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Weight lifting doesn't burn fat

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  • Posts: 33 Member
    edited August 2017
    Danicandothis, What do you think about keeping track of your measurements? Are you noticing a difference in how your clothing fits? Is it possible you are building muscle as you are losing fat so you're not noticing a big difference in your weight?
  • Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited August 2017

    so if someone is recomping they arent going to lose/burn fat? I thought you could?

    Yes, because you're adding muscle mass at the same time which increases energy expenditure marginally which is why re-comp takes an eternity for much in the way of noticeable results. The squats and whatnot in and of themselves aren't burning the fat...you're just running hotter and expending more energy with more muscle mass, epoc, etc.

    I'd say in reality that someone who's re-comping and actually losing fat and gaining muscle is actually in a very small deficit which was created by additional muscle mass.
  • Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited August 2017
    Well, even if it were the case, it would still be worth running over walking if you're short of time, because you're burning more calories per hour. Eg cycling is a very efficient way to travel and burns far fewer calories per mile than walking - but it's still great for weight loss because it burns more calories per hour.
  • Posts: 7,682 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    Yes, because you're adding muscle mass at the same time which increases energy expenditure marginally which is why re-comp takes an eternity for much in the way of noticeable results. The squats and whatnot in and of themselves aren't burning the fat...you're just running hotter and expending more energy with more muscle mass, epoc, etc.

    I'd say in reality that someone who's re-comping and actually losing fat and gaining muscle is actually in a very small deficit which was created by additional muscle mass.

    thats what I thought but was confused lol that clears the confusion up. and I know its slow as molasses to recomp.
  • Posts: 85 Member
    Get a second opinion. Something doesn't sound kosher.
  • Posts: 7,739 Member
    Maxematics wrote: »

    Yeah, I ran her stats through a TDEE calculator and chose lightly active. I get a TDEE of 2588 from Mifflin and 2853/2859 from Harris. If her goal is 1800 and things aren't being logged properly, there are probably days where she's at or above maintenance, and days where she's below it. If that is the case, then her rate of loss is going to be really slow. If she has a medical issue, then her actual TDEE would be even less than that. I think all the other stuff can be figured out once the logging issues are fixed.

    Yes. At this point, we have a verified issue. If OP fixes this, we/she can see if this fixes the problem or if further investigation is necessary. But, as almost always, fix the known problem(s) before trying to fix other things that may or may not be broken.
  • Posts: 29 Member
    Yes. Weigh Everything. And it's really hard to weigh fast-food so I'd minimize that as much as possible.
  • Posts: 41,865 Member
    So weigh everything? Measuring with cups and tsp or tbsp isn't accurate?

    cups and measuring spoons are fine for liquids, and I frankly use them for things like oats and rice, etc...but if you're using them for solids you don't want to heap them which is what most people tend to do...weight is more accurate in general.

    What does a cup of chicken look like? It would depend on how you cut it up right? So where's the accuracy?
  • Posts: 30,886 Member
    That's what my doctor told me. I went in for a wellness check. I workout. I eat reasonably well and I'm not losing weight. She told me to increase cardio and do less weight lifting. I think she wrong.

    Some background: i'm 5'1, currently 230lbs. 40 years old. I work out 4-5 days a week 3-4 days of weight lifting. An hour per session. 3 cardio sessions (Zumba) per week. I eat 1800 calories a day. I measure everything.
    My math has me at about a 4,000 calorie deficit per week.

    What am I missing?

    The calculators can be off quite a bit when you are short and have a lot to lose. 1800 sounds potentially high, especially if you are not logging super accurately.

    I get that the exercise calories seem like they should be sufficient to make up for that, but 3-4 days of weight lifting is GREAT for health but does not burn a lot of calories. 3 sessions of Zumba if you are out of shape and new to it may not burn as much as your Fitbit (especially if it is a heart rate one) is saying either, as when you are out of shape heart rate is a bad measure and overstates it. I'd log about 300 per hour for that, 150 per hour for the weights and lower base calories to around 1400 and log back exercise. (Just as something to try.)

    And tighten up food logging (going by what others have said).

    Looking at the Katch-McArdle calculator and assuming about 50% body fat (it could be higher as you are only 5'1), I get that 1800 would be less than half a lb per week at lightly active (which you could be if the identified exercise is most of what you get in a week) or about a lb per week if you are moderate (which I would assume if you also get in some walking through daily activity). That can be easily wiped out by inaccurate food logging.
  • Posts: 49,193 Member



    I don't eat back any of my exercise calories
    So your deficit intern may be too high. If that's the case and you've been basically doing the same workout for awhile, your body may have adapted to your NET calories allowed. That usually means your RMR slowed to compensate for low calories.

