Please, someone reassure me.
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To be fair - I can see the back definition change - but my back has always responded well to anything I do with it (leftover volleyball perk?)
Yeah my sister failed at the thighs bit... though I'm so forlorn about it I don't even want to know how more bummed I'd be seeing the bottom of my *kitten* and thighs now.
I just had such high hopes! I can squat 115lbs now! I can deadlift the sale (when jerk meatheads aren't walking off with my barbell while I'm grabbing more weights). I was progressing! SO WHERE IS THE PROOF DAMMIT?!0 -
Ok so in addition to what other people said- you lost some of the lovehandles from the back - look at the tops of your underwear, and I'm not sure how to define it but something happened around your chest.
So here's another kind of weird thing - I find that on me, sometimes I get visible changes and NO inches lost. I can't exactly tell what causes it, either the fat just like, shifts position, or it smoothes out but doesn't shrink or ...something.
Anyway - squatting 115 is a big deal and you WILL see bigger changes - but I agree that your plan to add some more cardio is probably a good one.0 -
I had been measuring across my belly button, since it stays put and I can remember, but I feel like last time we moved it to the more narrow spot.. I dunno.
I have come to the conclusion that I think I'll just do regular 1/2 hour cardio everyday and then instead of three days of the normal stronglifts, I'll so one of each kind of lifts, and throw in some other ones. So like Monday - treadmill and squats, Tuesday - elliptical and rows/benchpress, Wednesday - treadmill and barbell lunges etc etc. .. Then at least I'm still lifting and progressing but doing what was WORKING before.
Why not do strong lifts as scheduled and then just do 45 minutes cardio 3 of the off days? I think with what you have there you'll only be lifting for 10-15 minutes a day and you might not be giving body parts enough rest.0 -
I had been measuring across my belly button, since it stays put and I can remember, but I feel like last time we moved it to the more narrow spot.. I dunno.
I have come to the conclusion that I think I'll just do regular 1/2 hour cardio everyday and then instead of three days of the normal stronglifts, I'll so one of each kind of lifts, and throw in some other ones. So like Monday - treadmill and squats, Tuesday - elliptical and rows/benchpress, Wednesday - treadmill and barbell lunges etc etc. .. Then at least I'm still lifting and progressing but doing what was WORKING before.
Why not do strong lifts as scheduled and then just do 45 minutes cardio 3 of the off days? I think with what you have there you'll only be lifting for 10-15 minutes a day and you might not be giving body parts enough rest.
Oh yeah- I didn't read what your plan was there. Why can't you do the cardio on off days?0 -
I agree with everyone thus far + this. From the back your body has a more definate V shape to the waist. The V is more obvious on men because it continues since they have no hips! lol. From the side your bust has lifted. For me, I have a tendancy to allow my rib cage to sink in and round my back at work. Causes lots of back pain, since I've been doing SL my posture is way better and my chest is definately lifted up out of my mid section. And both from the front and the side I can see changes in the belly.
What I would do is continue w/SL as written, if you have time get in some hard core cardio after on the same day. Ex: 15 min shadow boxing, jumping rope, running up hills, salsa dancing, zumba, swimming, sprinting ... whatever you like to do that makes you have to stop and catch your breath. Give your self at least 10-15 min after everything to stretch and cool down before you call your workout done. Then do mild cardio like walking at a moderate pace or yoga.
After getting soo off track and starting over, i'm just starting to feel the energy coming back and would have more of it if ppl would go to bed so I can sleep. Once that starts in earnest I will feel capable of doing more and then the rapid changes that I saw before will start up again. I think it took me 2 months to see any drastic results the first time through it.
Hope this helps you. *hugs*0 -
I feel like I would have been doing cardio on my off days all along but work hasn't allowed me to get to the gym 5 days a week, so when I have to skip, I've skipped cardio days - and that is likely to continue, so even if I plan it that way, it won't pan out that way. And my gym sessions are pretty restricted to an hour a day (my bf and I share a car, he picks me up at the gym when he's done work and by the time we get home he has to eat cuz he's diabetic, so he can usually give me a spare 10 min if I need it to finish up but otherwise, it's a crunch). I'm not trying to make excuses, clearly I want to do what's going to work. It's just that I saw changes with cardio, and not so much with the weights and I need to figure out a way that works with the time I have to do both...
