Can't get smaller when weight training

lb628

I have been on a strength training regiment for the past 3 months and have been trying to cut calories all the while. I feel as though in the long run, i have been under my calories for maintenance, however I would have fairly low calorie days and then binges up to 5000 calories...everyone says resistance training is the way to lose fat, but I feel the opposite. I am much smaller when I do more cardio because I think it suppresses my appetite, whereas lifting makes me ravenous all day. I lift for 3 days a week for 45 min along with 1.5 hrs of volleyball twice a week and 45 min of conditioning on one day. I'm trying to put my calorie goal at 2200 which is hard not to exceed since I'm just always hungry.

Could it be that my muscles are just constantly retaining water from being worked all the time? I can't believe that I eat so nutritiously yet I'm not seeing any results and am actually seeing the contrary. Could it be that I drop the weight quickly after I stop working out so much? (I have about 2 weeks off from weights. I'm hoping to cut quite a bit of fat in that time...) Does anyone else struggle with weight gain when weight lifting?

ecphillips1286

You are burning fat but building muscle. Cardio is best to shred fat. Weight training does burn it off as well but is usually replaced by muscle if using heavy weights. Remember...muscle weighs more than fat

Grinny54

I also had the same problem. I have been weight training for around 6 months but plateaued in weight loss. I am now working with a personal trainer and he put me on the 40C-30P-30F diet plan. My calorie intake is around 1600-1800 per day, I am now again losing weight! Don't forget to keep your protein intake up there. Good luck.

lb628

I also had the same problem. I have been weight training for around 6 months but plateaued in weight loss. I am now working with a personal trainer and he put me on the 40C-30P-30F diet plan. My calorie intake is around 1600-1800 per day, I am now again losing weight! Don't forget to keep your protein intake up there. Good luck.

I'm afraid of going too low on calories since I end up binging...I've eating half a jar of peanut butter in one day. A jar of almond butter in 2 days multiple times.

cwoyto123

Eat less

RGv2

You are burning fat but building muscle. Cardio is best to shred fat. Weight training does burn it off as well but is usually replaced by muscle if using heavy weights. Remember...muscle weighs more than fat

Um...no.

You literally just told a female with less than 20lbs to lose that she's burning fat and building muscle........at a rate that is keeping her the same size. That is virtually impossible.

Cardio isn't the way to "shred fat". Diet with a regimen of some cardio and weight training is how you shred fat. To "shred fat" you need some sort of overload weight training program to maintain your muscle mass that would otherwise be lost through your deficit.

Op, yes you could be retaining water, but if you're not getting smaller it's because you're probably eating right at maintenance...or over. If you were truly under TDEE you would be getting smaller, no matter the exercise.

lb628

Um...no.

You literally just told a female with less than 20lbs to lose that she's burning fat and building muscle........at a rate that is keeping her the same size. That is virtually impossible.

Cardio isn't the way to "shred fat". Diet with a regimen of some cardio and weight training is how you shred fat. To "shred fat" you need some sort of overload weight training program to maintain your muscle mass that would otherwise be lost through your deficit.

Op, yes you could be retaining water, but if you're not getting smaller it's because you're probably eating right at maintenance...or over. If you were truly under TDEE you would be getting smaller, no matter the exercise.
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Thanks, I disregarded that comment..

It's just frustrating because I find it so difficult to eat at a deficit when I'm weight training. I know I eat right, and I know I have will power because I've lost 20+ pounds in the past mostly by running a lot. I've gained almost all of it back, but I'm hoping it is mostly muscle. I look big regardless though....Maybe it's just my body type or hormones that are triggered to increase my appetite when lifting?

RGv2

Um...no.

You literally just told a female with less than 20lbs to lose that she's burning fat and building muscle........at a rate that is keeping her the same size. That is virtually impossible.

Cardio isn't the way to "shred fat". Diet with a regimen of some cardio and weight training is how you shred fat. To "shred fat" you need some sort of overload weight training program to maintain your muscle mass that would otherwise be lost through your deficit.

