Trying to lose weight, should I stop lifting?

mauridaher

Hi, I'm trying to lose weight here. I eat 2000 calories per day (TDEE = 3000). I do cardio and I burn about 500 cals, then I eat them back to reach my goal at the end of the day.

I've lost 14Lbs already, still got about 22Lbs left to go.

I also lift 5 days a week at the gym, but honestly, I do it just for the fun of it (am I the only person who enjoys lifting?). As I said, my main and most important goal is to lose weight.

I wanna know if lifting interferes with my weight loss, and if I should stop doing it for a while, and focus more on fat loss and cardio? Thanks.

Iwishyouwell

If you're trying to lose fat, no you shouldn't stop lifting.

If you're trying to lose "weight", yes you should stop lifting.

SezxyStef

If you're trying to lose fat, no you shouldn't stop lifting.

If you're trying to lose "weight", yes you should stop lifting.

Yes

No

Weight loss happens at a calorie deficet if you have that you are good.

Mind you I wouldn't be going for 2lbs a week with only 22lbs to go.

I lift because I like it...and it helps me maintain my LBM while I am losing fat.

Mostly cardio gives you extra calories to eat and it good for heart health but for weight loss eh.

Continue as you are going esp if you love lifting...make sure you get enough protien and you are good to go.

kdiamond

If you're trying to lose fat, no you shouldn't stop lifting.

If you're trying to lose "weight", yes you should stop lifting.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Take it from me, a person who looks better at 110 pounds than I did at 100 pounds, and still fit in the same clothes. Fit is more attractive than skinny. Track your inches instead.

martyqueen52

The after effects and repairing process of muscle breakdown from lifting will burn more calories over the course of hours than cardio will.

Keep up the resistance training, don't ditch it. Do some medium paced cardio or medium resistance elliptical after your resistance training.

Don't overdue lifting. Remember, muscles need a day or two to repair (greatly depends on you too, I take a day to recover... and lift M-W-F.)

With a deficit and resistance training, you'll drop fat, put on some noob muscle gains and look moderately shredded when it's all said and done.

ascrit

Another note on lifting; make sure you switch it up often. Muscle confusion is the key to gains.

SezxyStef

Another note on lifting; make sure you switch it up often. Muscle confusion is the key to gains.

yah no sorry...I've been doing the same workout for25 weeks and I am getting lots of gains.

moonraker2014

Any wt training that you do will add muscle to your body as extra wt but not all wt is bad lol.

The muscle you add carries YOU and even at rest will burn fuel/calories etc.

Fat is just excess baggage that your muscles have to lug around to move.

You could liken adding 5 pound of muscle to your engine as increasing the tick over speed which in turn needs more gas to just idle.

Muscle ups the internal combustion engine in your body lol

ascrit

Another note on lifting; make sure you switch it up often. Muscle confusion is the key to gains.

yah no sorry...I've been doing the same workout for25 weeks and I am getting lots of gains.

OMFG. Seriously? Lol. Tony Horton sucked you in. Lol.

No. Not true. Just have a progressive lifting plan. Muscle confusion is a silly made up thing that doesn't exist.

I am speaking from my own experience. I did regular lifting for years and didn't really see a lot of changes. It wasn't until I started CrossFit that I saw immediate gains. I attribute that to the constantly varied approach to lifting that CrossFit employs.

deksgrl

No, do not stop lifting.

33Freya

If you want to lose WEIGHT and don't mind losing lean mass (muscle), then yeah stop lifting... Keep in mind that the scale is only a tool and it doesn't measure your fat/lean mass. Maybe you should focus more on body fat %.

I suggest you shoot to cut only FAT and continue lifting. Lower your carbs and perhaps cycle your carbs (eat more of them on the days you do cardio, less on the days you don't), and up your cardio. Weigh your foods and keep careful track to be sure that you are eating at a deficit.

Good luck!

Healthy_4_Life2

No, do not stop lifting.

^^^^^This is true^^^^

sweetpea03b

If you're trying to lose fat, no you shouldn't stop lifting.

If you're trying to lose "weight", yes you should stop lifting.

Yes

No

Weight loss happens at a calorie deficet if you have that you are good.

Mind you I wouldn't be going for 2lbs a week with only 22lbs to go.

I lift because I like it...and it helps me maintain my LBM while I am losing fat.

Mostly cardio gives you extra calories to eat and it good for heart health but for weight loss eh.

