Cut Calories or Increase Cardio for FAT LOSS?
Weight loss comes from the reduction of calorie intake or burning your energy stores.
When you burn through your "energy storage" it results in weight loss due to depleting the energy from within. Your body will utilize its own body - its own fat and glycogen to provide you energy. For instance, when you go about cardio or weightlifting - it requires a lot of energy to perform the exercises, the reps, and to lift and do heavy intense things. Thus results in weight loss during the session. Afterward, your body will continue to burn fat for some time. It's important to nourish your body with healthy foods to provide your body with healthy nutrients. Healthy nutrients = easier way to fat loss.
So, the question is - what do you do? Cut calories or increase cardio?
As you know, high-intensity workout activities will burn fat due to its high energy expenditure. If you feel like working out - go for it. It is ideal to do so. It'll be easier to keep fat off your body if you exercise consistently. However, that is not the main answer. In fact, your calorie intake is more important I'd say because you can consume more calories (energy) than you can expend. It is easier to indulge in junk food, consuming well over 1k+ calories and that WILL result in weight gain due to excessive eating and consuming junk nutrients. It is MUCH HARDER to expend/deplete/use up all of that energy during a workout session simply because we, us people, do not like to exercise. lol. It is true. That is why most of us people are overweight and/or cannot lose weight. We Love Food!
By decreasing your food intake, that will place you into a calorie deficit [phase]. When you go about a calorie deficit, your body has no choice but to lose Fat due to reducing your calorie intake. Since your body has been eating the same amount of calories on a daily basis - it is confused and shocked and it thinks it needs that much food or energy to go about the day or to simply 'live.' So, as a result, your body will utilize itself in order to supply you - energy. And as a result, you will lose fat over time. Then of course you will plateau, then you must do either a refeed, cheat-meals or increase your calorie deficit. It is also ideal to work out to help assist in fat loss, as I mentioned.
Calorie Manipulation for Weight Loss
Let's say you been eating around ~4,000 calories every day for years. But NOW, you want to lose weight. Here is how:
-> You need to know how many calories you're consuming (for example - 4,000 we're consuming)
--> to lose weight, you need to consume less than "4,000" calories.
----> You need to deduct/subtract about ~300-500 calories from your average calorie intake, which is 4,000 (for example).
------> Now, once you deduct about that much (~300-500 calories from 4,000 *average*) which = 3,500~ calories. *3,500* calories is the new goal to consume on a daily basis, for weeks or until you see results.
Cutting calories or increasing cardio
has no right or wrong answer. Both are great. I believe calorie control is more important, however. But I still recommend increasing cardio if you aren't doing any type of cardio. Cardio and exercise, in general, is healthy for us. It improves our health and performance which is important for everyone. Not enough people exercise which has many consequences. That is why most of Americans are overweight and have health issues such as diabetes and so forth. Nutrition is critical, and exercising will help fight against diseases and illnesses. If you rather choose calorie deficit over-exercising - that is fine. Focus on healthy eating and you will be healthy overall. Exercise isn't a requirement, but it'll help with a lot of things
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