I actually had a doctor tell me...

ohthatbambi

that I should not be doing ANY strength training while trying to lose weight. Doctor said I should only do cardio and once I reach goal then start toning. I find this absolutely kooky! It is not like I lift weights for an hour every day of the week..just twice and it is in BodyPump class. Obviously I am not going to take his advice b/c even though I am not at my goal weight my body is in better shape now than it has ever been b/c of the fact that I am toned and stronger than I have ever been.

I post this b/c there is so much information out there from medical professionals, trainers, nutritionists, people going through the same battle...that it is hard to know what is the RIGHT way to do this successfully. I think it is important to read and learn and then try things out and see what works for your body. YOU know your body better than anyone...friend, family member, doctor, stranger on the internet and ONLY YOU can truly determine what works. Not one of us is perfect and not one of us has all the answers. So be careful not to take every piece of advice to heart b/c what works for one may not work for all.

FYI, the doctor that I had this conversation with was a very skinny little man..in fact, I think I had more muscles than he did! Maybe he was just jealous!!:laugh:

ohthatbambi

that I should not be doing ANY strength training while trying to lose weight. Doctor said I should only do cardio and once I reach goal then start toning. I find this absolutely kooky! It is not like I lift weights for an hour every day of the week..just twice and it is in BodyPump class. Obviously I am not going to take his advice b/c even though I am not at my goal weight my body is in better shape now than it has ever been b/c of the fact that I am toned and stronger than I have ever been.

I post this b/c there is so much information out there from medical professionals, trainers, nutritionists, people going through the same battle...that it is hard to know what is the RIGHT way to do this successfully. I think it is important to read and learn and then try things out and see what works for your body. YOU know your body better than anyone...friend, family member, doctor, stranger on the internet and ONLY YOU can truly determine what works. Not one of us is perfect and not one of us has all the answers. So be careful not to take every piece of advice to heart b/c what works for one may not work for all.

FYI, the doctor that I had this conversation with was a very skinny little man..in fact, I think I had more muscles than he did! Maybe he was just jealous!!:laugh:

dolphin7

I totally agree with you, I had first thought I would wait and tone later, but I wanted to start doing things, biking, snowboarding (I just learned and love it) and I don't think I would have been able to learn snowboarding if I hadn't worked on strength training, my legs are so much more stronger this year than last, a huge difference, and i'm the same I only do strength training a couple times a week, most of my focus is on cardio, I have reached a plateau for a few months now, but my clothes are fitting better and I'm stronger, I can do cardio longer, so I think I'm doing something right, even if the scale is not budging, I have faith it will soon someday. Keep up your good work, we will make our goal weight in our own time

fitterpam

I had someone tell me that too and I stopped seeing her because I know that to be garbage.

Not only does the strength training help you feel better while you are losing weight, but it helps you lose weight faster.

Muscle may weigh more than fat, but extra lean muscle helps increase your metabolism.

Keep it up!

kerrilucko

He probably had a point- like the fact that muscle won't show through a layer of fat, so get rid of the fat first, then work on the muscle. Or that muscle weight can be deceiving to the scale and potentially harmful to the esteem of the individual trying to shed pounds. I don't think you're doctor was ignorant, he/she has probably had hundreds of patients try, and fail at losing weight and he is trying to make sure you stay on board the weight loss wagon! That said, as long as you understand the difference between the benefits of strength training and the benefits of cardio(many people don't), I think you're ok to continue. :flowerforyou:

SHBoss1673

There's actually some merit to this. The body has a very difficult time building muscle while it's in caloric deficit. While you can still tone somewhat, the body will put many more resources toward keeping everything fueled. Like I said, its not all or nothing, and a class like bodypump is actually a combination of cardio and strength so there is benefit in it no matter which one you are trying to do, but generally, if you're trying to lose weight, the majority of your time should be spent on cardio type exercises. Toning will help, don't get me wrong, but cardio is what burns the most fat by far.

ohthatbambi

There's actually some merit to this. The body has a very difficult time building muscle while it's in caloric deficit. While you can still tone somewhat, the body will put many more resources toward keeping everything fueled. Like I said, its not all or nothing, and a class like bodypump is actually a combination of cardio and strength so there is benefit in it no matter which one you are trying to do, but generally, if you're trying to lose weight, the majority of your time should be spent on cardio type exercises. Toning will help, don't get me wrong, but cardio is what burns the most fat by far.

And I do understand all that. My personal doctor suggests doing some sort of strength training twice a week along with alot of cardio. So over the past two years that has been how I exercise. No, the number on the scale is not the number I would like it to be, but I am stronger, leaner and healthier over all than if I had just done only cardio and gotten down to that magic number. The doctor who said this to me was just someone I was having a conversation with at the gym..in BodyPump, none the less. I guess my point was that I wondered how many people he had told to do NO strength training at all over the course of years. Not all advice is the right advice for each individual. Even though he was a doctor, I was not his patient and he really had no idea how long or not long I had been exercising. So anyway, I guess I just wanted to say that I think it is very important to learn as much as we can about ways to do this journey and what works for our individual body. I chose to let his advice go in one ear and out the other b/c I personally like feeling strong over the number on the scale. I spent way too many years worrying about that "number" and doing things to my body that just were NOT healthy in order to achieve that number and for the first time since puberty I feel like the way I am doing it is healthy and working for me.

