Lifting weights is not fun on the scale

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  • Multistyles
    Multistyles Posts: 167
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    Yeah I guess your right. I got excited when I lost the first 10 in like 15 days and now i'm stuck. But I guess it is ask about priority. If I stopped lifting I would probably lose it faster but I would also start losing muscles, which I don't want. I guess I just have to be patient.

    Patience sucks. :grumble:
    Yes it does :grumble:
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I do a lot of lifting myself. In 10 months I've lost 22 lbs, but my bf % has dropped from 47% to 28%. It's been slow going for me, but I love it. The weight is coming off a lot faster now that I've gotten more cardio in lately though. There's more to it than what the scale says so don't get too obsessed with it.
  • Multistyles
    Multistyles Posts: 167
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    K....throw your scale out the friggin window and use your tape :O)
    I think you are definitely right about this:smile:
  • calderst
    calderst Posts: 222 Member
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    Make sure you don't lose sight of how you feel, too. Remember that it's not just about a number-- or a pant size-- but it's SO important to get healthy!

    Also, the faster you lose the weight, the easier it is to put it right back on. If you're making changes that are resulting in gradual (instead of rapid) weight loss and you're able to incorporate lifting/fitness, you will be much more likely to maintain the lifestyle.
  • Multistyles
    Multistyles Posts: 167
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    the scale is your enemy. Losing inches is your true sign of success. I bet you're looking great! Keep up the good work.
    Thank you:smile:
  • Multistyles
    Multistyles Posts: 167
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    Make sure you don't lose sight of how you feel, too. Remember that it's not just about a number-- or a pant size-- but it's SO important to get healthy!

    Also, the faster you lose the weight, the easier it is to put it right back on. If you're making changes that are resulting in gradual (instead of rapid) weight loss and you're able to incorporate lifting/fitness, you will be much more likely to maintain the lifestyle.
    I'm feeling great and the theme seems to be don't worry about the scale as long as you're feeling and looking well lol thank you for your advice
  • Multistyles
    Multistyles Posts: 167
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    Thank you all for your great advice I really appreciated it
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
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    You have to keep in mind a few points:

    #1- The average male doing everything right from a nutrition and training point of view can gain maybe a quarter of a pound of muscle per week. New lifters can perhaps double or triple that over the first couple months. The problem is I doubt more than a few if any on this site are doing 100% everything correct and are also at a metabolically ideal age. I would be surprised if the average male here gains more than a quarter of a pound a week. So, if your maintaining weight it's probably not from gaining muscle. Females will probably see half the gains men will.

    #2- If you lift and workout consistently for a long period of time you will deplete glycogen stores. Glycogen holds a lot of water and by burning it you release water weight. On the other hand if you stop lifting for 3 days or more you will notice a bump in weight from the last day you lifted. This is because your glycogen is being replenished adding water weight. Lifting also tends to make people hold more water soon after lifting due to the recovery/hypertrophy process,particularly in new lifters.

    Not saying this is the issue for anyone here but something to keep in mind.
    I'm gaining strength and I am slimmer so its definitely muscle and i'm losing fat I just need to focus on how I look instead of living and dying by the scale.
    Gaining strength isn't a good indicator of gain muscle. The body has fast twitch muscle fibers and this is the type of muscle that is responsible for lifting ability. Everyone has some amount of fast twitch muscle based on genetics. However, no matter how much muscle and fast twitch muscle you have if your can't recruit those fiber proficiently then it doesn't matter much how much muscle you have.

    When a person starts lifting they generally are not able to recruit fast twitch muscle fibers efficiently. So, a relatively low percentage of their fast twitch muscle fibers can be recruited for lifting.

    The kicker here is when you train your body becomes more efficient at recruiting FT fibers, the fibers you already had but were unable to recruit well enough.

    Just by training alone you will make gains in strength just for being more efficient. In fact, most strength gains made by newbie lifters are from increased efficiency in fast twitch muscle fibers of preexisting muscle.

    If you add into it that it's pretty difficult to gain muscle on a calorie deficit, the vast majority of strength gains early on are not due to gaining muscle.
  • Multistyles
    Multistyles Posts: 167
    Options
    You have to keep in mind a few points:

    #1- The average male doing everything right from a nutrition and training point of view can gain maybe a quarter of a pound of muscle per week. New lifters can perhaps double or triple that over the first couple months. The problem is I doubt more than a few if any on this site are doing 100% everything correct and are also at a metabolically ideal age. I would be surprised if the average male here gains more than a quarter of a pound a week. So, if your maintaining weight it's probably not from gaining muscle. Females will probably see half the gains men will.

