Weight loss experience and questions

gdfrew

Hi everyone. I wanted to share my weight loss experience so others can learn from my experience. Over the last year and 2 months. I managed to lose roughtly 55lbs (25kgs) sounds all well and good. I did for the most part manage to keep my protein intake to roughtly 0.8 - 1g protein per pound. I went from around 93/94kg to 70kg. However most of this was good diet and almost mostly waking for exercise as I'm not good at jogging. I did do some jogging here and there but, best I can usually do is around 1 mile without stopping. I played tennis quite a lot with a friend. The unfortunate part is - almost no resistance training. So I'm stuck in the skinny fat phase. Quite a bit of belly/hip and chest fat remaining and no muscle tone whatsoever.

For everyone out there trying to lose weight. Please make sure to do resistance training as well as a good diet to avoid my circumstances.

I'm currently in around 2 months back at the gym trying to repair the mess I've made. Progress is very slow I can only dumbbell bench with around 12-14 kgs (I don't know if I count both and that's 24-26kgs) and struggle with the overhead press with around with again 12-14kg weight. I know I need to leave my ego at the door and such.

My question is to the pros around here. How do I improve my performances. For instance today's regime was for chest and triceps

Apologies I'm still learning so if I get the names wrong correct me.
Chest press (machine I know not the best but trying to build up to using more free weights)
Peck deck machine
Incline dumbbell chest press
Tricep dumbbell bench pullover

At this point I become exhausted but still wanted to do a few others but I messed up and form was failing me.
The cable high to low chest crossover
And tricep pulldown

I ran out of energy and my arms were done in. How do I keep improving my performances and such?

I ran at a calorie deficit for the last year eating around 1700-2000 calories. Not looking to bulk unless I should but I'm now eating around 2200-2500 calories a day which I'm positive is my maintenance level currently.

Thanks to anyone willing to listen and help

IllustriousBee

If you can, I would suggest getting a personal trainer to help with strength training. My trainer has helped me tremendously, and I only see her twice a week. I do the rest on my own based on what I've learned from her. You should keep track of what you're doing too. It can be motivational to see the reps and/or weight increase. Also, I was "skinny fat" for years and thought I was healthy. When I did my initial appointment with my trainer I was shocked at how out of shape I was.

sijomial

"For instance today's regime was for chest and triceps"
Why are you choosing to workout like that?
That sort of split is normally more suitable to a more advanced trainee.

It's a pretty poor choice for a beginer and leads to problems like.....
"At this point I become exhausted but still wanted to do a few others but I messed up and form was failing me."
"I ran out of energy and my arms were done in."
While your chest and triceps were exhausted and couldn't recover the rest of your body could still have been trained effectively.

"How do I keep improving my performances and such?"
Pick a far more suitable program, could be full body, could be alternating push/pull or lower/upper to allow you to hit a far better overall volume at a useful intensity.

Have you seen the list of workout routines in the sticky threads pinned to the top of the fitness and also bodybuilding forums?
Or as suggested above get a good PT to help set up a program for you.

AllanMisner

To gain muscle, you need stimulus, nutrition (protein), and rest/recovery. In the beginning, the stimulus needed is relatively low. That's why we usually go with a full body program with compound movements.

You're potentially overtraining, but it is hard to be certain without knowing how well you're recovering.

Age, genetics, gender, and training experience all affect your ability to put on muscle mass and get stronger. More work won't necessarily make it happen any faster.

springlering62

gdfrew wrote: »

.

…For everyone out there trying to lose weight. Please make sure to do resistance training as well as a good diet to avoid my circumstances.

I'm currently in around 2 months back at the gym trying to repair the mess I've made.

Cup half full, my friend.

You’ve lost 55 pounds. There are many people here who would give their eye teeth to have made such a “mess”.

Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, and appreciate what you have been able to do. The rest will come with work, a different kind of work. All good things in good time.

A lot of the struggle you channel is simply you, unnecessarily beating yourself up.

gdfrew

Springlering62. Appreciate the kind words. It is a mess but a different kind of mess that I'm not too overly worried about just know there is a lot of hard work still needed which I'm happy to work on.

As for a full body program I was under the impression that THEY were usually for beginners? I had done a few month of doing full body workouts and was trying to change up my program a little. I've learned a lot about good form on quite a lot of movements and such so I was sure I had at least made it to intermediate levels without sounding too full of myself, apologies if I do.

If your suggestions I try push/pull and legs maybe I will look into that some more.

due to my lack of job at the moment. (working on that too) a P.T is a little out of my price range. However the gym staff are always happy to help with workouts/form and I've had a free 1 2 1 session which was a core workout.

I'll check out the workout routines on the sticky threads although I do usually find these kind of threads far too convoluted where one idea is pitched and several others are in disagreement. But I'll check them out nonetheless.

AnnPT77

gdfrew wrote: »

Springlering62. Appreciate the kind words. It is a mess but a different kind of mess that I'm not too overly worried about just know there is a lot of hard work still needed which I'm happy to work on.

