Does doing extra cardio bring extra benifits

JustinOliver77
JustinOliver77 Posts: 13 Member
edited October 5 in Fitness and Exercise
So I started my lifestyle change a month and a half ago. I started with changing my eating habits and eating better. I then added in cardio about 3 weeks ago. I usually follow what MFP tells me to eat as far as calories go (1630 calories daily, I'm 5'9 215lbs at the moment). When I work out doing cardio, about 3.5 miles and 40ish minutes, the machine tells me I've burned between 400-500 calories, sometimes more. I know machines aren't an accurate count, but I believe they can draw a rough picture. Anyways, there are times when I feel after my workout that I want to keep going. So my question is, if I keep going and do a couple more miles, am I just wasting my time if I don't plan on eating more calories? This question comes from the idea that you should eat your workout calories. But I really do not feel like eating anymore. So if I don't eat more, and I do more cardio, with that method of thinking I am putting my body at a higher calorie deficit for the day and possibly putting my body into starvation mode? I am no workout machine, but I just want to maximize my weigh loss, and I want to make sure I'm not just doing damage or wasting my time by doing extra cardio. Thanks!

Replies

  • mcase44
    mcase44 Posts: 4
    No...no...no. if you feel like you can keep going you should! Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit so the more you burn, the higher your calorie deficit! My motto is, if youve got it in you, go for it. And to keep your body from going into starvation mode make sure you are eating frequently. This will keep your metabolism up. You may find that with more exercise you may be hungrier, but because of the extra cardio, you can afford an extra snack
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    No...no...no. if you feel like you can keep going you should! Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit so the more you burn, the higher your calorie deficit! My motto is, if youve got it in you, go for it. And to keep your body from going into starvation mode make sure you are eating frequently. This will keep your metabolism up. You may find that with more exercise you may be hungrier, but because of the extra cardio, you can afford an extra snack

    Eating frequent meals does not boost metabolism.

    OP: are you strength training? Too much cardio and a big deficit can increase loss of muscle
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Well you should go ahead and do more cardio if you're enjoying it. The benefit is cardiovascular strength and endurance. But you should plan your diet accordingly. The extra cardio will certainly help you lose weight, but unfortunately some of that weight will be precious muscle. So do "eat back" your calories, and make sure you are doing strength training as part of your overall fitness routine, to minimize muscle loss.
  • JustinOliver77
    JustinOliver77 Posts: 13 Member
    No, I'm not strength training yet... I wanted to drop some more pounds before I started doing that
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 584 Member
    I did this, I was working out 2 hours a day and not eating my caloires back my weight loss stalled then STOPED:sad: I backed off on the exersise back to a hour a day and started eating more and I am back to losing. That being said every one is differnt, it wasn't hard to get losing again after I made the changes so go for it, if your body isn't responding in a way you like change it up. I know some people who just eat extra one-two days of the week and they lose steady and regularly
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    No...no...no. if you feel like you can keep going you should! Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit so the more you burn, the higher your calorie deficit! My motto is, if youve got it in you, go for it. And to keep your body from going into starvation mode make sure you are eating frequently. This will keep your metabolism up. You may find that with more exercise you may be hungrier, but because of the extra cardio, you can afford an extra snack

    Eating frequent meals does not boost metabolism.

    OP: are you strength training? Too much cardio and a big deficit can increase loss of muscle


    ^^^Cortisol Levels can also increase if you run for more than an hour.
    Stick to 3x a week training and be sure to toss in heavy lifting to build up that muscle.
  • russeljames
    russeljames Posts: 103 Member
    No, I'm not strength training yet... I wanted to drop some more pounds before I started doing that

    When you start strength training the melt begins...
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
    No, I'm not strength training yet... I wanted to drop some more pounds before I started doing that

    Why? It will help you maintain your muscle that you have now. It will also increase your metabolism.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    No, I'm not strength training yet... I wanted to drop some more pounds before I started doing that

    I would strongly suggest incorporating it into your workout. Strength training will help you retain the muscle mass you have so that when you lose the lbs you look better and more defined. Without it you will be losing more muscle, and it can have a "skinny fat" look.

    :flowerforyou:
  • chrisc16
    chrisc16 Posts: 94
    Cardio does what the name says; it strengthens the cardiovascular system. Keeping your heart rate elevated will also accelerate fat loss by burning stored fat as fuel during this exercise.

    Hope this helps.
  • Indy_Mario
    Indy_Mario Posts: 532 Member
    I feel like I eat a lot, but there's still food in my plate. I don't feel like eating anymore.
    My question is, if I keep eating, will I get fat?
  • Arabian♥Breeze
    Arabian♥Breeze Posts: 323
    I did this and i reached a Plateau in weight loss. Not a good idea
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 584 Member
    No, I'm not strength training yet... I wanted to drop some more pounds before I started doing that

    Start lifting I lost a bunch of musle its not cool musle burns cal when your not working out.

    Check out our group for some great info on starting up
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/807-strength-training
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
    no! keep going! it burns hella fat the longer you can go! build that stamina!!
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I feel like I eat a lot, but there's still food in my plate. I don't feel like eating anymore.
    My question is, if I keep eating, will I get fat?

    where is the *SLAP* button?
    =D
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    I feel like I eat a lot, but there's still food in my plate. I don't feel like eating anymore.
    My question is, if I keep eating, will I get fat?

    Not if you are in a calorie deficit, that is, staying at your desired calories as MFP assigned them. On the other hand, eating too little can hinder weight loss unless you are eating very little in which case it causes major hormonal changes that make keeping the weight off very difficult. Those hormonal changes can last even up to a year after a very low calorie diet it stopped.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
    I feel like I eat a lot, but there's still food in my plate. I don't feel like eating anymore.
    My question is, if I keep eating, will I get fat?

    where is the *SLAP* button?
    =D

    :laugh: :laugh:
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    No, I'm not strength training yet... I wanted to drop some more pounds before I started doing that

    Start lifting I lost a bunch of musle its not cool musle burns cal when your not working out.

    Check out our group for some great info on starting up
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/807-strength-training

    Oddly enough fat does as well. For years they thought fat was not metabolically active, but it is, just at a lower rate than muscle.

    As to waiting to start strength training, I would suggest starting now. If after 40 minutes of cardio you feel you can keep going, I would say you are read for strength training. It will preserve your muscle mass so you don't have to build up as much later, and it will help burn off fat as well. In the past I lost a lot of weight doing just weight training, no cardio at all.
  • JustinOliver77
    JustinOliver77 Posts: 13 Member
    Cool, thanks for all the helpful information everyone
This discussion has been closed.

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