What do I have to do to lose weight? 

Everyone is looking for the bottom line. The ultimate answer that will change their lives forever. While there isn’t a one size fits all diet out there, there are some common sense approaches that you can take regarding your lifestyle that will get you where you want to be physically. For now, let’s focus on the three most important things you must DO to lose weight:

Cardio

Cardio is the number one thing you can do to burn fat. So, we’ll discuss it first. Many people think doing cardio means running for extended periods of time. That’s completely untrue. There are lots of options out there (see “Cardio: Break the Monotony” for cardio workout ideas). I can tell you how to maximize your cardio and get the most results out of it as possible.

There are basically three levels of cardio that you can do: low intensity, moderate intensity, and high intensity. Here’s how to know which is which:

• Low intensity cardiois something that you can do for a long period of time without getting extremely fatigued. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is completely at rest and 10 is maximum possible effort, you would probably say you are at a 3 or 4 during this activity. A walk or leisurely swim are great examples of low intensity cardio. They take effort, but it takes awhile for you to run out of breath… if you even do. This type of cardio burns fat. Our bodies immediately use carbs as energy. It takes a long time to get the fat out for use as energy. So, the longer you perform an aerobic activity, the more likely you are to have fat stores directly available for energy.
• Moderate intensity cardio is something you can do for less time than a low intensity cardio activity, but longer than 20 minutes. On the same 1-10 scale as above, you’d be between a 5 and 8. Examples would be jogging, playing a sport, or rollerblading. For most people, these activities can be performed for at least 20-45 minutes without tiring or struggling for a breath. If done long enough, this activity will also burn some fat.
• High intensity cardio is something that you can only do for a short period of time until you run out of breath or your muscles cannot put forth any additional effort. On the 1-10 scale, you’d be hovering around 9 or 10. All-out sprints or running hills full speed are examples. If you can do it for more than 15 minutes, you usually aren’t working hard enough.

Now that you know what the three levels of cardio are, here are some tips on how to maximize each:

• Low intensity cardio can be maximized by performing it on an empty stomach, such as first thing in the morning. As I mentioned before, the body first uses your carbohydrate stores for energy in low intensity exercise, and when there are no more carbs left, it switches to using fat stores for energy. The less carbohydrates you have in your body to use as energy, the more the body will rely on your fat stores… make sense?
• Moderate intensity cardio can be maximized the same way as low intensity cardio, which is on an empty stomach and first thing in the morning. Again, doing this will increase the likelihood that your body will use fat for energy.
• High intensity cardio is a little different than the last two levels. For high intensity cardio, eating something before you do it has been debated. Personally, from what I’ve researched, I recommend eating a little something before you perform high intensity cardio. A piece of fruit is a good choice because it gets your metabolism jump-started. Any food with a high glycemic index (See Part 1) is good to eat before your high intensity cardio. Because these sessions are so short, and you need a lot of energy, you should probably get something in your system to make sure you aren’t burning muscle. High intensity cardio is fueled by muscle glycogen, so you want to make sure you have that in your system to use, which is the reason for eating a piece of fruit first.

So when should you do cardio? Well, any time is better than no time. It should definitely not be performed before weight training, though. If you perform it before weight training, you will be pre-fatiguing your muscles. If that happens, you will not be able to lift as hard as you normally would if you lifted before your cardio session. Therefore, you will be limiting your benefits from weight lifting. Your cardio most likely will not suffer. The best way to do it is to perform cardio on different days than when you weight train.

I also recommend switching off low, moderate, and high intensity cardio sessions. Take one day a week for a low intensity session, such as a long walk or recreational sport. One to three days a week you should be doing moderate intensity cardio. Other days should be high intensity cardio. You can switch off however you’d like, but this will help to keep it interesting and keep your body guessing. If you do too much of the same cardio your body will get used to it, and you’ll have to do more for the same effect. You will hit a plateau, so it’s best to switch the types of cardio you do. The amount of cardio you should do will vary depending on your goals.

Weights

If you’re looking to lose weight, you HAVE to lift weights. Most people think that lifting weights will make you big and bulky, but that is not necessarily true. If that is your goal it can be done, but there are a lot of other factors that play in to building your body into a mass of muscle. The amount of testosterone in your body is the main factor, so ladies unless you are injecting hormones you don’t need to worry about “getting huge”. 

 Lifting weights increases your metabolism for a 24-hour period. This is not true of most other exercises. If your metabolism increases, you increase your fat burning potential. And if you’re lifting you’ll be doing it over a 24-hour period… that’s awesome, right?!

If you want to include resistance training or weight lifting in to your weekly routine, be sure you don’t lift too heavy. For weight loss, try to lift a weight that is somewhat fatiguing at 8-12 reps. Don’t lift too heavy or you’ll be building your muscles and not “toning” them. It will be very hard for you to lose weight if you are building muscle. With that said, if you are following all the guidelines and you do gain weight you shouldn’t worry. It’s probably muscle! Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you gain muscle you will gain weight… but you should be losing fat, too. If that’s the case, decrease the weight you are lifting and increase your cardio.

The bottom line: Include resistance and weight training in to your exercise program for maximum weight loss.

Variety

One of the most important things I can recommend when trying to lose weight is to switch everything up often. Don’t do the same exercise routines week in and week out. Vary your cardio, vary your weight training exercises, and spice things up a bit. You’ll confuse your muscles, and this strikes them back into growth… which is a good thing! Your metabolism won’t stagnate and you’ll be a constant fat-burning machine! Plus, you won’t get bored and want to quit because there’s always something new to do. Never be afraid to try new things… but ask for help if you need it!

Of course, all the exercise in the world won’t change you one bit if you are still existing on cheeseburgers and french fries. You need to focus on your food just as much, if not more, than your exercise choices. That being said, be sure you check out “Part 1: What to Eat” in our three-part installment, ”How to Lose Weight”, where we discuss the foods that are important in losing weight.

I know this seems like a lot of information, but if you can grasp it and follow it, you’ll be in for the greatest change of your life.

Good luck!

What have YOU got to lose? www.goalfitnessandnutrition.com