10 weeks of lifting.....advice please :)

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Hi all I posted this in the EM2WL group last night, however I haven't gotten a very good response, so I am hoping that perhaps posting in the main boards will result in more responses!

I am just looking for a little guidance, advice, or support at this point in my journey....just to make sure that I really am still on the right track.

I started lifting heavy about 10 weeks ago (I am using the book "The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises"). I lift 3 x per week (as per the programs in the book) and doing maybe 1 day (sometimes 2) of some light cardio/treadmill, pilates, or medicine ball workout.

My TDEE is just under 2400 and BMR is 1547 (set at moderately active). I try very hard every day to hit 2000 calories although sometimes I'm closer to 1700 (I find it very hard when eating properly to hit those calories!) I work everyday to ensure I'm getting plenty of protein. Breakfast is usually greek yogurt w/protein powder, lunch is 1 can of tuna and cottage cheese, and so on and so forth. I do loosen the reins on my diet a little during the weekend, but during the week is very minimal processed foods, minimal starch, no refined sugar. I don't use this site to track my calories....I am old school and like to use my little notebook

I have been consistently losing inches as I have been continuing to measure pretty much every 2 weeks. My BF% is going down which is awesome but after 10 weeks I have only lost 2 lbs. Now I know i know, why get bent out of shape over the number on the scale right? I'm really not....I'm measuring my success by inches and BF%....however.....I see many success stories that still manage a weight loss while lifting heavy.....even though it can usually take a little while before the scale starts to move again after they have started. When I use fit2fat radio to re-run my numbers when I take my measurements it always gives me a goal weight that I want to strive for to achieve my goal BF%.....i'm starting to worry that I've got it all wrong and messing myself up somewhere.

Anyway, enough of my rant As mentioned, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

kdiamond

I think you're eating too many calories for losing weight. How old are you, and what is your height and your weight?

They always say it isn't working, change it and try again. If it has been 10 weeks of not losing weight but your bf% is going down (how do you know that, just curious what your methods of measurement are), time to try something new. I think by just decreasing 100 calories daily it would probably be a good start.

Lookingforfitat40

I don't use this site to track my calories....I am old school and like to use my little notebook

This site makes tracking them much easier. It's not hard to be off by 15-20% which would put you right back up around your TDEE.

That being said...if the lifting is new, give it a chance to do it's thing. If the measurements are changing and the BF% IS GOING DOWN then it's working.

3bambi3

Have you taken a break from lifting in the 10 weeks? I lifted heavy for 6 weeks, ate at my TDEE and actually gained weight. I was really discouraged. But then I took a week off and dropped the weight I had gained, plus some.

Your new (and awesome!) muscles are retaining water.

As for calories, My BMR was around 1400 and I ate around 2200 per day, so I think you're okay there. Body fat is what really matters, and it sounds like you're doing great on that front. Keep it up!

Leadfoot_Lewis

Your calories look good; really try to hit that 2000 kcal mark. Try incorporating calorie dense food into your diet - nuts, peanut butter, oatmeal.

Don't worry about lbs lost, concentrate on inches lost. How your clothes are fitting is a good guide.

divediva2

You are doing all the right things. I would encourage you to track on the site here for a week or two just to see if accuracy in your tracking might be an issue. Honestly, I have seen some amazing success stories on EM2WL. If your start weight and your goal weight are not miles apart then you may not see a loss.

Muscle does not take up much room but it sure does burn calories so make sure you do not cut back on them. If you do you will start burning that beautiful muscle you have worked so hard to build instead of any of the flabby bits you may have left to get rid of. Your measurements are telling you that you are getting smaller, everyone sees you but they don't see the scale. My suggestion is to put away the scale and focus on your measurements, how your clothes fit and how you look and feel.

One thing I did to see a shift was look at my diary, I noticed that I was eating too much fruit so I cut back. That change made such a difference. Look at yours and see if there is something that you are eating too much of. Maybe fruit or bread, in moderation they are healthy but too much and they can stall you out.

Good luck, I think you are on the right track, keep going!

newmooon56

I am about to start a 12 week heavy lifting program. All the examples I am given about gains (strength and weight) show ppl losing 1, 2 or 0 lbs -HOWEVER - they lost crazy inches and body fat. I would like to lose 8 more # but I quit.

Im going to start lifting and see if I can lose another DRESS SIZE instead.

Do you realllllly care what the scale says if you are a __________ (insert desired size here) I have NO clue what a size 8 should weigh when its ME. (I have seen on this board ppl that weight FIFTY LBS more then me claim to be the same size jeans - so I say size 8 ME.) I havent been an 8 in forever- and I may even be a 6 one day- but I give up on I will be 128 #s one day- maybe I will - maybe I'll be 138 when Im done my 12 week program (that would mean the scale went up) Im not going to nit pick the scale's numbers. I am going to measure my body fat from here on out and get it to a respectable 22% then reassess my goals.

You said you are dropping body fat and inches- ITS WORKING. Period. No need to worry or change anything would be my guess. If you are losing you are doing fine and I almost dont know why you asked.

mmapags

"I simply don't think it's worth worrying about what your weight should be. Rather, worry about what your health, functionality, performance, and physique should be. Weight will settle where it needs to be once those things are optimized"

This is a quote in another thread from Steve Troutman who is one of our members and a recognized industry expert. I think it is one of the best perspectives I've ever seen on the subject. If you are dropping inches and fat, why worry about the number on the scale?? I'd say you are in an awesome groove. I wouldn't change a thing right now!!

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Thank you all so much for your responses, I really do appreciate your time!

As to why I asked, newmoon56, I asked because I was starting to feel down.....like *maybe* I was doing something wrong. I have been on this journey for over 1 year now so I needed a little reassurance. Thank you for your response.

I mean I have lost 2lbs in the past 10 weeks, and the inches continue to come off.....my body as most definitely changed the most with the heavy lifting rather than cardio. I think I just had a momentary blip where I was questioning everything!

I will take a look at my diet and see if any tweaks can be made there as well as try harder to hit closer to 2000 cals/day.

Oh and 3bambi3, the biggest break that I have taken from exercising has been maybe 4 days and that is since February or March when I was still busting my butt doing cardio 5-6 days/week. I am not very knowledgeable about the benefits of taking regular breaks as it's something I have never really considered! And information regarding this would be appreciated!