Do I need to do cardio to lose weight?
I have spoken on many different blogs on how to lose weight. I have spoken about the way our body burns calories. What a calorie deficit is and how to get in one. But in this article, I am going to talk about cardio and losing weight. And how much cardio you need to do to lose weight.
January roles round, this year's New Years’ Resolution is to lose weight. You’ve joined a gym and are highly motivated - “This year will be the year!”. You go to the gym and head straight for the treadmill, walking, then jogging then running. For 2 weeks you do this, and you see weight fly off, but then progress slows. Now the Lbs turn into 0.5’s and in the next 2 weeks progress slows to a halt. Even tho you are running further, for longer. “What is going on?” You ask yourself. But with no answer and no help, you decide that it is pointless, and you are just destined to never be able to lose weight.
This is a common story and one that normally stops people from getting past the first couple of months. Weight loss is hard, fat loss is harder and creating the body you want can seem impossible. I do believe it is pretty straightforward when you are equipped with the right knowledge. Watching THIS WEBINAR will help.
Now cardio is the easiest way to get into training, it's the safest and most convenient, it requires less skill and has been talked about as being the best way to lose weight since dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Ever since the Insanity DVDs, or Jane Fonda all the way up to modern bodybuilders talking about a high incline walk - Cardio has been the go-to mode for weight loss, even though it is the worst way you can do it.
Do you need to do cardio to lose weight? No. Can you do cardio and lose weight? Yes. What is optimal? To answer this we need to ask “do I want to lose weight or body fat?” - Unless you compete in a sport where you have to be in a certain weight category, then you want to lose body fat because this will “tone” you up, it will also make you healthier. So when answering “what is the optimal way to train to lose body fat?” The answer is
Lift weights
Use Steps to assist with weight loss
Lifting weights will help you keep muscle on your body, if not help you gain muscle. Steps are a part of the NEAT I spoke about here, and because you can monitor your steps, they are the easiest, less fatiguing way to help you lose body fat.
When it comes to losing weight, it is energy in vs energy out. How much food have you eaten vs how much movement has you done. So monitoring your steps will help you to determine the “energy out” side of the energy balance equation and increase it if needed.
Adding movement into your day is hard, this is why I would advise Habit Stacking - Pair up a short walk with something you already do. If I was to look at my day this would be how I would add a small walk.
0530: Wake up, Shower and get ready for work.
0600: Drive to work
0630: Go for a 30-minute walk
0700: Coffee and reading for 30 minutes before starting work
Now, this may mean I have to get up earlier than normal to add that in, but it then becomes part of my daily routine. The hard part is when you live in the UK and the weather is, to put it politely, shite. When it is like this I would then suggest getting movement in any way possible
Taking the stairs
Drinks 3+ litres of water so you’re constantly using the toilet and having to pee
Set an alarm for every 45 minutes to get up and walk around your office for 10 minutes
Park furthest away in the supermarket
Add 10 minutes of walking on the treadmill at the gym
10 Minute walk after each meal (this will help with digestion)
One of my favourite pieces of advice, which will save you money as well as help you lose weight, is to go to the gym before work to just walk. I know it sounds mad, but this is an old-school bodybuilding trick. You can also then shower at the gym before work, saving you time and money.
A common question is “But isn’t planning to walk just doing cardio?” - Yes, to a certain extent, but adding movement into your life by tracking your steps will mean you can live your life normally and you don’t have to put extra time aside to do cardio, you can just go for a walk after food or work a little further with your dog.
It also sets you up for a more consistent fat loss because as you go into a calorie deficit your body starts to slow down some of the movements you do. You see part of NEAT is fidgeting, and you’re not normally aware that you do it, so your body will stop you from doing this when energy is scarce as it’s trying to conserve energy. So by tracking your steps, you can at least make sure you are moving more week to week, even if you can’t control your involuntary movements.
Task: Brainstorm a list of ways you can add movement into your life, then pick the most convenient of them all. Which would take a lot of effort, which would be like breathing for you?
Pair this blog with the Calorie deficit blog and you have a recipe for success.
