Lifting weights while obese

nz_deevaa

Yes, and I gained inches. I stick to my advice. I was obese from age 30-38... i worked out, did weight watchers and also atkins, it would not fall off. Take all this advice from everyone with grain of salt. Everyone is different. My genes are different and that's what I did and I went from size 18 to size 8 jeans. I would never tell anyone to lift weights, that would not be my advice. Other opinions are opinions just like mine.

Let me get this clear. You are advising against lifting and suggesting she does Weight Watchers or Atkins? You are saying not only did you gain weight but you gained inches too? What kind of time frame are we talking?

How long did you lift for? Did you lift heavy? How much were you eating?

deadmittens

I've never heard that. The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn. I lost my first 60lbs without doing any weight lifting and loss all my muscle mass, then platued for like 6 months while my body built back muscle.

Just do a little bit of cardio, a little bit of weight lifting, and a lot of healthy eating. That's the secret.

compumomma

I am about the same size and working with a personal trainer. He has me doing a mix of cardio and weight lifting. In addition to core exercises. I would hope as a personal trainer he would know what not to do. I would not go real heavy until you are used to it but I have been doing these workouts for a few weeks now. It was hard at first but is getting easier. The point is not to try and do to much to fast. My first workout I nearly passed out!

slimmergalpal

I started with a trainer 6 months ago and have lost 74 inches off my body now. I love how much stronger I have become. Lifting (strength training ) and cardio is, from my personal experience, a crucial combination. Different things work for different people, good luck on your journey.

Deanna_garnermommy

I love how I barely post but when I try to help someone and give my advice I get chased down like criminal.
Thumbs down to you negative people. Obviously you have some issues you need to resolve. I am tired of posting and getting beaten up. I was simply saying everyone is different, i was fat and worked out for years what don't you understand about that.

whatever.

n0ob

I starting lifting when I was more obese, and I'm still obese now and lift...

nz_deevaa

I love how I barely post but when I try to help someone and give my advice I get chased down like criminal.
Thumbs down to you negative people. Obviously you have some issues you need to resolve. I am tired of posting and getting beaten up. I was simply saying everyone is different, i was fat and worked out for years what don't you understand about that.

whatever.

In which way did I 'chase' you 'down like criminal '?

I asked a couple of questions that might shed more light on why you got different results to everyone else on this thread.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

At my highest weight I started Weight Watchers, also working out 5-6 days a week, cardio and weights, at 318 lbs. I lost 68 lbs before "life" started to get in the way and I had to take a break. Lift weights, you won't be sorry. Even when I wasn't losing weight, everyone thought I was because I was lifting. I looked smaller, and my clothes were looser. Whaddaya got to lose, besides inches?

meshashesha2012

i hears this as well. just as recently as 2 months ago when one of the trainers i worked out with when i first joined my gym remarked how much weight i had lost and how good i was looking.

he first saw me during my warm up on the treadmill. then later when he saw me in the weight room deadlifting close to my bodyweight. he told me to not lift like that unless i wanted to get bigger . i was like yeah this has been my main workout for almost a year and you're right i have become bigger. i had to increase my pants size from a 22 to a 12. it took him awhile to get it.

i recently saw him last week with a client and he was showing her how to use the squat rack and when she was like noo i want to lose he pointed me out as an example of someone who has significantly slimmed down thanks to weights (and a calorie deficit)

Sarauk2sf

Yes, and I gained inches. I stick to my advice. I was obese from age 30-38... i worked out, did weight watchers and also atkins, it would not fall off. Take all this advice from everyone with grain of salt. Everyone is different. My genes are different and that's what I did and I went from size 18 to size 8 jeans. I would never tell anyone to lift weights, that would not be my advice. Other opinions are opinions just like mine.

You got bigger lifting weights at a calorie deficit? How long did you lift for and what was your routine?

Sarauk2sf

I love how I barely post but when I try to help someone and give my advice I get chased down like criminal.
Thumbs down to you negative people. Obviously you have some issues you need to resolve. I am tired of posting and getting beaten up. I was simply saying everyone is different, i was fat and worked out for years what don't you understand about that.

whatever.

Dramatic much?

sarahisme18

I really wish I had started lifting when I weighed more. I waited until now, and I feel like jellyfish-arms. :sad:

CallMeCupcakeDammit

i hears this as well. just as recently as 2 months ago when one of the trainers i worked out with when i first joined my gym remarked how much weight i had lost and how good i was looking.

he first saw me during my warm up on the treadmill. then later when he saw me in the weight room deadlifting close to my bodyweight. he told me to not lift like that unless i wanted to get bigger . i was like yeah this has been my main workout for almost a year and you're right i have become bigger. i had to increase my pants size from a 22 to a 12. it took him awhile to get it.

i recently saw him last week with a client and he was showing her how to use the squat rack and when she was like noo i want to lose he pointed me out as an example of someone who has significantly slimmed down thanks to weights (and a calorie deficit)

I totally LOL'd! That's awesome!

Debbe2

Strength training is great exercise and can be an important part of a fitness routine. It will not make you large, actually it will have the opposit effect on a woman. Good luck!

Bakkasan

Lift heavy and do your cardio. I've plowed through my weight so far.

Yanicka1

Bump

AnnaVee84

i hears this as well. just as recently as 2 months ago when one of the trainers i worked out with when i first joined my gym remarked how much weight i had lost and how good i was looking.

he first saw me during my warm up on the treadmill. then later when he saw me in the weight room deadlifting close to my bodyweight. he told me to not lift like that unless i wanted to get bigger . i was like yeah this has been my main workout for almost a year and you're right i have become bigger. i had to increase my pants size from a 22 to a 12. it took him awhile to get it.

i recently saw him last week with a client and he was showing her how to use the squat rack and when she was like noo i want to lose he pointed me out as an example of someone who has significantly slimmed down thanks to weights (and a calorie deficit)

^^ This. I'm lifting heavy now, wish I would have started sooner but I got caught up in using those machines and doing high reps. HA! I know better now, thanks to these forums...The women who lift heavy, look !!

