3 Ways to Lose Weight: Cardio, Diet, Fat burners

It’s no secret that one of the most exploited fitness topics is related to weight loss and burning fat. There are many myths and legends in this field, as well as contradictory opinions.

Cardio

Cardio is the most commonly used tool when it comes to weight loss. It is true that aerobic exercise does contribute to the fight against weight gain, but only if it is combined with an appropriate diet, if performed at the right time, and if the heart rate zone is correct.

Many experts advise trainees to do cardio immediately after strength training, no more than 3-4 times a week for 20-30 minutes. If you want to melt mostly fat, not to burn your precious muscles, start your cardio gradually, immediately after 45-50 minute strength training and do it at a moderate pace.

To calculate the correct heart rate zone in which the fat burning processes work best, use the following formula: (220 – your age) x 65%. This is the zone when fat is burned. You don’t have to pedal or do cardio for hours.

The right time for cardio is in the morning on an empty stomach, but here we must take into account the fact that inevitably with fat, some of your muscles will go away. If you choose this time, it is recommended that you take BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) or whey protein before cardio.

In order for cardio to be effective in burning fat, you must do it when the blood glucose level is low. Usually this is either in the morning on an empty stomach or immediately after strength training, when our muscles have depleted the supply of glycogen, then as energy we use fat, not carbohydrates eaten at breakfast.

Be patient and don’t expect the results to come instantly. If you follow these three basic principles – nutrition, strength training and cardio, you will have results, but not earlier than 2-3 months.

The diet

Cardio alone will not help you lose weight if you do not follow the basic principles of nutrition, even if you run and jump all day. The key here is precisely the appropriate balanced diet!

“Diet” does not mean starvation. People who exercise and aim to build a tighter and slender body put another meaning into this word. A balanced diet means maintaining a balance between carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Nothing should be excluded from your menu – no mono diets, keto diets, no Abc diets and others. You should eat everything, but with the right dosage, which is strictly individual for everyone.

The most important thing here is to reduce the amount of fast carbohydrates (all kinds of pasta, sauces and sweets, such as chocolates and marmalades). You can eat sweets in the form of 2 to 3 fruits a day and a teaspoon of honey in the morning. You should rely mainly on complex carbohydrates such as buckwheat, rice, bulgur, oatmeal, etc.

It is vital to increase the amount of protein – cottage cheese, eggs, meat and fish. The good thing about such a diet is that in addition to the shape of your body, you will also improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails, which have a protein structure and are renewed when eating food rich in protein.

Nonetheless, you can eat vegetables without restrictions, except for carrots and beets. They are too sweet for this purpose. Of the fats, you can eat mostly vegetable fats and nuts.

The Fatburners

Many questions and myths revolve around magic weight loss pills or so-called fat burners. Most experts do not recommend them because they put a lot of strain on the central nervous system, and the same principle applies here as to cardio. Without proper nutrition in themselves, they are ineffective and it will be money thrown out the window.

Fat burners are not desirable for people who are already nervous and irritable. Such fat burners are suitable for mostly calm and mentally balanced people.

In addition, such aids are used only as a last resort. It seems acceptable when the users of fat burners are athletes who prepare for a competition and take them in the last few weeks before the competition. However, they are completely unnecessary for everyday life and only disturb the psyche and the natural metabolism. There is a chance for you to even slow down your own metabolism, which will get used to working with aids instead of doing its own work. In order not to fall into such a vicious circle, bet on a diet suitable for your purposes and a little more discipline for training. Do not rush to get fast results, remember that nothing happens quickly and easily!