Using Cardio to Lose Weight Will Backfire

For decades, we’ve been told that cardio is the best way to lose weight.

Treadmills, spin classes, HIIT boot camps—if you burn more calories, you’ll lose more fat… right?

Not exactly.

If you’ve been doing more and more cardio to lose weight, but not seeing results, there’s a reason for that. Cardio alone is one of the LEAST effective ways to lose fat—especially for women over 40.

In this post, I’ll break down why cardio won’t get you the lean, toned body you want and what you should be focusing on instead.

Why Cardio Alone Won’t Help You Lose Fat

Cardio can be useful—but only when used correctly. The problem is that most people rely on it as their main fat loss strategy, and that’s where things go wrong.

Here’s why:

Cardio Burns Calories—But That’s It

Cardio burns energy while you’re doing it, but it doesn’t do anything to increase your metabolism long-term.

Why this is a problem:

• As soon as you stop running, cycling, or doing HIIT, your calorie burn stops too.
• You have to keep increasing cardio just to maintain results.
• Too much cardio causes muscle loss, slowing your metabolism over time.

If you’ve ever done tons of cardio and lost weight, but ended up looking “soft” instead of toned, this is why.

What to do instead: Focus on building muscle, which keeps your metabolism higher 24/7.

Too Much Cardio Leads to Muscle Loss

Your body is smart—it adapts to whatever stress you put on it.

If you’re constantly doing long, intense cardio sessions, your body burns both fat AND muscle for fuel.

Less muscle = a slower metabolism = harder to lose fat in the long run.

And here’s the worst part…

Muscle is what gives you shape. If you lose weight but also lose muscle, you won’t look lean and defined—you’ll just look smaller and weaker.

Instead of focusing on burning calories, focus on STRENGTH TRAINING to build muscle and increase fat burn over time.

Cardio Increases Hunger & Can Lead to Overeating

Ever finished a long run or intense cardio session and felt starving afterward? That’s not a coincidence.

Excessive cardio can:

• Spike hunger hormones, making it harder to stay in a calorie deficit.
• Increase cravings for carbs & sugar due to depleted glycogen stores.
• Lead to overeating, undoing the calorie burn from your workout.

Real talk: If your fat loss strategy relies on “burning off” what you eat with cardio, you’re setting yourself up for an endless cycle of frustration.

The better approach? Build a nutrition plan that fuels your workouts and helps you lose fat without starving yourself.

Your Body Adapts to Cardio (Making It Less Effective Over Time)

At first, cardio feels effective because you’re burning extra calories. But after a few weeks, your body adapts and becomes more efficient, meaning:

You burn fewer calories for the same workout.
You have to do MORE cardio just to see the same results.
You plateau—and then what?

If you don’t want to spend more time in the gym just to maintain results, cardio shouldn’t be your main focus.

What works instead? Progressive overload with strength training, which forces your body to keep adapting and improving.

What Works Better for Fat Loss Than Cardio?

So if cardio isn’t the best way to lose fat… what is?

1. Prioritize Strength Training ️‍

The biggest mistake women make is avoiding weights because they’re afraid of “getting bulky.”

Fact: Strength training builds lean muscle, which:
✔️ Burns more calories at rest (even while you sleep!)
✔️ Prevents muscle loss while dieting
✔️ Gives you a strong, toned shape

Try this:

• Lift heavy (3-5x per week)
• Focus on compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses)
• Gradually increase weights over time

The more muscle you build, the easier fat loss becomes—without the need for hours of cardio.

2. Focus on Nutrition (Not Just Calories) ️

You’ve heard the saying: “You can’t out-train a bad diet.” It’s true.

Fat loss happens in the kitchen. The key isn’t eating less—it’s eating SMARTER.

What works best?
✔️ High-protein diet (0.8-1g per pound of body weight)
✔️ Balanced macros (not extreme low-carb or keto)
✔️ Enough calories to support muscle, but still lose fat

❌ The goal isn’t just to “cut calories”—it’s to fuel your body properly.

3. Use Cardio Strategically (NOT Excessively) ‍

Cardio isn’t useless—it just needs to be used the right way.

Best cardio for fat loss after 40?
✔️ Walking (8k-10k steps per day) – great for fat loss without muscle loss
✔️ Short HIIT sessions (1-2x per week) – boosts metabolism without overtraining
✔️ Strength training first, cardio second

What NOT to do:
❌ Endless treadmill sessions
❌ Long daily cardio workouts
❌ Thinking “more cardio = faster fat loss”

The Bottom Line: Stop Over-Relying on Cardio!

If you want to lose fat and actually reshape your body, here’s what works:

✔️ Prioritize strength training – Build muscle, boost metabolism, burn fat efficiently.
✔️ Dial in your nutrition – Eat enough protein, balance your macros, avoid extreme dieting.
✔️ Use cardio as a tool—not a crutch – Walk more, but don’t rely on long cardio sessions for fat loss.

When you train smarter—not harder—you get better, longer-lasting results.

Watch the full video where I break this all down:

Have you been relying on cardio to lose weight? How can you incorporate this info into your new plan? Drop a comment below!