losing inches vs. losing weight?

jojuvanlaanen

what causes you to lose inches over weight? Does strength training make you lose more inches (look "leaner and more fit") and cardio make you lose the fat (the weight)? Obviously I want both, so will just doing cardio make me lose inches and weight, or do I need to incorporate some sort of strength training in that? And what can I do to lose inches in my hips?????

momogogo

Fat burn = muscle gain. The inches loss create more tone body. I gained 2lbs last week (even with my routine excersize and eating) but i lost 3 inches. I'll take it

phyllis45

I go to the YMCA 5 days a week and work with a trainers close supervision I do strength training 3 days a week and an hour and a half of cardio 2 days a week the 3 I do strength training I only lost 20 lbs in a year and a half but.....................I lost 8 inches on my waist. Muscle burns fat and resculpts its self. I use a ARC trainer to slim down the hips and butt and let me tell you I love it and it works!!!!! Good luck and be patient with your body slow and steady loose win the race and makes for lasting weight loss

ccgisme

Muscle weighs more than fat and burns more calories. I find that when my weight plateaus, I'm often still losing inches. If you have the time and patience, I'd recommend keeping track of both weight and simple measurements (neck, waist, hips, thighs) so you can compare over time. So many people get discouraged by a lack of weight gain or a small increase, the tape can help make sense of what's going on.

katrina1025

I find when the scale doesn't move (and I am behaving ) then I'm usually dropping inches. It's usually best to do a combination of strength training and cardio. You can do all the strength training you want but if you don't have the cardio to go with it, then you won't "See" results (as they are hidden under a layer of adipose tissue).

And Unfortunately, you can't "spot train". Most people have a pre-programmed way that they lose.

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

meggonkgonk

Unfortunatly you can't spot lose/reduce fat. But a good mix of cardio and strength is really good for your body over all- strength training will supplement your large calorie burning cardio workouts making you able to get more out of your cardio sessions. It doesnt have to be anything with seriously huge weights either- its more about focusing on the toning moves. Here's a simple circuit I like

(Courtesy of Nerd Fitness.com)

•20 body weight squats
•10 push ups
•20 walking lunges
•10 dumbbell rows (using a gallon milk jug)
•15 second plank
•30 Jumping Jacks
Repeat circuit 3x - should take roughly 30 min

Here's the link it has a video example of the moves and a list of other moves you can incorporate to change things up as you improve your conditioning: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

muth3rluvx2

what causes you to lose inches over weight? Does strength training make you lose more inches (look "leaner and more fit") and cardio make you lose the fat (the weight)? Obviously I want both, so will just doing cardio make me lose inches and weight, or do I need to incorporate some sort of strength training in that? And what can I do to lose inches in my hips?????

Do both. There's some great circuit training options that utilize strength while also doing cardio. Jillian Michaels is the popular one right now if you want somewhat light and I think P90X does both - but you need equipment for that. You've pretty much got it right on target: strength=muscle=lean (inches), cardio=heartrate/caloric burn=weight loss. Muscle does burn more cals fast than fatty tissue and you can actually end up weighing more but being a smaller size depending on your current weight.

Fat does NOT weight more than muscle.. but a pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle and of course... jiggles. Plus, being a woman, you want some strength training for you bones to decrease chances of osteoperosis as it increases bone density. :-)

Hope all this helps.

tsukinotenshi

I used to do alot of running w/ no strength training. Yes I lost wieght. I was around 110lbs and was waering a size 6.

Now im in the last month of my 1st round of P90X. I started out at 150lbs & now in @ 120lbs & can fit into a size 4.

The Difference now is that I have more muscle now & less body fat. Since muscle wieghs more than fat I can still be pretty lean. I feel like I have a lot more energy now than when I was just running.

P90X Alternates Cardio & Restisance (Weight ) Training everyday. The only equiptment needed is some resistance bands, a pullup bar & some small dumbells to begin with.

When I started I couldn't do a chinup or pushup to save my life. They show you how to modify until you become stronger.

glfprncs2

Taking measurements is very important for one major reason...at times when you feel as though you've hit a weight loss plateau, that isn't exactly the case. When you increase your lean muscle mass, you may find from time to time that your weight on the scale weighs the same. However, this is because you may have build some lean muscle and dropped some body fat. You are smaller because muscle is more dense than fat...a pound of it takes up less space in your body than a pound of fat. So, more muscle, less fat, you may stay the same weight but be smaller in size. Was a very important lesson for me to learn in my 3rd round of P90X...I only lost 6 pounds on the scale, but I dropped almost 2 pant's sizes (hurray!)

jojuvanlaanen

Unfortunatly you can't spot lose/reduce fat. But a good mix of cardio and strength is really good for your body over all- strength training will supplement your large calorie burning cardio workouts making you able to get more out of your cardio sessions. It doesnt have to be anything with seriously huge weights either- its more about focusing on the toning moves. Here's a simple circuit I like

(Courtesy of Nerd Fitness.com)

•20 body weight squats
•10 push ups
•20 walking lunges
•10 dumbbell rows (using a gallon milk jug)
•15 second plank
•30 Jumping Jacks
Repeat circuit 3x - should take roughly 30 min

Here's the link it has a video example of the moves and a list of other moves you can incorporate to change things up as you improve your conditioning: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

LOVE this! So glad to know I can do this kind of stuff. I was thinking I needed to start lifting weights at the gym or something, lol! Thanks!