Lady Lifters, Talk to Me!

Ge0rgiana

Hey ladies!

I wanna do a little survey. Humor me? ;-) Seriously, I want to know about your experience with weight lifting, especially if you're not a newbie!

1. How long have you been at it?
2. Do you follow a certain program? NROLW, etc.?
3. Have you seen any results from the weight lifting? Have you lost weight, gone down dress sizes, lost inches?
4. Have you found that 1,200 calories is enough to sustain your lifting efforts? What is your current calorie goal?
5. Finally, do you have pics you'd like to share?


Again, PLEASE humor me. :-) This means a lot to me, and I give you warm thanks in advance!!!

Awkward30

1. How long have you been at it? About a year, some points more into it than others. When I train for races, I scale back my lifting, when I'm not running, I lift more.
2. Do you follow a certain program? NROLW, etc.? I started with NROL4W, but then they tried to take away squats in stage 2, so I quit and have been doing variations of http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/totalbody_training since.
3. Have you seen any results from the weight lifting? Have you lost weight, gone down dress sizes, lost inches? I've done all of that, but that could have been done by calorie deficit alone. What I really got, that I couldn't have any other way, was this sense of inner strength and appreciation for all the amazing things my body can do
4. Have you found that 1,200 calories is enough to sustain your lifting efforts? What is your current calorie goal? I am way too active for that. I actually lost my period and trashed my metabolism (gained back 8ish lb getting metabolically normal again) when I was netting around 1400... well I think I was around there, I was calorie cycling 1500 total [not net] on cardio/rest days and 2000 total on lift days with a TDEE average in the month prior of 2200. I go into the details because it was an awful experience, so if I can talk someone out of eating too little, I will!
5. Finally, do you have pics you'd like to share? My profile is totally snoopable! I started around 174, I'm down 30 lb to 144 in the green dress. I lost another 4, but then gained with the metabolic f-up.

Ge0rgiana

Thanks! :-)

LadyIntrepid

Hey ladies!

I wanna do a little survey. Humor me? ;-) Seriously, I want to know about your experience with weight lifting, especially if you're not a newbie!

1. How long have you been at it?

Since November.

2. Do you follow a certain program? NROLW, etc.?

Mostly Les Mills Pump classes x3 a week alternating with Cross-fit type training, TRX and working with a trainer, plus one 1/2 hour core training weekly. Total 3 1/2 hours strenght/circuit/core training weekly.

3. Have you seen any results from the weight lifting? Have you lost weight, gone down dress sizes, lost inches?

I've lost 13 pounds, 4.5" from my hips, 3" from my waist, 2" from my chest/back (just under the boobs), .5" from arm, .5" from calf, 1.5" from thigh. Went from 28.5% BF to 24.7% BF. Down 1 or 2 dress sizes depending on who's making the clothes. Also -- everything, arms especially, looks much much toned and defined. And I feel great.

4. Have you found that 1,200 calories is enough to sustain your lifting efforts? What is your current calorie goal? I started with netting 1200 but found that wasn't enough. Lost weight faster netting around 1400. When I'm in my goal weight range (I give myself 3 pounds wiggle room), I don't track calories (just need a break from it!) but be sure to have plenty of protein (shoot for 100g a day) and keep my workouts the same.

5. Finally, do you have pics you'd like to share? Alas, no. But I can tell you I look pretty darn good for a gal my age (turning 50 SOON!) :happy:

Important to note, however: These results are based on doing both weights and cardio. Not sure how it would be if it were weights alone. And now that I'm able to stay more at goal weight, I'm focusing more on lifting, less on cardio.

nz_deevaa

1. How long have you been at it?

I've been lifting for a year, but I've been lifting HEAVY since the start of the year.

2. Do you follow a certain program? NROLW, etc.?

I follow StrongLifts 5x5 when I work out alone, but I work out with a Personal Trainer twice a week.

3. Have you seen any results from the weight lifting? Have you lost weight, gone down dress sizes, lost inches?

I've lost 25kgs (55lbs), and I'm down from an Australia size 26 to a size 18.

4. Have you found that 1,200 calories is enough to sustain your lifting efforts? What is your current calorie goal?

No, 1,200 isn't enough when you are lifting heavy. My current goal is 1600 + exercise cals.

5. Finally, do you have pics you'd like to share?

Before:



Current:

Mallory0418

1. How long have you been at it? About 7 months

2. Do you follow a certain program? NROLW, etc.?
I go with my personal trainer's system which always includes 2 different variations of moves for the back, biceps, triceps, leg lifts, and squats (as a bare minimum routine). On days where I go more hardcore I add ab workouts. I haven't been able to strength train much lately because I had a medical emergency but I'm getting back into it now.

