Me running/eating less calories vs me eating more/lifting

spartanrespect

Wow!! Very impressive...you should be proud of yourself. How long are your weight sessions? Do you do circuits, supersets or just regular lifts? My name is Dave btw. I'm at about 12% body fat, but I'm having such a hard time getting down to 9%. Your story was inspiring...I just need to watch what I eat...thanks for sharing!!!

MissGamerGirl

Wow!! Very impressive...you should be proud of yourself. How long are your weight sessions? Do you do circuits, supersets or just regular lifts? My name is Dave btw. I'm at about 12% body fat, but I'm having such a hard time getting down to 9%. Your story was inspiring...I just need to watch what I eat...thanks for sharing!!!

Thank you!

I just follow the lifting program of Stronglifts 5x5 with one HIIT day thrown in that includes a fast-paced circuit of bodyweight moves, strength moves with heavy dumbells, and rowing on the row machine.

MissGamerGirl

Im eating at a deficit at 2000-2200 calories and only lifting with maybe some cardio sprinkled in once or twice a week if I feel like it and I lose consistently. I am 29, at 6'5" and 252 pounds right now, averaging 1 sometimes 2 pounds a week lost. It also sounds like you are on a very low amount of carbohydrates during the week and then hit the beer and pizza for nothing but carbohydrates. I may be wrong but your muscles are going to take that cheat day as an opportunity to refill your muscles with glycogen from the carbs you're taking in which equates to gaining some of the weight back (Mind you its water weight and not fat).

How long have you been at it? You mention a while several times, and maybe you should start taking measurements instead of just relying on the scale. You say your lifts have increased, yet your weight is still in the same range. If theres anything ive learned about fitness its slow and steady wins the game so looking for those huge gains is a bit unrealistic. My bench goes up fast even at a deficit, same with deadlifts and all tricep work, but my biceps and squats have always been pathetic and just takes more work.

I'll throw out some numbers from my Fitbit profile. I use tha Aria scale to track my weight. These are from the graph and it doesn't show dates.

First record, early January: 248.7
Near the end of January: 243
Begining of March: 247.8
Beginning of April: 240.5
Beginning of May: 252.7 (went on a vacation at the end of April)
This morning: 249.8

Body fat up and down between 27 and 30%. I know the scale isn't accurate for that but you get the idea. Up until my vacation at the end of April I tracked religiously. I did the IIFYM style of eating so there weren't any "cheat days." Again, yes I have a food scale. I've seen the video explaining the difference between measuring cups and weighing.

EDIT: also, the weight gain from vacation makes no sense either. Let's say I gained 10lbs of fat. Seriously? Am I to believe I ate 35,000 calories over my TDEE in 7 days? That's 5000 calories a day over on top whatever it takes for me to just live and breath LOL. Seriously? Not buying it.

What are you talking about? You can't gain 10 lbs of fat in 7 days...I mean, what? Lol. Maybe I'm misreading.

I'm not trying to sound like a beyotch but really I think you're overcomplicating things and relying on what the scale weight says far too much. By now you should know that your weight fluctuates on the scale for many different reasons.

kikih64

Such awesomeness! Keep up the good work! Thanks for sharing.

smittybuilt19

Does this eating more thing ever actually work for guys? I'm 5'11" 250ish lbs. My lowest was 227lbs. I didn't really count calories then but did cardio 3 days a week and weight machines three days a week to get there. Same story as the OP though. Vacations, holidays, birthdays and I'm back up some. Since the beginning of the year I've tried several things.

I tried what worked before. Meat & veggies ('m talking literally chicken breast and peppers 5 nights a week) only with one cheat night (nothing crazy, beer and pizza type thing). I gain and lose the same 5lbs. I tried high day low days weighting and measuring everything (yes I have a food scale). I lift 4 days a week (was doing 5x5 now 5/3/1 with supplemental stuff) so I did 2000 calories on off days, 2500 on work out days. I gain and lose the same 5lbs. 2300 calories everyday (like the IIFYM calculator says). Gain and lose the same 5lbs. Now I'm back again and losely logging, mostly because it doesn't seem to make a difference. I know, "you need to weigh and measure." I did for a while. Made literally not difference so I quit. Same 5lbs on and off.

