I run 50 minutes I burn about 350kcal. Note, this depends on weight and distance run. Generally, miles * body weight in lbs * 0.64 works quite well.

    So cool, 350kcal from running. If I do this for a week I'll lose 1750kcal. Or half a pound. Meh! Can I do this every day, without a break? Unlikely. Rest days are important. So I might lose a tiny bit of weight from running for 50 minutes a few times per week. Nope, doesn't seem like a good weightloss plan. (mind you, I'm maintaining. Just making a point)

    Running is high impact, it's hard on your joints, bones, etc. I can ride a marathon every day, comfortably. I can walk 350 kcal every day, comfortably. Your example is about running, not exercise generally.

    I believe they were just pointing out the caloric deficit part of exercise in general, saying cardio or no cardio it's not much of a difference, you can't lose a significant amount of weight with a poor diet and only exercise.

    A chap called Guy Martin rode a tough mountain bike event called the Tour Divide with a very simple eating plan - eat as much as possible, whenever possible. That included a huge pizza for main course, calzone for dessert and one to take away and eat on the trail.
    When he finished the event he described himself as looking emaciated and like a concentration camp survivor.

    BTW - cardio or no cardio would make on average 500+ cals a day for me difference, I wouldn't call that "not much" would you? If I wanted to create a significant and long term deficit using cardio I certainly could, that some other people couldn't is also of course true.

    Be very careful about using absolute terms or projecting supposed typical situations to apply to everyone.

    Like I stated above, I was just trying to clarify that they were using running as an example to show the 350 deficit. All examples, not saying everyone only burns 350 or everyone only has to run. I was just pointing that out. And by "not much" I meant if you eat an unhealthy large amount of high fat/high calorie foods consistently - and you are not participating in a 2745 mile bike ride - then burning 350 calories a few times each week will not get you very far. I am not projecting situations onto anyone for the third time it is just EXAMPLES. 350 calories is 350 calories, does not matter how you burn it, it was just a situation. The bottom line was diet is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Jeez.

    Nobody says diet isn't important. But some people are saying cardio can't help with weight loss, which is false.

    I never said it can't help with weight loss. I said it would be difficult to lose weight relying on only cardio burning only 350 calories a few times each week with a poor diet. Cardio can certainly help with weight loss.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    dbhuff369 wrote: »
    There's a misconception about lifting weights and fat loss (which is the goal here): The act of lifting weights itself is intense but short lived and therefore can be relatively low caloric. However, if you are doing serious lifting, meaning ~4-8 reps to near failure for multiple sets and increasing weight regularly (doing this level of intensity will not be fun!), the recovery process from lifting weight generates a LOT of caloric burn. Muscle tissue itself also has a higher metabolic rate than fat tissue. Large amounts of cardio can lead to a 'skinny fat' look, thinner, able to run huge distances, but no definition, still a little pudgy, etc. I lost 60 lbs of fat with NO cardio, just lifting weights, and diet. I also put on 20 lbs of muscle in the 4 months as I wasn't a heavy lifter before. And when I was stable at goal weight, my daily caloric consumption had gone UP from ~2500 cal to ~3300cal. So I got to eat more when I was done!

    NOw I do cardio too, but for conditioning and heart health, although even that benefit is being challenged. Still I do some aerobic activities (like hiking, biking) and being in condition is helpful, which gets to the last point. Your approach should depend on your goals: don't lift weights if you want to run a marathon for instance.

    OK, since I lost weight (close to a third of my bodyweight in less than a year) without ever doing sets of 4-8 reps to near failure (in fact, while doing remarkably little lifting of any sort, because, sadly, I find it boring and I'm too hedonistic to tolerate the boredom), then I'm obviously skinny fat, as you'll be able to see in my profile pic. Been doing lots of nice "cardio" for nearly 20 years, so I'm sure that accounts for it. So sad!

    Doesn't really explain why my maintenance calories are, like yours, 25%-30% higher than they "should" be, though.

    Look, I respect your accomplishments: That's wonderful. You should be proud of them. But those accomplishments should speak for themselves; it shouldn't be necessary to deprecate or misrepresent other modalities.

    There's a human tendency to want to believe that our personal approach is objectively "better" than all other possible alternative approaches. That's usually not true.

    The medicalnewstoday article you say challenges the benefit of cardiovascular exercise says that people should do both strength and cardiovascular exercise. It mentions a survey of 4000 people that showed those who self-reported static exercise had reduced risk of (presumably self-reported) cardiovascular disease vs. those who self-reported dynamic exercise. The actual study was behind a login, or I would've read it.

