Lifting, gaining weight, losing curves, getting bulky?

VeganZombie13

You look absolutely incredible,

lizapettit

Thank you for posting this!!!! First of all--you look amazing! And second, it serves as a reminder to the rest of us that the scale shouldn't be the only way we measure our results!

LorinaLynn

So how long have you been doing 2,300 calories/day? And I assume you're not adding back in exercise calories w/lifting (so that's your maintenance #)...?

I always ate my exercise calories but I didn't like having 1800 calorie days followed by 2500 calorie days... my appetite doesn't always match my exercise. I switched to going by my TDEE in August, I think, starting at 2000 calories.

I was around 2100-2200 since late September-ish. I started to look a little too bony in the chest and took two weeks off from logging entirely (and went through quite a few bags of Halloween candy), and now I just have 2300 as my goal on weekdays. As long as I'm close to that, I'm not going to fuss. On weekends and holidays, I eat whatever I want without thinking about calories or macros at all. Some days I'm probably over my goal, some days close or under.

I know I lose at 2000. If I get to where I can't zip my pants, I'll go back to that.

VelociMama

Looking great!!!

jetscreaminagain

Its important to have a thread like this every so often. This whole process can be fun.

Cranktastic

Excellent.

mfpcopine

You look great. The only thing I would say is that every woman is different and may not get the same results. I'm pear-shaped and as a result don't use direct weights on my lower body because I don't want to get even slightly bigger in that area. It would defeat the purpose of my trying to balance my silhouette.

When you start a strength training program it's important to know what you look like, your goals, and to watch how you develop.

When I first started reading exercise books, I thought that everyone would end up looking the same. Eventually, I realized that such books feature exercise models, people who have the right physique for weight lifting. I recall a book and a magazine that showed people who were strong, but whose musculature was not aesthetically pleasing. In the next edition of the book and the new version of the article in the magazine, the models were conventionally attractive.

If you don't start out with a build like the fit models, you won't resemble them no matter how hard you work. If your goal is aesthetics as opposed to strength, it's important to know how to train for your body type.

jetscreaminagain

^^^^^ just as an fyi my giant calves got smaller because they weren't as muscular as I thought. Lifting and fat loss made them hot. Same with my thighs but slower and not as far along. Plus, with lifting my *kitten* is high and perky rather than spread as my pear self would do pre-lifting.

mfpcopine

^^^^^ just as an fyi my giant calves got smaller because they weren't as muscular as I thought. Lifting and fat loss made them hot. Same with my thighs but slower and not as far along. Plus, with lifting my *kitten* is high and perky rather than spread as my pear self would do pre-lifting.

That makes sense. But if you have body parts where your body likes to hold fat no matter how much weight you lose, you might want to be careful about using direct weight resistance. I have thin calves and I like to do calf lifts with a dumbbell. I have very little fat in my upper body, no problem there either.

darwinforyou

You look fantastic!!! I do stronglifts 5x5, too, and I love how it makes me feel! You are a total inspiration and motivation to keep up with it! I agree on how weights give you more curves not take away - My waist has become more apparent since I've started lifting weights. Plus it's such a high when you can lift heavier than you did the previous time.

Great job and thanks for posting!

LorinaLynn

You look great. The only thing I would say is that every woman is different and may not get the same results. I'm pear-shaped and as a result don't use direct weights on my lower body because I don't want to get even slightly bigger in that area. It would defeat the purpose of my trying to balance my silhouette.

When you start a strength training program it's important to know what you look like, your goals, and to watch how you develop.

But... I'm pear shaped, too. Just somewhat less so since I've been lifting. I chose to accept that I'm going to have proportionately larger legs. I had them when I was twiggy skinny, I had them when I was chubby, I have them now. Heck, when I was a child, my mom had to sew elastic into the back of all my pants because ones that fit my legs and hips would be too big in the waist. It's the way I'm built.

I much prefer them being proportionately larger because they're wicked strong than just because that's where my body decides to store fat.

