Eating less and working out, but not losing any weight
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LeeshaSeal wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Where are you getting that information? Being in a fasted state is being at a calorie deficit and building muscle is quite possible.
You would benefit from some research on anabolism and catabolism. Fasting isn't the magic you think it is.19 -
I think fat burns like 4 calories and a lb of musle burns like 6 calories. so its not going to be a big difference its minimal like malibu927 said2
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Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
This is a popular, but highly overrated statement. A pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day at rest; a pound of fat burns about 2 calories per day at rest. So if you gain 10 pounds of muscle and lose 10 pounds of fat (which is a pretty significant accomplishment which will take quite a lot of time), you'd be burning 40 more calories per day.11 -
Siege_Tank wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »
I very much dislike people who post this image. Give it more time is literally the worst advice ever. If the scale isn't moving, OP is eating back all the weight.
Op, Google the names Benoit, Young, Phinney, Willi, and Volek, et al, look under images.
Low carb, low cal is about the best and fastest way to lose.
I've kept my weight off since 2012, and I still can't eat anything, certainly not fried carbs.
When I'm out with friends, I have to pretend to eat fried to keep them from making comments.
Let's see....I lost 170lbs, took a year off to do a recomp and let my skin catch up, didn't log, didn't even try, and gained a whopping 6lbs and dropped a pants size. I'm now back to continue losing, I'm down a total of 180lbs now.
I eat carbs, fried foods, "junk" foot, all kinds of fat, processed food, fast food, and am still losing weight. I don't have to lie (pretend) to myself or anyone else in the world when I eat. I just eat fewer calories than I use. I never feel deprived either. If you have to force yourself to not eat specific foods, that doesn't sound like a pleasant life.
Two weeks is definitely not too long to be on a plateau, I've had a bazillion plateaus that have lasted 2 weeks or longer.
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LeeshaSeal wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Where are you getting that information? Being in a fasted state is being at a calorie deficit and building muscle is quite possible.
Where are you getting that information?
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LeeshaSeal wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Where are you getting that information? Being in a fasted state is being at a calorie deficit and building muscle is quite possible.
You're talking (if I understand correctly) short term; the rest of us, I believe, are talking a little longer term. Metabolically speaking, human bodies have a longer "attention span" for many functions than the span of a fasted workout (or 16:8 or whatever, within reason). Research suggests digestive transit can be 50+ hours, with nutrients being captured through multiple phases of that. Things are happening, even if you haven't eaten in 16 hours.
No one is saying you need to be in a calorie surplus at every single moment of every day you lift (or every hour during which you lift). We're talking about a calorie surplus or deficit as your overall status over a period of many hours, days, weeks, maybe more. We're not suggesting one needs a sirloin steak in one hand, and a dumbbell in the other.10 -
LeeshaSeal wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Where are you getting that information? Being in a fasted state is being at a calorie deficit and building muscle is quite possible.
Please post your sources for this. Please post links to real research that supports your claim.
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LeeshaSeal wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Where are you getting that information? Being in a fasted state is being at a calorie deficit and building muscle is quite possible.
You would benefit from some research on anabolism and catabolism. Fasting isn't the magic you think it is.
Could you imagine if it was only that easy? It would be nice!
LMAO!7 -
How are you measuring your calorie intake? Lifting weights does nothing to speed up the process, it's meant to help increase your strength and maintain muscle in a deficit.
OP did you ever answer the question about how you’re measuring your intake? Are you using a food scale?
Also the flow chart is awesome!3 -
LeeshaSeal wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Where are you getting that information? Being in a fasted state is being at a calorie deficit and building muscle is quite possible.
From Dr. Brad Schoenfeld: https://www.dymatize-athletic-nutrition.com/en_GB/why-dymatize/blog/intermittent-fasting-fat-loss-and-better-health
Excerpt:Is intermittent fasting a suitable method for weight loss in Fitness enthusiasts and Bodybuilders?
Dr. Schoenfeld: “The weight loss benefits of intermittent fasting appear to be solely a function of restricting caloric consumption. By limiting the window in which food is eaten, intermittent fasting helps to control caloric consumption and thus facilitate fat loss. It should be noted that the same results can be achieved simply by controlling calories via portion control in a standard dietary approach. Therefore, the best practice dietary approach for weight loss depends on the individual.”
Through intermittent fasting body fat level can be reduced via energy deficit. But how about the maintenance of valuable muscle mass in athletes?
Dr. Schoenfeld: “Food, dietary protein in particular, is anabolic. Intermittent fasting will put an individual in a state of catabolism for a majority of the fasting day – not an ideal muscle-building environment. Based on applied logic it would be prudent to consume protein more frequently throughout the day to maximize the training-induced hypertrophic response and to support muscle maintenance/growth.”
Starving the body during fasting kick-starts positive health benefits for the immune system - True or false?
