Possible to be in good cardio shape but very fat?

@skye4him That's an interesting number to think about. So 10lbs lost is 20 seconds per mile so about 1 minute off a 5k, a little more than 4 off a half marathon and less than 10 minutes off of a marathon.
 
@mir2017lma Yeah, it’s been a little while since I’ve played with it, but there’s a Jack Daniel’s running calculator spreadsheet I had that you could estimate running time improvements at different weights. Should be able to find it with a google search… it was interesting.
 
@ms7dc It's not unusual, especially for younger people. The heart is pretty tough and can take a beating -- for a while. However, the years of carrying extra weight will likely start taking their toll eventually somehow, especially around 40-50.

There are always genetic factors at play, but extra weight usually shows up in blood work issues, cardio or other organ system issues, joint wear, etc at some point.
 
@ms7dc You're not alone. I've met quite a few people like this. Unfortunately most of them end up getting discouraged and quit altogether because the external (how they look to themselves and others) doesn't match the internal (how they feel, good labs, ekg etc).

Just want to encourage you to keep going. Scale back the workout intensity if it starts to feel like a struggle to stay motivated.

Keep going
 
@ms7dc Do not quit. You will never get to your goal if you do. You have already put in so much work. Just stick with it and eventually, you will get there
 
@ms7dc Just because you have good bpm and can do cardio, doesnt mean your body isnt struggling. Your body is just adapting, but adapting still means its working harder than it should. Id be willing to bet your blood pressure is very high while doing cardio. The fact is fat people have a lot more blood than normal weight people, in order to circulate that blood properly, your heart actually pumps harder and is enlarged compared to a normal weight person. This over use and enlargement will ultimately still cause heart related complications later in life unless you lose the excess weight and blood.
 
@ms7dc I’ll tell you from experience it is extremely possible to look fairly fit with absolutely awful V02 max and cardiovascular endurance. Really, really need to work on that.

So yeah the opposite is very possible.
 
@ms7dc I've managed to gain 10kg/22lbs while cycling more than 5000km/3100miles per year.

Didn't fuel my rides properly and usually ended up massively overheating afterwards. Ended up at a BMI around 28, which isn't fat, but overweight - especially when having an unbalanced physique with a lack of muscles.

Properly fuelling my rides, watching my caloric and protein intake and introducing weight training helped with both the weight and the looks.
 
@ms7dc NFL lineman are in great shape and have a lot of fat. It’s possible but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue losing weight.
 
@ms7dc If I were you. I’d make sure your health markers are in order. Blood pressure, cholesterol, A1C and so on. If those are good or optimal then your weight isn’t really an issue. There’s nothing unhealthy about being big or fat. It’s the way fat affects health that’s the issue. If you exercise, keep your numbers in normal range, and do yoga/pilates for joints then your size doesn’t really matter.
 
@ms7dc I started running when I was 14, and I was really overweight at the time. I lost weight, but it look a couple of years, and I was still overweight at the end of my high school career. But getting in good shape cardio wise came so much quicker than the weight loss.

At the fastest I've ever been, I ran a sub 20 minute 5k with a BMI of 26.9.

But I'm much leaner now, and I think my cardio is much more balanced now. The volume of running they have kids doing in high school is honestly wild.
 
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