Cardio only to drop weight?

[Juan Don]

i have been lifting heavy and doing an hour cardio after lifting. it's been 2 weeks. been going 6 days a week. i also decreased my calorie intake.

but, when i weighed myself today it's the same as when i started. is it because the fat is turning to muscle and weighing the same?

i feel stronger however i still have a gut haha.

i know it takes time. but, should i cut out lifting weights and just do cardio to drop pounds? or cut even more calories? around 1500 calories the entire day is what i consume now.

i was thinking of just doing cardio twice a day. an hour in the morning hour at night.

 

[PDubb75]

My personal recommendation is to switch from an hour of cardio, to 20-25 minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval training). Distance running can hinder your muscle growth (however, this is debated a lot).

But to answer one of your questions directly, yes, you are probably not losing weight because you are gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, which is why weight is such a poor indicator of fitness. Start paying attention to body fat % instead.

Three main things here I want to mention:
1) 2 weeks is not enough time to determine anything
2) doing HIITs may help you see results faster than distance running/biking/etc
3) you need to eat more calories to gain muscle

BUT, with all of that being said, there is a very important question to ask. What are your goals? Lose bodyfat %? Gain strength? Gain definition?

 

[Juan Don]

im 5'7" 220 pounds at the moment. i want to lose weight. i lost weight before and went down to 190 and had more strength during that time but i gained my weight back by not keeping in shape and going to the gym.

my main priority is to lose weight so i can have a six pack. be 190 or even less would be better and then build definition

 

[Juan Don]

i eat microwaveable smart choice foods. i know its bad but just doing it temporarily as it is portioned meals. im getting used to eating less now. 3 times a day breakfast lunch dinner. eat an apple for breakfast with it and banana during dinner. between meals i eat almonds to help supress my hunger.i drink lots of water no sodas no junk food anymore. i cut
out bread and rice from my food intake which i used to eat always. i get 8 hours of sleep a night. this has stayed the same for 2 weeks now. i try to keep caloric intake below 1500 or around that.

 

[MikeBrown30]

Leangains.com

Read everything on that webpage.
- You don't need to do cardio at all to lose fat
- 1500 is way too little for your height and weight, that's why you arent losing.
- Heavy weights session 3 times per week
- You need to weigh foods at the start so you know how much you are consuming. Eventually you won't need to be as anal about it, because you will know how much stuff weighs just by looking at it.
- http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ will work out your BMR

 

[Bible_Belt]

Almonds are not unhealthy at all, but they are high in calories. Try eating raw broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage to suppress hunger. Grate your own cole slaw (I like purple cabbage better), go light on the dressing, and that will fill you up very well.

Any cardio is better than none at all, but as was said above, it's the high intensity cardio that burns fat. A jog is fine, as long as you work in intervals of sprints.

 

[metoo]

losing wt is easy, if you understand what is going on. 15 minutes a day, with an icepack on the back of your neck as you recline, will do amazing things for you. Calories are a measure of HEAT, you understand? Coolilng your blood with the ice makes your body burn calories to maintain normal temps. Just read, watch tv, surf the net, etc, to entertain yourself while the ice works on you.