How do you LOSE muscle?

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Replies

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Three days ago, the OP stated in another thread "It's not muscle because the weight training isn't that intense (and I haven't been doing it for that long)" ... a month ago opined "I'm already at a very normal BMI. I eat 1200 calories a day, but do I need to cut down even more? Is it even possible with my BMR to lose 2 pounds a week?"

    Dysmorphic though patterns echo through her posts. I doubt anyone who is scared of being sore from a workout class is putting in the effort to put on muscle ... if it were even possible with their diet.
  • Philp0718
    Philp0718 Posts: 136 Member
    try some yoga/pilates
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Hhhmmmmm.....I think there is some body image issues going on here. If the photo you are showing is updated, I don't see a muscular look.

    this.

    OP, you look great and based on the pic could probably stand to gain a little muscle if anything. You definitely need to be careful losing more weight.

  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    If the training is new, then your muscles may be holding onto some extra fluid to help cushion and repair them. This can give the muscles a "pumped" look that many newbies mistake for new muscle growth. The good news is that once you stop the weight training you'll pee those muscles away.

    Unfortunately I've been doing strength training for over a year now, so it's not a new fluid thing :(
    herrspoons wrote: »
    in4 the 'I've lost the fat on my thighs and don't like how they look. How do I put more muscle on them?' update.

    Joking aside OP, why not lose the fat, but keep the muscle and see what it looks like first?

    I'm going for a very petite slim look. I've been at a point where it was just muscle with no fat, and I didn't like the shape of my thighs. Now that I've gained weight, I think I just want to lose the muscle definition as well.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    porscheMD wrote: »
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    If the training is new, then your muscles may be holding onto some extra fluid to help cushion and repair them. This can give the muscles a "pumped" look that many newbies mistake for new muscle growth. The good news is that once you stop the weight training you'll pee those muscles away.

    Unfortunately I've been doing strength training for over a year now, so it's not a new fluid thing :(
    herrspoons wrote: »
    in4 the 'I've lost the fat on my thighs and don't like how they look. How do I put more muscle on them?' update.

    Joking aside OP, why not lose the fat, but keep the muscle and see what it looks like first?

    I'm going for a very petite slim look. I've been at a point where it was just muscle with no fat, and I didn't like the shape of my thighs. Now that I've gained weight, I think I just want to lose the muscle definition as well.

    So stop training and eat all the food....
  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    edited November 2014
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    Three days ago, the OP stated in another thread "It's not muscle because the weight training isn't that intense (and I haven't been doing it for that long)" ... a month ago opined "I'm already at a very normal BMI. I eat 1200 calories a day, but do I need to cut down even more? Is it even possible with my BMR to lose 2 pounds a week?"

    Dysmorphic though patterns echo through her posts. I doubt anyone who is scared of being sore from a workout class is putting in the effort to put on muscle ... if it were even possible with their diet.

    Basically over the past year I was doing weight training and gained muscle/definition in my legs. I stopped doing it for 1-2 months, gained 10 pounds of weight (or so) and wanted to start weight training (but nothing too intense) (and yes I can totally be scared of being sore! don't judge, some people don't like the feeling). Oddly enough I was losing weight/gaining muscle last year. So I didn't understand why I wasn't getting the same result the second time around.
  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    GauchoMark wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Hhhmmmmm.....I think there is some body image issues going on here. If the photo you are showing is updated, I don't see a muscular look.

    this.

    OP, you look great and based on the pic could probably stand to gain a little muscle if anything. You definitely need to be careful losing more weight.


    That's currently not me (a ways back), but a great picture to hide my face and keep a little anonymity!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    porscheMD wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    Three days ago, the OP stated in another thread "It's not muscle because the weight training isn't that intense (and I haven't been doing it for that long)" ... a month ago opined "I'm already at a very normal BMI. I eat 1200 calories a day, but do I need to cut down even more? Is it even possible with my BMR to lose 2 pounds a week?"

    Dysmorphic though patterns echo through her posts. I doubt anyone who is scared of being sore from a workout class is putting in the effort to put on muscle ... if it were even possible with their diet.

    Basically over the past year I was doing weight training and gained muscle/definition in my legs. I stopped doing it for 1-2 months, gained weight and wanted to start weight training (but nothing too intense) (and yes I can totally be scared of being sore! don't judge). Oddly enough I was losing weight/gaining muscle last year. So I didn't understand why I wasn't getting the same result the second time around.

    Unless you were eating at a surplus and progressively overloading, you were not gaining appreciable muscle mass. Your own past posts admit you weren't doing any intense lifting and that you eat around 1200 calories per day ... so things just don't add up.
  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    cavia wrote: »
    Stop the weight training and start training for a marathon.
    Probably not the best recourse. If the OP is untrained, chances are the muscularity of thighs could increase with that type of training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Are you thinking of sprinters? Marathon runners are not muscular and long slow cardio does not build muscle.

  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Most likely what you are seeing is definition from weight loss and pumps, not actual muscle growth. Unless you want to keep some weight on, definition will come regardless of what exercise you do. If you don't want to see the muscle at all, you have to stop exercising completely and focus on diet alone. I don't know why you would want to do this, every guy I know loves a woman with a nice pair of toned, defined legs.
  • Kellyfitness128
    Kellyfitness128 Posts: 194 Member
    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    Try to move around as little as possible, if you can stay in bed for days at a time that would be ideal

    Lol. Pretty much.

    Just stop with the weights and do other activities like walking, running, swimming, etc.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
    porscheMD wrote: »
    GauchoMark wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Hhhmmmmm.....I think there is some body image issues going on here. If the photo you are showing is updated, I don't see a muscular look.

    this.

    OP, you look great and based on the pic could probably stand to gain a little muscle if anything. You definitely need to be careful losing more weight.


    That's currently not me (a ways back), but a great picture to hide my face and keep a little anonymity!

    Self-validation much? I think you're bordering on a serious body dysmorphic disorder and you need to seek professional help with this.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    cavia wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    cavia wrote: »
    Stop the weight training and start training for a marathon.
    Probably not the best recourse. If the OP is untrained, chances are the muscularity of thighs could increase with that type of training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Are you thinking of sprinters? Marathon runners are not muscular and long slow cardio does not build muscle.
    No, I'm thinking of marathon training as creating a big deficit and revealing more muscularity (not building muscle). One can have a muscular look without having to build a lot of muscle. Madonna comes to mind here.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    porscheMD wrote: »
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    Three days ago, the OP stated in another thread "It's not muscle because the weight training isn't that intense (and I haven't been doing it for that long)" ... a month ago opined "I'm already at a very normal BMI. I eat 1200 calories a day, but do I need to cut down even more? Is it even possible with my BMR to lose 2 pounds a week?"

    Dysmorphic though patterns echo through her posts. I doubt anyone who is scared of being sore from a workout class is putting in the effort to put on muscle ... if it were even possible with their diet.

    Basically over the past year I was doing weight training and gained muscle/definition in my legs. I stopped doing it for 1-2 months, gained 10 pounds of weight (or so) and wanted to start weight training (but nothing too intense) (and yes I can totally be scared of being sore! don't judge, some people don't like the feeling). Oddly enough I was losing weight/gaining muscle last year. So I didn't understand why I wasn't getting the same result the second time around.
    Honestly, if you don't want definition, you have to keep a high body fat %. And it really does seem like you have some body image issues, that you might want to get checked out. And you can't beat genetics, so if you don't like your legs, you are going to have to learn how to live with them.

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