Weight loss help!
rlegg7
Posts: 3 Member
Hi all of you incredible NROL4W'ers!
I need some advice. I can't seem to find a good, solid, honest answer to this anywhere on here and I'm starting to go a bit crazy. The thing is, I have about 25-30 lbs. to lose. I have been lifting weights (a program similar to NROL4W) for three months and I've seen some definite changes but nothing really noticeable yet. I've only lost about 2 lbs. since I started weights but I've lost 2 inches around my waist and inches all over really. But I am so frustrated. I want to get this fat off of me and it's taking soooooo long. It's messing with my mood. I know that I shouldn't be relying on the scale and I've been very careful not to depend too much on it, but I feel like my progress all over is too slow. :noway: My clothes should be fitting better for example. After busting my *kitten* last week I gained a .25 inch around my waist.
I should also note here that my diet is aligned with NROL4W. I eat a bit under what he recommends. After using his calculations, I should be eating around 1900. I eat about 1800. Weights 3X a week, running 1-2 days a week.
I guess I'm wondering if it is better to go the cardio route to drop the lbs. and then come back to lifting? Or maybe some of you have had really great success with weight loss on NROL4W and I need to hear about those! Maybe the problem is the program I am doing.
I actually love to run and have a 10K coming up and I kind of just want to give my time and energy to running for now. Any tips and success stories would be much appreciated! THANKS! :happy:
I need some advice. I can't seem to find a good, solid, honest answer to this anywhere on here and I'm starting to go a bit crazy. The thing is, I have about 25-30 lbs. to lose. I have been lifting weights (a program similar to NROL4W) for three months and I've seen some definite changes but nothing really noticeable yet. I've only lost about 2 lbs. since I started weights but I've lost 2 inches around my waist and inches all over really. But I am so frustrated. I want to get this fat off of me and it's taking soooooo long. It's messing with my mood. I know that I shouldn't be relying on the scale and I've been very careful not to depend too much on it, but I feel like my progress all over is too slow. :noway: My clothes should be fitting better for example. After busting my *kitten* last week I gained a .25 inch around my waist.
I should also note here that my diet is aligned with NROL4W. I eat a bit under what he recommends. After using his calculations, I should be eating around 1900. I eat about 1800. Weights 3X a week, running 1-2 days a week.
I guess I'm wondering if it is better to go the cardio route to drop the lbs. and then come back to lifting? Or maybe some of you have had really great success with weight loss on NROL4W and I need to hear about those! Maybe the problem is the program I am doing.
I actually love to run and have a 10K coming up and I kind of just want to give my time and energy to running for now. Any tips and success stories would be much appreciated! THANKS! :happy:
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Replies
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Hi Riegg,
Nice work on the months lifting!
what I've gleaned in my time lifting is that weight loss is at best s.l.o.w. Turtle slow. I started lifting in November, after I'd lost several pounds, and lost 3 pounds or so in the first 6 weeks lifting--then I got injured and everything changed. At any rate, I think many women find that they get stronger but not necessarily smaller, at least in the earlier stages. It sounds like you have lost some inches, right? And that's great. Some things go up, some down. In my own example, I have huge calves. They had shrunk to 14.5" before I started lifting and have grown to 15" while doing it. My initial thought was anger, but my calves, though bigger, look so much better, so I'll take it.
I guess the take away is to realize you're not alone, and to try to look for other, non-scale victories. Are you stronger? Are you lifting far more than when you started? Is, say, getting groceries into the house easier? All good stuff! Put away the scale and focus on those.
You might fiddle with body fat calculators--they are notoriously all over the map, but someone here posted a spreadsheet that, once you put your measurements in, calculated BFP using three different methods and then gave an average figure. I don't know where I started, but I'm under 30% now and like the bigger calves, I'll take it
When I was injured, I ate at 1200 for a few weeks and lost a few more pounds, but I wasn't sure if what I was losing was fat (yay) or muscle (boo).
FYI, I rarely hit macros, eat a TDEE -15% average, and lift 2-3x week with walking or something else most of the other days.
Hope that's of some help!
Jen0 -
I think Jen is talking about this spreadsheet that MFP member Heybales put together. Here is the link to it:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE
I got this link from his MFP page.0 -
That's the one!0
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I've lost 42lbs, 5 jeans sizes, and 13% BF in the past 2 years by lifting heavy and eating at a deficit at times. I've never eaten at more than a 20% deficit and I've eaten at maintenance a lot. I could've lost the weight faster, but I love to eat and I'm not interested in doing a bunch of cardio.
To lose scale weight: simply eat at a deficit of what you burn.
To lose mostly FAT: eat plenty of protein, lift, and eat at a very moderate deficit- like 15%.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_hierarchy_of_fat_loss
www.t-nation.com/training/death-of-steady-state-cardio0 -
I have a hard time getting to my protein macros and staying at or under my macros for fat and carbs. I don't worry so much about the fat in terms of lifting but the carbs, I do a bit. Alas. It's a work in progress!
Out of curiosity, which calculator do you use, cowgirl? and good for you!0 -
I have a BodyMedia, but Scooby's calculator is the closest for me.0
