Weight loss plateau

amanda3284

I have been doing strictly cardio since 1/1/14. I have lost 15 lbs doing so. Do I need to start strength training to lose more? I want the scale to continue to go down. Is my body too used to the cardio?

Ms_J1

Unlike fat, muscles need energy. So when you build muscle, your metabolism increases simply because your muscles are using more energy than they were before you started building them. So, yes, strength training will increase your body's metabolism so you'll lose weight faster. You should also remember that building muscle often makes you gain weight, initially, until you reach a level when you're using strength training as a way to maintain the muscle you built up. The initial weight gain is simply the result of building up more muscle. But even if you gain a couple pounds initially, you're still burning more fat than before you started training and you'll still lose inches. The scale can be misleading.

I'm not a dietician, by the way, just another member. The dietician appears to be MIA.