Dr. Schoenfeld: “I have seen no compelling evidence to support that hypothesis.”9 -
Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Really? between my last two body tests (about a month in between them) I had lost 1,5 kg, 1 kg of fat and gained 300 g of muscle. I do 5:2 and it seems to work fine.8 -
rikkejohnsenrij wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Really? between my last two body tests (about a month in between them) I had lost 1,5 kg, 1 kg of fat and gained 300 g of muscle. I do 5:2 and it seems to work fine.
I agree - I found 5:2 (a very different IF protocol to 16:8) really good at supporting a heavy exercise workload while losing weight as you are at maintenance calories 5 days a week. So the majority of the time you are fully fuelled for your training and recovery.
And gaining some muscle in a deficit isn't at all unusual, it's harder but your body doesn't switch off MPS due to an (unspecified) deficit.
Infographic from https://sci-fit.net/bulking-deficit-gaining/
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rikkejohnsenrij wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Really? between my last two body tests (about a month in between them) I had lost 1,5 kg, 1 kg of fat and gained 300 g of muscle. I do 5:2 and it seems to work fine.
I can't speak for others, but my point - on this thread - was that OP isn't gaining enough muscle in a short time to outpace a meaningful amount of fat loss. I agree that there are conditions under which some muscle mass can be gained alongside fat loss. But that isn't likely to be the reason OP isn't seeing the scale move.
Optimal condition for muscle mass gain is a surplus. Maximal realistic gain under optimal conditions is still slow.
You've done a wonderful job . . . but your fat loss outpaced your muscle gain. That was my point: Muscle gain in a calorie deficit is too slow to outpace any meaningful rate of fat loss.10 -
I am strict with logging my intake and keep my calories burned estimates on the lower end vs what my fitness tracker and some websites say.
I'm in that whole perimenopause phase of life, so the weight doesn't come off just because I keep my calorie intake below a certain point and stay active.
There are so many variables.
I feel ya, OP. I do so wish that we could all count on seeing consistent changes. It's especially hard when we know we are doing it "right." But what we often forget is that every single human body will react differently.
I am going with "trust the process." One tiny step at a time and we will get there!
Lots of love to you!4 -
LeeshaSeal wrote: »Lifting weights will help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle does burn more calories at rest than fat. Take those measurements and track to see if you are losing inches. Are your clothes fitting better?
You are also doing a lot of cardio, so you may actually want to look at your carbs and that you have enough. Protein helps with muscle repair and growth. Carbs (the good kind!) will help fuel your workouts/performance.
Lifting will help you increase your muscle mass in a calorie surplus. You can't really gain muscle in a deficit. Also the difference in how much muscle burns vs how much fat burns is minimal.
Where are you getting that information? Being in a fasted state is being at a calorie deficit and building muscle is quite possible.
Considering you have 21 woo's, if I were you, I'd check your own "facts". The only time you can be in a caloric deficit and build muscles is if you fit under or a few of these criteria:
1) New to weight lifting
2) Obese
3) Steroid user
4) Freak Genetics
5) Former lifter who is getting back to lifting weights (muscle memory)
For the rest of the mortal souls, gaining muscles while losing weight is hard to do or downright impossible. Most of us will have strive to at least maintain what we have.
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Agreed. Gaining strength is another story. I've seen my workouts go from 8 to 25-lb dumbbells and it feels great. But I know that since I only started strength training about 6 months into weight loss, I probably didn't even qualify for newbie gains.1
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The woo factor doesn't seem to mean much, really. People will woo things when their opinions are different. I've had people woo things I have said that aren't offensive, are pure opinion and stated as such, or something that can be legitimately backed up.3
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The woo factor doesn't seem to mean much, really. People will woo things when their opinions are different. I've had people woo things I have said that aren't offensive, are pure opinion and stated as such, or something that can be legitimately backed up.
I've had woos for thanking someone for posting something that was inspirational. Where there are a couple, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have one post that has 5 of them, I'm guessing it's because the tone of it likely came across pretty harsh. Where any of them to have 20 some odd woos, I would review the content of the post to see if I were missing something.10 -
I was going to say, like the chart above mentions, you may need to see a doctor to rule out thyroid issues that will make weight loss difficult. Also be sure to really look at your macros and sugar throughout the day. Sugar is awful, and I am the worst sugar addict ever, so I know for sure that it packs the pounds on and eats away at your health.13
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RockinOilyMomma wrote: »I was going to say, like the chart above mentions, you may need to see a doctor to rule out thyroid issues that will make weight loss difficult. Also be sure to really look at your macros and sugar throughout the day. Sugar is awful, and I am the worst sugar addict ever, so I know for sure that it packs the pounds on and eats away at your health.
Sugar, in and of itself, doesn't pack on pounds. It will only result in weight gain if one consumes more energy than one is using.
Weight loss is determined by whether or not one is in a calorie deficit, not how much sugar one consumes.
Some people do have problems moderating their consumption of sugar (or some particular foods with it) and that is something they'll have to address to consistently achieve the calorie deficit required for weight loss. But assuming it isn't causing one to consume more calories than they need, it's not a problem for weight loss.12
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