I saw differences in the pictures of my boobs... it's like they just got smaller, except that according to the tape they shouldn't have...
In the plan I suggested for myself, I thought I WAS giving my different body parts time off because I was only doing one every few days... cardio-squats, cardio-rows and press, cardio-lunges.. a day between at least for legs in general, the same move wouldn't happen again in 3 days or so....0 -
Let me first say that I totally relate.
5 weeks ago, I was literally sitting on my @ss all day, drinking soda and eating junk. Since then, I've completely revamped my food and started exercising. I'm into my 3rd SL week.
It is imperative that I lose weight, about 50 lbs. Reasons include:
- My mother was just diagnosed with diabetes.
- When I had my gallbladder out this fall, they discovered that I'm insulin-resistant/metabolic syndrome.
- I take a medication that increases chances of diabetes.
- I'm apple-shaped and therefore prone to it, anyway.
The first week or two, I lost a couple of pounds.
Since then, I've gained/lost the same two pounds. Today is a day where the scale went up.
BUT,
I don't think 4 weeks is long enough to try it and give up on it.
There's a reason the program is 12 weeks long.I saw differences in the pictures of my boobs... it's like they just got smaller, except that according to the tape they shouldn't have...
That's because your back got more definition. When you run the tape across your boobs, it goes across the back, too, no?In the plan I suggested for myself, I thought I WAS giving my different body parts time off because I was only doing one every few days... cardio-squats, cardio-rows and press, cardio-lunges.. a day between at least for legs in general, the same move wouldn't happen again in 3 days or so....
Cardio on non-lift days doesn't have to be in the gym.
I do walks around the neighborhood or near the river (not far from home). I live in an apartment complex with a pool, so I can swim, too, or ride a bike. Jump ropes are cheap.
Walking/running is free and easy. (Disclaimer: I've always hated to run. I'll walk 5 miles before I'll jog half a mile, but if you want more intense.. . .)
A couple of other things:
You're half way to your goal, thereabouts. As you get closer to your goal, it gets harder for everyone, not just you.
Your body composition is changing. We can see it, even if you can't. If it's changed a little in 4 weeks, it has to change more in another 8 weeks.
You can squat 115 lbs!!! That's more than 2 toddlers! That's more than my 95-lb teenager!
That's AMAZING!
Think about the things your body can do now that it couldn't do 4 weeks ago.0 -
Bumpppppp0
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I feel like I would have been doing cardio on my off days all along but work hasn't allowed me to get to the gym 5 days a week, so when I have to skip, I've skipped cardio days - and that is likely to continue, so even if I plan it that way, it won't pan out that way. And my gym sessions are pretty restricted to an hour a day (my bf and I share a car, he picks me up at the gym when he's done work and by the time we get home he has to eat cuz he's diabetic, so he can usually give me a spare 10 min if I need it to finish up but otherwise, it's a crunch). I'm not trying to make excuses, clearly I want to do what's going to work. It's just that I saw changes with cardio, and not so much with the weights and I need to figure out a way that works with the time I have to do both...
I saw differences in the pictures of my boobs... it's like they just got smaller, except that according to the tape they shouldn't have...
In the plan I suggested for myself, I thought I WAS giving my different body parts time off because I was only doing one every few days... cardio-squats, cardio-rows and press, cardio-lunges.. a day between at least for legs in general, the same move wouldn't happen again in 3 days or so....
My only concern with this plan is that squats and deadlifts usually kill my cardio if I try to do them in the same day, or the reverse. I've changed to an AM workout before work to ensure I get them in. I doing 3 days of SL's and 2-3 days cardio (C25K). There are changes in your pictures but I am sorry they weren't as drastic as you wanted.0 -
If you don't have time for extra gym cardio there is a LOT you can do at home to burn some calories:
1) if you have a step or stairs somewhere in your house you can run up and down them (even just one step, just go up down up down) -- you can do this as intervals, as hard as you can for 20 seconds, then take a breather and either go slowly or walk in place til you catch your breath, then do it again
2) walk-jog intervals outside, EVERYONE can jog for 10 seconds so if that's all you can do, do it, then walk til you catch your breath, then do it again.
