Please Help!!! Women 250pounds or more!!!! Lifting for weightloss!!!!!

Ddonna82

Calling all women that have used weight lifting, strength training for weight loss over 300 pounds. Please give success stories and pictures!!!! I'm 5'8 weight350, goal weight 220!!! Please post advice is so much needed!!!!

Wombat468

I'm afraid you can't do weight lifting for weight loss. Only eating less causes weight loss. But lifting will make you look better when you've lost weight

Ddonna82

Thanks!!! I have been tracking my calories for a month and nothing, I'm set for 1600 calories per day and sometimes I'm under, just getting discouraged because I should have loss something by now!! But I'm hanging in there walking and just started cize workout program by Shaun T.

WBB55

how are you determining that you've eaten 1600 calories? do you use a food scale? do you log everything? If you make your diary public, the folks here are often quite astute at figuring things out regarding what you might be overlooking.

Ddonna82

Yes, I'm logging my food and my diary is public.

WBB55

It's not public.

On the website: My home->Settings->diary sharing-> "public"

wizzybeth

But do you use a food scale and the nutrition info on the labels of the food you're eating? Or random entries from the database (many are WRONG)? If you are only "eyeballing" or using measuring cups for your portions, you could easily be eating more food than you think. If you are truly eating only 1600 calories, you should have seen a loss.

My guess is that while you are faithfully logging, if it's not accurate it isn't going to help.

hawkinsgimp22

My mother in law was a size 26 when I got married, she started walking 20 minutes a day, she also cut out any processed food. She worked up to 2 hours of walking with weights. She cooks all her own meals. Now she is a size 6/8 and 55 years old now. It took her 2 years to drop over 200 lbs. She has kept it off for 5 years now. She still walks not as much and stays away from processed food.

middlehaitch

Buy yourself a digital scale and weigh all solids, and use measuring cups and spoons for liquids.

MFP is set up for you to eat back your exercise calories, 50-75% of what you burn should be a good goal as MFP tends to overestimate the calorie burn.

How much you eat has a far greater influence on how much weight you lose than exercise. Keep exercising though, it is good for your health and muscle retention.

Your programme you are starting may be very difficult to begin with. Take breaks, modify moves, and take it slow. It is better to aim for completing it than injuring yourself or burning out because you think you should be able to do the whole thing right away.

Cheers, h.

Ddonna82

Thanks everyone for the advice

meleejmcc

Hello when I started MFP in December I am 5'7 and weighed approximately 280 lbs. I am presently 269 lbs. It's not a lot compared to trying to lose a pound a week. I started out weighing about 300 lbs. Don't get discouraged. It's hard not to, when you expect the scale to give you validation. I now go off of how I feel and look. I truly feel lighter. I can look down and not see my belly. I do strength training about 3 times a week. I notice the results. I still have my bat wings, but when I am in kickboxing class, my arms have definition. I love it! I am trying to do weights on my own instead of just in a group exercise class. MFP has a workout on their blog, I plan to do once I get the courage. My advice is drink tons of water. It flushes out your system. Change things up. Since February I have been eating plant based meals. It forced me to meal plan and prep a lot. I am allergic to cooking so this was a huge commitment. I have really enjoyed it. I tried new vegetables (buffalo cauliflower). I know I can live without candy and Pepsi. I change my exercise routine, as well. I workout 4 -5 times a week for 1 - 2 hours. During school breaks, I take it up a notch. I am in the gym 5 - 6 hours. I think they help me get through plateaus. I think things are coming together wtih my exercise and my diet, because I wasn't tracking before. I no longer reward myself with a treat when I do a workout. Good luck and have fun.

bmayes2014

I am not over 250lbs but I was overweight when I started lifting. I LOVE lifting and I lift heavy! I lost a few inches and a few pounds when I started back in 2014, but it took me a long time (and lots of money) to realize that what matters for weight loss is a caloric deficit. It doesn't matter how much you dead lift, squat, etc. if you are not in a caloric deficit, you will not lose weight. period. Keep lifting and counting calories - someone suggested a food scale - very important. Also, drink water and remember that during this journey you learn a lot about yourself. Play with your macros and calories until you find what works for you. You can do it. If you are not losing (health reasons aside) it's because you are not eating at a deficit. hope this helps! you can do it!!

brb_2013

I started doing body weight exercises two weeks ago, I can now do 12 reps of squats, lunges, and wall push ups and I do 3 sets of that 2-3 days a week. I don't weigh myself anymore, but with this and counting calories I have lost 15 inches in total. I have lost before, but I never did any strength training. I feel much much better this time around.

palmtang

Hi, I started with MFP at the start of the year at 267 lbs, I’ve lost 34lbs so far so not a massive amount compared to some but an amount I’m happy with. I’m mainly posting because the key thing I noticed when starting strength exercises is that I have lost quite a few inches versus weight loss.
I don’t do anything near as athletic as others do like heavy lifting with free weights etc. mainly due to not wanting to spend cash at a gym and pure laziness! But if it helps in the last couple of months of using my boyfs home gym thingy plus an 8kg kettle bell about 3 times a week for around 20- 30 mins each time max, I have lost 4 inches off my bust (back fat not boobs thankfully ) 5.5 inches off my under bust/bra band measurement, 4.5 inches off my waist and 5.5 inches off my hips.

(oh and I took some rather beautiful pictures of me at the most flattering angles…you know the dodgy over the shoulder in mirror type ones and its official, I’m down to only one roll of back fat and I started with 3, hurrah! Non-scale victory! Its definitely worth taking some pictures even if its a little soul destroying at first so you can see your body change)

Now I know strength training of any sort is not supposed to be a great calorie burn but as I’m so overweight it does at the moment get my heart rate up a fair bit, especially the kettlebell workouts so it does help a bit with the weight loss but I think you will be nicely surprised if you carry on weighing/logging food and add some strength even if it’s just at home with a free you tube vid like I do at the moment. Even if the scale isn’t moving massively fast you will see your body start to change if you stick at it.

KDar1988

Ditto on a lot that has already been said. Weigh your food. It's eye opening to see what 4 ounces really looks like. I was probably eating twice that thinking it was 4oz. I have lost over 100lbs, it's taken a while but I have done a ton of cardio and have lifted weights all along. I am now seeing the benefits of both. I started out wearing a womens plus size 32 and am now getting into 18's. Lift weights, weigh the food and do some cardio as you can, you'll see results. You can do it!

godlikepoetyes

Here is one of my stories. I weighed 270 starting out--

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10373426/how-making-choices-has-helped-me-lose-over-80-pounds#latest

cbelc2

My highest weight was 220. This morning it was 185. I'm also 5'8". I'm working toward 150 and eat 1200-1300 calories per day, losing 2 lbs per week when I focus. I'm at the gym 5 days a week. I walk on the treadmill 3 of those and do the weight circuit 2 days a week. I eat a 400 calorie lunch at my desk and use my lunch hour to walk over to a mall and inside and back to work. After dinner (this week it's a skinny veggie lasagna and roasted chicken and watermelon) I take a little walk to my garden in the community garden to water it and check for ripe veggies and remove any pests. If it's really hot, I dress in my bathing suit under my clothes and jump into the community pool that's near the garden. I track, weigh food, measure and level off, and I'm determined to get rid of the rest of my personal fluff!