Op, yes you could be retaining water, but if you're not getting smaller it's because you're probably eating right at maintenance...or over. If you were truly under TDEE you would be getting smaller, no matter the exercise.

Thanks, I disregarded that comment..

It's just frustrating because I find it so difficult to eat at a deficit when I'm weight training. I know I eat right, and I know I have will power because I've lost 20+ pounds in the past mostly by running a lot. I've gained almost all of it back, but I'm hoping it is mostly muscle. I look big regardless though....Maybe it's just my body type or hormones that are triggered to increase my appetite when lifting?
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I hate to be a negative nelly, but if you gained back almost 20lbs, odds are very little of it was actual muscle mass gain. It's hard to say with a good time frame here, but gaining muscle is extremely hard, takes an on point diet, hours of overload training, and genes.....for guys. It's exponentially harder for women. A professional weight training female would be doing pretty well to put on a pound of muscle in 4 weeks or so.

If you do state that you find it hard to stay in a deficit....that's your problem right there.

lb628

Um...no.

You literally just told a female with less than 20lbs to lose that she's burning fat and building muscle........at a rate that is keeping her the same size. That is virtually impossible.

Cardio isn't the way to "shred fat". Diet with a regimen of some cardio and weight training is how you shred fat. To "shred fat" you need some sort of overload weight training program to maintain your muscle mass that would otherwise be lost through your deficit.

Op, yes you could be retaining water, but if you're not getting smaller it's because you're probably eating right at maintenance...or over. If you were truly under TDEE you would be getting smaller, no matter the exercise.

Thanks, I disregarded that comment..

It's just frustrating because I find it so difficult to eat at a deficit when I'm weight training. I know I eat right, and I know I have will power because I've lost 20+ pounds in the past mostly by running a lot. I've gained almost all of it back, but I'm hoping it is mostly muscle. I look big regardless though....Maybe it's just my body type or hormones that are triggered to increase my appetite when lifting?

I hate to be a negative nelly, but if you gained back almost 20lbs, odds are very little of it was actual muscle mass gain. It's hard to say with a good time frame here, but gaining muscle is extremely hard, takes an on point diet, hours of overload training, and genes.....for guys. It's exponentially harder for women. A professional weight training female would be doing pretty well to put on a pound of muscle in 4 weeks or so.

If you do state that you find it hard to stay in a deficit....that's your problem right there.
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Any idea what would the solution would be? I feel like I'm doing everything right..weight training and cardio. I know my calories could maybe be cut more, but I already go to sleep slightly hungry and with a bit of a headache. I've been struggling with this for over a year it looks like seeing as my first post is centered around the same issue. Maybe I will just wait until I'm done with volleyball to slim down again. I can lose some of the extra muscle I've gained along with the fat.

What kind of resistance training are people talking about when they say to burn fat? Is it upping their weight or reps every week (which is what I have to do)? Or is it lifting at the same weight as before to maintain? Maybe that kind of exercise doesn't rev up the appetite like the former.

Laurenloveswaffles

Any idea what would the solution would be? I feel like I'm doing everything right..weight training and cardio. I know my calories could maybe be cut more, but I already go to sleep slightly hungry and with a bit of a headache. I've been struggling with this for over a year it looks like seeing as my first post is centered around the same issue. Maybe I will just wait until I'm done with volleyball to slim down again. I can lose some of the extra muscle I've gained along with the fat.

What kind of resistance training are people talking about when they say to burn fat? Is it upping their weight or reps every week (which is what I have to do)? Or is it lifting at the same weight as before to maintain? Maybe that kind of exercise doesn't rev up the appetite like the former.

Burning fat comes with a calorie deficit.

Edited to fix all the quoting nonsense

Laurenloveswaffles

You are burning fat but building muscle. Cardio is best to shred fat. Weight training does burn it off as well but is usually replaced by muscle if using heavy weights. Remember...muscle weighs more than fat

So if you had 10lbs. of muscle in a bag and 10lbs. of fat in a bag, which would weigh more?

ironanimal

Resistance training is advised because it helps to preserve your muscle, increasing the ratio of fat:muscle loss, whereas without you would lose proportionally more muscle in a deficit.