3) active video games like Kinect games (xbox) <- if you have access to smoething like this
4) just plain walking more, taking the stairs at work, etc.
you don't have to EXERCISE to burn calories - next time you sit down to watch TV ask yourself if you can watch half of the episode standing up or walking in place slowly.0 -
seriously, try just hitting the air for 5 minutes straight like a boxer, you don't even need to use your legs, it will give you crazy freaking cardio burn! If 5 min is easy for you, aim for 15 etc.
You don't need anything for that and you can do it anywhere, If you are too tired to stand you can even do it with good posture sitting!
One of the most cardio looking things a bellydancer can do is dance to a drum solo, they are very very fast, with lots of correspondingly fast movements all over the body. Shimmying all over actually looks like the most intense of all.
Alternatively, the slow section of veil looks pretty easy... it is a beast compared to the solo and will get you out of breath a LOT quicker. For some reason arm movements use waaay more energy and pump waay more blood than leg or even whole body movements without arm involvement (with the exception of swimming). There are ways! I'm off to do my gentle cardio for the day because tonight I squat 120!0 -
I can sense your frustration and I wish there was something I could fix to help you start progressing the way you want. I still wouldn't go to 1-2 lifts a day. Maybe you could keep the SL routine but switch to 3x8 w/ 60 sec rest (and don't add weights as often). Shouldn't take more than 30 minutes that way leaving 20-30 minutes for cardio. And yeah, get some extra movements outside of the gym. Increase your non-exercise activity. That helps me a TON. Sorry you are struggling. I know it sucks.
Also, your eating might be holding your back. I'm not sure that 1650 w/o exercise calories is a good idea. That w/ the lifting can cause stress to your body which can make it hold on to weight. I'd suggest getting a good estimate of your TDEE and only cutting 20% off that.
Good luck dear!0 -
Tameko and Rae have some great advice. Just get moving more - that will help a lot. I find that just getting out, like on the weekends, and taking long walks when it's nice out or doing other active things I enjoy (like kayaking or hiking), really helps a lot. Not just with calorie burns, but with my sanity. I went hiking last weekend and noticed how much easier it was for me to climb up on things or go for longer without needing to rest because of how much more fit and stronger I am. Even if the weight is still there, I can do more.
I also agree about calorie intake. 1650 without exercise calories doesn't seem like a good idea, whether for intense cardio or heavy lifting routines.0 -
I haven't lost a single pound since Thanksgiving. HOWEVER, I am down almost two dress sizes. Don't give up on the strength training!
I started lifting heavy about once a week in January, and was at about 1200 net cals. In February I upped my calories to 1500 net, and started lifting heavy 3x a week (cardo for 20m 3x a week as well).... and by April 1, I had to get rid of every size 16 thing I owned. I didn't push myself as hard in April, but I still lifted and watched my calories, and I'm about ready to start squeezing in to the size 12 jeans I've been lusting after for over a year.
Also - check this out -- This is a thread I made a few weeks ago about how different my body looks now than it did at the same weight a year ago:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/557349-same-dress-same-weight-totally-different-photo0 -
You all have thrown out some great ideas. Jaime might have started this thread but I could have written it. This week I needed a frustration/mental break, so I took the sl lifts and merged them with some body weight stuff I need/want to be doing to make a circuit routine. I think, with the suggestions, I may go back to sl and work the bodyweight stuff and some cardio around them. I've been told since my bodyfat is so high, I can afford to do things with a higher calorie expenditure. That pure strength training (only) is most valuable to leaner people because the calorie expenditure is not so high as to rob your lbm. I'm still not 100% sure what changes need to be made, just that things need to change.0
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You all have thrown out some great ideas. Jaime might have started this thread but I could have written it. This week I needed a frustration/mental break, so I took the sl lifts and merged them with some body weight stuff I need/want to be doing to make a circuit routine. I think, with the suggestions, I may go back to sl and work the bodyweight stuff and some cardio around them. I've been told since my bodyfat is so high, I can afford to do things with a higher calorie expenditure. That pure strength training (only) is most valuable to leaner people because the calorie expenditure is not so high as to rob your lbm. I'm still not 100% sure what changes need to be made, just that things need to change.