Continue as you are going esp if you love lifting...make sure you get enough protien and you are good to go.

Yep.

moonraker2014

I think everyone is different and it can be trial and error or get luck the first time.

I used to train each body part 3x a week for years and only gained a couple of pounds of muscle a year if I was lucky.

Then in my middle forties changed to training just has heavy but on training one body part once a week it gave me loads of energy and my wt increases went through the roof for me. I went from about 174 to 195 in about 6 months keeping my six pack but felt that I was missing something because I like to train more often which stopped me in the past from gaining i think. so I believe it or not joined a running club.

I ran 3 - 4 x a week upto about 30 miles per week and wt trained just one day full body workout per week about 5 exercises just using the compounds for example 3 sets or squats, 3 sets of heavy wted dips heavy bent over barbell rows, barbell curls and press behind the neck.

After 6 months my body wt dropped to 185 still 10 pounds more than it had ever been before i set out on this channge and I was running 30 miles a week at or below 7 min mile sometimes 10 milers.

Squats at the time used to be

134 x12
196 x10
220 x 5
264 x5
286 x5

dips body wt + 88 pounds sets for 12-15 reps

seated behind head press warmup then max out with 154 for 8-10 reps

martyqueen52

Another note on lifting; make sure you switch it up often. Muscle confusion is the key to gains.

bro-science.

Progressive overload is what builds lean muscle, not .... "confusion", WTF ever that is.

Adding weight, reps, or sets from your NORMAL plan is what matters.

I've been doing the same routine for over 2 years now and my arms are even bigger than in my current profile pic. I THINK I CONFUSED MY MUSCLE DUDES!

ascrit

Another note on lifting; make sure you switch it up often. Muscle confusion is the key to gains.

bro-science.

Progressive overload is what builds lean muscle, not .... "confusion", WTF ever that is.

Adding weight, reps, or sets from your NORMAL plan is what matters.

I've been doing the same routine for over 2 years now and my arms are even bigger than in my current profile pic. I THINK I CONFUSED MY MUSCLE DUDES!

The irony of you deriding anything as "bro" while your profile pic is a flexing selfie is definitely not lost on me.

dschassie

The bad info just won't stop.

1. Weight loss is achieved through a calorie deficit. That's it. It's that simple. Lifting, cardio, jumping up and down doesn't have anything to do with weight loss. So, do what ever you want. Just eat at a calorie deficit.

2. Exercise is for body recomposition, not for weight loss. Weight loss, maintenance, and gain is all calories. Exercise determines health, and how you look when you hit your goal.

3. It's always said that weight loss without exercise = looking good in clothes
Weight loss and heavy lifting = looking good naked.

You choose.

I would not stop lifting. That's silly. And people saying yes to that are not well educated on the benefits of lifting.

^ Amen to this!

KHalseth

Muscle confusion is pure silliness. The only real reasons for swapping up routines is 1. to give other muscle groups a rest day when working out on a daily basis and 2. a routine that doesn't change can miss smaller connecting muscle groups over time and by changing up your routine you are less likely to miss those smaller muscles on a steady basis.

tennisdude2004

The bad info just won't stop.

1. Weight loss is achieved through a calorie deficit. That's it. It's that simple. Lifting, cardio, jumping up and down doesn't have anything to do with weight loss. So, do what ever you want. Just eat at a calorie deficit.

2. Exercise is for body recomposition, not for weight loss. Weight loss, maintenance, and gain is all calories. Exercise determines health, and how you look when you hit your goal.

3. It's always said that weight loss without exercise = looking good in clothes
Weight loss and heavy lifting = looking good naked.

You choose.

I would not stop lifting. That's silly. And people saying yes to that are not well educated on the benefits of lifting.

Resistance training is a muscle sparring exercise.

Weight loss is great but make sure your losing adipose tissue (body fat) and not lean mass. High protein diet will help keep the lean mass.

Remember if it's just the weight your interested in then losing lean mass is the way to go every time:

at 3500 cal deficit =

Adipose tissue - loss of 1lb
50/50 adipose tissue / lean mass - loss 1.7lb
Lean mass - loss 5.8lb

Oh, lean mass by the way is muscle, connective tissue, bone, organs (so probably not a good idea to loss this after all).

Keep lifting (with good recovery periods) do some HIIT on your non-lifting days (may be a sprint exercise once a week).

High protein diet and try just to lose the body fat.

This will be a healthy weight loss (and an informed one).

Keep with it, it will happen.