OP - why not do both? Cardio a few times a week to help you keep your deficit and for heart health, and then weights a few times a week? I haven't gotten any "bigger" and am still eating at a slight cal deficit to lose weight - good luck!

sarah44254

I have heard a lot of stories reagarding lifting weights. people have been saying one needs to lose 1st before trying to lift. Im losing and i want to build muscle as well. So i want to start lifting weights and i want to know. is it true i will remain this big? im around 190 lbs and a lady 5.4 tall

I have read the opposite. If you are interested in lifting, there is no specific/best time to start.... that is, other than right now. You can build muscle and lose fat. Likely what will happen if you begin lifting is you will maintain muscle (or lose just a very small amount) and lose fat. Losing fat is a great goal, will make you look fantastic and really increase the quality of your health.

Feed_the_Bears

190? You're not morbidly obese or anything, so don't hold yourself back! Just make sure you educate yourself first and take baby steps. Pick up some magazines like Oxygen or Fitness Px for women to teach you about form and give you some workouts. Or go to Oxygen's website for free workouts. Take baby steps, but challenge yourself. Put down those 3 lbers they're not doing anybody any good. You're not going to "bulk" up as an amateur. I do 70 lb shoulder presses and do I look bulky? Best thing I ever did was pick up some weights.

Good luck. This is within your reach!

xMonroeMisfit

"Myth 17 /// If you want to lose weight, do cardio until you drop the weight you want. Start lifting only after you've lost the weight.

TRUTH: If you do that, you'll shed unnecessary muscle mass. More muscle helps your metabolism stay high. It's true that weight training doesn't burn a ton of calories, but the more lean mass you carry, the higher your all-day energy expenditure will be. Muscles require fuel all the time. If you kill yourself doing cardio, your body will get rid of muscle mass and it will be hard to lose fat at all. "

belladonna786

I still have a very long way to go but heavy lifting is changing my body in great ways. It may be slow going but I love the results thus far.

nerchk

I really wish I had started lifting when I weighed more. I waited until now, and I feel like jellyfish-arms. :sad:

You just convinced me to

mandypooh2103

Bump

Guamybear

I am the same height as you and weigh more and lift weights..I can see a major difference with my weight loss..

JuniperT

Before, 125kg/275lbs



A couple of weeks ago, 100kg/220lbs



I lift heavy. Squats. Deadlifts. OHP. Bench. Row.

You look great!

ishtar13

I'm 5'3" and started at 196ish.

Started lifting heavy almost from the beginning.

I've lost about 25ish pounds depending on the day and water weight and such.

the biggest thing though is that I lost more than two inches off of my waist.

I stopped lifting for a few weeks, and have been sporadic for the last month. I've maintained my weight loss, but my waist has started growing again.

got back into the gym consistently for the last week and a half, waist is shrinking again.

I still have 25 - 30 lbs to go to be in a healthy range, but I'm not really concerned about the scale. I'm going for a healthy waist size.

azrysn

bump.

tonyamariepierce

i am under 5 foot 4 and i started lifting at 240 pounds . i am now around 140 pounds and wear a size 4. i am solid as a rock and i have worked very hard at it. i started out by doing 4 minutes of cardio and then 4 minutes of lifting. i would do this for 40 minutes 6 days a week and it took me about 2 years to lose the weight but i have kept it off for 2 years now.

carrietehbear

I love how I barely post but when I try to help someone and give my advice I get chased down like criminal.
Thumbs down to you negative people. Obviously you have some issues you need to resolve. I am tired of posting and getting beaten up. I was simply saying everyone is different, i was fat and worked out for years what don't you understand about that.

whatever.

No, in this regard everyone isn't different. Weight loss boils down to calories in vs calories out. If you didn't lose weight while lifting it's because you weren't eating at a deficit.

To the original poster, I recommend adding weight training now. I did only a little bit in the beginning, like dvds, and I wish I would have done more. I am now working with a trainer and he is slowly but surely getting me out of my cardio loving bubble. It's nice having some muscle definition and not just flab.

omnisis

Weight training or resistance training is a MUST for people trying to lose weight IMO. You may have some limitations depending on how large you currently are: if you are obese or morbidly obese you may have to be careful about injury at first but there is no better way to shed pounds then by lifting with heavy compound movements (e.g. sqauts,deadlifts,bench press,military press and rows).

Personally I think the absolute best workout protocol (once you have your nutrition square) is weights + cardio. You have to find the right mix for your bodytype, but the combo of weights and cardio will help you re-shape your body in ways that doing either of them alone will not. If your trainer is telling you otherwise I suggest finding another trainer.

Many people have this idea that cardio alone is the way to achieve an ideal lean body type. Just ask yourself: how many "skinny fat" marathoner types do you see sucking down cheap carbs at your local starbucks? I'm not knocking marathoners -- I've personally done triathlons in my past -- l but what I'm telling you is that having skinny little stick arms and legs and a "pooch belly" (a common amateur marathoner build) is not what I personally consider the best physique. A combination of resistence training + reasonable cardio (and there's lots of ways to do cardio) will get you in the best shape of your life and leave you with an overall more toned, more chiseled physique then you would be able to achieve any other way. OTOH excessive cardio -- like that done by endurance athletes will generally have a catabolic effect on your body, lead to joint issues and mental exhaustion if you are overfat and cause your metabolism to become conditioned to expected lots of excessive calories to replenish those lost in training. Losing weight simply doesn't have to be that hard. Train smarter, not longer.