I disagree that strength training is more valuable to leaner people. I am overweight - I'm 200 pounds - and strength training has been very beneficial to me. Not only is it doing great things for my body, but it's pretty effin' sweet to reach for something you used to think was heavy, and just sling it around like nothing.0 -
You all have thrown out some great ideas. Jaime might have started this thread but I could have written it. This week I needed a frustration/mental break, so I took the sl lifts and merged them with some body weight stuff I need/want to be doing to make a circuit routine. I think, with the suggestions, I may go back to sl and work the bodyweight stuff and some cardio around them. I've been told since my bodyfat is so high, I can afford to do things with a higher calorie expenditure. That pure strength training (only) is most valuable to leaner people because the calorie expenditure is not so high as to rob your lbm. I'm still not 100% sure what changes need to be made, just that things need to change.
I disagree that strength training is more valuable to leaner people. I am overweight - I'm 200 pounds - and strength training has been very beneficial to me. Not only is it doing great things for my body, but it's pretty effin' sweet to reach for something you used to think was heavy, and just sling it around like nothing.
Sorry, not quite what I meant or what was said to me. Strength training IS valuable to everyone. Strength training by itself, with no cardio, etc. As a training program, is more beneficial to those that are lean, looking to drop bodyfat but not necessarily weight. (Which is what I was doing, sl with very little cardio)0 -
I haven't lost a single pound since Thanksgiving. HOWEVER, I am down almost two dress sizes. Don't give up on the strength training!
I started lifting heavy about once a week in January, and was at about 1200 net cals. In February I upped my calories to 1500 net, and started lifting heavy 3x a week (cardo for 20m 3x a week as well).... and by April 1, I had to get rid of every size 16 thing I owned. I didn't push myself as hard in April, but I still lifted and watched my calories, and I'm about ready to start squeezing in to the size 12 jeans I've been lusting after for over a year.
Also - check this out -- This is a thread I made a few weeks ago about how different my body looks now than it did at the same weight a year ago:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/557349-same-dress-same-weight-totally-different-photo
That is so freaking Awesome! I will check the thread but will prolly have to go home to view photos, most are blocked, but oddly not the boobie five that rae posted. lol.0 -
I'm so sorry to hear this . . . I went looking through the threads for a similar bummer reason: my waist measurement has INCREASED in the last 6 weeks since I started lifting. I started at 27.5, and I'm about 28.25 now. This is really frustrating. My weight is up just a bit; less than a pound, but the waist measurement is exactly the opposite of what I had hoped. Anyone else?
I'm in my last week of stage 1 of NROL4W, but I've been doing SL 5x5 for the squats and deadlifts; I'm up to 105# and 95# respectively. Next week is an off week, then I'm going full on into SL.
I upped calories right away upon starting heavy lifting. My TDEE is appx 2271, and I've been eating around 2000 calories every day since starting. Although I am pleased with my strength gains and the definition I am seeing in my arms and upper back, my waist measurement has increased. I am NOT happy. what gives?
Prior to starting lifting I used to do about 13.5 hours /week cardio: dance, cycling, spin, paddleboarding. 6 days on, 1 day off. I was never tired then, but lifting 3 hours and spin 2 hours a week is about killing me. I took 4 consecutive days off last week to recover bc I figured I must be overtraining. During those 4 days off I cut calories to 1650 - 1850. I've been back lifting and spinning this week, calories up, protein always up there, and, unfortunately, tired again.
My typical week is as follows:
M: iift
T: spin
W: lift
T: spin
F: paddleboarding (except I've been so wiped out the last 2 weeks I had to skip it)
S: lift
S: off
I think I might have to drop to 2x week lifting bc I can't cut spin (I'm an instructor).
ANYWAY . . . I'm bummed bc overall my clothes are tight, I look fatter, and my waist is bigger! ugh! WHY!!!!!
grrrrrrrr.0 -
sleepytexan - It could just be water retention/bloating. That happened when I first started for the first week or so and now, just measuring this morning I lost inches. And my clothese, especially my jeans, are always tight the day after lifting. It's just the swelling and water retention from those squats and deadlifts!
But, 2200-2300 as your TDEE sounds a little low to me, for someone who does spin and lifts. Is that before exercise?0