3. Have you seen any results from the weight lifting? Have you lost weight, gone down dress sizes, lost inches?
YES! My weight goes down SLOWLY (or stays the same for a while) but I do lose inches relatively quickly. I do a lot of cardio too, which I feel is very important for any training program, just to keep yourself balanced. Just my opinion, but it's worked well for me. Along those same lines though, since I haven't been able to train much lately, I've lost quite a bit of definition as well unfortunately...*SIGH* that's just the way it goes.

4. Have you found that 1,200 calories is enough to sustain your lifting efforts? What is your current calorie goal?
No, 1200 calories is not enough. In my opinion, 1200 calorie diets are intended as a bare minimum for people who DO NOT exercise. When I was training intensely (and will again when I'm fully healed) I rarely ate less than 2000-2100 calories. I make it a general rule never to end a day with my NET calories less than 1200...MINIMUM.

5. Finally, do you have pics you'd like to share?
I have pictures on my profile page you are more than welcome to check out. I would add them here, but it's such a pain to post pictures on the threads! LOL

Ge0rgiana

These are awesome. All of your pics are so impressive!

Ge0rgiana

Awwww... Anybody else??? :happy:

KellyL23

1. I have been lifting for 3 months now. I do not follow a certain program, but I lift in my basement with my husband. I use primarily olympic bars and plates, and focus on big compound movements (squats, deadlifts, bench, etc.)
2. I have seen great results, I have lost 10 pounds and gone down 2 clothing sizes. (I do cardio as well as lift).
3. I am very petite, so my BMR/TDEE is pretty low, but I usually eat 1300-1400 calories and try to work out for a few hundred, but not every day it seems like.
4. I will be posting progress pics soon.

_Dara_

1. I am still pretty new to lifting, only been doing it about 4 months or so. But I am loving it & totally addicted!

2. I have followed a couple of programs I got off of bodybuilding.com. I am getting ready to order Ashley Horner's program and give that a try.

3. I didn't have a whole lot of weight to lose, but I did lose inches and went down from a size 6 to a 4.

4. 1200 calories is not enough for me. Right now I am at 1300 on rest/easy days and 1500 on hard days.

5. No pics yet.

CLCinNOLA

1. I have been lifting weights for 10 years now and then in a haphazard way, which doesn't really work out very well. However, 2 years ago I started going to the gym regularly and I have hardly missed a gym day at all in the past 2 years because I have a "gym buddy". That really helps me to progress.

2. After reading a lot on the internet and concluding that the vast majority of it is baloney, and after seeing a trainer whose advice was even worse, I decided on the "listen to your body and work out accordingly" method and that has given me great results for my age, exactly what I wanted, anyway. I am scared of injuries, because they set me back, so I am scrupulously careful about my form and I just use the machines. I do 2 sets of 10 reps on each machine. I have gradually added machines to my workout when it seems like fun to do so, and by now I do 20. My workout only takes me about 40-45 minutes, which I have recently discovered is almost fast enough to be at the level of circuit training. My pulse goes up as high as when I am exercycling, anyway, and by the time I am done I am breathless, drenched, and very happy. My workout is in my profile.

3. I have seen fabulous quality-of-life results from my weight lifting. Most of the time, I wasn't trying to lose weight (although lifting does help me to lose when I am eating less). The results that I am seeing, at age 64, are that I have just about eliminated the aches and pains that I thought were due to aging or arthritis. Most importantly, I feel younger and more powerful. I am much, much stronger than I was 10 years ago and that helps me to be more independent, too. Oh, and my doctor is thrilled with the effect on my routine blood test results.

4. I have only been doing MFP for 7 weeks. Weight lifting is part of my life, whether I am working on losing weight or not. Now that I am on MFP I wear a heart monitor and eat back the calories I earn, but try to net no less than 1200 calories. I know how to become stronger but still have a lot to learn when it comes to losing weight. I think weight loss has a lot more to do with what we eat than with how we work out.

5. No pics.

hypotrochoid

1. How long have you been at it? I've dabbled for years, finally got serious about it a month ago.
2. Do you follow a certain program? Started with NROLFW, but stopped when the weights got too high for me to handle at home. Now I'm doing StrongLifts 5x5 and loving it!
3. Have you seen any results from the weight lifting? Have you lost weight, gone down dress sizes, lost inches? Yes. I've gotten stronger and my arms are losing their batwings and gaining definition.
4. Have you found that 1,200 calories is enough to sustain your lifting efforts? What is your current calorie goal? Mercies, no. Calorie goal is set to 1460, but I consume anywhere from 1600 to 2000 calories a day.
5. Finally, do you have pics you'd like to share? Not so far... uploading them is a pain.