Cardio, Aerobics, and Fat Loss Part 2
Now that we've covered how aerobic exercise supports healthy, sustainable fat loss, what actually counts as aerobic exercise? There are three key criteria to look for: low intensity, duration, and continuity. The intensity should be low — meaning the activity feels moderately challenging but still allows you to speak in full sentences without gasping for air.
This usually shows up as an elevated heart rate, light to moderate sweating, and slightly deeper breathing. The activity should also be sustained and uninterrupted, lasting at least 30–60 minutes to fully tap into the aerobic system.
Aerobic exercise can provide all these benefits and more. However, if the body doesn’t receive adequate energy and nutrients—not only to recover from exercise but also to build the systems and adaptations—those benefits will be minimal or may even backfire, especially if undereating occurs.
The negative effects stem from the additional stress underfueling places on the body, which can worsen markers like baseline cortisol instead of improving them. This is why intuitive eating forms the foundation—not just for effective fat loss and body composition, but for overall health and well-being.
Aerobic training builds the physiological systems, while intuitive eating supplies the energy necessary for these systems to adapt and regulate, ensuring you neither overeat nor undereat but maintain balance within a healthy range over time.
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits, the process, and the importance of properly fueling the body, a common question arises: how long until we see results? The answer varies for everyone, as it depends on many factors—including current body composition, dieting history, activity levels, and physical abilities.
To simplify, we can consider two scenarios, assuming intuitive eating and sufficient recovery are practiced intentionally: training 150 minutes per week (30 minutes, 5 times a week) versus training 420 minutes per week (60 minutes daily). With the minimum recommended amount, noticeable results may begin around 10 to 14 weeks, while training at the higher end could yield visible results closer to 9 weeks.
This timing reflects the fact that biological adaptations—especially metabolic ones—take time. The body not only has to adapt but also needs to build trust that it’s safe to do so. That trust comes from consistently providing the right stimulus along with adequate energy and nutrients to support sustainable change.
Once these adaptations become visible, fat loss tends to become more consistent week to week. The real challenge isn’t maintaining consistency—it’s sticking with the process during those early weeks when visual changes haven’t yet appeared and doubt starts creeping in.
That said, just because visual progress may be delayed doesn’t mean other benefits are on hold. Improvements in mood, energy, sleep, appetite, and more often come much sooner—because these internal markers need to improve first before external changes can follow.
Taking a healthy approach to fat loss means being patient and supporting the body’s natural process, not forcing quick results. The internal changes must happen before the external ones if we want sustainable, lasting progress.
What you need to understand is that this approach doesn’t have to be perfect—just consistent and frequent. In fact, perfection is impossible because finding what works best for you requires trial and error. The changes will happen as long as you follow the principles we've outlined as best as you can.
Biological systems have to adapt when given the right stimulus—including your metabolism. Everyone has the potential to achieve the fit, healthy body they want in a sustainable, stress-free way.
You just need to give it time, stay consistent, and practice patience, and you will lean out, even to very low (yet still healthy) body fat levels, if that is what you want.
Beyond the biology of fat loss, success also depends heavily on mindset and habits. Sustainable change requires patience, self-compassion, and the ability to embrace setbacks as part of the process rather than as failures.
It’s also important to correctly frame what counts as success versus what truly qualifies as a setback. For example, feeling more relaxed around food and at peace with your choices is a success. Missing your “calories burned” goal on an Apple Watch is not a setback—especially since we aren’t focusing on calorie tracking. Missing an entire week of training, on the other hand, might be.
Feeling better after training, being in a better mood, or having more energy throughout the day—those are legitimate markers of progress. Diet gurus often say, “What doesn’t get measured doesn’t improve.” While there’s some truth to that, the issue lies in what we choose to measure. There are far better indicators of progress than calorie counts.
Building consistent habits—small daily actions that eventually become automatic—makes it much easier to stay on track over the long term. Equally important is shaping an environment that supports your goals, whether that means being around encouraging people or creating a daily rhythm that makes healthy choices easier and more natural.
Fat loss isn’t just a metabolic process—it’s a behavioral and psychological one. When your physiology and psychology are aligned, real and sustainable progress becomes not just possible, but inevitable.
This is exactly why many people aren’t aware of this straightforward approach—eat balanced, exercise consistently, rest, and repeat over weeks and months. It’s neither complex nor intense. Unfortunately, much of the fitness industry focuses on shortcuts and minimal effort, convincing people they can get great results quickly by simply cutting calories and walking or strength training (wow that somehow required a lot of “studying” and brain power).
While calorie cutting may sound simple, it often leads to frustration and failure for most. This shortcut mentality isn’t lazy on the part of those trying to improve their health, but rather lazy guidance from those offering advice. Many so-called “evidence-based” or “science-based” professionals overlook fundamental physiology and the body’s real needs.
The truth is, the body requires time—both short term and long term—to genuinely change. You can chase every gimmick or hack, but you do so at your own risk, especially the risk of no improvement or regression. The body doesn’t respond well to rapid shifts. It needs time to adapt and establish a new, sustainable baseline.
You don’t have to be in a calorie deficit (nor do I recommend forcing yourself into one), you have to improve the systems in which your body uses fat for energy. If anything, this would be referred to as a fat deficit, where your body uses more fat than it creates/stores, as the body is always burning fat and storing it simultaneously.
Focus on eating mindfully, intuitively, move as often as you can, and relax. Improving these systems improves your metabolic health, where healthy and sustainable fat loss is the byproduct.
You are on your way to where you want to be, the goal now is to not stop and enjoy the process, everything else will fall into place. Cheers.
-Nicho
What Counts as Aerobic Exercise
Must be low intensity, continuous, and sustained for 30–60+ minutes.
Should allow you to speak comfortably while moving.
Includes elevated heart rate, light sweating, deeper breathing.
Fueling Matters
Without enough food, aerobic benefits stall or backfire (e.g., elevated cortisol).
Intuitive eating provides the energy for recovery and adaptation.
Exercise and nutrition work together to support fat loss and health.
Timeline for Results
Depends on factors like history, activity level, and recovery.
With 150 mins/week, results may appear in 10–14 weeks.
With 420 mins/week, visible changes may come by ~9 weeks.
Internal changes (mood, energy, sleep) happen before external ones.
Key Mindset Shifts
Consistency > perfection — small daily actions compound over time.
Progress is not just visual: improved mood, energy, sleep, and relationship with food all count.
Success means being at peace with your habits, not obsessing over metrics like calories burned.
Measuring Real Progress
Ignore superficial metrics (e.g., calorie counts on devices).
Track true indicators: energy levels, training enjoyment, emotional well-being.
Missed workouts matter more than missing arbitrary calorie targets.
Behavioral and Environmental Support
Long-term success requires:
Positive habits that feel natural
A supportive environment
Self-compassion and patience
The Problem with the Fitness Industry
Promotes shortcuts (calorie cutting, step counting) that often fail.
Misleads people by ignoring basic physiology and the body’s true needs.
Fat loss isn’t just metabolic—it’s also psychological and behavioral.
What Actually Works
You don’t need a strict calorie deficit, but rather a fat deficit—where the body burns more fat than it stores.
Focus on:
Consistent aerobic exercise
Intuitive, balanced eating
Proper rest and recovery
Patience and trust in the process
Final Takeaway
Sustainable fat loss is a slow, systemic process.
If you stay consistent, regulate stress, move daily, and fuel well, you will lean out naturally.
You're already on the right path—enjoy the process, and the rest will follow.
