Any tips?

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Allyoop
Allyoop Posts: 3 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hey all, I'm Lea. This is the first post I've written, though I have known about this site for a few months now.

I notice that when I exercise consitently, my weight stagnates. I can now jump higher, I can now do clean push-ups, I can now run longer, etc. I feel like I'm building up muscle (which, don't get me wrong, ain't half bad) but it is so frustrating when the scale refuses to acknowledge my efforts.

I go to school full time and I work almost full time. As the semester is starting to pick up, my exercise regiment is falling to pieces. My eating habits are fairly consistent, but the more stressed I get with schoolwork, the more I tend to opt for fatty snack foods. Still, my weight is suddenly beginning to drop.

This seems so contradictory! I'm worried that I'm losing muscle, and not fat. Is that even possible?

Umm... what do I do? Right now I'm swamped with school and work, and I'm soo tempted to just ignore my resolutions and see if the numbers continue to fall. Words of wisdom, anyone?

~Lea

Replies

  • kiffypooh
    kiffypooh Posts: 1,045 Member
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    I can't help with most of that but to keep up a good work out 30 Day Shred is only 20 minutes and you get amazing results. I personally believe everyone can find 20 minutes every day or few to do that work out.
    I'm very interested to see what everyone else has to say.
  • sdscouser
    sdscouser Posts: 320
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    hi,

    Congratulations on getting fitter. My only advice to you is, if you are building muscle then start to use the tape measure more and not the scales. You should see your body tone up and lose the inches around your body. Muscle is a good alternative to fat but I am led to believe that it also weighs heavier than fat and that is why at times the scales seem to be against you.
  • deba1963
    deba1963 Posts: 13
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    Lea,
    Stress is a nasty, nasty thing....I've been under tremenduous stress for 3 years now and I can personally attest to the fact that it will play havoc with your weight! Although you are busy, try your best to get in a few minutes of workouts each day - even just 10 minutes here and there - it will help with relieving some of the stress you are under. And try really hard to make smart choices in foods when it is at all possible. Sometimes that is all you can do when life is coming at you really fast! Hang in there -- sounds like you are a very busy lady!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    I do a dance video for 30 minutes 3 times a week. When I was working out 6 days a week I didn't lose. When I cut back to 3, I started to lose. I also make sure I weigh in on a day after I took a break from exercising. This makes a difference. I always weigh slightly more the day after a workout than the day after I didn't work out. I think the exercise revs up your metabolism but building too much muscle can actually make you weigh more.
  • Allyoop
    Allyoop Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks, y'all!

    So it seems pretty likely that I was building muscle (is that really heavier than fat??) and that's why I wasn't seeing any progress, weight-wise. I suppose I'll try to work around my schedule and intentionally cut back on the heavy exercise, instead of feeling like I'm falling short. Weird, huh?

    The new question that brings to mind is what sort of weight range do athletes live with? Are they heavier than the naturally skinny? Also, is there some place where you can see what "normal" measurements are? (Waist, thighs, etc.)

    I'm 5'11'' and I'm suddenly confused on the weight I should be aiming for. Erm...

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