Is it best to lose weight before trying to tone up?

NYstars

Hi, I'm new here so please be gentle

I currently weigh 11 stone and 2lbs. I started trying to change what I eat (becoming more healthy and doing more exercise) a couple of weeks ago and have lost 7lbs and 1/4 so far. I think it must be water weight that I have lost so far. I feel at my best when I weigh approx 9 stone 3lbs.

I want to get rid of my fat wobbly legs and turn them in to muscle so I end up with slender, toned legs. I also want to lose my belly fat.

I am mainly trying to eat healthily and trying to aim for approx 30 mins of cardio every day but have heard you can lose muscle rather than fat. I am wondering if someone could give me some advice ~ do I need to make sure I eat loads of protein to burn fat rather than muscle? and should I try to lose a couple of stone before I try to build muscle?

Many thanks

argifford

Congrats on your progress!

As an Exercise Physiologist I have my overweight clients begin weight training immediately. Developing strength is important for injury prevention. Postpone the intense cardio until you start to feel "stronger."

Dieting will cause muscle loss since protein is used as energy prior to fat. This can be minimized by consuming 35gms of protein for every 100lbs of body weight...AND weight training. The body will prioritize the protein be used for muscle recovery 1st, energy 2nd.

Try to do 30min of weight training BEFORE your cardio. The goal is to deplete your stores of glucose so that when you do cardio you're actually burning fat, not carbs.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Alan

thavoice

Congrats on your progress!

As an Exercise Physiologist I have my overweight clients begin weight training immediately. Developing strength is important for injury prevention. Postpone the intense cardio until you start to feel "stronger."

Dieting will cause muscle loss since protein is used as energy prior to fat. This can be minimized by consuming 35gms of protein for every 100lbs of body weight...AND weight training. The body will prioritize the protein be used for muscle recovery 1st, energy 2nd.

Try to do 30min of weight training BEFORE your cardio. The goal is to deplete your stores of glucose so that when you do cardio you're actually burning fat, not carbs.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Alan

Agreed.
And people ask this all the time on if they should lose weight before doing weight/resistance training.
The best is to do both...why not? By doing weights you will tone those muscles that are hiding behind the fat and it also will help you burn calories.

You dont want to go through all the work to lose fat and THEN have to try and do more work after the fact to tone up. Doing it in conjunction is a win-win.

NYstars

Thanks very much for your advice. I will certainly give it a go

mowbry

Hi, I have just looked at your profile and by all accounts you have been here before. Whilst on here send out friend requests to help motivate you. Look at their food diary and exercises, as this will give you an insight and motivate you too. Diet and exercise should be part of your new healthy long term plan. You can do this!!

gabrielleelliott90

I would say so.

Heatherybit

No one who lifts have ever said, "I wished that I would have waited to lift".

I had to take into account, I want to lose a bunch of weight...and then ponder..what do I want to look like at that weight? Then realized skinny flabby probably wouldn't be what I want reflected back in the mirror.

Although I have a "goal" weight listed..it's not really a goal anymore. Now I just think about how FIT I want to be.

_lyndseybrooke_

Starting lifting NOW. If you lose the weight before you start strength training, you're going to lose muscle that you currently have. Lifting while losing is how you retain your current muscle mass.

The word "toned" means nothing. Muscles either get bigger or they get smaller. "Toned" just means that you have less body fat. If you want to do strength training so you avoid the dreaded "skinny fat" syndrome, that's awesome, but I would advise you to get the word "toned" out of your vocabulary.

Lift heavy and start now. Your body will thank you.

NYstars

Hi, I have just looked at your profile and by all accounts you have been here before. Whilst on here send out friend requests to help motivate you. Look at their food diary and exercises, as this will give you an insight and motivate you too. Diet and exercise should be part of your new healthy long term plan. You can do this!!

I haven't been here before, I only joined today. Unless you mean trying to eat healthier and do more exercise, in which case I have tried to do that before.

Thanks for the advice everyone who has given me some, I will definetly be fitting some lifting weights in to my daily exercise plan