Should I stop or reduce heavy lifting until I'm at goal?

jreeves628

I have been losing weight steadily for about 6 weeks. I went from 184 to 169 in that time, but after getting my body fat percentage checked I found out that I was losing muscle. This past week I started lifting heavy to try to fix that issue and I have gained half a pound. My main priority is to lose weight. Should I stop or reduce weight training until I at least reach my first goal of 159? I go to the gym 6 days a week. I was doing cardio every day and weights twice a week for 20 mins. This week I did 3 days cardio and 3 days weights 45 mins for 45 mins.

I worry because I have a track record of ruining my weight loss efforts after losing 15 pounds. I am at -15 right now and I feel like Im about to fall off the wagon after seeing a weight gain. It also doesnt help that my scale sucks.. I step on it 3 times and get 3 different weights. I literally step on it over and over until I get the same weight twice. I know I shopuldnt rely on the scale but I have to weigh myself every morning to keep me going. Its the only place that shows progress as my body hasnt really changed. When I see a good result on the scale I tend to kill it in the gym that day. It is my motivator.

MrsLVF

You're doing great. Keep strength training, but be prepared. Most likely your scale loss with strength training will be at a lower rate. However, any weight loss will be more of a fat loss, rather than muscle.

jreeves628

Thanks! I guess I would just need to not let it discourage me.

Hendrix7

Definitely not!

Heavy lifting is one of the most effective methods of losing weight, however as you have discovered you initially see a slow down in scale weight reduction. This can be due to a slight increase in muscle mass or a little extra water/glycogen retention.

Keep lifting!

HelenDootson

Be positive - If the fat is going down and the muscle is going up, you will be taking up less room!!
And lets face it - who cares what the scales say in the long term as long as we fit into the clothes we want to, look good and are healthy (not necessarily in that order )

yoovie

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

bbchickpea

You're doing so well. the gain will be muscle which will happen but you'll still be getting smaller. You need to get a tape measure and measure yourself. Especially as your scales aren't reliable. You could carry on weight training losing weight on the scales at a slower rate (even gaining 1/2 pound every now and then) and still lose a dress size much quicker.

Your body will be healthier, fitter, slimmer and burning more calories with muscle than without it : )

iWaffle

This past week I started lifting heavy to try to fix that issue and I have gained half a pound.

That's possibly just some water retention for muscle repair. Don't worry about that because it's not actual weight gain. Be logical about this and realize that lifting weights burns calories. Extra muscle burns more calories during the day even at rest. Add those two facts together and you get even better weight loss. Just make sure you're keeping a negative calorie intake and the weight will drop off.

I lift really heavy and I have no problem dropping weight simply by altering my calorie intake. Weightlifting actually makes it easier. Don't get discouraged.

Tdk4685

I think in the end you will be happy about the lifting, I would stick with it if I were you.

Absidey

Just make sure you're keeping a negative calorie intake and the weight will drop off.

And make sure you're getting protein to support your muscle gains. Take a close look at your goals too. Is your main priority really losing weight, or losing size? You will lose size faster with heavy lifting, though the loss in pounds may slow. Ultimately, you'll lose both, but you may want to start tracking progress in inches to keep from getting discouraged when the scale gets stubborn.

RedHeadDevotchka

Throw out the scale and rely on some pictures and measurements. As hard as it is to not weigh ourselves, you are really doing a disservice bc it is not indicative of the progress you are actually making. I've gained 8 pounds in 2 months and guess what? I am actually having an easier time fitting into my clothes/they look better on. So, heck if I gain some weight but it's muscle, I will not complain.
The scale is so inaccurate and it's demotivating and i don't recommend it to gauge fat loss.

sarahsmom1

This is my daughters numbers she is an Olympic weightlifter. Not everyone will ever get to the numbers on the charts...........At 5'10 and 275 lbs, now my body fat percentage is 34.8 That means 95.7 lbs of my body is fat but 179 of it is lean muscle. Take away all of my fat and leave only lean tissue which is organs, bones, and muscle, and I weight 179 lbs. Even at that weight, my BMI is considered over weight.

jreeves628

Thank you all! So, its probably water retention. That makes me feel better. I'm going to go buy myself a tape measure. Thanks again!

BTW, ive seen the phrase, a "pound is a pound" a lot. What is the point they are trying to make? I know that a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of bricks, but I don't get the point of the phrase here. A cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat, correct?

iWaffle

A cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat, correct?

Correct. The point is that muscle is more dense than fat not that it weighs more or less. It takes up less room so you could lose inches around your waist and still have the same or higher weight.

jreeves628

Thanks!

ChrisFitPro

This is my daughters numbers she is an Olympic weightlifter. Not everyone will ever get to the numbers on the charts...........At 5'10 and 275 lbs, now my body fat percentage is 34.8 That means 95.7 lbs of my body is fat but 179 of it is lean muscle. Take away all of my fat and leave only lean tissue which is organs, bones, and muscle, and I weight 179 lbs. Even at that weight, my BMI is considered over weight.

I would love to know your daughter's training numbers! Have her PM me if she is on here!


to the OP. Don't stop lifting unless your goal is to be 120-140lbs, and even then, I would suggest retaining as much muscle as possible on your cut (aka lifting as heavy as possible)

debussyschild

All of us lose muscle and fat when we lose weight. In fact, most of it is going to be muscle, especially with an exercise regimen that is mostly moderate cardio. Keep it up with the weights. You will gain a little at first from lifting heavy. BUT, you will see much bigger gains in strength and definition over the long run versus just doing light weights for 20 minutes. Remember: heavy isn't an exact number. It just has to feel heavy to YOU. Make sure you're really warming up the muscles you plan on working before you start. My trainer has me stay in the leg extension machine for next to 10 minutes getting lots of blood into my legs and wearing them out before I ever start my workout. The most blood and fluid you can get into your muscles, the better the gains and the faster the recovery. This will lead to the scale going up, but you won't put on mass unless you over eat. Have fun with it and keep lifting!

keesh1123

Uppercase NOOOOOO! Please stick with it and you will see the results that you are looking for in due time.

rose313

Lifting is amazing. You will lose inches, you will feel strong and sexy and happy. Keep it up!

ChrisFitPro

My trainer has me stay in the leg extension machine for next to 10 minutes getting lots of blood into my legs and wearing them out before I ever start my workout.

:-/

I don't know your trainer, but I would recommend a different approach.

Dynamic warm up and mobility work should be first. Compound core or power movements next. Assistance resistance exercises next. Followed by conditioning complexes or additional mobility work - or both.

Activating the quads before a workout is only beneficial for a bodybuilder or someone rehabbing a busted knee. Glut/Ham activation is great, but over-active quads plague the western world.

Have you been through a movement screen to determine functional movement limitations?

palmerig88

With heavy lifting I started losing pants sizes every 10-15 lbs so I'm a size below my goal already. It has done amazing things for my body I wanted to be 135 so I could be a size 6 and I'm 147 and a size 4! If I ever 'plateaued' or retained water it was maybe 3 days or 1 week but overall the weight loss through diet has been steady but the body changes through weight lifting are incredible.*eta in the beginning with only cardio I didn't change pants size until 22 pounds down. I think I said it weird I mean from a 12 to a 10 after 22 pounds but all the way to a 4 after only 21 more pounds (43 total)