Weight loss and building muscle -

jayemes

5'8" 44 year old female
SW 205
CW 191
GW south of 170

I'd like to lose the weight - at least another 20-25 pounds - and I'd like to be strong and have muscle definition.
I keep reading posts about losing weight vs building muscle - how you need a calorie deficit to lose but a surplus to gain - so what's the right chain of events?

Should I start lifting/cardio now? I do mostly walking with some body weight strength training mixed in right now but I'll have time to start going to the gym regularly next month. Is it better to do something like Strong Lifts while losing weight or is it just spinning your wheels because you can't build muscle on a deficit? I guess weight loss is the priority right now but I don't want to look back and say "I wish I had done *this* while losing to get to my ultimate goal faster." (Faster being a relative term because I know it's a marathon, not a sprint)

Thanks for any advice!

sardelsa

You should start lifting weights now while you lose. Lifting while losing weight is going to help preserve the muscle you have now and have positive affects on your body composition. You may even be able to build a bit of muscle while you lose.

Running a lifting program like Strong Lifts is a great idea while you are losing, as it will give your body a greater chance to preserve muscle.

There are several threads in the success forum about women who lifted while they were losing with incredible results, I would definitely check them out!

glassofroses

Start lifting as well as cardio, it will help you preserve what muscle you do have while you're losing fat. It's a use it or lose it situation regardless of deficit/surplus. So you probably won't be able to make huge gains beyond the initial growth of using the muscles but you'll have something to work with when it comes to recomp/bulking & cutting later.

(I'm not an expert but this is pretty much my experience)

rybo

Yes, start lifting now. You'll be miles ahead when you are done with losing weight.

gamerbabe14

Do it now...trust me you'll regret not doing it now.

livingleanlivingclean

You want muscle definition.... The more fat you lose, the more defined your muscles look.
I'd definitely start lifting now to help maintain as much of your existing muscle as possible whilst you're in a deficit.

firef1y72

Definitely lift while you lose and try and lose quite slowly. I wish I'd started sooner than I did, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't look as good as I do now if I hadn't started just over a year ago. I started with Stronglifts and once I'd stalled on the upper body lifts at around 4 months I moved over to 5/3/1. I'm now down to the same size I was when my partner met me (UK 10/12) but at least a stone (14lb) heavier and if I say so myself (loose skin aside) I look pretty good, with every lb lost being really noticeable as it reveals the muscle that lurks beneath the fat.

Azdak

In addition to conserving lean mass, there is a direct calorie burn involved in lifting weights. It's not huge, but it is not insignificant either.

You keep seeing this theme roll around "lose fat then work muscles". Lifting weights IS part of "losing the fat" as well--not just cardio.

Lift from day 1.

sardelsa

Azdak wrote: »

In addition to conserving lean mass, there is a direct calorie burn involved in lifting weights. It's not huge, but it is not insignificant either.

You keep seeing this theme roll around "lose fat then work muscles". Lifting weights IS part of "losing the fat" as well--not just cardio.

Lift from day 1.

I know I always wonder where it came from. Maybe from the bodybuilding world, having to lean out before you can bulk? Or from fears of women getting too bulky if they lift? Or the jump in the scale some people experience when they start lifting which leaves them feeling discouraged. Who knows.