    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

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  • Posts: 9,532 Member
    Even if my calories are off on my fit bit I don't eat any of them back so shouldn't I still be in a calorie deficit even if the calories are overestimated

    If you aren't losing weight, and it's been a few weeks, then you aren't in a caloric deficit.

    I would suggest opening your diary - lots of expertise here on sorting out issues like this. Calorie tracking is so simple in principle, but so many things can go wrong in practice! :disappointed:
  • Posts: 49,193 Member
    So weigh everything? Measuring with cups and tsp or tbsp isn't accurate?
    Scale. Weight of something doesn't lie.

    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

  • Posts: 7,722 Member
    Use a food scale for everything. I measure some liquids, but weigh some of them because it's convenient since I'm weighing everything else already.

    When I measure oil, I make sure that I don't pour it so that it's high in the spoon. There are words to describe surface tension which are failing me at the moment, but there are points when you're pouring oil when the top is concave and where it's almost convex. I stop when it's concave in the measuring spoon.
  • Posts: 7,682 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    cups and measuring spoons are fine for liquids, and I frankly use them for things like oats and rice, etc...but if you're using them for solids you don't want to heap them which is what most people tend to do...weight is more accurate in general.

    What does a cup of chicken look like? It would depend on how you cut it up right? So where's the accuracy?

    i weigh my oats and rice because Ive noticed in cups I cannot eyeball the right portion for someone who is like me I would recommend weighing them. for you it may work though
  • Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited August 2017

    OED:

    Move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.

    The latter part is what's definitive. It's absolutely possible to run slower than your fastest walking speed. The difference is not speed but the moment of suspension. In walking, both feet are on the ground at the same time for part of the stride. In running, the first foot leaves the ground before the second foot lands (even if only fractionally). So you're actually entirely off the ground, however briefly.

    ETA note that the reason the OED wording is slightly vague is it's giving a generalised definition for all animals. Animals with more than two feet have any number of different running gaits. We only have one - one foot at a time with a moment of suspension between.
  • Posts: 25 Member
    Bimby46 wrote: »
    Danicandothis wrote: »
    That's what my doctor told me. I went in for a wellness check. I workout. I eat reasonably well and I'm not losing weight. She told me to increase cardio and do less weight lifting. I think she wrong.

    Some background: i'm 5'1, currently 230lbs. 40 years old. I work out 4-5 days a week 3-4 days of weight lifting. An hour per session. 3 cardio sessions (Zumba) per week. I eat 1800 calories a day. I measure everything.
    My math has me at about a 4,000 calorie deficit per week.

    What am I missing?


    Dani, what do you think about keeping track of your measurements? Are you noticing a difference in how your clothing fits?Since toned muscle is a lot smaller in size than an equal weight of fat, could you possibly be developing muscle along with fat loss so the weight loss numbers aren't what you would like right now?

    I haven't. But I'm going to start
  • Posts: 7,739 Member

    OED:

    Move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.

    Thanks for proving my point.
  • Posts: 11 Member
    Give yourself a few weeks of weighing all food and see what happens. If the exercise you are doing is making you happy and feels like a sustainable amount stick with it, otherwise try changing it up, try some new things, maybe switch out a zumba with an elliptical day or try running or run walk intervals. Definitely don't give up weights completely because although cardio will give you a bigger initial calorie deficit the weights are "playing the long game"...investing in a better metabolism later.

    Speaking to general health, do you have any other issues you are concerned with? Have you looked through the symptoms of hypothyroidism/hashimotos, or PCOS? do you have a goiter/chicken bone feeling in your throat? If any of this sounds familiar it would likely be a good idea to request a blood panel from your doctor. I used to be able to drop weight very easily but it is a lot slower now regardless of my deficit. It can be so frustrating if you don't know what is going on....for me it was hashimotos. Knowledge is power.
  • Posts: 6,771 Member
    Another point on the logging. Don't use complete dishes in the database. Like the pasta, if you haven't put that recipe in yourself it could be anything as it will be user created. I just cook for myself so I tend to skip the builder and just enter the ingredients in my day, either all of them to cover several days (and not log that meal for the next however many days it's being eaten) or split it over a few days. All works itself out with the weekly average.
  • Posts: 25 Member
    Another point on the logging. Don't use complete dishes in the database. Like the pasta, if you haven't put that recipe in yourself it could be anything as it will be user created. I just cook for myself so I tend to skip the builder and just enter the ingredients in my day, either all of them to cover several days (and not log that meal for the next however many days it's being eaten) or split it over a few days. All works itself out with the weekly average.
    .


    It was a recipe I built. I don't trust a lot of the pre set things that can be searched. Too much left up to be inaccurate

  • Posts: 25 Member

    Do you run?
    .

    I don't. I've tried but it's not been my thing

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