Intense Cardio & Muscle Gains? (TurboFire)

AngieAllTheWay

So I'm pretty much exactly half way through TurboFire. I am completely in love with it. I love the style of workouts and I like Chalean Johnson. (I think that's kind of key with these BB programs - finding a trainer you click with) I'm a little confused, but not in a way that's throwing me off which is good. I did not take measurements when I started. I just didn't want to focus on anything other than getting into the grove of a regular exercise program and a good healthy clean diet. My clothes are definitely giving me positive feedback, so I'm not discouraged at ALL. I'm down a clothing size for sure (yay!). My muscles are absolutely more solid and I feel stronger. I guess I'm just confused because while these workouts do target muscles (lots of punching and jumping), it's an "intense cardio" program with HIITs, so you think it's a "fat loss" program rather than a "muscle building" program (i.e. calorie deficit - fat loss & calorie surplus for muscle building, right?). I realize there's something called "calorie partitioning" that does occur which I "think" may explain it, but my scale has not been moving down in the last month and I track diligently (including veggies), increased my protein, reduced starchy carbs, eat healthy fats and wear a BodyMedia band that tracks my calorie expenditure. The hard cold facts of the MATH say I "should" have lost 6.5 lbs in the last 3 weeks based on my intake and expenditure, but it's just not the case. Even though I am definitely slimmer (fat loss, yay!), I just find it hard to believe that I would have gained enough muscle to nullify the scale results. Am I crazy? I'm not a small girl who has less to lose. Is it truly possible to gain enough muscle doing this? Other things go through my head, like I have PCOS, my testosterone level is slightly higher than it should be, so maybe that helps with muscle gain perhaps (just a theory), and also it can be harder to lose weight with PCOS, but I have indeed lost fat. Again, I'm not "discouraged" by this in the normal sense, I'm just trying to understand so that I can make adjustments if necessary. Also I should add that I do not eat a super low calorie and 1500 would be a "low" day for me and it's generally averaged around 1600-1700 with a few higher days thrown in there which I "thought" was the better approach and as long as you are achieving a deficit, which I AM, it's all good. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

LeanButNotMean44

You are losing fat and highly likey not gaining muscle. Your muscles feel firmer and may be more visible because the fat that was covering them has been reduced.

AngieAllTheWay

The confusion then, is why the scale isn't dropping, if I'm losing fat? I certainly don't' feel like I am retaining 6-7 lbs worth of water either.

Iknowsaur

The confusion then, is why the scale isn't dropping, if I'm losing fat? I certainly don't' feel like I am retaining 6-7 lbs worth of water either.

When you start a new or more intense exercise regimen, it is common to begin retaining more water. I don't know about 6-7 pounds worth of water, but a 3-4 pounds is very plausible.

bcattoes

Plyometrics create intense resistance. Resistance is what is needed to build muscle.

No_Finish_Line

agree with leanbutnotmean.

as far as the scale... it sounds like a cop out, but to me this is another example of why the scale is an extreamly poor indicator of progress ESPECIALLY for those who can't be said to be overweight.

its probably got something to do with water weight

if you ask me, unless you know you are overwieght, the scale should only be used to calculate how many calories you should eat. if used as a milestone, it is guarunteed to frustrate you.

just use a tape measure or go by your clothes

bcattoes

The confusion then, is why the scale isn't dropping, if I'm losing fat? I certainly don't' feel like I am retaining 6-7 lbs worth of water either.

When you start a new or more intense exercise regimen, it is common to begin retaining more water. I don't know about 6-7 pounds worth of water, but a 3-4 pounds is very plausible.

If she's halfway through the program, she did not just start the program. It's a 20 week schedule.

ninerbuff

Weight loss is complex when one adds exercise (especially in higher intensities) because of how hormones will react from person to person. Guaranteed the more intense the program, the more water and glycogen storage one will retain due to the energy demand.
Point is, forget the scale. If you look the way you want to, fit the clothes you want, and get the compliments, doe what the scale read REALLY matter?