    #2- If you lift and workout consistently for a long period of time you will deplete glycogen stores. Glycogen holds a lot of water and by burning it you release water weight. On the other hand if you stop lifting for 3 days or more you will notice a bump in weight from the last day you lifted. This is because your glycogen is being replenished adding water weight. Lifting also tends to make people hold more water soon after lifting due to the recovery/hypertrophy process,particularly in new lifters.

    Not saying this is the issue for anyone here but something to keep in mind.
    I'm gaining strength and I am slimmer so its definitely muscle and i'm losing fat I just need to focus on how I look instead of living and dying by the scale.
    Gaining strength isn't a good indicator of gain muscle. The body has fast twitch muscle fibers and this is the type of muscle that is responsible for lifting ability. Everyone has some amount of fast twitch muscle based on genetics. However, no matter how much muscle and fast twitch muscle you have if your can't recruit those fiber proficiently then it doesn't matter much how much muscle you have.

    When a person starts lifting they generally are not able to recruit fast twitch muscle fibers efficiently. So, a relatively low percentage of their fast twitch muscle fibers can be recruited for lifting.

    The kicker here is when you train your body becomes more efficient at recruiting FT fibers, the fibers you already had but were unable to recruit well enough.

    Just by training alone you will make gains in strength just for being more efficient. In fact, most strength gains made by newbie lifters are from increased efficiency in fast twitch muscle fibers of preexisting muscle.

    If you add into it that it's pretty difficult to gain muscle on a calorie deficit, the vast majority of strength gains early on are not due to gaining muscle.
    I've been lifting for years so i'm sure muscle memory is involved but my waist was a 37 now its a 35 {measured from belly button). I do compound lifts with low reps so even if you're on calorie deficit lifts like squats and military presses and incline bench will pump your body with growth hormones. Especially the squats.
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    Options
    You have to keep in mind a few points:

    #1- The average male doing everything right from a nutrition and training point of view can gain maybe a quarter of a pound of muscle per week. New lifters can perhaps double or triple that over the first couple months. The problem is I doubt more than a few if any on this site are doing 100% everything correct and are also at a metabolically ideal age. I would be surprised if the average male here gains more than a quarter of a pound a week. So, if your maintaining weight it's probably not from gaining muscle. Females will probably see half the gains men will.

    #2- If you lift and workout consistently for a long period of time you will deplete glycogen stores. Glycogen holds a lot of water and by burning it you release water weight. On the other hand if you stop lifting for 3 days or more you will notice a bump in weight from the last day you lifted. This is because your glycogen is being replenished adding water weight. Lifting also tends to make people hold more water soon after lifting due to the recovery/hypertrophy process,particularly in new lifters.

    Not saying this is the issue for anyone here but something to keep in mind.
    I'm gaining strength and I am slimmer so its definitely muscle and i'm losing fat I just need to focus on how I look instead of living and dying by the scale.
    Gaining strength isn't a good indicator of gain muscle. The body has fast twitch muscle fibers and this is the type of muscle that is responsible for lifting ability. Everyone has some amount of fast twitch muscle based on genetics. However, no matter how much muscle and fast twitch muscle you have if your can't recruit those fiber proficiently then it doesn't matter much how much muscle you have.

    When a person starts lifting they generally are not able to recruit fast twitch muscle fibers efficiently. So, a relatively low percentage of their fast twitch muscle fibers can be recruited for lifting.

    The kicker here is when you train your body becomes more efficient at recruiting FT fibers, the fibers you already had but were unable to recruit well enough.

    Just by training alone you will make gains in strength just for being more efficient. In fact, most strength gains made by newbie lifters are from increased efficiency in fast twitch muscle fibers of preexisting muscle.

    If you add into it that it's pretty difficult to gain muscle on a calorie deficit, the vast majority of strength gains early on are not due to gaining muscle.
    I've been lifting for years so i'm sure muscle memory is involved but my waist was a 37 now its a 35 {measured from belly button). I do compound lifts with low reps so even if you're on calorie deficit lifts like squats and military presses and incline bench will pump your body with growth hormones. Especially the squats.

    I'm not going to comment on the GH thing but muscle memory could be benefiting you.

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