Koldnomore

You look great. The only thing I would say is that every woman is different and may not get the same results. I'm pear-shaped and as a result don't use direct weights on my lower body because I don't want to get even slightly bigger in that area. It would defeat the purpose of my trying to balance my silhouette.

When you start a strength training program it's important to know what you look like, your goals, and to watch how you develop.

This is my challenge. I've actually joined a gym..Yes I know..Me..Mrs "No workout ever" .. It was because they have Zumba and they gave me the full access for the price of the classes. Now.. I know how I am. I know what I look like when I'm at my goal weight and I also know that I am shaped very much like a man. I have a HUGE back and shoulders, and I carry all my weight in my gut. I was lifting weights for a while about 2 years ago and I didn't look anything like Lorina..My traps were so big I looked like I had no neck, my calves were square (not rounded), my collar bones jutted out and my *kitten* didn't gain any 'height' from all the squats/lunges it was still as flat as a board..to my eyes I just looked 'bulky' and 'masculine'. I am hoping that this time I won't have the same result when I start the weights (I know it will happen, they are THERE..I can't avoid them) I wish I knew how to avoid the 'musclebound' look..Maybe being a lighter weight will help? Maybe now that I'm in a calorie deficit I won't bulk up again? I don't know, but honestly I am scared to death of it.

darwinforyou

You look great. The only thing I would say is that every woman is different and may not get the same results. I'm pear-shaped and as a result don't use direct weights on my lower body because I don't want to get even slightly bigger in that area. It would defeat the purpose of my trying to balance my silhouette.

When you start a strength training program it's important to know what you look like, your goals, and to watch how you develop.

I'm pear shape as well and I'm not going to stop lifting with my lower body either because of my body shape....if it's not "aesthetically" pleasing, so what....I'm doing this for me and me alone. I think that it's thinking like this that gets people in trouble with image issues and sets you back rather looking ahead at what you can do.

LorinaLynn

Ok... for those afraid to train their legs, here's my 27 year old completely untrained *kitten* and legs, and my 40 year old *kitten* and legs after lifting heavy for a little over a year.



My quads, right above my knees, are larger and more developed now, but the width of my hips is narrower and more streamlined. My body is much more balanced now.

mmapags

Faubulous as always Lorinna! You are such a great example of how great lifting can make a woman look!

geekyjock76

Why would anyone intentionally disregard weight training their legs leading to muscular imbalance both in terms of function and aesthetics once you reach your goal body fat? And who would even think that weight lifting would cause a woman to lose curves? Increasing muscle volume via strength training adds curves to both men and women.

rebeccap13

I love and thoroughly approve of this thread.

lacurandera1

You look fantastic! I hope more people see this thread, bc the misconceptions are kind of annoying. I have a friend who always says things like "I wouldn't want to lose my curves" or..."don't you want to be a little soft, like feminine?" Idk if she says it as an excuse to not get herself in better shape or out of a little bit of jealousy or just plain ignorance. But i have WAY more curves now than I ever did. lol.

Thanks for posting the reality check! Seems people don't understand to look like a body builder you need to be using steroids.

MissAnjy

wow, you look awesome!

LorinaLynn

And who would even think that weight lifting would cause a woman to lose curves?

As someone who used to believe that... my answer is "pure ignorance." :laugh:

Most of my life, I didn't give a damn about exercise or fitness. I got Cosmo or Glamour, not health magazines. A lot of the mainstream fitness models have rather narrow hips not much wider than their waists, and breast implants. So to my uneducated mind, that translated to, "If you do a lot of lifting, you'll lose your hips and what little boobs you have." Which is stupid, because my hip bones are wide set and that's not going to change.

But then I joined MFP and the women whose transformations made me say, "HOLY CRAP!" were all the ones that lifted. I saw Stacii on Nerd Fitness. Then I saw the changes it made to me, and I was sold.

So I'm paying it forward.