Fat and muscle...HOW?

KarmaxKitty

I'm new to the site (hi by the way...), but I've lost around 24 pounds since january (ignore my ticker, haha.) I've finally settled into a routine, and hit that point where I NEED to go to the gym. If I don't, I get antsy! I'm doing great on strentgh training, and I'm slowly getting smaller but...my stomach. Everything has shrunk, except for that. And its keeping my weight steady, because right after I lose something, I realize that I'm gaining it back in muscle. I guess the point is... I know I can't spot reduce... But has anyone had this same problem? And what did you do to help/stay motivated/not give in to the random "i need to lose weight now now now" thoughts?

MelodAngel

My stomach seems huge to me but hiking and doing an ab and back video with a small ball, it's going down, according to my best friend. Several people have told me my belly is smaller but who knows lol. When I feel like I need to lose weight NOW, I do the only thing I can, I get on the floor and do 10 minutes of exercise, even if its 12am.. (im a night owl) it helps me to feel better

crisanderson27

I'm new to the site (hi by the way...), but I've lost around 24 pounds since january (ignore my ticker, haha.) I've finally settled into a routine, and hit that point where I NEED to go to the gym. If I don't, I get antsy! I'm doing great on strentgh training, and I'm slowly getting smaller but...my stomach. Everything has shrunk, except for that. And its keeping my weight steady, because right after I lose something, I realize that I'm gaining it back in muscle. I guess the point is... I know I can't spot reduce... But has anyone had this same problem? And what did you do to help/stay motivated/not give in to the random "i need to lose weight now now now" thoughts?

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news...but it's only possible for the human body to gain about 1lb of lean mass (muscle) a month. That's on a male bodybuilder's diet and workout routine. Anyone else gains less, with females gaining the least. The weight you're seeing sticking around, is water to repair those muscles you're building up at the gym.

I love working out too...and I STILL have a middle issue (as well as love handles.../sigh). You just have to keep at it until all of the fat is gone lol. It sucks...but it's the way it is. It's not that bad though, I went from 30% plus bodyfat, to 19% where I'm at now, in just a few short months. Just KEEP AT IT!!

BabyDuchess

I've been reading on the message boards that running helps a lot with shedding belly fat so I started running two weeks ago......it works! My stomach is getting smaller! :flowerforyou:

crisanderson27

I've been reading on the message boards that running helps a lot with shedding belly fat so I started running two weeks ago......it works! My stomach is getting smaller! :flowerforyou:

Read this hun:

http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

jenilla1

Sadly, the belly always seems to be the last to go. It should eventually shrink, though...:flowerforyou:

ETA: Cross-country running is the very best if you are looking for a flat stomach. It's a lot of work, though.

BabyDuchess

I've been reading on the message boards that running helps a lot with shedding belly fat so I started running two weeks ago......it works! My stomach is getting smaller! :flowerforyou:

Read this hun:

http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

I go by MY results and I just took my measurements today and I've lost 2.8 this week and 1.5" off both my waist and my hips........not bad for a myth. :laugh:

cheddarboy

Great article Chris, that's what I'm trying to do. I've lost weight by running in the past, but also lost muscle, and retained some gut.

AI1108

Strength training is great for building muscle but cardio is great for reducing stubborn fat. The reason being fat lies over the muscle and fat is just that - full fat cells. The more energy you expend the more the fat cells will shrink and you'll start seeing a smaller middle. Keep up with the strength training so that once you lose the weight, you'll have a nice toned stomach to show off but don't skip out on the cardio - whatever cardio you'll stick with (running, ellipticals, etc).

Calories (energy) in < calories (energy) out = fat loss

crisanderson27

I've been reading on the message boards that running helps a lot with shedding belly fat so I started running two weeks ago......it works! My stomach is getting smaller! :flowerforyou:

Read this hun:

http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

I go by MY results and I just took my measurements today and I've lost 2.8 this week and 1.5" off both my waist and my hips........not bad for a myth. :laugh:

I'm not saying it doesn't work...I'm saying there's better ways. I'm also not saying that you shouldn't do cardio...I'm saying that the cardio you should do should be in interval format for best results.

Calories in < calories out = fat loss

This is true...in a very, very simplistic manner. There's all kinds of other thigns going on in your body. Hormones control all of it. Basic format, steady state cardio actually produces hormones that chew up your muscles. Yes, you're burning calories...but you're doing it in a very ineffecient manner. This is a proven fact. Interval format cardio (along with weight training)...produces hormones that SHED FAT. Your body says 'HOLY CRAP...all this fat is making my job HARDER!!!' and bam, here comes the growth hormone etc to get rid of it.