So, it's not really the case that it burns fat more effectively than cardio - that is a function of calorie deficit - but more that more of your total weight loss will be coming from fat.

Edit; if you're consistently gaining or maintaining weight, you're just not in a calorie deficit overall.

lb628

Is there anyone else who has issues with maintaining a caloric deficit while weight training?

azymth99

Appetite increases when you lift to help repair the damage to your muscle fibers. Try downing a protein shake about an hour after you work out or have a can of tuna, chicken breast or some other quick fix of protein. Your body is trying to compensate for the work you are doing in the gym. Plan your meals to coincide with your workout rather than just eating when you are hungry.

If you want leaner muscle mass, decrease the amount of weight and increase the number of repetitions to 10-15 (or 15-20). You should be struggling on the last 3 or its not enough weight. Burn outs also help (curls with 10# to exhaustion) create definition but do not increase mass.

I would suggest gettng a lift coach or trainer. Being accountable to another person is a great motivator and can keep you in line when you want to binge.

DrMAvDPhD

You are making a lot of excuses when you know the answer is to eat less. It isn't lifting weights fault. You eat too much. You can suppress your appetite by drinking more water and eating less calorie dense foods (ie veggies that take up more space in your stomach and make you feel more full on less calories).

WBB55

fairly low calorie days and then binges up to 5000 calories

MY EXPERIENCE: and this is totally my experience, and goodness knows I'm not a perfect individual who perfectly meets her calorie goals every day...

If you are trying to lose weight while lifting weights, as a woman I have not found success with HUGE refeed days. My most successful periods I personally have are with only one or two days per week eating at maintenance, and the rest of the days below maintenance. Once I have, let's say, as many as two days per month where I eat well over maintenance, my weightloss while lifting completely tanks. TOTALLY my experience, though. YMMV.

lb628

I have a strength coach who puts the workouts together. I guess I am making excuses...it's just frustrating to see so much difference when I'm doing cardio versus weight training and I really have no choice on which exercise I perform.

lb628

MY EXPERIENCE: and this is totally my experience, and goodness knows I'm not a perfect individual who perfectly meets her calorie goals every day...

If you are trying to lose weight while lifting weights, as a woman I have not found success with HUGE refeed days. My most successful periods I personally have are with only one or two days per week eating at maintenance, and the rest of the days below maintenance. Once I have, let's say, as many as two days per month where I eat well over maintenance, my weightloss while lifting completely tanks. TOTALLY my experience, though. YMMV.

How many calories below maintenance are you going?

Laurenloveswaffles

Is there anyone else who has issues with maintaining a caloric deficit while weight training?

No.

It's very simple. Eat less than you burn.

Stop making excuses.

rachelg145

I stopped lifting heavy because I get bigger and bigger very quickly and even though it's muscle it just makes me feel big, not cut.

Cardio does suppress my appetite more, like it does with you.

Now that I do long incline walks on the treadmill and more Nike Training Club app (free) workouts and especially the box jump workouts on there I have maintained and built on my muscle while losing the bloat around them and I finally look slim again.

Lots of women find success with lifting and losing weight. I'm 37 now and nobody thinks I'm 37. In great shape for a mom of two and lifting heavy just doesn't work for me anymore. Please don't get mad at me, all the lovely women who lift on MFP!! Just chiming in because I'm in the same boat as the poster.

Let me add in here, that if I ate more than 2500 calories on a rare binge day I would be ill. You HAVE to be exaggerating with 5000???

At 5'5, 141 I average about 1800/day most of the time.

jason_adams

You are burning fat but building muscle. Cardio is best to shred fat. Weight training does burn it off as well but is usually replaced by muscle if using heavy weights. Remember...muscle weighs more than fat

So if you had 10lbs. of muscle in a bag and 10lbs. of fat in a bag, which would weigh more?

They'd both weigh the same, but the muscle bag would be smaller - because it weighs more by volume.