Are weight training and weight loss compatible?

rachledezjones

I'm about 9 lbs away from my final goal weight and I have started lifting weights at the gym. I walk to and from work and go for a half hour power walk on my lunch break so I have been doing about 10 or 15 minutes of cardiovascular at the gym then 30-40 mins of weight lifting.
The only thing is, I'm not seeing much change on the scales. I just want reassurance (if you don't mind) that as long as I'm eating clean and lifting, my body will get slimmer/more toned even if I don't keep losing weight on the scales.

At the same time, will I keep losing weight or will it stick as I lose fat/gain muscle? It's a psychological thing really...

SirDoctorofTARDIS

It sounds like you are hitting a bit of a plateau. It also sounds like you are swapping fat for muscle. You might be able to lose a bit more weight if you increased your cardio intensity. If you keep at the same pace with everything you will be able to keep of those pesky pounds. hope that helps!

deksgrl

Yes, you will lose fat. Losing weight will be slow because you will need to be on a small calorie deficit in order to be eating enough to fuel the workout. I would not recommend increasing cardio if you are lifting heavy, recovery is important with lifting.

AllanMisner

I definitely understand that it is easy to get weight obsessed. But if you dropped a dress size and weighed the same, wouldn't that be satisfying? We don't have our weight printed on our forehead, but people can see when we look and feel healthy.

If your overall goal is to weigh less, don't lift weights. You'll lose fat and muscle. To me, that's about the same thing as cutting off your left arm to lose that last 10lbs.

Lifting helps you gain/retain muscle, which is extremely important to maintaining a healthy body. You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. You'll be healthier. You may not see it on the scale (in fact, you could gain weight while getting smaller).

rachledezjones

So AllanMisner would your advice be to keep eating clean, keep lifting and rely on measurements instead of lbs? This is what my brain is telling me but my scale addiction is hard to kick!

Are you also saying that I could be the same size or smaller at 1 40 lbs with weight training than at 133 lbs with diet alone?

birdiecs

Yes as long as you're eating at a deficit. Those last pounds are hard to lose but stay consistent and they will come off. I lost 4lbs in Dec and started lifting in Nov, that first month I barely budged on the scale but did lose inches.

deksgrl

So AllanMisner would your advice be to keep eating clean, keep lifting and rely on measurements instead of lbs? This is what my brain is telling me but my scale addiction is hard to kick!

Are you also saying that I could be the same size or smaller at 1 40 lbs with weight training than at 133 lbs with diet alone?

Yes you can be a smaller size but up in pounds.

AllanMisner

So AllanMisner would your advice be to keep eating clean, keep lifting and rely on measurements instead of lbs? This is what my brain is telling me but my scale addiction is hard to kick!

Are you also saying that I could be the same size or smaller at 1 40 lbs with weight training than at 133 lbs with diet alone?

Yes. By all means, lift heavy, eat well. Body fat percentage is a much better measure than weight.

I lost 5 inches off my waist without losing a pound. A pound of muscle is much denser (smaller) than a pound of fat.

LoudNF

There is also a difference between "eating clean" and hitting your calories and macros. Now that you are lifting weights you should have increased your protein intake to aid in the muscle repair.

take a weight reading and measurements of your body and once you have a set amount of calories and have broken out the proper macros, follow that for 2 weeks without changing your routines. retake the weight reading and measurements, if they have dropped, you are heading in the right direction. if not, change the diet quantities by 100 or 200 calories only.

repeat until you reach your goals.

deksgrl

Also, keep in mind that your body is going to retain water for muscle repair, so some of the increases you might see on the scale from day to day may be just be that water retention. You should focus more on your measurements than on scale weight.

rileysowner

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

Keep lifting and use a measuring tape instead of the scale.

navyrigger46

Nine pounds to go, you should rely more on measurements than the scale. Things may be shrinking and firming up without any weight coming off, that's not a bad thing. You'll also retain some water when you lift as was said above. To answer your question more directly though, yes, you can lose weight while lifting, weight loss is more dependent on diet than exercise.

Rigger

suelegal

So AllanMisner would your advice be to keep eating clean, keep lifting and rely on measurements instead of lbs? This is what my brain is telling me but my scale addiction is hard to kick!

Are you also saying that I could be the same size or smaller at 1 40 lbs with weight training than at 133 lbs with diet alone?

I started lifting weighing 159 and put on 6 pounds over the course of 18 month but I'm 2 sizes smaller and have lost 16 inches.

Mr_Knight

I just want reassurance (if you don't mind) that as long as I'm eating clean and lifting, my body will get slimmer/more toned even if I don't keep losing weight on the scales.

No can do, sister. It is entirely possible to "eat clean", lift weights, and expand in both measurements and weight.

VelveteenArabian

When you start putting in muscle you have to ignore the scale a little bit. 5 pounds of muscle takes up a lot less space than 5 pounds of fat. You will tone up as you build muscle but you may put on pounds on the scale too. Start going by how you feel, how your clothes fit and your measurements.