I don't run, don't use the elliptical, don't ride the bikes, and don't do ANY FORM of steady state cardio. I've lost 30lbs (I'm 177 today) in about 3mos...6 weeks of which I was on a plateau, because I was eating wrong. In the last three weeks, I've cut 5" off my waist, along with gaining 3/8" on my biceps. I do bodyweight strength training, and interval format (my favorite is tabata) heavy bag work...pretty much exclusively. I burn 350-380cal in a 30 minute workout...and only work out 3 days a week. I eat like a horse for the most part (though I've started 'Eat Stop Eat' recently).

Believe me, you can run to your hearts content, and over time it will cut weight if coupled with the right diet. Or you can do interval format cardio along with strength training...and see real, FAST results.

By the way, I'm not telling anyone they are wrong...I'm telling you all how I've done it...and how many others are doing it as well.

cheddarboy

I guess EPOC is not just a theory

Excessive Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption


good to know ime not wasting my time, lol

portexploit

I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month. To the OP, the stomach is usually the last thing to go. It's usually the biggest part of a male where he caries most of his fat, like i said It's the last thing to go, you said you're losing weight, just be patient.

And yes, my results where done naturally. My bodyfat went down 7%. The scale only showed a 4lbs loss. This just shows how the scale doesn't tell the entire story.

I personally feel that resistance training is better for fat burning then cardio. Some will say I am crazy for stating this. When you do cardio you burn more calories for a certain amount of time, if you want to take the post oxygen consumption in to account go ahead, makes no difference. There will be a point when you go back to your normal metabolic rate. When you're done doing resistance training your body is trying to repair the muscle whcih will also raise your metabolic rate. When you add more muscle you have a new metabolic rate burning more calories over a 24hr period of time, cardio doesn't have this effect.

crisanderson27

Great article Chris, that's what I'm trying to do. I've lost weight by running in the past, but also lost muscle, and retained some gut.

Exactly!!

Think of it like this. Who is going to live in either of these two scenarios, fatty person, or lean person:

First, a looooong haul, walking, jogging, or running...across a barren landscape where you're only rationed 1200-1500cal worth of food a day.

Second, a lush, but small island, full of unlimited food and trees, but you're being chased by a seriously pissed off tiger. Lots of places to hide, but...well, it's a tiger lol.

Your body can tell the difference in your activity...and it's going to do what it can to promote the kind of state your body needs to survive either example. YES!! If the haul is long enough, you'll eventually end up lean from the first scenario...energy input < energy output as was stated. However, you'll eventually kill yourself too, assuming the conditions last long enough. However, in the second scenario...the leaner and faster you are...with unlimited food to eat whenever you're hungry...you've got a pretty good chance of living indefinitely...just gotta be smarter than the tiger =D.

I know how I'm doing it lol.

KarmaxKitty

Wow, these are all really great responses... and in such a short time! officially love this place. The running thing sounds great. Is there a certain way to get started, or... I have no idea what to do. I'm such a noob, haha. (um, also, just to clarify, i'm female... i don't know if that has anything to do with anything...)

crisanderson27

I personally feel that resistance training is better for fat burning then cardio. Some will say I am crazy for stating this. When you do cardio you burn more calories for a certain amount of time, if you want to take the post oxygen consumption in to account go ahead, makes no difference. There will be a point when you go back to your normal metabolic rate. When you're done doing resistance training your body is trying to repair the muscle whcih will also raise your metabolic rate. When you add more muscle you have a new metabolic rate burning more calories over a 24hr period of time, cardio doesn't have this effect.

Exactly, and it's using growth hormone to do it...among other things. THESE SHED FAT.

crisanderson27

Wow, these are all really great responses... and in such a short time! officially love this place. The running thing sounds great. Is there a certain way to get started, or... I have no idea what to do. I'm such a noob, haha. (um, also, just to clarify, i'm female... i don't know if that has anything to do with anything...)

I'd reread that link before deciding lol. If running is simply easier, by all means do it...but realize, as a woman you can strength train to your hearts content...and you're never going to bulk up...particularly using bodyweight strength training in the format I do (fast circuit, heart rate never below 150 for the whole 30 minutes).

BabyDuchess

I've been reading on the message boards that running helps a lot with shedding belly fat so I started running two weeks ago......it works! My stomach is getting smaller! :flowerforyou:

Read this hun:

http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

I go by MY results and I just took my measurements today and I've lost 2.8 this week and 1.5" off both my waist and my hips........not bad for a myth. :laugh:

I'm not saying it doesn't work...I'm saying there's better ways. I'm also not saying that you shouldn't do cardio...I'm saying that the cardio you should do should be in interval format for best results.

