When do you start to lose the llbs with weights?

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colins53
colins53 Posts: 11
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi

Can Anybody help me please? I joined a gym approx 8 weeks ago and am going every other day. I do about 40mins cardio and 25 mins weights with smallish weights and reps of 15 x 3. I have been sticking to my calorie intake and eat my extra calories earned. I have lost about 4lb since starting and was expecting to lose more. I can feel that I have lost the inches but can anyone tell me when I will start to really lose the lbs as I am feeling really demotivated at present.

Thanks in advance
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Replies

  • ATLMel
    ATLMel Posts: 392 Member
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    I would drastically up the level of weights you are lifting and shoot more for 8-10 reps. That's about the range I'm in and I've seen some pretty awesome measurable results over the past 6 weeks.

    Also, mix up your cardio. Continual steady state cardio has its advantages (more efficient running/metabolism, etc) but you need varied intensity to improve cardio health overall and to help in losing weight.
  • LBachynsky
    LBachynsky Posts: 64
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    I have recently read two articles about lifting for women and both said to do fewer reps and more sets. I'm doing 6x5s with the most weight I can manage. After 4 weeks of that I'm switching to 4 weeks of 10x5s -- only 5 reps, but 10 sets -- again with as much weight as I can manage. By the time I done with the 10x5s, I should be finished reading NROLFW and ready to start that.

    The NROLFW follows a similar theory. They frown at people who use small weights and do high reps. Those exercises do nothing to challenge your muscles, so your muscles are not going to change in response.
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
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    Be aware that there is a chance you won't see a noticeable difference on the scale at all. In fact, the numbers may hedge upward as you put on muscle over the months (yes, months. This is not a fast process).

    Get a tape measure. It will be far more worth it.
  • bhelmreich
    bhelmreich Posts: 254 Member
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    I do weights for 40 and cardio for 20. I also rotate what cardio I do almost everyday. I try to lift heavy and see progress every week! I've been dropping lbs for 3 weeks now since starting Jamie Eason's program on bodybuilding.com. Inches are coming off too and I am almost down a pant size!!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    You should lose on average your goal amount of weight each week if you are following MFP caloric intake. You may gain at first with strength training due to water retention in the muscles. I would suggest increasing the weight you are lifting and aim for 6-10 reps. If you can get more than 10 reps with a certain weight, increase the weight.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
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    You should do a search of the forums for the girl who recently posted "The scale is a lying torture device, and I'm proof" For 3 months shes been doing P90x and whatnot, looks like a totally different person, but her scale still reads the same as when she started. She includes a pic, its pretty amazing :) Maybe you will just lose with inches and not necessarily weight... but hey, a loss is a loss! Good luck!
  • anner53108
    anner53108 Posts: 103
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    Yep, measure and go more by how your clothes fit than the scale. The scale can be deceiving. See this thread for visual proof: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/580019-the-scale-is-a-lying-torture-device-i-m-proof
  • aj_31
    aj_31 Posts: 999 Member
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    I've gained since lifting but I'm losing inches in a few places. Not as fast as I would like but it is happening. I also need to up my cardio. I've been doing 35 min of intervals on the elliptical but I am going to start running a few days a week and I'm going to go back to a cardio kickboxing class at the gym. I'm hoping that will help take off some weight or inches. Either one is fine with me.
  • Dlopez678
    Dlopez678 Posts: 97
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    You should do a search of the forums for the girl who recently posted "The scale is a lying torture device, and I'm proof" For 3 months shes been doing P90x and whatnot, looks like a totally different person, but her scale still reads the same as when she started. She includes a pic, its pretty amazing :) Maybe you will just lose with inches and not necessarily weight... but hey, a loss is a loss! Good luck!

    I agree to check out the above post mentioned. I think she actually gained a lb from her beginning photo to her recent photo. It is definitely something for someone to see who is being discouraged by the scale. You should definitely take pics and measure yourself to measure your success .. don't just go by the scale.
  • Jenjaz1910
    Jenjaz1910 Posts: 447 Member
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    Bump for later x
  • KailaJordan
    KailaJordan Posts: 35
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    if you want to lose weight you're better off doing more cardio. weights help to tone up, but it's better to lose the excess fat first before you try to tone up. also, measuring yourself is a lot better than weighing as muscle weighs more than fat so you may think you've put on weight when you probably haven't.
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
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    You should do a search of the forums for the girl who recently posted "The scale is a lying torture device, and I'm proof" For 3 months shes been doing P90x and whatnot, looks like a totally different person, but her scale still reads the same as when she started. She includes a pic, its pretty amazing :) Maybe you will just lose with inches and not necessarily weight... but hey, a loss is a loss! Good luck!

