Why are so many people waiting to add lifting?

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  • MrsH2132012
    MrsH2132012 Posts: 67 Member
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    People wait to lift because they are afraid that adding muscle will slow down their weight loss. They don't associate weight lifting with weight loss.

    The scale is their #1 motivation and they feel that putting on muscle will increase the amount of time it takes to get to their goal weight.


    Whether they are right or not is irrelevant.

    Some people think the number on the scale will decrease at a lower rate if they lift... so they wait until the scale says something that they like, or they wait until they learn that the scale might not be the sole thing they want to use to measure fitness.

    This!

    I wish I wouldn't have lost my 1st 30lbs doing endless hours cardio while starving on a 1200 calorie diet

    These last 26lbs of recomping my body have made me so happy with my shape && I eat more than my husband somedays lol

    Still working on killing more fat by lifting heavy chit :P
  • PJ_73
    PJ_73 Posts: 331 Member
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    I lost 2st before I started lifting, however, I wasn't 'waiting' for anything.

    It took me some time to watch and listen and to educate myself on the benefits of lifting as opposed to cardio. Before MFP I wasn't really sure what it would entail, the changes it would make to my body and that I would enjoy it a damn sight more than cardio.

    Maybe I took longer than others but that's just the way it was.

    I took some time too, before I started lifting. I simply did not know enough, and was afraid I might injure myself without educating myself first. I am just about halfway to my goal. Honestly, if I do not lose another pound, but my stomach flattens out I will be very happy! I just wanted to make sure I am not setting myself up for a fail by lifting now. I find it much more gratifying than running on the treadmill.
    Don't get me wrong I would not trade my walks around the lake, or my hikes through the woods, even the ARC trainer is fun for me, but I am loving this whole weight lifting thing. :happy:

    Ditto.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Well everyone knows how rubbish women are at multi tasking.

    jack-sparrow-running.gif
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
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    For me it's a money thing. I'm hoping that by the time I am closer to my goal weight I will be in a more financially stable situation where I can either afford a gym membership or can afford to buy the equipment for a home gym of sorts. Yes I know there are free exercises you can do for strength training at home and I am incorporating them into my routine, but for now I will have to wait for money in order to pick things up and put them down.
  • iamanadult
    iamanadult Posts: 709 Member
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    OP ignore the jealous haters! Keep on doing you, girl. :heart:

    jealous of what, exactly?

    The OP becuz there hating
  • BigMech
    BigMech Posts: 426 Member
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    I started lifting from day one of my weight loss, but I had experience in lifting from about 10 years before that. With all the information available online about what exercises exist, and proper form, and various lifting programs now, it should be fairly easy to start a strength training routine without injuring yourself.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    OP ignore the jealous haters! Keep on doing you, girl. :heart:

    jealous of what, exactly?

    Was wondering the same thing. It seems that everyone has given their opinion and no one has said anything negative to the OP. I'm confused.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    OP ignore the jealous haters! Keep on doing you, girl. :heart:

    jealous of what, exactly?

    Was wondering the same thing. It seems that everyone has given their opinion and no one has said anything negative to the OP. I'm confused.

    Do you even MFP?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    OP ignore the jealous haters! Keep on doing you, girl. :heart:

    jealous of what, exactly?

    Was wondering the same thing. It seems that everyone has given their opinion and no one has said anything negative to the OP. I'm confused.

    Do you even MFP?

    More confused....
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
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    I agree with the other posters
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I interpret OP's poll as "why do so many people keep saying they're waiting," because I've seen quite a few posts lately about, "I lost 60 lbs... now I'm going to 'tone.'"

    OP, I'm sure it's a variety of things like people said, but your rationale is dead on. Adding muscle on sooner rather than later is beneficial for a variety of reasons, ranging from health and calorie burning to just plain aesthetics.

    Just piping in, because I didn't see this topic as a "judgey" "WHY DON'T PEOPLE LIFT WEIGHTS?" and more of a, "Why are people saying they're WAITING?"