Calories in < calories out = fat loss

This is true...in a very, very simplistic manner. There's all kinds of other thigns going on in your body. Hormones control all of it. Basic format, steady state cardio actually produces hormones that chew up your muscles. Yes, you're burning calories...but you're doing it in a very ineffecient manner. This is a proven fact. Interval format cardio (along with weight training)...produces hormones that SHED FAT. Your body says 'HOLY CRAP...all this fat is making my job HARDER!!!' and bam, here comes the growth hormone etc to get rid of it.

I don't run, don't use the elliptical, don't ride the bikes, and don't do ANY FORM of steady state cardio. I've lost 30lbs (I'm 177 today) in about 3mos...6 weeks of which I was on a plateau, because I was eating wrong. In the last three weeks, I've cut 5" off my waist, along with gaining 3/8" on my biceps. I do bodyweight strength training, and interval format (my favorite is tabata) heavy bag work...pretty much exclusively. I burn 350-380cal in a 30 minute workout...and only work out 3 days a week. I eat like a horse for the most part (though I've started 'Eat Stop Eat' recently).

Believe me, you can run to your hearts content, and over time it will cut weight if coupled with the right diet. Or you can do interval format cardio along with strength training...and see real, FAST results.

By the way, I'm not telling anyone they are wrong...I'm telling you all how I've done it...and how many others are doing it as well.

Once again proving we all have our own way of losing weight.....everybody responds differently to different things and I'm glad your way is working for you......is it the ONLY way....NO. So I will stick to what is working for me. Let me add that since you don't know me, you also don't know that running isn't the only form of exercise that I do....I've been consistently losing weight for 7 months.....haven't plateaued, haven't had ONE week where I didn't lose weight and I eat on average 1500 -2200 calories a day. What I am also consistent in is switching it up.....it works for me but I thank you for your input. :flowerforyou:

AI1108

I've been reading on the message boards that running helps a lot with shedding belly fat so I started running two weeks ago......it works! My stomach is getting smaller! :flowerforyou:

Read this hun:

http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

I go by MY results and I just took my measurements today and I've lost 2.8 this week and 1.5" off both my waist and my hips........not bad for a myth. :laugh:

I'm not saying it doesn't work...I'm saying there's better ways. I'm also not saying that you shouldn't do cardio...I'm saying that the cardio you should do should be in interval format for best results.

Calories in < calories out = fat loss

This is true...in a very, very simplistic manner. There's all kinds of other thigns going on in your body. Hormones control all of it. Basic format, steady state cardio actually produces hormones that chew up your muscles. Yes, you're burning calories...but you're doing it in a very ineffecient manner. This is a proven fact. Interval format cardio (along with weight training)...produces hormones that SHED FAT. Your body says 'HOLY CRAP...all this fat is making my job HARDER!!!' and bam, here comes the growth hormone etc to get rid of it.

I don't run, don't use the elliptical, don't ride the bikes, and don't do ANY FORM of steady state cardio. I've lost 30lbs (I'm 177 today) in about 3mos...6 weeks of which I was on a plateau, because I was eating wrong. In the last three weeks, I've cut 5" off my waist, along with gaining 3/8" on my biceps. I do bodyweight strength training, and interval format (my favorite is tabata) heavy bag work...pretty much exclusively. I burn 350-380cal in a 30 minute workout...and only work out 3 days a week. I eat like a horse for the most part (though I've started 'Eat Stop Eat' recently).

Believe me, you can run to your hearts content, and over time it will cut weight if coupled with the right diet. Or you can do interval format cardio along with strength training...and see real, FAST results.

By the way, I'm not telling anyone they are wrong...I'm telling you all how I've done it...and how many others are doing it as well.

Once again proving we all have our own way of losing weight.....everybody responds differently to different things and I'm glad your way is working for you......is it the ONLY way....NO. So I will stick to what is working for me. Let me add that since you don't know me, you also don't know that running isn't the only form of exercise that I do....I've been consistently losing weight for 7 months.....haven't plateaued, haven't had ONE week where I didn't lose weight and I eat on average 1500 -2200 calories a day. What I am also consistent in is switching it up.....it works for me but I thank you for your input. :flowerforyou:

^Agreed

When I said to use the elliptical, treadmill, bike etc., I didn't mean she had to do it in a steady state. You can run in intervals. You can do interval training with almost anything really - as long as you're hitting your maximum. I don't do cardio in a steady state and I don't run to my hearts desire. I run for 35 minutes 2x a week. Running is just one of the easier ways to get your heart pumping.

