should i so lifting weights

collingmommy
collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For full background, check out my profile. I lift weights, 3 times a week. The usual split, legs, and, chest back abs, I recently started college up. I do all my classes online. I am a full time working mother of a two year old. I do not have time to lift and do circuit training. I get up at 5am already and my day goes till 11 pm, sometimes later. And do it 5 days a week. I know, "you don't have time! You have to want it so, make time" I know that. And if I didnte want it, I wouldn't have lost 99 lbs in 2 years. So, spare me that lecture, please.

I'm currently 63 inches tall, 159 lbs, 26 percent body fat. That is a long way from 257 lbs and 43 percent body fat. {My starting stats 2/12)

I'm wanting to start some form of circuit training. I own allot of DVDs, I had alot off success with Jillian Michaels 30 day shred, I lost 26 inches in thirty days. I would think that if my memory serves me, as long as I'm eating at a deficit that I will continue to lose weight, but if I use circuit training instead of heavy weights that I should start to burn the fat a bit better. I know its best to "lift heavy" to burn fat, but I've been doing that for a while and haven't seen any real changes in the scale or measurements since October "13. So, I'm trying to decide on wether to continue with high hopes or try something else.

Replies

  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    If you're not seeing any changes, I would look at calorie intake first.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Lifting "heavy" does not burn fat as much as it preserves muscle. make you stronger, strengthen bones and joints and so on.

    Calorie deficit burns fat. You can eat less and/or move more to create the deficit.

    Circuit training may be enough to preserve muscle mass and burn extra calories but you could also just do a full body lifting routine 3x per week and then do cardio or circuit on the other days for the extra calorie burn. Fit in some rest days if you cant recover from that much work.
  • darlilama
    darlilama Posts: 794 Member
    First, you have made AMAZING progress! Congratulations to you!!

    I don't "have the time", either, to do an hour or more a day, strength and cardio. So, I look for 30ish minute workouts and I split the strength and cardio days. Right now - getting back into the new year swing of things and looking at the few pounds I added back last fall - I'm doing 3 days cardio-focus (30 DS) and 2 days strength (P90X routines, skipping the "repeat" sets). I think next month, I'll switch and do 3 days strength (maybe ChaLean Extreme) and 2 days cardio (got Jillian's kickboxing, have Turbo Jam, P90X routines).

    I'm also strongly looking at putting the $ into P90X3 or FOCUS T25 for the near future because they seem to be intense, but 30 minutes and less in time.

    I haven't weighed myself since Jan 1, so not sure, but I think it's working for me! LOL My clothes are feeling a smidge better and I'm feeling stronger after a bit of a backslide doing strength training during Nov/Dec.

    Good luck!!

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