    Adini hit that on the head the most, I think: Instant gratification for a # on the scale vs. the realities of what that appearance might look like.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    The technical explanation is: "that they don't know their *kitten* from their elbow".

    Did you when you first started out?

    What makes you think I do now?
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    My reasons

    1. When I started I wanted the lowest barriers to entry, to maximize my chances of success. That meant walking, running, and using the machine weights at the free community gym. To do free weights at the nearest gym, I was looking at a 20 minute drive each way. No way I would have kept that up at the beginning, while I was still developing discipline.

    2. Free weights were a little intimidating, and I was scared of injury.

    Moving to free weights coincided with me hitting goal weight, but only really because that was also the time when I'd exhausted most of the benefits I could get from the community gym, and I'd developed sufficient discipline to not use the 20 minute drive as an excuse to slack off.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    The technical explanation is: "that they don't know their *kitten* from their elbow".

    Did you when you first started out?

    What makes you think I do now?

    Just a hunch. :wink:
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    Edit: Nvm, read the profile.
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
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    I was intimidated by the weights to be honest. I kind of had to ease my way into it. I started with a Body Pump class, then got a trainer so I could make sure my form was good and to give me ideas about what I needed to do. I've had to work my way up to it!
  • coolraul07
    coolraul07 Posts: 1,606 Member
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    Could be:
    ...
    they haven't learned about lifting yet. Nobody walks into this knowing everything already.
    ...
    *ding-ding-DING* I started my weight loss with caloric deficit, sodium monitoring, and treadmill for cardio. I lost almost half of my total weight loss before I even heard of MFP. Even after joining MFP, I used it only for logging for the first several months and didn't use the forums at all. By the time I started reading about strength training for weight loss (or at least preserving LBM), I was already 9 mos or so into my successful process.
    Even after all of that, it still took time to change my mindset. I read anecdote after pic-filled anecdote for many weeks before I was finally convinced.
    None of us are born knowing this stuff. And with weight loss and fitness/health in general, there is so much conflicting info that you don't know what to believe. People should consider that when they're preparing to bash/ridicule someone and maybe lean more toward education rather than condescension. </soapbox>
  • WannabeStressFree
    WannabeStressFree Posts: 340 Member
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    I think because cardio is easier to do, and as women, we don't necessarily are brought up to do lifting. Also, like others said, women think we will bulk up into a scary mutant, now that I'm educated I see it's just not possible (unless there's exceptional circumstances).

    I always wanted to be toned, and the fads made it seem that aerobics with light weights would do the trick.
    I guess overall it's miseducation or simply personal circumstances as some ppl stated.

    I'm just so happy Im lifting now!
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
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    Never mind. She never minded. :smile:
  • 75in2013
    75in2013 Posts: 361 Member
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    Why does it seem like there are a ton of people on MFP who are waiting until they are "almost" to their weight goal before they start lifting weights?

    I can think of a lot of reasons:

    For a lot of people it is very difficult to be disciplined enough to diet. It's easier to reach one goal first before adding another. So they concentrate on the diet first.

    Cardio is easier for a lot of people. If you already know how to run/cycle/swim/row etc.

    It is way easier to do a lot of cardio. Thus burning a lot of extra calories. (I can cycle easily 2-3h/day and burn 1500kcal - 1800kcal in the process. Try to replicate that with weight lifting ;)

    You can hurt yourself when you lift wrong. If you are already battling health problems due to being overweight you might be scared of lifting.

    People may be embarassed to go to the gym with a BMI of 32. Nobody "sees" you when you walk/jog somewhere alone.


    etc.

    I thought the more muscle you have the better you drop the fat?

    Sorry. This is just a myth. The ammount of calories burned by muscle is not significantly higher.

    I personally don't care the # on my scale as long as I become leaner, and healthier.

    The effect of a good diet is much more important than the decision between cardio and lifting.

    Plus ... a lot of people really don't understand what "cardio" really means.

    Lifting is just ONE form of resistance training.

    Just because you row or cycle doesnt mean that you are necessarily doing "cardio".

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