2.5 mins - warm up at a steady pace
1 mins - sprint
2 mins - jog
1 mins - sprint
2 mins - jog
..continue up to 32:30
2.5 mins cool down

If someone wanted to change that up for the Tabata 4 minute format they could. The reason the runner in the article wasnt losing anything is that her body was adapting to her long steady runs.. not intervals and not switching up her heart rate.

I lost 9 lbs overall, net of the considerable amount of muscle I've gained. My BF has gone down 7% and I eat like my stomach is a bottomless pit. Of course the numbers will be smaller because I didn't have much to lose (I'm female and short and have never been overweight).

I wasn't putting down resistance training. I've done a lot of experimenting and I feel like a good workout regimen is a balance - for me.. I use 2/5 cardio, 3/5 resistance training.

If I wanted to keep my belly fat down through weight training, I don't doubt that it would work but for the amount of calories you burn weight training, even with the after burn, the results would just be slower for a female. Our hormones aren't programmed to help our bodies build a lot of muscle.

portexploit

Interval training shouldn't be done untill you have done a while of LSD (long steady distance) work.

KarmaxKitty

Oh wow, everyone... I understand about intervals, I get bored if it's a steady pace, so I usually speed things up/add resistance/add incline/switch machines and do it all again. Seems like everyone has their own way off doing it. (also, I read that article... i feel like it doesn't apply to everyone. A lot of people lose in different ways. The whole thing is confusing.)

crisanderson27

Well, not once did I say my way was the only way...and as for not doing intervals until you've done awhile on steady state cardio...I've never done an ounce of steady state cardio. And as for our bodies all responding 'differently' to different forms of exercise...that's basically (again, BASICALLY) untrue as well. What our bodies are actually responding to is differences in the ENTIRE input, food quality, food quantity, nutrient content, exercise, our daily routine, stress we may or may not be experiencing, the amount of water we drink...there's just too much to list.

But facts are facts. One type of cardio produces certain hormones in your body, which causes certain results. Another type produces another, which causes other results. Again, these are scientifically proven facts, in your body, my body, anyones body. Your food intake, your food quality, all the things I listed above may impact those results, or even sometimes modify them almost beyond recognition (weight loss IS 80% diet), but what those hormones do, is irrefutable. Take advantage of it if you want, ignore it if you want, or work against it if you want...I'm not asking you to change one thing about what you're doing.

Just giving additional information for those that want it.

Cris

plantgrrl

I'm pretty sure the important thing to take away here is that *insert problem area here* is a hard place to lose weight. I also have a stomach issue (apparently storing excess fat here can be related to hormone issues, which I have), but if you can find a way to exercise, while watching your calories (preferable some form of cardio AND weight training) your body will eventually let go of it. Weight training (or calisthenics) is good because it's been shown that working muscles will burn calories as they repair over a 48 hour period, strengthen your bones, tone your body, build strength and with that improve form (and possibly help you win an arm wrestling contest!). Cardio is important because it helps you gain stamina (just because you're a body builder doesn't mean you can run a marathon!), helps you burn off calories more immediately and is good for your heart and respiratory system. So find a way to do both. Keep pushing your intensity level, it's not about "muscle confusion" or "mixing it up" for your body, it's about the fact that as you lose, your body becomes a more efficient calorie using machine. The smaller you are, the more work it takes to burn excess calories, because there is less mass to move and more muscles with which to do it. So you can't just do the exact same amount of stuff, or keep lifting the exact same size of weight and expect to keep losing. You have to step it up, push the envelope. If running on the treadmill at level #whatever isn't helping anymore do the same time but crank it up a level/incline. You don't want to stay the same weight, so don't keep lifting the same weights/doing the same level of cardio, you want a hot body, you have to "get hot," break a sweat and step up the intensity. Bring you're A game. You'll have a sense of accoplishment when you realize you were lifting 3lb hand weights and now you've go the 10s or whatever.

Find something you love! (I have a girl friend who didn't give a damn about calories or anything, but loved going out dancing on ladies night (she wasn't much of a drinker) and lost 20 lbs!) SO the important thing is to find something you love, rec. league sports are something to consider, or a dance class, jogging, push ups frolicking around your living room to your favorite tune--we could talk about what the "best" way to exercise is all day and night, but in the end it's calories in vs. calories out. Enjoy it! Man was not designed with a sedentary lifestyle in mind--like we do now, sitting for hours on end in front of a TV or computer.

And when you feel stuck, don't forget to track your measurements with a tape measure. Last time I got stuck, I whipped out the tape measure and found that though I hadn't lost any "weight" I had lost an inch all over. Don't get discouraged, stick with it and you can achieve your "goal" body! Get pumped! Let's do this thing together!