    Personally, I hate the term "cardio". So broad, so uniformative.
    "skinny fat"

    GOD I hate that term.

    That, too. :flowerforyou:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited July 2019
    So does cardio and weights help you lose weight I was told cardio does not help if going to the gym just do weights

    Weight loss comes down to having a calorie deficit. Yes, both cardio and weights can help create a calorie deficit...or not. If that was the default then people who exercise regularly and are maintaining like me would wither away and die. At any rate, cardio is very good for your cardiovascular health...resistance training is beneficial in maintaining or gaining muscle mass, bone density, etc. Both are very good for you regardless of your weight management objectives.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    I'm a number girl and like to rationalize things with numbers. If I run 50 minutes I burn about 350kcal. Note, this depends on weight and distance run. Generally, miles * body weight in lbs * 0.64 works quite well.

    So cool, 350kcal from running. If I do this for a week I'll lose 1750kcal. Or half a pound. Meh! Can I do this every day, without a break? Unlikely. Rest days are important. So I might lose a tiny bit of weight from running for 50 minutes a few times per week. Nope, doesn't seem like a good weightloss plan. (mind you, I'm maintaining. Just making a point)

    Running is high impact, it's hard on your joints, bones, etc. I can ride a marathon every day, comfortably. I can walk 350 kcal every day, comfortably. Your example is about running, not exercise generally.

    I believe they were just pointing out the caloric deficit part of exercise in general, saying cardio or no cardio it's not much of a difference, you can't lose a significant amount of weight with a poor diet and only exercise.

    A chap called Guy Martin rode a tough mountain bike event called the Tour Divide with a very simple eating plan - eat as much as possible, whenever possible. That included a huge pizza for main course, calzone for dessert and one to take away and eat on the trail.
    When he finished the event he described himself as looking emaciated and like a concentration camp survivor.

    BTW - cardio or no cardio would make on average 500+ cals a day for me difference, I wouldn't call that "not much" would you? If I wanted to create a significant and long term deficit using cardio I certainly could, that some other people couldn't is also of course true.

    Be very careful about using absolute terms or projecting supposed typical situations to apply to everyone.

    Like I stated above, I was just trying to clarify that they were using running as an example to show the 350 deficit. All examples, not saying everyone only burns 350 or everyone only has to run. I was just pointing that out. And by "not much" I meant if you eat an unhealthy large amount of high fat/high calorie foods consistently - and you are not participating in a 2745 mile bike ride - then burning 350 calories a few times each week will not get you very far. I am not projecting situations onto anyone for the third time it is just EXAMPLES. 350 calories is 350 calories, does not matter how you burn it, it was just a situation. The bottom line was diet is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Jeez.

    Nobody says diet isn't important. But some people are saying cardio can't help with weight loss, which is false.

    It's not false, it's incomplete/misleading. Anytime someone talks about 1 side of the equation without talking about how it fits with the other side of the equation either doesn't know what they are talking about or don't care to take the time to put together a complete and helpful response... and that's when we end up wiht threads like this that just go in circles.

    I bet more people would find more success if they weren't discouraged from exercising.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    I'm a number girl and like to rationalize things with numbers. If I run 50 minutes I burn about 350kcal. Note, this depends on weight and distance run. Generally, miles * body weight in lbs * 0.64 works quite well.

    So cool, 350kcal from running. If I do this for a week I'll lose 1750kcal. Or half a pound. Meh! Can I do this every day, without a break? Unlikely. Rest days are important. So I might lose a tiny bit of weight from running for 50 minutes a few times per week. Nope, doesn't seem like a good weightloss plan. (mind you, I'm maintaining. Just making a point)

    Running is high impact, it's hard on your joints, bones, etc. I can ride a marathon every day, comfortably. I can walk 350 kcal every day, comfortably. Your example is about running, not exercise generally.

    I believe they were just pointing out the caloric deficit part of exercise in general, saying cardio or no cardio it's not much of a difference, you can't lose a significant amount of weight with a poor diet and only exercise.

    A chap called Guy Martin rode a tough mountain bike event called the Tour Divide with a very simple eating plan - eat as much as possible, whenever possible. That included a huge pizza for main course, calzone for dessert and one to take away and eat on the trail.
    When he finished the event he described himself as looking emaciated and like a concentration camp survivor.

    BTW - cardio or no cardio would make on average 500+ cals a day for me difference, I wouldn't call that "not much" would you? If I wanted to create a significant and long term deficit using cardio I certainly could, that some other people couldn't is also of course true.

