Just striaght up CONFUSED!!!

carajo

So i met my goal of 125lbs. and switched to maintence, i wasn't eating as clean and got back up to 130. I am mostly looking to tone my arms( and really everywhere up) I have been doing zumba and i enjoy running. I have been adding strength lately with p90x, i have been lifting one day then on the cardio days of it running...anyway i have been reading alot lately about "calorie deficits slowing fat loss" and how awful cardio is...confusing me on everything i thought i knew! And at the moment i cant say anything is working for me because i have not lost any pounds or inches....then you hear low carb, no carb, add fat, no fat, ahhhhh so confusing!!! I also feel if i eat all my exercise cals back i am overeating, but some days i go way low..like 1100 then others like 2400.....any answers!!! thanks!!!!1

selfdiscipline73

Bump! I would love to hear everyones answers to this too. I am pretty much where you are right now.

Crimson21

Since you're adding in weight training, you'll most likely start to build muscle which can make your weight go up a little, but that's ok! because it's muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Muscle = fat burning machine. Also....NO CARBS is a very bad thing. Carbohydrates are the main component you need in your diet to supply your cells with long lasting energy. If you deny yourself of important complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads and such, you will notice a large decrease in your energy level, and also your level of capability. Follow what it says on MFP and get your recommended number of carbohydrates in. I'm from Canada, and follow the Canada Food Guide religiously. It lets me know how many carbs I need, along with the amount of protein, fruits and vegetables, and also fat that I need in my diet. I believe the American Food Guide is slightly different, so it would be a good idea to research that.

MarieNevada

The Best book I have ever read on this is Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. It lays it all down, breaks down different diet philosophies, why it works, why it doesnt. It's long because it deals with everything. I follow it and I have lost 30 lbs in ten weeks. The book doesn't lie. Losing weight is hard and you have to work hard to do it. It lays it all out. I have read a lot of books on weight loss, good ones, bad ones and just plain ludicrous ones and this book is amazing. It changed my life. It's an eBook and you can get it here www.burnthefat.com

Like i said it's a long read but it's in layman's terms. You won't be sorry you read it.

EmmaShorter

bump

Crimson21

I also forgot to add that even though I burn extra calories, I still try to stay close to my limit of 1200 calories a day If I go over, that's perfectly fine. Now that your metabolism is boosted and you achieved your goal, you may need to increase the intensity of your workouts in order to maintain the level you're at. I hope this helps. Oh, and cardio is NOT bad. I run for an hour 6 days of the week. It's great for increasing your lung capacity and endurance, and has only positive effects on the body. (unless you push yourself too much, in which case you could end up injuring yourself!)

cardbucfan

bumping because I could have written this post! The worst thing is the trainer I worked with to set up this round of strength training said that my shorts might get tighter as I build up more muscle. I don't want that!!! I get the whole muscle will burn more calories at rest but when I look at people who have bodies I would like to have, they are all lean, runner type bodies. I don't want my thighs or butt any bigger and I can feel that happening. NOT what I am looking for.

staceycoha22

Make sure you take your measurements on a regular basis, if you're not losing "weight" I bet you're losing inches. You've got to have carbs, you need energy to keep up with all of that cardio. We have smart - although sometimes inefficient bodies and we will burn our own muscle if another readily available energy source isn't around. You certainly don't want to lose any of that muscle you're building. Also, if you're lifting, you need protein as well to feed those muscles. Begin by making changes to one piece of your diet, maybe get your carbs up a bit to support the cardio. If you're body is holding weight it's for a reason, it's waiting for you to feed it (this isn't true in all cases - and I'm just guessing since we're exactly the same size and weight). Find out exactly what your body needs - you may want to splurge and find a nutritionist or look for a "reliable" source on the web.