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

albayin

The confusion then, is why the scale isn't dropping, if I'm losing fat? I certainly don't' feel like I am retaining 6-7 lbs worth of water either.

LOL I should have read your post before I started my own...I just asked the same question in another thread...that firmness..where did it come from, seriously...

Holly_Roman_Empire

agree with leanbutnotmean.

as far as the scale... it sounds like a cop out, but to me this is another example of why the scale is an extreamly poor indicator of progress ESPECIALLY for those who can't be said to be overweight.

its probably got something to do with water weight

if you ask me, unless you know you are overwieght, the scale should only be used to calculate how many calories you should eat. if used as a milestone, it is guarunteed to frustrate you.

just use a tape measure or go by your clothes

I echo this. If I only based my progress on the scale the last 3 months, I would have gone insane by now.

AngieAllTheWay

Sorry, I should clarify, I'm at week 7! I was thinking it's 3 mths, but regardless, I'm on week 7 now.

waldo56

If you aren't measuring progress with a tape measure you are doing it wrong.

AngieAllTheWay

Thanks for your input! That helps! I agree with the scale not needing to "matter" but in all honesty, I think that really only comes into play if you're within a decent reach of a healthy weight range. I'm 191 lbs, but if I were 165 lbs, I'd adopt the "forget the scale" mentality completely. I just want to understand that I can tweak if at all necessary. I guess it's also new territory for me, since I lost 130 lbs when exercise only played a minor factor.

dym123

I did Turbo Fire last year, in the middle I hit a weight loss plateau, but I was still losing inches. By the end of the 20 weeks, I dropped 24lbs. Be patient and keep at it and throw away that damn scale. It causes nothing but aggrevation.

No_Finish_Line

well you have a point too then, IMO your far enough out that you might still be able to use the scale to measure progress.


and yet you have come with this question, which basically highlights the fact that it can't really be used as measure of progess.

Try waiting till the end of the program to weight yourself and compare that to the weight at the begining. Evaluate then.

even if something is off a bit and you ended up not losing weight (which we already know isnt true by your clothes) you still didn't waste time because you are going to be in better shape then in the begining

AngieAllTheWay

I did Turbo Fire last year, in the middle I hit a weight loss plateau, but I was still losing inches. By the end of the 20 weeks, I dropped 24lbs. Be patient and keep at it and throw away that damn scale. It causes nothing but aggrevation.

Thank you!! I don't actually weigh often for this reason, but wanted to do a check in. Congrats on your progress! Love to hear that!

AngieAllTheWay

well you have a point too then, IMO your far enough out that you might still be able to use the scale to measure progress.


and yet you have come with this question, which basically highlights the fact that it can't really be used as measure of progess.

Try waiting till the end of the program to weight yourself and compare that to the weight at the begining. Evaluate then.

even if something is off a bit and you ended up not losing weight (which we already know isnt true by your clothes) you still didn't waste time because you are going to be in better shape then in the begining

Yup, you're completely right! Thanks for the reassurance! I don't think I would change anything anyway - I already know I'm doing everything right in my control and I"m just going to keep going and kicking some *kitten*

AngieAllTheWay

It might be worth mentioning that my situation is that I used to weigh 298 lbs and lost 130 lbs following WW with minimal exercise (I had a car accident and suffered significant injuries that left me immobile at the time), time passed, had a baby, gained some back and am on my way back down, but this time on a mission to become strong and lean in the process. I don't care what my number on the scale will be when I'm closer to a lean body fat percentage. I know I'm doing everything I can control, so the rest is out of my hands!

albayin

It might be worth mentioning that my situation is that I used to weigh 298 lbs and lost 130 lbs following WW with minimal exercise (I had a car accident and suffered significant injuries that left me immobile at the time), time passed, had a baby, gained some back and am on my way back down, but this time on a mission to become strong and lean in the process. I don't care what my number on the scale will be when I'm closer to a lean body fat percentage. I know I'm doing everything I can control, so the rest is out of my hands!

that is an amazing story. Good for you~