Lose THEN tone, or tone WHILE losing...?

KarmaxKitty

I seriously can't understand which one is better. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm down about 32 or 33 pounds and i'm aiming ultimately for aroung 20 or 30 more.

End6ame

Toning doesn’t exist, you can build/maintain muscle and lose fat. That’s it. There is no special combination of sets and reps that equals “toning”. Not doing strength training while losing weight will result in muscle loss, so you should be doing both.

amysj303

I don't know, I have heard different things. Basically, you can't build muscle if you are eating at a deficit to lose, but you want to build muscle so the weight you are losing is fat, not muscle. But I think you can do both if eat at a deficit on cardio days then eat at maintenance or a little over on strength days.

Onesnap

Toning doesn’t exist, you can build/maintain muscle and lose fat. That’s it. There is no special combination of sets and reps that equals “toning”. Not doing strength training while losing weight will result in muscle loss, so you should be doing both.

Agreed, I was going to say exactly the same thing.

RunHardBeStrong

Toning doesn’t exist, you can build/maintain muscle and lose fat. That’s it. There is no special combination of sets and reps that equals “toning”. Not doing strength training while losing weight will result in muscle loss, so you should be doing both.

Totally agree. I have lost 80 lbs thru diet and exercise the first 20 I just did cardio and it was a long slow process...once I added weight lifting my results were amazing and I'm so MUCH stronger! I love that I can out lift a lot of guys I know!!

TS65

Strengthen while losing. More muslce means higher metabolism which means faster fat/inches lost (but possibly slower weight loss due to gain in muscle mass - focus on inches lost). Just make sure to fuel your body.

susanswan

Toning doesn’t exist, you can build/maintain muscle and lose fat. That’s it. There is no special combination of sets and reps that equals “toning”. Not doing strength training while losing weight will result in muscle loss, so you should be doing both.

I agree. I set out to lose 70 pounds and am glad that I picked up my dumbbells along the way because: REGARDLESS OF MY WEIGHT, I AM SO MUCH SMALLER THAN I USED TO BE AT THIS WEIGHT? If that doesn't motivate you, I'm not sure what will!! Flatter stomach, smaller hips, thighs that don't rub and feeling strong! people commenting on muscles in my arms. You are missing out if you don't strength train NOW! = D

melizerd

Well I couldn't handle "learning" more than one thing at a time to begin with. So I focused on diet for awhile and didn't worry about the exercise portion until I had a handle on food.

Then I added in cardio and weights in slowly so that I could learn one or two things at a time there too.

ChantalGG

I do weights every other day an d cardio everyday. Even though i am not at my goal weight i still want to be firm and look good. plus more muscle raises your metabolism.

laddyboy

Well I would say since your are not far from your goal build muscle and let the muscle take care of the fat for you.
When I was huge I lost weight 1st and then build muscle. Not the best way but I was obsessed with the scale.
If I were you I'd do 3 days of resistance (60 minutes) and 3 days of HIIT Cardio (20-30 minutes max)

nuviag

Thanx for asking...I didnt have this question but now I know that perhaps I should start working on muscle.

KarmaxKitty

Thanx for asking...I didnt have this question but now I know that perhaps I should start working on muscle.

I hadn't seen anyone else post about this subject, but it's been on my mind since i hit twenty down.



@everyone: thanks a lot! i had to cut down on excercise for a while because i stressed my shoulder and my ankles a little too much, but im slowly bringing up the cardio again. will be readding strength as soon as my shoulder heals up a little more.

LorinaLynn

Well, I believe you don't BUILD muscle while losing weight, in that you don't gain muscle weight. Like when people say, "Oh, but you put on muscle, and that's why the scale hasn't moved." That's a myth. But you can improve the muscle you have.

I mean... I've *technically* lost some muscle mass while losing weight, but I have much firmer and more visible muscles in my arms, legs, back, and abs.

My arms last summer vs this summer.



I even have an itty bitty bicep now.



Photo comparison, from when I was skinny 13 years ago or so to now. I had NO muscle in my arms and legs then. They were like little spaghetti noodles. Now, I wear the same size clothes (more or less), but I'm more shapely.

End6ame

Well, I believe you don't BUILD muscle while losing weight, in that you don't gain muscle weight. Like when people say, "Oh, but you put on muscle, and that's why the scale hasn't moved." That's a myth. But you can improve the muscle you have.

I mean... I've *technically* lost some muscle mass while losing weight, but I have much firmer and more visible muscles in my arms, legs, back, and abs.

My arms last summer vs this summer.



I even have an itty bitty bicep now.



Photo comparison, from when I was skinny 13 years ago or so to now. I had NO muscle in my arms and legs then. They were like little spaghetti noodles. Now, I wear the same size clothes (more or less), but I'm more shapely.

You can build (some) muscle while on a caloric deficit, especially if you are obese and/or a beginner, it just won’t last forever. I started obese and was able to put on about 6lbs of muscle while on a caloric deficit even though I was not completely new to it. Beginners can see similar results if their training is right, but like I said those kind of results will trail off as time goes by.

bcattoes

Toning doesn’t exist, you can build/maintain muscle and lose fat. That’s it. There is no special combination of sets and reps that equals “toning”. Not doing strength training while losing weight will result in muscle loss, so you should be doing both.

Of course toning exists. It's even in the dictionary:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tone
18. ( tr ) to give greater firmness or strength to (the body or a part of the body)

marie_2454

Toning doesn’t exist, you can build/maintain muscle and lose fat. That’s it. There is no special combination of sets and reps that equals “toning”. Not doing strength training while losing weight will result in muscle loss, so you should be doing both.

Agree!

End6ame

Toning doesn’t exist, you can build/maintain muscle and lose fat. That’s it. There is no special combination of sets and reps that equals “toning”. Not doing strength training while losing weight will result in muscle loss, so you should be doing both.

Of course toning exists. It's even in the dictionary:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tone
18. ( tr ) to give greater firmness or strength to (the body or a part of the body)

OK, fine, but how do you build firmness and strength?... Through building muscle. My point still stands.

bcattoes

I seriously can't understand which one is better. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm down about 32 or 33 pounds and i'm aiming ultimately for aroung 20 or 30 more.

The best answer is "both". Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your weight it's a good idea to do some type of toning exercises - lifting, resistance, something of that nature - to maintain (or gain) muscle tone.

maureensm

Train train train!

mustanggirl_2011

I think it is so cool that you kept all the old clothes and have pics from then and now

cmriverside

I think it is so cool that you kept all the old clothes and have pics from then and now

This ^^

I love those 50s bathing suit photos more than any other before-and-afters I've seen here!! Even the same dresser, the same haircut, the same pose - and facing each other. Very cool. And you look better and happier now.

:flowerforyou: