I thought I was supposed to be getting SMALLER?!

butterfli7o

So that would be 4 days of strength training overall.. you must be jacked.

:laugh:

lucentabella

I might suggest, if you have access to a sewing machine, you could cut and hem a small V at the seem on the underside of your sleeve. This may alleviate some of your shirt discomfort. Keep up the healthy choices. Best of luck!

Corruptkitten

Lifting weights 1-2 days a week while on a deficit WILL NOT MAKE YOU GAIN MUSCLE.

This

skinnyinnotime

A whole 2 weeks you say? It's not down to muscle gain.

lacurandera1

No one was being an *sshole to you. It's a common rebuttal to the people who say "You must be gaining muscle!" It's genetically impossible for a woman to gain that quickly without substances. And, that's what the "steroid" comments meant. If you read the context (or at least MY steroid comment) you can clearly see that no one is accusing you of being on them and every steroid comment comes with disbelief that it is muscle mass.

exile40

Lifting weights 1-2 days a week while on a deficit WILL NOT MAKE YOU GAIN MUSCLE.

This

What these guys said . If muscle gain was that easy every teenage boy in the gym would be huge.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Strength training is very important, especially to women. However, the type of training is different if your goal is to develop muscle or just define what you have. You want to develop leaner muscles.....so you would want to do lighter but more reps. If you're looking to build muscle (like most guys and some women), then you want heavier weights but less reps. Try less weight but more reps for a while. But definately keep up the great work!

This is very out dated and incorrect advice.

Lifting w/ reps in the 12+ range builds muscle endurance, basically it's just cardio. It doesn't maintain muscle during a diet.

Lifting w/ reps in the 8-12 range while eating at maintenance or a surplus builds muscle size (small amounts of size can be gained on a diet but not very much, and only in a few instances), helps maintain during a diet.

Lifting w/ reps in the 4-6 range builds muscle strength (can even do so while on a diet), and is best for maintaining strength and size during a diet.

ninerbuff

Muscles weighs more than fat...and when you build muscle you start to speed up your metabolism.
Keep it up I'm sure it will turn around.

The issue here is that she's not building muscle on a calorie deficit. Building muscle means adding lean mass. To add lean mass you need a calorie surplus.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

karllundy

Lifting weights 1-2 days a week while on a deficit WILL NOT MAKE YOU GAIN MUSCLE.

This is what I do and am stronger, but have not "bulked up". It has helped with my weight loss overall, but I am not bigger anywhere, simply more definition due to weight / fat loss.

So, I agree with those that say you will not build more muscle on a deficit.

yourenotmine

I wear scrubs every day too, and sometimes I feel like they fit differently on different days. They're also not very giving when they get tight, so I understand your discomfort. Please listen to the advice here re: continuing to lift. And try not to stress out too much, because the loss will be more evident eventually, even in your arms.

vicrandom

Just want to say thanks to all the muscle bros (and lady bros) who have explained why I am gaining arm inches despite losing pounds. I wasn't afraid of getting "bulky," mind - I look forward to the day I can put on a gun show - but it seemed a little far-fetched.

Bizzeemamanj

I don't think they were bashing you...just some of the bad advice you've been getting.

I had a similar experience with my legs as you are having with your arms - specifically my quadriceps. I've always been able to do tons of cardio, no problem, no significant change in my body shape. I added pretty intense strength training before the first of the year - 2 days of strong weight work, with a focus on my legs, to get in shape for skiing.

After a couple of weeks of hard work, I noticed two things: no movement on the scale and my quads seemed "bigger".

What I thought - bulky! Muscle weighs more than fat!

What I learned - my quads were suffering from the water retention/glyco thingy other people are referring to. Significantly so to the point my jeans were feeling pretty tight through my legs (which were getting quite a work out from lifting, cardio, yoga and skiing).

What I did - upped my water intake significantly, cut out quite a bit of processed foods and all alcohol.

What happened - scale dropped 5 pounds in 2 weeks, swelling in quads significantly decreased and more definition in all the right spots.

HTH! I definitely recommend you keep up with strength training - it's AMAZING how much of a difference it has made in my success.

ninerbuff

I wonder if there are any creams that may help sticking the skin back

Nope.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Strength training is very important, especially to women. However, the type of training is different if your goal is to develop muscle or just define what you have. You want to develop leaner muscles.....so you would want to do lighter but more reps.

This doesn't develop leaner muscle. Leaner looking muscles come from less body fat. Less weight more reps develops muscle endurance.

If you're looking to build muscle (like most guys and some women), then you want heavier weights but less reps.

To build muscle you not only need progressive overload, but a surplus of calories which the OP isn't doing. And just using heavier weight with less reps doesn't always relate to building muscle. Many use it to increase strength without building muscle.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Strength training is very important, especially to women. However, the type of training is different if your goal is to develop muscle or just define what you have. You want to develop leaner muscles.....so you would want to do lighter but more reps. If you're looking to build muscle (like most guys and some women), then you want heavier weights but less reps. Try less weight but more reps for a while. But definately keep up the great work!