    I agree to check out the above post mentioned. I think she actually gained a lb from her beginning photo to her recent photo. It is definitely something for someone to see who is being discouraged by the scale. You should definitely take pics and measure yourself to measure your success .. don't just go by the scale.


    I have seen these posts and they are very motivating! However, I am in the same boat as the OP. I have been at this for 10 weeks. Heavy lifting (New Rules) and Couch 2 5K. I have lost inches, which I know is great.
    But, at 179 pounds, I am not going to look good at this weight. At some point the scale will have to move...
    Thoughts?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    if you want to lose weight you're better off doing more cardio. weights help to tone up, but it's better to lose the excess fat first before you try to tone up. also, measuring yourself is a lot better than weighing as muscle weighs more than fat so you may think you've put on weight when you probably haven't.

    Not good advice. All cardio does is allow you to eat more and have the same caloric deficit. With MFP you will lose the same amount of weight/week doing a lot of cardio, or no cardio, the difference is the amount you get to eat. Not to mention that cardio may lead to the loss of lean muscle as you lose fat.

    Strength training should be incorporated from day 1 as it is needed to retain the lean muscle you already have, and it is much easier to maintain what you have then try to re-build what you lost after you lost the weight.
  • colins53
    colins53 Posts: 11
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    Thanks for the advice everyone! What I would really like to do is shift about 35lbs but still be toned up. I just don't want to be 195lbs and be too toned. I would much rather be 160lbs and be toned. Does this make sense to anyone? I just keep getting confused and am not sure what I should be doing? :smile:
  • ATLMel
    ATLMel Posts: 392 Member
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    Thanks for the advice everyone! What I would really like to do is shift about 35lbs but still be toned up. I just don't want to be 195lbs and be too toned. I would much rather be 160lbs and be toned. Does this make sense to anyone? I just keep getting confused and am not sure what I should be doing? :smile:

    What do you mean by "too toned"?

    If you mean look like a competitive bodybuilder, you won't. That isn't something that is easy to do.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Thanks for the advice everyone! What I would really like to do is shift about 35lbs but still be toned up. I just don't want to be 195lbs and be too toned. I would much rather be 160lbs and be toned. Does this make sense to anyone? I just keep getting confused and am not sure what I should be doing? :smile:

    For the best benefits of fat loss ensure you are eating at a slight caloric deficit (0.5 to 1lb/week goal) and do heavy lifting strength training to retain your current muscle, you will not gain very much new muscle while in a caloric deficit so don't worry about that. Your deficit can be from diet alone, or a combination of diet and cardio.
  • colins53
    colins53 Posts: 11
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    Thanks again, it's really starting to make sense!! :blushing:
  • firstnamekaren
    firstnamekaren Posts: 274 Member
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    For the best benefits of fat loss ensure you are eating at a slight caloric deficit (0.5 to 1lb/week goal) and do heavy lifting strength training to retain your current muscle, you will not gain very much new muscle while in a caloric deficit so don't worry about that. Your deficit can be from diet alone, or a combination of diet and cardio.

    Just curious, do you think calories should be raised if you're lifting heavy? Or should activity level be set to sedentary, with a loss of .5-1 lb a week, and still lifting but eating the calories MFP recommends?
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
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    For the best benefits of fat loss ensure you are eating at a slight caloric deficit (0.5 to 1lb/week goal) and do heavy lifting strength training to retain your current muscle, you will not gain very much new muscle while in a caloric deficit so don't worry about that. Your deficit can be from diet alone, or a combination of diet and cardio.

    Just curious, do you think calories should be raised if you're lifting heavy? Or should activity level be set to sedentary, with a loss of .5-1 lb a week, and still lifting but eating the calories MFP recommends?

    Good question.:smile:
  • temp666777
    temp666777 Posts: 169
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    Weightlifting, indeed exercise, has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on body fat loss.

    the one and only way to lose body fat, is to slash your carbohydrate intake (to about 72 grams carbohydrate per day), and then restrict your caloric intake to a reasonable amount.

    If you exercise, you will simply eat a little more, and you'll end up with exactly the same "Calorie difference" that day.

    Regarding weightlifting to add muscle. Adding muscle has no connection, whatsoever, to your body fat. You could be "fat as a pig" but develop huge muscles. There is no connection between the two, at all.

    To lose body fat: eat a modest caloric deficit. That's it. It's just that simple.

    Weightlifting is totally unrelated and has utterly no connection to fat loss.

    To lose fat very quickly and easily, slash your carbohydrate intake TODAY, and have a calorie deficit every day! it's very easy, fortunately!

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