The point about strength training preserving resting metabolism after 40 is the decisive argument, and it rarely gets stated plainly. Cardio burns calories during the session, but dieting plus cardio alone shrinks muscle along with fat, which quietly lowers what you burn all day. Lifting protects the metabolic machinery itself. The slingshot effect description is accurate too. The people who keep the weight off are not the ones with the most willpower, they are the ones who built a repeatable routine they can live with.
The point about strength training preserving resting metabolism after 40 is the decisive argument, and it rarely gets stated plainly. Cardio burns calories during the session, but dieting plus cardio alone shrinks muscle along with fat, which quietly lowers what you burn all day. Lifting protects the metabolic machinery itself. The slingshot effect description is accurate too. The people who keep the weight off are not the ones with the most willpower, they are the ones who built a repeatable routine they can live with.