Nonu, an Indian digital creator, keeps sharing insights into her weight loss journey. In a recent video on her Instagram page, nonuphhile, she answered the question: 'What was your favourite exercise that kept you going even when you didn't want to?' According to her, it was cardio.  

‘It was very tough to even walk a long distance’

She suggests that cardio – such as walking, running, spinning, or jumping rope, basically anything that gets your heart rate up for an extended period of time – could be incorporated into your weight loss plan if you're trying to lose weight.

She said, “Hi, I am Nonu. I went from this to this (shows her before-and-after weight loss pictures), losing 65 kg. The main workout I did was cardio. I was 130 kg, and being at that weight, it was very tough to even walk a long distance. I remember, on day 1, when I started (the weight loss journey), I could only walk 700 m; that was my limit. I was exhausted. But, the next day, I could walk around 1 km.”

‘Being that heavy I could not run’

Then narrating how she stayed motivated, Nonu said, "It is all about the little steps and consistency because being that heavy I could not run, I could not jog or I could not even walk a long distance. Also, if you are that heavy, it is not healthy for your joints to run with that much weight. It is not like I liked walking or I enjoyed it. I hated it, I hated workout. I never in my life thought that I would enjoy walking or running, but now I do. So, if you are not fat and you tell fat people 'Go to the gym, workout is therapy, you will enjoy it'. No, they will not."

Her caption read, “Highest weight 130 kg, current weight 64 kg, height 5’9, nationality Indian.”

What works best for weight loss: Cardio vs strength

Is cardio the only way to burn calories and fat? In a 2022 interview with HT Lifestyle, Rhea Singh Anand, co-founder of Flexnest, suggested, “The best way to burn maximum number of calories is to get your heart rate up, which generally happens with a cardio workout. Only cardio however, makes you burn your muscle in addition to your fat."

She added, "Strength training on the other hand, burns less calories but gives your body shape by building and retaining muscle. The correct way to losing weight is to burn the fat while keeping the muscle. Here is where the combination of strength and cardio comes in. This combination supplemented with a good nutrition plan is the key to achieving a weight loss goal.”

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