Can i lose body fat without cardio?? Please Help

[Alleyezonme]

I have been cutting for around 12 weeks now... on a clean diet and taking in roughly around 700-1000 calories below maintenance and i have lost weight accordingly trying to stay 2 lbs and under each week of weight loss which i have... and i am happy with my progress ... my question is now that i have lost near 23 lbs... for the last 3 or so lbs.. i havent been doing any cardio really at all (was doing 4days hit cardio 20 min throughout most weeks like 1-8 maybe?).. and just my weightlifting 3x a week split. my question is if im still under maintence and consistently losing 1-1.5 lbs a week ... it is fat loss right? cardio is basically for added negatives to bring down ur total calorie amount for the day right? so calorific deficits are equal right? anyways some responses would be greatly appreciated ... im goin for my abs ... and im gettin close but i just dont know if i should go back to doing some hit cardio again.

 

[KelJu]

Yes, you can lose plenty without cardio. Post your diet and workout routine.

 

[Alleyezonme]

ok workout =
Push/pull/legs - mon/wed/fri
bench/pushups/military press/tricep work
deadlifts/rows/wg pullups
squats/front squats/shrugs
4
diet = cal fat carb protien
(8am)8 Oz Skim Milk 90 0 14 9
Protien Shake 120 1 3 24

(10am)Ham Slice (4) 120 2 4 20
Quaker OatMeal 234 9 42 8

(12 pm) Carrot 31 0 7.5 .5
Whole Grain Bread(2 slice) 280 3 52 12
ham slice (4) 120 2 4 20

(2pm)Almonds 1.5oz 255 23 8 9
Apple, raw 125 1 32 0

(4pm) Protien shake 120 1 3 24
Carrot 31 0 7.5 0.5
2 eggwhite 33 0 1 7

(6pm)Tuna Can 150 2 0 33
quaker oat meal 234 9 42 8

(8pm) Protien Shake 120 1 3 24

Total: 2064 calories
grams cal %total
Fat: 44 400 21%
Carbs: 222 742 38%
Protein: 199 796 41%

 

[KelJu]

I like how built approached this. Do you want advice on your training program and diet or are you good to go already?

 

[Alleyezonme]

heh, well i think i got my diet in check (in terms of knowledge... low GI carbs etc) .. been solid with it a good almost a good 12 weeks now... kept weight 2lbs or under each week... i was just thinknig that the whole point of additional cardio is to acquire a bigger defecit in your calorific intake so ... if im achieving that for the most part with my weightlifiting and intake.... why stress urself under the cardio for a extra lb a week?? especially since im nearing the end of my cut. so i thought id ask... but you were a great help and i appreciate it =). but yeah man it took me a while to finally realize that diet is a BIG part to this game.
oh btw.. im 6'2 or so - started 203lbs - currently 180 lbs

 

[KelJu]

Holy Hell! 180 at 6"2!. I forget that other people aren't grown like mountain ogres. I am 6"2 and I haven't been under 200lbs since I was 12.

 

[Built]

Alleyezonme, your fats are very very low. There is no need for this.

There is no real need to do cardio for fat loss. Your rate of loss will of course slow as your cut progresses though.

What is maintenance for you?

 

[Alleyezonme]

yeah im lookin foward to once i start bulking kelju this time im going to do it right... 500 above maintencace and i thought 20% fat intake was a good ratio ... correct me if im wrong but i think im correct

when i started i believe my maintenace was 3400-3600 with exercise in all included.. now i believe im around 2700-2800 for my maintance if u include my workout days ... maybe around 3000 for maintance =\ not exactly sure though... but im pretty sure thats what its around now

 

[Alleyezonme]

Holy Hell! 180 at 6"2!. I forget that other people aren't grown like mountain ogres. I am 6"2 and I haven't been under 200lbs since I was 12.

haha believe me i dont like being 180... i feel like i havent lost much mass... but my ideal goal is like a good 200 with 8-10 bf%

 

[Built]

Fat isn't a ratio, it's a dose. Minimal for optimal hormonal support is generally taken as half a gram per pound lean mass. I personally prefer higher, but that's out of comfort. I have about 115 lbs lean mass, and I like my fats at around or higher than 70g daily. 120g in my perfect world. (Technically 60g would be fine. I just really like fats!)

If 2750 is your current maintenance, and you are eating 2000 a day, you're at quite a significant deficit! When was the last time you took a diet break or a refeed?

 

[Alleyezonme]

u know i have been pretty strict with my cut... havent really had any cheat meals.. unless u want to count over the course of 12 weeks.. 1 french fry, and 1 tiny spoon of ice cream... hmm but i thought i read somwhere 20% of your intake is good to keep your hormones running fine =\.

 

[danzik17]

That's at a minimum for the most part. Fats are a good and filling energy source too, they're just not as "quick" as carbs are for energy.

 

[Built]

The problem is "20% of what"?

Suppose it's 20% of maintenance. Now you drop from maintenance. Do you drop fat? Now you aren't getting enough for endocrine support.

That's why I said to think of fat (and protein, for that matter) as a dose. Feed your lean mass, not your total calories. "Dose" protein and fat at 1g per pound LBM and 0.5g/lb LBM, as minimums. Forget about the percentages. Your body can't do math.

 

[danzik17]

Your body can't do math.

Not even Asians?

 

[thewicked]

cut the cals back and monitor them as you lose weight..

start at 500 and slowly decrease until you see the weight start to drop at a HEALTHY rate.. about 1-3lbs a week.


and built's advice is always internet gold.. follow it HAHA

 

[Built]

The problem is "20% of what"?
Your body can't do math.

Not even Asians?

When I was in college, the department chair hauled me into his office one semester and said "well, MariAnne, you've done it again. You're the only non-Asian to get an A in a math course..."

And no, not even Asians.

... built's advice is always internet gold.. follow it

<blows kisses>

 

[Alleyezonme]

u know built ... i was just thinking of that same exact concept yesterday before you posted that... if your taking in fat based on a ratio... and if you drop your cals to a incredibly low amount ... then the fat intake is never truly equal bsaed on a ratio - with that beign said however im pretty sure 20% is just a simple guideline IF your diet is not below 1000 calories of your maintanance ... but for a general rule of thumb i have been consuming about 44 grams of fat perday i think on average... so i will make it a point to consume atleast 50grams of fat each day or atleast take a closer look into how much fat is actually required to keep your hormones running fine (in terms of gram/perday) thanks for your insight! it caused me to think about my fat intake

 

[Built]

The best information I've read suggests half a gram per pound lean mass for proper endocrine function, so that's what I go by.

If you have 100 lbs of lean mass, then 50g is sufficient. If you have more lean mass than this, adjust accordingly.