You’ve heard people SWEAR BY fasted cardio for fat loss.

Losing fat is hard enough as it is and you’d be a fool not to take advantage of something that could make things easier.

So does it really work?

Doing cardio on an empty stomach in the morning? 

Here’s the truth about fat loss, fasted cardio edition:

It doesn’t burn more calories than regular cardio, nor does it “prime” your body to lose more fat.

Fasted cardio for fat loss is a myth, just like vampires and unicorns.

 

What is fasted cardio?

Doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, that’s what fasted cardio is.

Pretty simple.

You just head to the gym without eating anything and hop on the cardio equipment of your choice. 

 

Do you burn more fat doing cardio on an empty stomach?

I answered this in the intro but it’s definitely worth repeating again. 

You don’t need fasted cardio for fat loss.

People see the word “fasting,” whether it’s fasted cardio or intermittent fasting, and just run with it like they’re in the Boston Marathon.

It’s viewed as this “secret hack” they’ve been looking for (FYI, there are none) that’ll lead to automatic fat loss.

I’m here to tell you that’s not at all how it works. 

You can’t look at things like, “I’ll just do fasted cardio for fat loss and that will take care of everything.”

You lose fat by being in a calorie deficit, and want to know the main actor of your fat loss movie?

Your nutrition.

Things like cardio, strength training, sleep, and stress management–they’re all supporting characters. 

But if the main actor of your fat loss movie sucks, so will your results.  

See what I’m saying? 

Calorie deficit = fat loss.

No calorie deficit = no fat loss.

A little later on in this post, I’ll share what I like to call the K.I.S.S. (keep it super simple) fat loss checklist.

But the main thing I want you to take away so about fasted cardio for fat loss is this:

There’s nothing inherent about it that makes fat loss easier.

If you prefer to do cardio on an empty stomach in the morning, then don’t let me spoil your fun, keep doing what you’ve been doing.

Just know there’s nothing special about fasted cardio for fat loss.

Getting your cardio in (whether it’s fasted or nonfasted) is what counts, and you’ll burn the same number of calories either way.

 

What does the research say about fasted cardio for fat loss?

The proof is in the pudding.

Well, the research in this case.

And studies have found—like this one and this one here—that there’s no difference between regular cardio and fasted cardio for fat loss.

Now, the research does point out that fasted cardio might burn more fat during the actual workout itself, but not so much after.

On the flip side, nonfasted cardio burns less fat during the actual workout and more afterward.

At the end of the day, total fat burned evens out, which means you’ll get the same results doing either one.

So, again…

If you enjoy waking up and doing your cardio first thing without eating, more power to you.  

But will fasted cardio lead to greater fat loss than regular cardio?

Nope.

Just pick the type of cardio you’ll stick to consistently because consistency leads to results.

 

How to achieve sustainable fat loss (K.I.S.S.) 

You now know fasted cardio for fat loss isn’t a real thing…

But I did promise you a super simple fat loss checklist you can follow that’ll help you achieve the best results possible.

Here are 5 things you should be doing to not only lose fat but keep it off for life: 

 

1. Get your nutrition in order 

Being in a calorie deficit is the overarching principle of fat loss.

And remember what I said drives that? 

Nutrition.

Fasted cardio, intermittent fasting, or anything with the word “fasting” in it is NOT some secret hack for fat loss.

Neither is keto or anything low-carb. 

And also, stop with the 1,200 calories a day B.S. (it doesn’t help in the long run). 

I’ve made it nice and easy for you to figure out the number of calories you should be eating for fat loss.

Just click on the link below:

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR FAT LOSS CALORIES

 

2. Eat enough protein

Protein is one of the main foods you want to prioritize in a calorie deficit. 

What’s considered enough protein?

Ideally, you want to aim for between 0.7g-1g per pound of your goal body weight in protein daily.

For example, let’s say you have a goal body weight of 200 pounds, you’d aim to get between 140g–200g of protein every single day.

I know protein is one of those food sources that can seem a little bit difficult to get enough of.

But if you read through this post, you’ll come away with 5 unique ways to increase your protein intake. 

 

3. Strength train 3-4 times a week

You know that physique you want where you actually have muscle definition and look toned and fit?

Well, neglecting strength training is one of the biggest fat loss mistakes you can make, and you’ll get the exact opposite of the physique you’re envisioning.

That’s not an image you want to think about, so here’s how you can structure your strength training workouts to optimize your results:

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUTS

 

4. Get 7,500-10,000 steps daily

Even though you don’t need fasted cardio for fat loss, that doesn’t mean cardio in general should be an afterthought.  

You still need to make sure you’re getting daily movement in, and to that point, don’t sleep on walking.

It’s one of the simplest things you can do to boost your metabolism, and moving more has tremendous health benefits too.

Research shows getting around 7,000-10,000 steps in a day decreases your all-cause mortality risk (risk of dying from pretty much anything) by as much as 50-70% percent. 

Track your steps for a week and see where you stand currently.

Especially if you have a sedentary job, I bet you’ll be shocked at how little you’re actually moving throughout the day.

I know I was when I went through this exercise.

What I can say is that since making sure to get 7,500-10,000 steps every single day, I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in terms of fat loss.

 

5. Prioritize sleep and stress management 

When you don’t get enough sleep or manage stress effectively, your body produces more hunger hormones and decreases hormones that help you feel full. 

If you’re a Superhero fan (Marvel > DC, by the way), kryptonite is to Superman what hunger is to maintaining a calorie deficit. 

Get your 7-9 hours of sleep each night and implement some stress-reducing strategies, like:

• Meditation
• Journaling
• Yoga  

 

Summary: Is fasted cardio better for fat loss? 

You can use fasted cardio for fat loss but it’s not better than regular cardio.

You’ll still burn the same amount of fat either way. 

So if you like doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach, keep doing you. 

But if that doesn’t appeal to you, don’t do fasted cardio for fat loss.

At the end of the day, you just need to go with the type of cardio you can stick to consistently.

As long as you do that and make sure you’re in a calorie deficit, it’ll lead to fat loss 💪

 

Fasted cardio for fat loss FAQs

 

Is 30 minutes of fasted cardio enough?

1. As we’ve talked about, you burn the same amount of fat whether you do cardio fasted or nonfasted. 

2. There’s not some definitive, unconditional formula where it’s like, “You need to do cardio for exactly X amount of time.”

Just make sure you’re getting your 7.5K-10K steps every single day.

If you want to throw 1-2 LISS cardio sessions per week for 20-30 minutes each on top of that, you can. 

But you shouldn’t look at fasted cardio for fat loss, or really any cardio for that matter, as the be-all-end-all.

If cardio is all you focus on during your workouts, you’ll just end up with a skinny fat body. 

 

How much fat can you burn doing fasted cardio?

There’s a difference between burning fat and fat loss. 

You can burn fat as a fuel source with cardio but you lose fat and improve your body composition by being in a calorie deficit.

So you could “burn” all the fat you want but unless you’re in a calorie deficit (which is mainly driven by your nutrition), it won’t result in fat loss.

 

What is the best fasted cardio to burn fat?

Fasted cardio isn’t a requirement for fat loss by any stretch but most people will stick to LISS cardio because it’s not so taxing on the body.