She Did Cardio Every Day for 30 Days and Her Doctor Was Shocked by the Results

Do you feel like your face is “puffier” and “fluffier” than it used to be? There might be a reason for that, according to one expert. Katie Hardage Penland is a fitness coach who helps people “workout smarter, not harder.” In a new social media post, she discusses how she depuffed and defluffed her face. “40+ Ladies. I realize I was not overweight by definition in my before picture, and that’s not what this post is about. I had hit my 40s and noticed I started to feel puffier/fluffier,” she writes in the Instagram post.

Running Was Leaving Her with Inflammation

“What once worked for me (running) was actually making me feel worse. I could feel it: in my face, arms, tummy…Long story short, I had to make changes. Here are three that made a huge difference,” she writes at the start of the post.

She Swapped Running for Walking

The first thing she did was swapped running for walking. “Now, my runner people don’t freak out…running obviously has great benefits, but losing fat and toning up is not one of them. I’ve been an avid runner my whole life. If you are excessively running and feeling bad, that’s a sign you need to reevaluate what’s happening to your body,” she writes.

She Focused on Macros Over Calories

Next, she focused on macros, not calories. “Nutrition is important for any age, but especially for midlife mommas! Our bodies are naturally losing muscle as we age, so fueling ourselves with the right macro split can make all the difference!” she writes in the post.

She Incorporated Strength Training

Finally, she incorporated three strength training days a week. “Remember what I just said about us losing muscle as we age?! That’s a BIG problem if you aren’t focused on building it. Muscle burns more calories than fat. It’s more metabolically active than fat tissue, so it burns more calories…not just during a workout but way after, too…like while you’re watching Netflix. If you stop focusing on calories burned in your one treadmill sweat session and start focusing on building some muscle so you can burn more all day, you would see a BIG change in that extra fluff!” she writes.

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She Used to Spend “Hours” at the Gym

In another post she elaborates on how she changed her approach to fitness. “I used to hit the gym for hours on the daily. I would hop on the treadmill, run some miles, piddle around the weight section for a bit, and then throw in some abs or stretches at the end. The problem I had?! NOTHING CHANGED! I was working out so hard, but seeing no positive change for it,” she says.

Her Approach Didn’t Work

“I knew nutrition played a part in that so I counted/restricted calories and started to GAIN weight (and I don’t mean muscle)! I knew something wasn’t right. For the amount of effort I was putting in, the reward should be much better. ‼️Fast forward to now…I learned how to pair my workouts WITH macros and it changed it all for me‼️” she continued.

She Focuses on Progressive Overload

“I follow 30-minute workouts that focus on a progressive overload format. I pair these with the RIGHT macros for my age and body’s needs! This helped balance my hormones, improved my cortisol levels, increased my energy, and improved my sleep…which all resulted in burning crazy fat and building muscle!” she says.

She Pairs Short HIIT Workouts with Lower Carb Days

Here is an example. “I pair a short, HIIT workout with a lower carb day. Your body’s number one preferred source of energy comes from carbs. When you don’t have those to pull from it dips into your fat stores instead! Pair that with a fat-burning workout like HIIT, and watch what happens,” she says.

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She Pairs Higher Carb Days with 30 Minute Strength Training Workouts

“On the flip side, I pair my higher carb days with 30-minute strength training workouts…to have the energy, to build the muscle which helps burn more fat all day. If you’re not seeing the change you want to see, try this method!” she says. “Work smarter, not harder!” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 31 Fitness Tips Every Beginner Needs to Look Sexy, According to Coaches.

Erica Lynn is a weight loss coach and social media influencer whose mission is “helping women 40+ shed body fat.” In a recent Instagram post, she reveals that making five changes to her diet and exercise approach were pivotal in her weight loss journey. In fact, she went on to lose 13 pounds and cut her body fat in half after she made them.

She Started Doing Less Cardio

Doing “less cardio” helped Erica lose weight. “I spent my decades doing cardio for the calorie burn. I would be so proud of the 400+ calories I burned. Does that sound familiar? What I didn’t realize is that calories burned are a bunch of BS. The more cardio I did, the more my body adapted/got conditioned, the less I burned,” she says in the post.

She Amped Up Her Strength Training

She also did more strength training. “Calories burned during lifting are typically lower than cardio sessions. This is what confused me: why the hell would I spend 30 min lifting when I can burn 2x doing cardio in the same amount of time? Here’s why: cardio only burns calories at the moment, while lifting heavy shit burns calories for hours afterward. Plus, the difference between adapting to cardio (see above) & adapting to lifting is that you grow in strength and muscle size with strength training,” she writes.

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She Ate More Protein

Amping up her protein intake was also pivotal. “When I started making protein the star of my plate, I started losing inches and not just weight. This is when the definition of my muscle began to show back in 2017 when I started this current fitness journey,” she writes.

Walking

She also started getting her steps in. “I used to think walking was a waste of time. I would rather do cardio to burn more calories. I was so focused on how many calories I burned vs. making sure I was moving throughout the day. Then I learned that Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) actually accounts for DOUBLE the calories burned/day compared to Exercise Activity! All those 2x/day training & hours spent in the gym weren’t adding up like I thought,” she writes.

80/20 Rule

Erica claims that following an 80/20 lifestyle is key. “I’m going to admit to you – I am a Type-A perfectionist. Why do you think I have the Level Up nickname?? I am extra with everything and can’t just do anything half-measured. However, after decades of fad diets, I’ve learned that I will NEVER be successful at SUSTAINING any results if I have to restrict foods forever. I eat 80% wholesome, clean, minimally processed, lean foods. The other 20%? Whatever the hell I want because life is too short! Through tracking macros, I’ve learned how to fit these “fun” foods into my day & developed habits to keep them under control so I don’t eat the whole bag of Doritos,” she writes.

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Steps She Took to Lose Weight: Ignited Her Metabolism

In another post, she reveals the three steps she took to help her lose weight. The first was igniting her metabolism. “Learning you can’t lose weight by chronic under-eating was the most valuable lesson,” she says. Restoring my metabolism to burn more calories & maintain my weight set me up for success when I eventually dieted.”

Enjoyed Food Freedom

She also enjoyed food freedom. “Restricting food didn’t get me anywhere except binging on the foods I restricted,” she writes. “Learning to eat a balanced diet in the right macro portions while staying within my daily targets was key to breaking free from restricting & binging.”

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Maximizing Workouts

It’s about quality, not quantity, when it comes to exercise, says Erica. “Boy, oh boy, was I wrong here! Too much cardio & just way too much exercise in general didn’t get me results and put me under extreme stress,” she says. “These days, my priority is strength training with a sprinkle of cardio every week. Oh… and I made getting my steps in a priority over both the above!” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.