You see it every year, right after January. People start magically appearing outside left and right. They suddenly take their health and weight seriously, hyped to make a change in the new year. They’ve got everything—new running shoes, airtight nut-crushing thermos pants, the whole deal.

It’s the New Year’s resolution buzz.

People get drunk on New Year’s Eve and yell in a drunken state that they will finally lose weight this year. Everyone shrugs it off because, well, it’s the fourth year in a row they’ve said that. And you know what? Those people shrugging it off are right. After a month, that same person quits and goes back to their normal routine.

The New Year’s buzz doesn’t last long.

This happens every single year. I see it over and over again. I like to work out in the morning before work, so around 6 AM, I hop on my bike and head to the gym. And every year, I see a bunch of people running outside in the morning.

But they never sustain it for longer than four weeks.

Why Do People Not Sustain It?

Before we dive into how to actually lose 20+ lbs of fat without cardio, let’s talk about why most people fail.

If you take an average person off the street, there’s a high chance they live a life like this:

• Wake up around 8 AM
• Scroll on social media
• Do their morning routine
• Commute to work by car or public transport
• Sit on a chair all day
• Eat highly processed foods
• Commute home
• Eat a somewhat decent meal
• Watch Netflix or YouTube
• Sleep

As you can see, this person doesn’t move much throughout the day. On a lucky day, they might hit 3,000 steps. That’s it.

Now imagine this person suddenly adds a hard-ass cardio session at 6 AM every morning. That’s a huge shift in their daily routine. The New Year’s buzz might carry them for a few weeks, but it wears off fast.

Only a select few will push through after the buzz is gone. But those select few? They look skinny AF.

So What’s the Sustainable Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off?

How do you actually lose weight without any cardio?

It’s 90% your diet.

Yeah, you probably saw that coming. But for some reason, you don’t want to accept it. I get it.

The fundamental rule of weight loss is this: Calories in vs. Calories out.

If you want to lose weight, you have to either:

• Consume fewer calories (diet)
• Burn more calories (cardio)

Most people want to lose weight without changing what they eat. They want to keep eating the same delicious, comfortable food and just add cardio to balance it out.

But here’s the truth: You have to run for 20 minutes just to burn off 100 measly calories. That’s nothing. 100 calories is literally a bite of pizza.

So the trade-off? Not worth it.

Now, you’re probably thinking, Okay, so I just eat less of the same food?

No.

Not exactly. There’s more to it. Here are three things I would do to lose weight without cardio.

1. Meal Prep

If you’re anything like me (and the rest of the world), you have a busy schedule. You don’t have the time to constantly grocery shop and figure out what to eat every single day.

That’s where meal prepping comes in.

Let’s be real: You don’t have time to think about your meals every day. So instead, spend one day a week (preferably on the weekend) preparing all your meals for the week. That way, you only have to plan and grocery shop once.

But here’s the thing—you shouldn’t meal prep the same junk you’ve been eating for years. You need to pick foods that are filling, healthy, and low in calories.

Here’s my simple meal prep strategy:

Step 1: Pick Your Protein Source

I usually go for chicken breast, but you can pick any lean protein you like. If you need a list of great protein sources, check out this article: Choosing Healthy Protein.

Step 2: Pick Your Veggies

I go for broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots (or a mix of them).

Step 3: Pick Your Carb Source (Optional)

I personally avoid carbs as much as possible because I feel and look better without them. But if you want carbs, pick brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potatoes.

Step 4: Find a Recipe Online

Now that you’ve got your ingredients, search for a meal prep recipe online. Just type something like:

“Healthy Chicken Broccoli Meal Prep Recipe”

The key? Check the calorie count. Lower-calorie meals are better for fat loss, but they’re usually less tasty. That’s the trade-off you have to make.

2. Walk More

Some people call this cardio. I call it walking.

To me, cardio is hard-ass cardio with the sole purpose of burning fat. Walking is just walking.

You can burn more calories by simply moving more. The average step count is 3,000 per day (at best).

If you bump that up to 10,000+ steps per day, you’ll burn way more calories without doing insane cardio sessions.

Start slow. If you’re at 3,000 steps, go for 4,000. Then 5,000. Work your way up.

And here’s the bonus: Walking is great for mental health. From personal experience, it clears my head and reduces stress. And science backs this up—walking improves cognitive function and regulates mood. Check out this article: One small step: The mental health benefits of walking outside.

3. Work Out (Non-Negotiable)

This is an investment in yourself.

If you follow the first two steps and lose 20 lbs, but don’t lift weights, you’ll just look skinny.

And let’s be real—nobody wants to look just skinny. This applies especially to men.

Besides that, if you don’t work out, you’re more likely to gain the weight back. Why? Because muscle burns calories.

More muscle = more calories burned at rest = easier fat loss.

The reason for this is that muscles require a lot of calories to sustain themselves. There is a scientific article that you can read here that explains it: Skeletal Muscle

If you are new to fitness and weightlifting, no worries. Below, I've put a simple workout plan you can use to have something just to hold on to.

[workout plan]

Besides the workout plan, there are some things you should look for to really fast-track your fitness results. I have made an article that explains what you should look for to really make the most out of your workouts. Read this article: How To Build Muscle Faster Than 99% of People.

Final Thoughts

If you follow these three simple but insanely effective steps, you’ll lose way more fat than the person waking up at 6 AM for intense cardio sessions.

Not only will you lose weight, but you’ll have more energy throughout the day and actually sustain your results.

It’s about making a lifestyle change. You don’t want to just look good for a few months and then gain it all back.

Thanks for reading and taking the time out of your day!