This would all be fine too if I actually made the huge gains the 5x5 website and other body building sites swear you'll have. Squat 500lbs. Deadlift 10billion pounds. Bench press a Volkswagon Beetle. Nope. Squat was up to 225 but I couldn't ever get 5 sets. Bench. 185 but couldn't ever actually do 5 sets. Deadlift? 285lbs. This one at least seems on track since I've been adding 5lbs every time still.

TL;DR: so how is it 150lbs females can "eat more to lose weight!!" but 250lb males can't?

Although I know there are a great deal of variables involved, i'm interested in hearing feedback on this same thing.

Am in a similar confusing situation (that I have almost chalked up to being lax in my Journey, Don't Stop Believing)

smittybuilt19

^^What you did there...I see. lol

xenu01

Thank you for the Stronglifts rec! I have been lifting on machines for a couple of years now and figured I must be doing something wrong since I can still only bench press 50 on said machine.

snowmaniac

Thank you for the Stronglifts rec! I have been lifting on machines for a couple of years now and figured I must be doing something wrong since I can still only bench press 50 on said machine.

If you have access to free weights and a squat rack get away from the machines. You get more overall benefit from free weights because you have to stabilize the load and you have to use good form to progress. Works more muscles.

sacris55

No, I was just asking cause clearily I'm doing it wrong most of the machines at my gym are for arms anyway

Imagine a world of no sit ups, what? But it is true with lifting heavy you build core muscle and you will soon see (if you eat right along with heavy lifting) a six pack grow. It is so hard to change the mind set of hours in the gym and 1200 calories and 100 of reps on the floor, I still leave the gym and think I didn't do anything today because I am not dripping of sweat from running on hour on machines. But trust me you can see major results with lifting. The scale may stay the same but you will see your clothes fitting differently. This is the blog that changed my life back in 2011 - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LorinaLynn - good luck you can do

Thanks for the blog, I'll have a look! I'm gathering as much info as I can before I start with the program but I am determined to start lifting heavy weights Hopefully soon I'll have the before and after pictures to share. I'm not too worried about the scale as I've been losing inches everywhere around my belly for the past 6-8 months but have not lost any weight AT ALL, so if my weight stays the same or I put on... it's fine

activefatgirl

Thank you for sharing your story.... I've been trying to explain this concept to my mom and sister and finally I can show them with your proof. Amazing job!

EightDMB

If you are new to lifting, I would highly recommend getting a trainer. It is really important that you lift properly, to protect your back and get the most benefits of the work out. I know that it's hard to spend the money, but after a six weeks, you can go it alone.

Rattym123

Thanks for this! I have been reducing my calorie intake for 5 weeks now and doing cardio, cause to be honest I was scared of the strength section, and didn't really know what it meant, so I will check out the workout videos on youtube. I have noticed with my weight loss aswell (only 10 pounds, some of you are actually amazing with your totals) that I am still a podgy kind of thin, and was wondering how to sort of tone up so to speak. This gives me great ideas x

MissGamerGirl

If you are new to lifting, I would highly recommend getting a trainer. It is really important that you lift properly, to protect your back and get the most benefits of the work out. I know that it's hard to spend the money, but after a six weeks, you can go it alone.

Have already done so months ago. I knew from the beginning that there was no way I was going into this just from reading books and watching videos. I know some people do that and are successful with it but I wasn't comfortable going into this alone!

This is good advice, though, and what I often suggest to others as well. Thank you.

stickersticker

I've been looking for a case like this since I don't lift anything and do massive amounts of cardio.

jessilee119

bump