Weight Training no Weight loss

Hello All,

So today marks my weight loss journey of 1 month and two weeks.... I've been using MFP off religiously except for this past week to monitor my calories. I've tried being in a caloric deficit and I weight train... heavily. with some cardio (not a lot because i dont want to lose muscle, so i have read). I have infact notice some muscle defenition, especially in my legs, my arms and chest and shoulders...even in my back. but my overall composition hasnt changed much. nor has my weight. I still weigh about the same (i'm sure most is water weight because i took a week off when i was on holiday) and i have gotten much stronger. I'm able to lift heavier weight than when i had first started. Any suggestions? I do consume a high protein diet of about 180-190 grams of protein and I'm a 30 yr old male who weighs as of this morning 266.8... but my lowest weight was 259.4... thanks for your help.

Replies

  • jj04evs
    jj04evs Posts: 6
    First of all mate I’m in exactly the same situation as you. But look at the positive first, you’ve improved, which is the first big step. So don't give up and keep going.

    Muscle is going to weight heavier than fat. So although you want to lose weight while build muscle, l would recommend measuring rather than weighing yourself. This way you can see the weight you've lost and the muscle you've grown.

    Give it a go you may be losing weight but now showing on the scales due to the muscle!
  • cljones302
    cljones302 Posts: 20 Member
    A pound of muscle weighs the exact same as a pound fat. They both weigh a pound. Now - the volume of a pound of muscle versus a pound of fat is different.
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
    It's been a month. You've gotten stronger which is great, but changing your body composition isn't instantaneous. It's going to take some time. Additionally you may want to take measurements to track your progress rather than focusing on the scale. Good luck!
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    Hello All,

    So today marks my weight loss journey of 1 month and two weeks.... I've been using MFP off religiously except for this past week to monitor my calories. I've tried being in a caloric deficit and I weight train... heavily. with some cardio (not a lot because i dont want to lose muscle, so i have read). I have infact notice some muscle defenition, especially in my legs, my arms and chest and shoulders...even in my back. but my overall composition hasnt changed much. nor has my weight. I still weigh about the same (i'm sure most is water weight because i took a week off when i was on holiday) and i have gotten much stronger. I'm able to lift heavier weight than when i had first started. Any suggestions? I do consume a high protein diet of about 180-190 grams of protein and I'm a 30 yr old male who weighs as of this morning 266.8... but my lowest weight was 259.4... thanks for your help.

    Cardio doesn't eat up gains unless you completely overdo it, especially for a beginning lifter, so don't worry about avoiding cardio. If it's been around 6 weeks and you still aren't seeing a drop on the scale, you should reevaluate your diet. Odds are you're retaining a few pounds of water weight from the weight training but it shouldn't be enough to mask 6 weeks worth of weight loss (which at your weight, I'd guess you're aiming for around 1.5-2 lbs/week). If everything was spot on with your diet, that puts you at 9-12 pounds lost in 6 weeks and we're talking maybe 2-4 pounds of water retention due to the weight training. So, keep busting your *kitten* in the gym, don't fear the cardio and really pay attention to accurately logging your food and hitting your caloric target.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    You've only been tracking calories on and off ... it's very likely you haven't been eating at a deficit. If you have been eating close to maintenance, it's possible you've lost some fat and added a bit of muscle (but not a whole lot in 6 weeks).

    Weight lifting can also cause water retention in your muscles, so that could mask some fat loss.

    But the biggest thing is to accurately track your calories. Aim for about 1 pound a week loss (I'm assuming you want to lose 50 lbs or so, but without knowing your height, it's just a guess) and weigh and measure everything accurately. You also don't need to be afraid of cardio as long as your eating enough protein (and calories in general) - it's good for your heart and can increase calorie usage; but only do it if you enjoy it :wink:.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    If your weight training - LOSE THE SCALE

    Buy a tape measure, Keep a log of photos of yourself every couple of weeks & date them

    Progress pics & inches - BEAT THE HELL OUT OF THE SCALE......ANYDAY!

    No one sees that number - But boy oh boy... .They will notice when you drop inches : )