Cardio is unnecessary for weight loss
Back when I wanted to lose weight, I would pick up magazines, which seemed to only feature thin women who ran marathons. I didn’t want to run, and thought that the only way I could lose weight was to run long distances daily. I figured that since running is a cardiovascular activity, I may be able to lose the extra weight by doing cardio. So, I did an average of three hours of cardio every day…and I didn’t lose any body fat.
Cardio is good for the heart, but it also increases cortisol and stress in the body. Too much cardio strips muscle, which means the body burns even fewer calories. And, if you don’t weigh a lot, cardio doesn’t burn a lot of calories. So, if you hate cardio and you want to lose weight, you can lose weight without running, jumping, huffing or puffing. You actually don’t have to do any exercise to lose weight, but avoiding exercise will make losing weight harder.
The two effective methods to lose weight and maintain that toned look (you don’t want saggy skin, or a droopy butt), is resistance training at least twice a week, and eating fewer calories. Resistance training is not hard; I have many clients in their 70’s lifting weights and using bands. The diet part is the hard part for most people, but start small, such as drinking a ½ glass of wine instead of a full glass of wine with dinner every night, eating one cookie instead of two, and having ½ cup of rice instead of 1 cup of rice for lunch.
Small changes are less mentally challenging, are easier to stick to, and result in progressive and consistent weight loss. If you want more help with losing weight, “The High-Five Diet,” and the “Food Tracker for Healthy Weight Loss,” these two books go together like peanut butter and jelly, will guide you through the weight loss process. Go to my site: TheHighFiveDiet.com and take a look inside these books, then click the order button to get your copy delivered to your doorstep.
Photo: Me, using a tight resistance band to strengthen my outer thighs and glute muscles.
