Does Strength Training prevent losing weight

Orient_Charm

Hi,
I started MFP before 4 months and I have reached my goal about 10 days ago ( lost 16.5 kg = 36 lbs ) . Now I set a new goal to lose more ( 2 kg=4.4 lbs ).

Before I reach my goal I used to do only Cardio training, now I have started Strength Training in the gym…….

some friend told me that if I do Strength Training I will not lose anymore lbs, because it convert fat to muscles and no change in the weight……

Please tell me what you know is that correct ????
If I am doing Strength Training I will not lose more weight ????

Please share your experience…..

Thank you and have a great time.

Rayman79

You may lose 'weight' slightly slower, but you will lose FAT more quickly if you lift weights.

KEEP DOING YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING!!! :drinker:

WaterBunnie

You will also raise your metabolism so in the long term losing weight should become easier.

TiffaniBarrett

What you will notice by doing strength training is that your measurements will reduce quicker than you weight. And to be completely honest, I was waaaaayyyy happier watching my waist and hips get smaller :-)

You will still lose some weight, keep a bit of cardio into your regime :-)

xxx

ash190489

OMG - you may not necessarily lose 'weight' as such, but you will lose body fat.

I am the same weight as I was in March, however, I have lost centimetres all over my body! Because I am losing fat weight and gaining muscle weight.

Besides, who cares what the scales say anymore... you've lost the weight you wanted to, time to know up the calories, eat more protein and get in that weight room & start seeing the centimetres fall off your body!

Sarauk2sf

All of the above.

However, why does it matter if you lose weight as long as you lose inches? As muscle is denser than fat, 1lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat. So someone who is say, 150lb that has a high body fat % will be bigger than someone who weighs 150lb with a higher muscle mass (all other things being equal).

ETA: well done on reaching your initial goal

BeautyFromPain

All of the above.

However, why does it matter if you lose weight as long as you lose inches? As muscle is denser than fat, 1lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat. So someone who is say, 150lb that has a high body fat % will be bigger than someone who weighs 150lb with a higher muscle mass (all other things being equal).

ETA: well done on reaching your initial goal

^ this. Also, fat can not "convert" into muscle. Muscle and fat are two very different things.

NeverGivesUp

So happy to see you doing this for yourself. Weight isn't important anymore once you start changing your body composition. Muscle will make you be in the best shape that you have ever been. Keep doing it and you will be so happy with the results and so will your wife and your doctor. Hugs!!

Scorpiotwinkle

That is my experience too - my weightloss has stalled at 41lb but I am lifting heavy. Five weeks ago I had my body fat measured, and the results this week are that I have lost 4.5% body fat so I am pleased with that. Forget the scales! If you are lifting you will change shape and tone your new body.

EJDM

Hi,
I started MFP in Jan and have lost 12 kilos.
I have just started on higher protein and weights. After nearly 2 weeks I have actually gained 900g but I have lost quite a few cms (inches, whatever - sorry Im from Australia) off my body. My clothes are getting bigger and bigger on me.
I've decided not to worry about the number on the scale too much while Im toning up/doing weights.
Good luck and my advice is to definitely keep up the strength training x

Di3012

Hi,
I started MFP before 4 months and I have reached my goal about 10 days ago ( lost 16.5 kg = 36 lbs ) . Now I set a new goal to lose more ( 2 kg=4.4 lbs ).

Before I reach my goal I used to do only Cardio training, now I have started Strength Training in the gym…….

some friend told me that if I do Strength Training I will not lose anymore lbs, because it convert fat to muscles and no change in the weight……

Please tell me what you know is that correct ????
If I am doing Strength Training I will not lose more weight ????

Please share your experience…..

Thank you and have a great time.

First of all, discount your friend's thoughts on that, because for a start, you cannot convert fat to muscles the same as you cannot turn muscle into fat. Muscle and fat are totally different substances and one of them will never transform into the other, no matter what you do.

You can burn off the fat by using it as energy. Therefore, if you take in less calories that you use up, your body needs to get that energy from somewhere and it will use the excess fat and burn that off as fuel, this is how it works.

So, in regards to your question, if you have taken in less calories than you burn during your strength training, your body will go for that fat and burn it off, because it needs the fuel and in turn, you will lose weight.

ps if doing strength training, watch your protein, you need that to repair the muscles you tear during your workouts - they will always tear (very tiny little rips).

roxerella

That is my experience too - my weightloss has stalled at 41lb but I am lifting heavy. Five weeks ago I had my body fat measured, and the results this week are that I have lost 4.5% body fat so I am pleased with that. Forget the scales! If you are lifting you will change shape and tone your new body.

Same as you. I've stalled since upping my weights and doing pump class 3 times a week. However, still see body improvements, just scales not moving. I have faith that they will go down though, maybe once my body adapts to the extra lifting and calories etc.

JennieAL

My weight hasn't changed in months (though I'm not looking for it to change much anyway), but I have lost fat. And inches. Body composition is changing.

janey1306

This is my brothers experience, not mine!
He joined the army, a good healthy weight and had always been a sporty lad and very active. Once he joined the army he was able to spend much more time on his fitness, played football and boxed for them. I really dont know how long it took and unfortunately cant give figures but He became extremely ripped, very muscley, and he had never been so fit. It was then time for his fitness check. The dr said to him, I can see by looking at you, you are not fat at all. However he weighed much more and if he had been trying to join up then, they would have told him to lose weight and try again!
My point is he looked, felt and was definitely much fitter. Im not suggesting you will bulk up or put weight on, but may be you will lose inches and look better whether you lose those last few pounds or not.