As for a full body program I was under the impression that THEY were usually for beginners? I had done a few month of doing full body workouts and was trying to change up my program a little. I've learned a lot about good form on quite a lot of movements and such so I was sure I had at least made it to intermediate levels without sounding too full of myself, apologies if I do.

If your suggestions I try push/pull and legs maybe I will look into that some more.

due to my lack of job at the moment. (working on that too) a P.T is a little out of my price range. However the gym staff are always happy to help with workouts/form and I've had a free 1 2 1 session which was a core workout.

I'll check out the workout routines on the sticky threads although I do usually find these kind of threads far too convoluted where one idea is pitched and several others are in disagreement. But I'll check them out nonetheless.

Here's the direct link:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

In this case, the initial post is a good list of reasonable lifting programs and other information sources, very pithy and straightforward. It's been updated to reflect some resources that were identified later in the thread IMU.

Of course, if you try to read the whole thread (43 pages, yikes!), you'll get some of that back and forth discussion that you seem not to favor, but the initial post itself is quite informative without even going further.

Best wishes!

springlering62

I do a full body workout at the gym once a week, on the machines. It’s exactly what it is. Full body workout.

Plus, vinyasa yoga is pretty much full body, too

I’m not an expert, but I can’t imagine why a full body workout would be for beginners? I think they’re very effective.

In yoga, we are very particular about working both sides equally, with the intended result being balance and ultimately equal strength, flexibility and ability on both sides.

Seems like being strong head to toe as well as side to side should be a goal?!

I see so many male and female lifters who all they do is squats and deadlifts. They’re killing it, and I can’t no way do what they’re doing, but imho, some also don’t look fit or healthy.

I don’t think there’s any shame to be perceived in any kind of workout, from walking to jumping rope to the hardest lifting program. If it is, it’s something we’ve arbitrarily decided, or picked up from gym snobs. And they do exist. One or two of the heaviest lifters at my gym give me the side eye for being on equipment they want, and barely pushing the equipment limits by their standards, but I also see the puzzled expressions: “she doesn’t do much so how’s she getting those results?”

gdfrew

Pardon my ignorance, if I do a PPL split wouldn't I just be doing like chest and triceps on that particular push day anyway?

TinaLeigh67

gdfrew wrote: »

Springlering62. Appreciate the kind words. It is a mess but a different kind of mess that I'm not too overly worried about just know there is a lot of hard work still needed which I'm happy to work on.

This is my opinion. You haven't made any mess. It is a lot of hard work, but it would be hard work no matter when you started it, during weight loss or after. I got into resistance training about 7 years ago. I started it while losing weight. It took me a good 4-6 months to feel like I was making progress. It took me 2 years to get to where I wanted to be. Unfortunately I stopped the training and am now trying to get back into it. You've got this! Just give yourself the time to build up. You can't jump in and expect to lift heavy and long. It's a process, just like the weight loss and it takes time. Congratulations on the weight loss and keep plugging away. You'll get where you want to be.

msapplek

@gdfrew - Congratulations on your weight loss! 55lbs over the last year and 2months means that you did this during pandemic/quarantine/lockdown, and that's a super friggin' awesome accomplishment!!

I similarly lost a good amount of weight during the quarantine, but didn't get into strength training until late summer 2020 when I found trainer Caroline Girvan on YouTube. She has put out quality programs all for free (She started with Epic, a 5workouts/wk for 10weeks, and has built more programs since. I've done each one!). I recommend checking out her programs, maybe Epic Beginner Series. These are all dumbbell and/or bodyweight workouts, so can be done at home or at the gym. Her programming is brilliant (upper/body, time under tension, some focus on bodyweight/calisthenics). I've been happy with my results (because newbie gains are the best gains) and have found a new love for fitness. What I love about Caroline Girvan is that she is helping you build strength, and not what other YT fitness influencer or other fitness people are doing by focusing on aesthetics (build a bigger chest, get a smaller waist, etc). That mindset change has been important to me!

Even if you decide Caroline Girvan is not for you, here's some advice I'll pass along (already said):
-Find a program and follow it (no winging it).
-Consistency, patience, and showing up for each workout will get you results. It took me 5workouts/week for 10weeks to see my strength improve and those muscles popping.

Good luck! I know you got this!!

springlering62

@msapplek

because newbie gains are the best gains

I love this and just envisioned this on a nice needlepoint pillow

msapplek

springlering62 wrote: »

@msapplek

because newbie gains are the best gains

I love this and just envisioned this on a nice needlepoint pillow

That would be an excellent needlepoint indeed!

coryhart4389

It takes time and a lot of effort to build strength and muscle mass, but you’re doing it right, IMO. I would suggest, as you stated, use more free weights and simpler compound exercise. Deadlifts, bench press, squats, shoulder press and others a like, three days a week. GL