Weight loss vs toning

jilott

I didn't lose this week :ohwell: , but maintained my weight - I did have a naughty day last Sunday and spent this week playing catch up....

I have exercised 4 days (@ 1 hour per time) this week from my usual 3 (and is the plan going forward) and I still didn't lose...someone mentioned that because of the classes I do, body conditioning and toning classes, that I'm more likely to tone than lose weight - so I have decided to measure my arms, waist, hips and thighs on a monthly basis to see if anything changes...

What is your opinion on loss vs toning??

goalie35

With classes like that you are likely to not lose as much at first since you are building muscle when you tone. Keep with it and the weight will come off.

jill00

Muscle weighs more than fat so as you tone and build muscles the scales may not show how well you are doing. its best to go by measurements and how well clothes fit etc

stephanie8625

I have had the same issue --- been here 4 weeks, lost 4 pounds !!! I was told last week by alot of MFP, stick with it.... that if it is weight that you want to lose, do alor more cardio per week, and also do toning, but more cardio then toning. The weight will come off and since you are still toning, the muscle will develop.
I also recently just took my first measurements -- because I was feeling more tone and clothes were fitting different -- so I am hoping like you, I will see a difference in my measurements !! Good luck :flowerforyou:

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Dizzle_65

It depends on your definition of toning. Strictly speaking to be "toned" you need to lose bodyfat % and therefore weight.

niknak0508

I have this problem quite often myself. My father is a personal trainer and constantly tells me not to worry about the scale numbers so much. Losing inches is MORE important to me right now. I haven't meant my weight loss goal yet, but I am 14 pounds away from it. I have been doing weight training 3 days a week for the last 3 months. However, at the beginning of this month I started weight training every day during the week: mon, wed, friday (upper body) and tues, (lower body), plus 20-30 minutes of cardio each day. In 5 weeks I lost 5 1/4 inches around my waste and actually gained inches in my calves and arms because of muscle build, this was before my 5 day a week weight training. Now I lose a few ounces, sometimes even a pound or 2 every week. So, needless to say, I believe toning and weight loss go hand and hand. If you lose weight and don't tone you may not get any definition in your body, you also may not fit into the correct size clothing either...

Try not to become discouraged that you haven't lost any weight. If you can, stay off the scale for a couple of weeks and focus on your Toning and conditioning classes for a bit. I'm sure you are working really hard and will get the results you are looking for. With time, encouragement and motivation you will go places :-)

Good luck to you!

sugarbone

"Toning" is not a real thing. It's just a word thrown around to mean looking like you have definition - ie low bodyfat percentage will make you look more toned than muscle, usually. Doing strength exercises can "slow down" your weight loss because it is preserving your muscle and you will lose less muscle that week - but the same amount, or more, fat! So technically, while you are getting skinnier and better looking, the scale may have changed less than before you did strength exercises.

Remember though, you can't build NEW muscle (gain weight from building muscle) without eating enough calories to gain weight. Your muscles can't create new matter out of thin air, they need food :-)

The belief that if you are trying to lose weight you can BUILD MUSCLE is a lie. You can strengthen your muscle, but not build it. A lot of people don't seem to know this.

jilott

thank you everyone for your comments and encouragement.

I am trying NOT to build muscle, just tone the ones I have...hehe

Good luck to you all too! Happy Friday and have a great weekend. x