    Be very careful about using absolute terms or projecting supposed typical situations to apply to everyone.

    Like I stated above, I was just trying to clarify that they were using running as an example to show the 350 deficit. All examples, not saying everyone only burns 350 or everyone only has to run. I was just pointing that out. And by "not much" I meant if you eat an unhealthy large amount of high fat/high calorie foods consistently - and you are not participating in a 2745 mile bike ride - then burning 350 calories a few times each week will not get you very far. I am not projecting situations onto anyone for the third time it is just EXAMPLES. 350 calories is 350 calories, does not matter how you burn it, it was just a situation. The bottom line was diet is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Jeez.

    Nobody says diet isn't important. But some people are saying cardio can't help with weight loss, which is false.

    It's not false, it's incomplete/misleading. Anytime someone talks about 1 side of the equation without talking about how it fits with the other side of the equation either doesn't know what they are talking about or don't care to take the time to put together a complete and helpful response... and that's when we end up wiht threads like this that just go in circles.

    I bet more people would find more success if they weren't discouraged from exercising.

    I don't disagree.

    But I also bet more people would find more success if their expectations about exercise, as it relates to weight loss, were more realistic.
  • justanotherjenn
    justanotherjenn Posts: 64 Member
    Maybe if we stopped caring SO MUCH about how our bodies look and cared more about HEALTH...
    People only get discouraged because we all feel like we have to live up to these ridiculous standards of what health should LOOK like. Washboard abs, low BF%, thigh gaps, bikini bridges, bubble butts, runner's calves, etc. It's all just so stupid.
    Things like "skinny fat" and "chubby" and "not toned"...really doesn't help.
    At my thinnest and "most fit" I was also my least healthy...living off maybe 5 saltines and a salad a day...while running 5 miles and obsessing over every morsel I ate.
    So. Very. Stupid.

    WORD.
  • justanotherjenn
    justanotherjenn Posts: 64 Member
    Maybe if we stopped caring SO MUCH about how our bodies look and cared more about HEALTH...
    People only get discouraged because we all feel like we have to live up to these ridiculous standards of what health should LOOK like. Washboard abs, low BF%, thigh gaps, bikini bridges, bubble butts, runner's calves, etc. It's all just so stupid.
    Things like "skinny fat" and "chubby" and "not toned"...really doesn't help.
    At my thinnest and "most fit" I was also my least healthy...living off maybe 5 saltines and a salad a day...while running 5 miles and obsessing over every morsel I ate.
    So. Very. Stupid.

    Also same to your last sentiment. I was my thinnest in high school, when I (unintentionally) ate nothing but crap, but not very much of it. I was active and went to the gym almost every day, and if someone didn't know my diet, would assume I was super healthy. Even though that day I probably just ate Pop-Tarts and fast food for lunch, skipping dinner because I was too busy.
  • maureenseel1984
    maureenseel1984 Posts: 395 Member
    I'm not sure you really understand what CICO is...

    It's a concept that is relative to energy balance. It is not counting calories, 1200 calories per day, or whatever else. It is also completely separate from nutrition (which obviously is important)... so your sarcastic comment about cheeseburgers isn't really applicable as CICO does not negate nutrition, they are separate things.

    CICO absolutely does take into account metabolic variables - those things fall under the umbrella that is CO. CICO often times gets oversimplified, but that's a problem with the assumptions people make applying the concept of CICO, not actually with CICO.

    And you're right - no formula can guarantee an accurate calorie goal. But they can and do offer a good place to start. It's up to the individual to adjust based on their specific circumstances, experiences, etc.

    I also think you're willfully misunderstanding or misinterpreting what I am saying.
    Also do not make assumptions about what I do and do not understand. I am a registered dietitian. :) I have a little more of a scientific and professional background than you give me credit for.
  • joey32411
    joey32411 Posts: 22 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    Weight loss comes down to energy balance.

    Strength train for your muscles and bones.
    Do cardio for your heart and lungs.
    Manage your intake to ensure you are in negative energy balance...

    Sometimes the simplest answer, like above, is the best answer(at least in my opinion). And there's no one way to do strength training or cardio, and you can do both at the same time(rowing, weighted walking, yoga, HIIT as just a few examples - my personal favourite is VR boxing or playing Beat Saber ;) ). Do whatever activity makes you feel good and that you'll stick with and don't stress the minutiae of it. That's always been my philosophy.

  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,008 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    I'm a number girl and like to rationalize things with numbers. If I run 50 minutes I burn about 350kcal. Note, this depends on weight and distance run. Generally, miles * body weight in lbs * 0.64 works quite well.

    So cool, 350kcal from running. If I do this for a week I'll lose 1750kcal. Or half a pound. Meh! Can I do this every day, without a break? Unlikely. Rest days are important. So I might lose a tiny bit of weight from running for 50 minutes a few times per week. Nope, doesn't seem like a good weightloss plan. (mind you, I'm maintaining. Just making a point)

    Running is high impact, it's hard on your joints, bones, etc. I can ride a marathon every day, comfortably. I can walk 350 kcal every day, comfortably. Your example is about running, not exercise generally.

    I believe they were just pointing out the caloric deficit part of exercise in general, saying cardio or no cardio it's not much of a difference, you can't lose a significant amount of weight with a poor diet and only exercise.

    A chap called Guy Martin rode a tough mountain bike event called the Tour Divide with a very simple eating plan - eat as much as possible, whenever possible. That included a huge pizza for main course, calzone for dessert and one to take away and eat on the trail.
    When he finished the event he described himself as looking emaciated and like a concentration camp survivor.

    BTW - cardio or no cardio would make on average 500+ cals a day for me difference, I wouldn't call that "not much" would you? If I wanted to create a significant and long term deficit using cardio I certainly could, that some other people couldn't is also of course true.

    Be very careful about using absolute terms or projecting supposed typical situations to apply to everyone.

    Like I stated above, I was just trying to clarify that they were using running as an example to show the 350 deficit. All examples, not saying everyone only burns 350 or everyone only has to run. I was just pointing that out. And by "not much" I meant if you eat an unhealthy large amount of high fat/high calorie foods consistently - and you are not participating in a 2745 mile bike ride - then burning 350 calories a few times each week will not get you very far. I am not projecting situations onto anyone for the third time it is just EXAMPLES. 350 calories is 350 calories, does not matter how you burn it, it was just a situation. The bottom line was diet is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Jeez.

    Nobody says diet isn't important. But some people are saying cardio can't help with weight loss, which is false.

    It's not false, it's incomplete/misleading. Anytime someone talks about 1 side of the equation without talking about how it fits with the other side of the equation either doesn't know what they are talking about or don't care to take the time to put together a complete and helpful response... and that's when we end up wiht threads like this that just go in circles.

    Ha, this is nothing...
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,008 Member
    Hence why CICO alone is not adequate for weight loss for most people and certainly not for optimal health. :)

    CICO is not a weight loss tool, it is just an energy equation that describes what is going on inside the body.

    CI>CO = Weight gain.
    CI=CO = Maintenance.
    CI<CO = Weight loss.

    You can not lose weight in an energy surplus...
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    CICO is also proven wrong by the ketogenic diet. People who do keto eat an insane amount of calories due to the high fat content of what they eat, however, by manipulating the body's primary source of fuel, you can cause rapid and significant weight loss.

    This is simply not true at all. People who lose on this diet are just not hungry enough to eat insane amounts of calories. Just one example is enough to disprove this (like me gaining on the ketogenic diet because it didn't reduce my appetite, and the gain was in line with my surplus), but there are plenty of people who use the diet while losing, maintaining, or gaining.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    And if it really is calories in vs calories out, maybe I should just eat minuscule amounts of the foods I like (cheeseburgers, donuts, chips) and forget nutrition all together...(note sarcasm here, folks-not actually suggesting this).

    I don't understand this claim at all.

    That I am aware that weight loss is about calories in vs. calories out is helpful for me. It does not mean that I cease caring about anything but weight loss. Of course I still care about nutrition, health, etc. It also does not mean that I ignore factors that make it easier or harder to maintain the calorie balance I want -- eating tiny amounts of high cal foods would be difficult for me to sustain. Lucky for me the diet I most enjoy tends to also be based around higher nutrient foods, but even if it wasn't I'd be eating lots of those because they tend to (on average) be most satiating overall for me.

    It's like saying that if I know that my account balance is determined by dollars in vs. dollars out that I will then immediately ignore other goals like investing for retirement or the value of what I purchase or whether it's worth the cost to me.
    My approach:
    Everything in moderation, including moderation from time to time.
    Exercise because it is good for you and because you enjoy it. Not as a form of punishment or a way to try to change yourself to fit some mold that honestly...is VERY difficult to achieve without becoming restrictive or obsessive.

    This seems reasonable, although exercising to meet goals (running a marathon or doing a tri) was something I found valuable in pushing myself, even at times when it meant doing things not in the moment enjoyable. Not everyone has a tendency to become restrictive or obsessive.
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