Dave198lbs

the Dr. may be using a different definition for "strength training". I have seen guys who think they are working out. with weights (myself incuded) and they/I weren't actually coming close to a real weight training session. Like Shboss said, bodypump is a combo type activity and is beneficial but still geared towards weight loss. Maybe your skinny little Doc was thinking of high weights low reps get big type weight training...that requires massive calories to fuel that body and weight loss is the opposite goal...it could be that you and Doc are thinking of different activities...Keep up the good work

SHBoss1673

OK, that's a little different Bamboo, I don't think anyone (doctors included) should walk into a conversation with someone about how to exercise without really knowing them. I assumed the doctor was your regular one (sorry for that), and had some knowledge of your situation. Nobody is THAT good that they can look at you and know how you should work out without talking to you, examining you and finding out what your goals and issues are. next time he tries to tell you that, ask him when he got his personal training certificate. LOL, that otta make him real happy (but ooh the look on his face):laugh:

ohthatbambi

OK, that's a little different Bamboo, I don't think anyone (doctors included) should walk into a conversation with someone about how to exercise without really knowing them. I assumed the doctor was your regular one (sorry for that), and had some knowledge of your situation. Nobody is THAT good that they can look at you and know how you should work out without talking to you, examining you and finding out what your goals and issues are. next time he tries to tell you that, ask him when he got his personal training certificate. LOL, that otta make him real happy (but ooh the look on his face):laugh:

I think I will be sure to be on the other side of the room the next BodyPump class!:laugh:

tazzy

I have no faith in docs in these matters my doc is old overweight and smells and he stuck me on weight loss pills and gave me a printout of a diet sheet allowing me at 5ft 9 1000 cals a day yeh I lost weight but when I had taken the pills for the allotted amount of time do you knowhow long it was for me to put the weight back on plus 10lbs making a total of 36lbs 2 months devasting this was 14 months ago and to date all I have lost is 3 lbs. He screwed my body never mind my mind now I have read books and know what I need to do and cardio and strength should be done together to reap the rewards muscle burns more cals than fat so if you build your core etc you can sit on your butt and watch TV and burn more cals plus you get afterburn following resisitance training because the muscles are in an oxygen depleted state or somthing along them lines. Cardio and strength each have their own benefits combine and you are supercharged for weight loss.

i personally am keeping tabs on everything calorie intake to workout journals will keep informed in a month what combining both has achieved.

If you do both it is wise to measure as well or maybe get your body fat % done that would give you the best idea because skinny people can have more fat then fat people but theirs can be stored around organs which is dangerous. See specialist people not just your GP they see so many people in a day with so many different compliants.

crystal_sapphire

There's actually some merit to this. The body has a very difficult time building muscle while it's in caloric deficit. While you can still tone somewhat, the body will put many more resources toward keeping everything fueled. Like I said, its not all or nothing, and a class like bodypump is actually a combination of cardio and strength so there is benefit in it no matter which one you are trying to do, but generally, if you're trying to lose weight, the majority of your time should be spent on cardio type exercises. Toning will help, don't get me wrong, but cardio is what burns the most fat by far.

yeah, but strength training with free weights will help maintain lean muscle mass as one loses weight. of course you won't build muscle when you have a calorie deficit despite what many people around here say as soon as the scale doesn't move in their favor "oh you're just building muscle!!!1". you will maintain more muscle mass you already have versus losing weight just by means of cardio and burning a greater percentage of muscle than you would by lifting a few weights along the way.

songbyrdsweet

I wouldn't ever tell a female to stop lifting weights, especially in a caloric deficit.
It's hard enough to maintain bone density as a Caucasian female, but when you add a caloric deficit and subtract weight-bearing exercises, it's pretty much a recipe for weakening bones. You won't gain any muscle mass, but you can maintain it along with your bone density if you're using your muscles to lift heavy objects.

But if I were going to be an MD I wouldn't be taking courses like exercise physiology and sports nutrition, and I wouldn't know this stuff. And I know a lot less than that MD about a lot of medical stuff.

amanda79

Wow, that's the weirdest thing i ever heard. Maybe he/she doesn't want you looking better than them lol. I agree, you know your body better than anyone and if you see changes and are feeling great that's all that matters.

ohthatbambi

Wow, that's the weirdest thing i ever heard. Maybe he/she doesn't want you looking better than them lol. I agree, you know your body better than anyone and if you see changes and are feeling great that's all that matters.

I chose to ignore his comment. It actually happened several days ago and I mulled it over a few days before I even posted about it.