Strength Training whilst trying to lose weight

Emagali74

Hi, I am strength training but also trying to lose a few pounds from a 2 week holiday-only three pounds or so....

I would like whats the best way to carry on strength training whilst trying to lose weight-can you lose on a calorie deficit and still lift weights....?

Is it best to have say a small deficit of 250 calories less than normal- I was thinking of going low carb for a week or two but am also aware of needing carbs for energy.....

Is it best to keep up with the carbs- any help /tips greatly appreciated...

Thanks

Emma.

isis2triple0

Hi Emma, I can only tell you what has worked well for me. I have lost a huge amount of weight while lifting heavy and I know for a fact it is because of the lifting that my body looks so well (I actually look much smaller then the scale weight because of the muscle). You are right my dear you do need carbs to power those workouts however, I keep carbs to the earliest parts of the day and only then they must be complex and I only occasional have a slice of wheat bread (no high-fructose corn syrup). Think things like oatmeal, yams, sweet potatoes, quinoa,brown rice, beans etc... After lunch no more carbs except maybe a small apple. I work out fasted and I have had huge success with it! Good luck!!

Rae6503

Absolutely you SHOULD strength train while trying to lose weight. You won't gain muscle mass (maybe some newbie gains) but you'll still gain some strength and most importantly you'll maintain as much muscle while losing weight as possible, meaning more weight lost is fat, and less is muscle (you always lose both). And yes, small to moderate calorie deficits are key. Also, make sure you are eating enough protein, 1 gram for every pound of lean body mass.

HeidiMightyRawr

Definitely strength train while losing weight! As long as you have a deficit you'll be fine.

I've strength trained all the way through my weight loss, the first time round (before I purposefully bulked up) and the second time round since then. It's helped so much in fact, not any more with the actual loss, but how I looked afterwards.

Regarding the carbs, I personally can't live without them. I have around 200-300g a day on average, still no issues

Generalle

it's how I've lost all my weight - I hate cardio and avoid it where possible!!
I have my macros set at 40/40/20 carbs, protein & fat, which you can change in your goal part of your profile (custom)

Nataliaho

This question comes up alot and I often wonder where it comes from. You should definately be weight training, regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight or maintain. The thing that changes is your diet, not your training regime.