31 votes
Accepted

When I burn off a very large number of calories, where does the weight go?

Yes, the other 8kcal will come from the body. I am not sure if it will only purely be fat, the body can break down other tissue such as muscle tissue if it needs to. But yes it will come from burning ...
  • 4,141
30 votes

Should an 18-year-old overweight woman take supplements?

Please not. While there might be an argument if she starts serious competitive weight lifting, I guess that the question would've been asked differently then. If she is overweight, she has to relearn ...
  • 623
26 votes
Accepted

Losing muscle despite doing exercise

Resistance training is the primary preserver of muscle mass while in a caloric deficit. Eating protein alone isn't enough, you need resistance training plus protein. The pushups will be effective at ...
22 votes
Accepted

Is weight loss possible without cardio?

It's important to point out that strength training is a better form of fat loss than "cardio". Beyond that, taking in less calories is vastly easier then "burning" them. To make that clear, the ...
  • 14.8k
20 votes

Why is it so much harder to run on a treadmill when not holding the handlebars?

The greatest factor is an elaboration to Thomas' answer. It isn't just downward force, it is also forward. You do reduce your weight if you push down on the bars, but more importantly you produce ...
  • 309
15 votes
Accepted

How can a obese person with a spine and leg injury lose weight?

TL/DR: Any sport (and swimming is an excellent one) will work, if done consistently, with applied hard effort and together with healthy diet and caloric deficit. No way to do it without clear goals ...
  • 688
15 votes
Accepted

How do I know if I’m losing fat or muscle mass?

You're losing both, the only question is in what proportion. You could measure this using DEXA, but it really isn't practical to do so. If you're already moderately lean then you may also be able to ...
13 votes

Is weight loss possible without cardio?

Swimming. There's always swimming. It's easy on joints and bones, and is both a cardiovascular exercise, and a strength exercise. Other than that, you're going to have to look to your diet to lose ...
  • 17.8k
12 votes
Accepted

Would wearing a weight vest increase my calorie burn during bike riding?

Depends on the distance you are biking. Always use the physics behind every workout, to calculate the load, or calorie burn. In your example, you are adding 10 kgs to the weight of you bike. When ...
  • 1,585
11 votes

Why is it so much harder to run on a treadmill when not holding the handlebars?

It makes you "weigh" less. The answer here is simple physics. When you run on a treadmill, you still have to propel your body weight up and forward relative to the motion of the belt. When ...
10 votes

Is it time for me to get serious about losing weight? (pics)

While I assume this question will be closed - it might fall outside the scope of this StackExchange - I'd still like to answer. Yes. It is absolutely time to lose some weight. Keep in mind, I do not ...
  • 17.8k
10 votes
Accepted

Diet to loose excess fat that includes raising the metabolism in the morning and fasting until lunch (2pm)?

Both your friend and wife are wrong. Your friend seems to believe that fasted cardio leads to greater fat loss, but it simply doesn’t. Your body might attempt to use more fuel from fat during such a ...
  • 4,412
10 votes
Accepted

How do calories work?

Bodypump workouts aren't the only thing you're doing all day right? You walking around your home consumes calories. You cleaning your house consumes calories. You sitting on the computer typing out a ...
  • 6,799
10 votes

Why is it so much harder to run on a treadmill when not holding the handlebars?

In addition to Markov's answer, the bars provide stabilization, requiring less effort to keep yourself aligned properly. It is, in some ways, similar to how someone might be able to lift more weight ...
  • 8,644
9 votes

Walking to lose weight - what should I expect?

Diet. Don't fall for the BS low-carb, only eat watermelon on a full moon, except when dark chocolate has been conjured by a sorcerer diet. Those diet systems might work, but they're hard to sustain ...
  • 1,297
8 votes
Accepted

Does a high proteine intake support the reduction of body fat?

Let's start with some foundation in the order of importance: Energy Balance (Calories in vs. Calories out) Macros (amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat) Micros/Supplements (vitamins / minerals and ...
8 votes

Exercise ideas for 400 pound double leg amputee

It's important to get a good start and make yourself feel good about your weight loss project. The most important part of weight loss is eating fewer calories than before, it's much, much more ...
  • 2,755
8 votes

Lose weight: run small everyday or long once in a week?

In almost every case, it's better to start out with small increments on a daily basis for fitness and health, rather than one large session with long intervals. If you don't have much running ...
  • 22.1k
8 votes

Fullbody vs body split workout for body transformation?

I have read lots of articles but its hard to find an optimal answer for this question It's hard to find an optimal answer, because it's no an optimal question. There is no clear cut right-or-wrong ...
  • 17.8k
8 votes
Accepted

How do you actually, physically, lose weight?

This is the end result of a fairly complex system of interactions in the body. Your fat cell population is usually defined by adolescence/puberty, and remains relatively stable throughout your life. ...
  • 22.1k
8 votes
Accepted

When trying to lose body fat, is being in caloric deficit more important than % of calories from fat?

Yes, being in a caloric deficit is what drives fat loss. The proportion of calories coming from fat is unlikely to make any difference to your results, assuming similar protein intake, and assuming ...
8 votes
Accepted

Is spot reduction necessarily a myth?

In my opinion, spot reduction is still a myth if you consider how spot reduction has been defined for years. The study as well as another article I found, are both pro-spot-reduction but I don't think ...
  • 4,538
8 votes
Accepted

Can you lose weight by "training you brain"?

No, there are no brain workouts for weight loss, and the premise you've founded this idea on is a bit rocky. Look at Robert Sapolsky's full-quote from this ESPN article (emphasis mine): Robert ...
7 votes

Is weight loss possible without cardio?

It is harder to lose weight without exercise. You only lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume and if you are sedentary your metabolism will slow down you may be burning less than 1200 ...
  • 226
7 votes

Would this work for a teen looking to get lean?

There's a very common misconception here. Many people think that certain types of exercise will give you one body shape or the other. The reasoning is (more or less explicitly), that since power ...
  • 2,755
7 votes

Why is there a vein on my left bicep but not one on my right bicep?

It's most likely perfectly normal. Bodies are not perfectly symmetrical, and while you may have the same vein in your right arm, it doesn't necessarily mean that it runs in the same place.
  • 22.1k
7 votes

Why am I not seeing any change in body composition or weight?

"almost a month ago" - Almost? ALMOST A MONTH?! I'm going to be harshly honest here; come back in a year, and give me the new numbers. If you can't stick with the program for at least a year, this ...
  • 17.8k
7 votes

I really just want to cut and lose weight, while lifting, what should my expectations be?

Dude, don't stress it. Eat a high-protein diet without sweets or junk. Pick a lifting program with room for cardio. 5/3/1 is a common and solid choice for this. I see two templates working well. The ...
7 votes
Accepted

Is Protein powder necessary for weight loss?

About the program We don't know your size and shape, so we're in no position to second-guess your instructor. For now, go with what he says. About the diet Protein powder is something we use when ...
  • 17.8k

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