This might sound dumb...

molson55

So I've finally reached a weight I feel pretty comfortable maintaining...BUT I'm not at my ideal size. I'm 5ft 4in 19 year old female. My weight fluctuates between 116-120 and I'm currently a size 6 in pants. I'd like to be around a 4, just because that's when I was my most confident (yeah its all that vanity weight talk).

Is there a way to maintain my weight but go down in inches? I've heard weight lifting is good for toning, but won't that increase weight from muscle? And if I add weight lifting should I maintain my current cardio too (usually 45-60 min about 4-5 days a week)? Sorry for so many questions, just thought I would try to get as informed as possible.

_Waffle_

molson55 wrote: »

I've heard weight lifting is good for toning, but won't that increase weight from muscle? And if I add weight lifting should I maintain my current cardio too (usually 45-60 min about 4-5 days a week)? Sorry for so many questions, just thought I would try to get as informed as possible.

Lifting weights will increase your muscle mass but it will also increase your base metabolism which means you'll burn more calories doing nothing. Trust me, you'll look even better and better the more you get into lifting. You can weigh the same thing and be a smaller size pants if you work on it. Muscle is more dense than most other body mass so you can potentially weigh 10 pounds more than you do now and still be in a smaller size pants.

Yes. Keep the cardio. It's good for more than just burning calories. It improves your endurance, lowers cholesterol and makes you healthier. A mixed program of weight lifting and cardio is a fantastic plan.

scottacular

Would you be happy if your weight went up but the inches and pant size went down? Look to put on muscle, give more importance to size rather than weight.

justcat206

Yes, lift weights! I weigh more than I did in college, but I now wear smaller clothes because I've added muscle instead of just being "skinny fat." Honestly the number on the scale doesn't mean as much as most of us think it does - so if you feel better in a size 4, then go ahead and use that as your gauge instead of what the scale says.

50sFit

molson55 wrote: »

So I've finally reached a weight I feel pretty comfortable maintaining...BUT I'm not at my ideal size. I'm 5ft 4in 19 year old female. My weight fluctuates between 116-120 and I'm currently a size 6 in pants. I'd like to be around a 4, just because that's when I was my most confident (yeah its all that vanity weight talk).

Is there a way to maintain my weight but go down in inches? I've heard weight lifting is good for toning, but won't that increase weight from muscle? And if I add weight lifting should I maintain my current cardio too (usually 45-60 min about 4-5 days a week)? Sorry for so many questions, just thought I would try to get as informed as possible.

I maintained weight and dropped body fat. It just takes time.
Yes, you perform strength training as well as cardio along with a clean diet.
It took me 3 years to drop a few inches, so it was a slow process for me, and that's OK.

molson55

Thank you so much everyone!! Yeah I think I would feel a lot better basing my progress on the way clothes fit rather than what the scale says. Now I just have to find some weight training stuff for beginners and motivate myself to do it (weight rooms scare me...well mostly the ridiculously buff college guys...). Thanks guys!!!