KarmaxKitty

Best advice ever. Thanks so much! That was really motivating. (and now my mind is saying back to the gym we go, haha.) :laugh:

xraychick77

you cant build muscle and burn fat at the same time

KarmaxKitty

So everything about building muscle WHILE burning fat is wrong? I'm confused... Again...

katschi

I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month.

Wow! That's amazing!
Arnold gained 25 lbs of muscle in his best YEAR!
How did you do that?

BabyDuchess

So everything about building muscle WHILE burning fat is wrong? I'm confused... Again...

I go by MY body and that's all I have to go on......people can say whatever but for me the proof is always in what MY body does. I'm losing weight and building muscle.....so in my opinion, based on my results, you can do both because I'm doing it. :bigsmile:

plantgrrl

Don't worry about it...just have a good time! (I have a guy friend who doesn't lift at all but lost 100 lbs in a year doing jazzercise, of all things). I laughed, but it's what worked for him. He looks totally cut now (he started lifting for better tone later)...why shouldn't you have gained a little muscle mass while doing some cardio (it's not the most effective way, but lifting the weight of your leg is still a rep! Otherwise what's the point of a leg lift for a weight exercise?!). After a point though, you aren't going to get any more tone from a cardio exercise or a leg lift or whatever--because your leg or arm or core or what have you, isn't as heavy, your body is lighter (and more efficient), and we have to lift more weight to push our bodies to break down the muscles. So after a point you'll probably have to start lifting weights to achieve the tone/"lifting capacity"you would like. But to say that you can't build at least a little muscle while doing cardio is scientifically flawed. There are a lot of misconceptions about the physiology of weight loss out there. Just remember these five things:

1)Calories in>calories out
2) You won't always lose weight, but you may have lost inches, track those measurements too!
3)Find an exercise you enjoy and want to push yourself at--otherwise you'll just give up eventually--exercise shouldn't be like going to the dentist, you should have a good time.
4)When you've plateaued, realize that you're just becoming a leaner, more efficient machine and challenge yourself to taking it up another notch with your chosen exercise activities.
5) At some point, you'll have to do weight lifting to achieve the "toning" results you want to achieve. Unless you're already preforming a muscle intensive activity.

Best wishes! Don't let it get you down, our confusion on how to get there is how the diet and exercise industry makes millions of dollars off of us!

portexploit

I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month.

Wow! That's amazing!
Arnold gained 25 lbs of muscle in his best YEAR!
How did you do that?

Well a big part of it is because i started a lifting this month. People who just start out make bigger gains. Arnold put on 25lbs a year because he was doing it a long time. If someone starts out on a weight loss journey they will initially lose more weight than someone who has been doing it for a long time. I contribute the big gain to that.

My diet is pretty simple, I do intermittent fasting, I don't eat anything till around 5pm, then i eat in all my calories about 2,500. I also keep carbs low below 20grams. I have a cheat/free day every 7-14 days. exercising in a fasted state produces a lot more growth hormone which will help you burn a lot more fat when exercising. After I do my lifting then i eat.

crisanderson27

I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month.

Wow! That's amazing!
Arnold gained 25 lbs of muscle in his best YEAR!
How did you do that?

Well a big part of it is because i started a lifting this month. People who just start out make bigger gains. Arnold put on 25lbs a year because he was doing it a long time. If someone starts out on a weight loss journey they will initially lose more weight than someone who has been doing it for a long time. I contribute the big gain to that.

My diet is pretty simple, I do intermittent fasting, I don't eat anything till around 5pm, then i eat in all my calories about 2,500. I also keep carbs low below 20grams. I have a cheat/free day every 7-14 days. exercising in a fasted state produces a lot more growth hormone which will help you burn a lot more fat when exercising. After I do my lifting then i eat.

Is this Ascriminal's new account?

ninerbuff

I'm new to the site (hi by the way...), but I've lost around 24 pounds since january (ignore my ticker, haha.) I've finally settled into a routine, and hit that point where I NEED to go to the gym. If I don't, I get antsy! I'm doing great on strentgh training, and I'm slowly getting smaller but...my stomach. Everything has shrunk, except for that. And its keeping my weight steady, because right after I lose something, I realize that I'm gaining it back in muscle. I guess the point is... I know I can't spot reduce... But has anyone had this same problem? And what did you do to help/stay motivated/not give in to the random "i need to lose weight now now now" thoughts?

Just a quick note: it's almost impossible to build muscle on a calorie deficit. To build muscle you have to add calories.
Genetic predisposition dictates where your body will lose fat first and last. If you abdominal area is moving slowly it's because your body is wired that way.
Keep at it. It took time to put it on, it will take time to take it off.