HeidiMightyRawr

1) Fat doesn't turn into muscles. Either you build muscle or burn fat, they're two separate things.
2) You usually need a calorie surplus to build muscle (there are exceptions such as newbies and/or obese people) In a deficit, strength training is still useful because it helps to maintain the muscle that many people lose while dieting.
3) Strength training will not affect your weight loss if you still have the same calorie deficit. Even if you do build some muscle, the rate at which this occurs will be extremely tiny in comparison to fat loss. If the scale doesn't go down it's likely water retention (which is common after you exercise) or you are overestimating food / underestimating exercise burn

Orient_Charm

You may lose 'weight' slightly slower, but you will lose FAT more quickly if you lift weights.

KEEP DOING YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING!!! :drinker:

Hi Reyman, I will do that, thank you for your advice....

Orient_Charm

You will also raise your metabolism so in the long term losing weight should become easier.

This is also good point , thank you for your reply......

Orient_Charm

What you will notice by doing strength training is that your measurements will reduce quicker than you weight. And to be completely honest, I was waaaaayyyy happier watching my waist and hips get smaller :-)

You will still lose some weight, keep a bit of cardio into your regime :-)

xxx

Thanks for your reply.......cardio is still there.....

beduffbrickie

convert fat to muscles :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

funnest thing I have heard all day, listen to the people on the boards on MFP rather than your friends, because they seem like they know nothing.

Orient_Charm

OMG - you may not necessarily lose 'weight' as such, but you will lose body fat.

I am the same weight as I was in March, however, I have lost centimetres all over my body! Because I am losing fat weight and gaining muscle weight.

Besides, who cares what the scales say anymore... you've lost the weight you wanted to, time to know up the calories, eat more protein and get in that weight room & start seeing the centimetres fall off your body!

Thanks for your reply, we are really do care about what scale say !!!:flowerforyou:

nel0311

muscle burns fat...so build more muscle...? lol

Thats what i heard

Orient_Charm

All of the above.

However, why does it matter if you lose weight as long as you lose inches? As muscle is denser than fat, 1lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat. So someone who is say, 150lb that has a high body fat % will be bigger than someone who weighs 150lb with a higher muscle mass (all other things being equal).

ETA: well done on reaching your initial goal

Thanks for your replay......good point.....

Orient_Charm

All of the above.

However, why does it matter if you lose weight as long as you lose inches? As muscle is denser than fat, 1lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat. So someone who is say, 150lb that has a high body fat % will be bigger than someone who weighs 150lb with a higher muscle mass (all other things being equal).

ETA: well done on reaching your initial goal

^ this. Also, fat can not "convert" into muscle. Muscle and fat are two very different things.

Thanks for your replay,
I want to stop to tell something about this point, since I had a lot of comment about ( Fat convert to muscle ) ......


The issue here is really about my bad english.......( english is not my first lang ).....
What I meant and he mean by that......when I do a strength training I will lost fat because I need energy for that trining and it come from fat ......in aonther hand the muscle wighet will increaes by training.....so the scale will not move...... it is ( self-evident ) to know that fat material will not became muscle material.......

So all was about my english....

Orient_Charm

So happy to see you doing this for yourself. Weight isn't important anymore once you start changing your body composition. Muscle will make you be in the best shape that you have ever been. Keep doing it and you will be so happy with the results and so will your wife and your doctor. Hugs!!

Thanks for your replay Lara, thanks for your support, and own you a lot....

Have you seen what my bad english done here .....

secretlobster

If you're going to be doing strength training, you might have to pay less attention to the scale because it's not going to be an accurate measure of your body composition.

Bear in mind that you don't necessarily want to lose WEIGHT, what you want to lose is FAT.

The results will be more visual than anything!

wbgolden

My weight loss didn't really kick into high gear (despite tons of cardio) until I started hitting the weights 2-3 times a week.

WifeNMama

I finally broke a 3 month plateau by eating at maintenance and alternating days between weight lifting and cardio. Starting to see some muscle and a smaller waist.

AZKristi

some friend told me that if I do Strength Training I will not lose anymore lbs, because it convert fat to muscles and no change in the weight……

There is absolutely no biochemical basis for this statement. If you continue to eat at a deficit you can lose FAT while strength training. if you are really training, you should be building muscle tissue and increasing your lean body mass. This could eventually result in a "gain" on the scale. So, you have to ask yourself what matters... some arbitrary number on the scale or how you look and feel.

If you are close to your target weight, maybe start focusing on your % body fat instead of body weight. If you are strength training and doing cardio and you end up reducing your % body fat you will look better and probably be healthier than maintaining some arbitrary weight.

wifeycrisp

The more you lift, the more muscle you gain, the more calories you burn while sitting on your butt!! Yes, you will lose fat and you will lose weight! I have lost weight lifting weights, but it's fat.

EpiGaiaRepens

I got to my goal weight the same way you did, watching what I ate and doing cardio.

I just started lifting as of January of this year. My scale has become significantly less important to how I value my body as a result (of course, it still is there, but it's not the whole story). I think it's safe to say that I have gained muscle, and lost fat, and gained strength.

Also, fat doesn't turn into muscle, nor does muscle turn into fat. You build muscle and burn fat by lifting weights. I also think cardio is key to any fitness program (I speak from experience, not from a degree). The hardest part is figuring out how to eat. At least, for me it was.

Temple_Fit

It doesn't prevent you from losing just slows the process, however, you will lose inches. I've been doing a fat loss program that requires a lot of strength training and I have only lost about 8lbs in the past 9wks however, I have lost inches and went from wearing a size 10 to a size 6.