This is very out dated and incorrect advice.

Lifting w/ reps in the 12+ range builds muscle endurance, basically it's just cardio. It doesn't maintain muscle during a diet.

Lifting w/ reps in the 8-12 range while eating at maintenance or a surplus builds muscle size (small amounts of size can be gained on a diet but not very much, and only in a few instances), helps maintain during a diet.

Lifting w/ reps in the 4-6 range builds muscle strength (can even do so while on a diet), and is best for maintaining strength and size during a diet.

THIS is correct information.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

CoderGal

I don't think they were bashing you...just some of the bad advice you've been getting.

I had a similar experience with my legs as you are having with your arms - specifically my quadriceps. I've always been able to do tons of cardio, no problem, no significant change in my body shape. I added pretty intense strength training before the first of the year - 2 days of strong weight work, with a focus on my legs, to get in shape for skiing.

After a couple of weeks of hard work, I noticed two things: no movement on the scale and my quads seemed "bigger".

What I thought - bulky! Muscle weighs more than fat!

What I learned - my quads were suffering from the water retention/glyco thingy other people are referring to. Significantly so to the point my jeans were feeling pretty tight through my legs (which were getting quite a work out from lifting, cardio, yoga and skiing).

What I did - upped my water intake significantly, cut out quite a bit of processed foods and all alcohol.

What happened - scale dropped 5 pounds in 2 weeks, swelling in quads significantly decreased and more definition in all the right spots.

HTH! I definitely recommend you keep up with strength training - it's AMAZING how much of a difference it has made in my success.

^Best answer here.

Novemayune

OP,

First, if you're worried about skin elasticity and not having loose skin, you should maintain a slow and steady weightloss of 1-2 lbs/week. You should also be using a sugar scrub (or similar - easily homemade with regular sugar and coconut oil, plus essential oils if you want a different scent) about 2x weekly to stimulate blood flow to the skin - it will exfoliate and the increased blood flow will help with the skin staying healthy and elastic.

Second, as so many others have stated, cardio alone will not have your body looking the way you want it to. Strength training is essential to build lean muscle, which creates tone and definition and also raises your resting metabolic rate to carry you through periods of time when your routine is knocked off kilter thanks to everyday life (moving, work schedules, kids, family, etc.).

Personally, I would make sure your water consumption is well over the recommended 8 oz. I would adopt the Biggest Loser technique of drinking 8oz. of cold water before every meal, as well as when you first feel hungry for a snack. I would make sure that my dinner plate is 1/2 vegetable and 1/3 lean protein, with the remainder being your grain or starch. Snacks should include protein and fiber. For post-workout, you should be properly feeding your body in order to insure muscular and vascular health. Lastly, I would be less worried about actual pounds and more focused on inches lost in measurements as well as your body fat composition.

You will need to continue your regimen in order to see true results. If you lived a mostly sedentary life previous to starting this regimen, your body will need time to adjust systems in order to support you. That being said, you should also not fall into a stagnant rut - your body will thrive with some "surprise" exercise sessions (biking instead of treadmill, zumba instead of step, water aerobics instead of some other activity), not to mention it will keep you interested. I spent last year lifting heavy with my trainer, and I definitely saw results, and quickly. I mean results in inches lost and body fat percentage dropping. Plus I had to buy new clothes. If you want to talk pounds, I lost 40 lbs. But more importantly, I went from 38.6% body fat to 27% body fat. I initially started at 75 lbs of body fat. If you want a true tracking measure of your journey, I highly recommend tracking your body composition (I bought a scale that tracks BF%age) and inches. Most importantly, stay your course. You will get there. This is a journey. It is not a quick fix. It took time to get to where you were when you started, and it will take time to get to where you want to be. In the meantime, spending the time on yourself will give you innumerable rewards. You are doing the right thing and you should be proud of any and all progress you make.

Good luck my friend!

nwg74

Strength training will help to minimise the reduction of muscle mass with a calorie deficit so keep doing it.

freefa11

Muscles weighs more than fat...and when you build muscle you start to speed up your metabolism.
Keep it up I'm sure it will turn around.

No.. Muscle and fat "weigh" the same... a pound is a pound is a pound....

I don't understand why people say that muscle and fat weight the same. You can say that pound of gold weighs the same as a pound of marshmallows, but when I say that gold weighs more than marshmallows aren't I implicitly saying per given volume, ie a pint/quart of gold weighs more that a pint of marshmallows. Doesn't a pint of muscle weigh more that a pint of fat?

neandermagnon

Lifting weights 1-2 days a week while on a deficit WILL NOT MAKE YOU GAIN MUSCLE.

if only it were that easy.........!!!