Advice please :)

F1uffy123

Afternoon all!

I knew this would happen so I'm too bothered and I'm not letting it get to me but I don't understand fully why it happens so hoping someone could explain.

I've been on MFP for the last 13 weeks and have lost 21lb, consistently losing 'weight' every week.

I started lifting 2.5 weeks ago (I know not long) but although i am still eating at a deficit I've stopped losing weight in the scale.

I did take, well my PT took all my measurements and calculated body fat % which I know will probably change for the better but what I don't understand is why no movement on the scale?

I couldn't have gained muscle mass as 1 haven't been lifting long and 2 I'm eating at a deficit. So is this purely water weight I'm carrying?/ do I need to check my deficit is enough?

I don't understand

Thank you in advance!

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Yup, it's very common when you start lifting to not see a change in scale weight, or in some cases even see the scale go up. It's a combination of water retention and glycogen in your muscles. It's a difficult shift in thinking, but you really have to start to focus on performance, measurements, and bf % rather than the scales. Progress pics are also incredibly helpful.

It can be a super tough transition into lifting but rest assured, the results are definitely worth it!

collingmommy

Cardio and weights are a diffrent world.. I to have changed from steady 5 nights a week cardio to doing sl5x5..i started in feb. And since i have lost 10 lbs. Thats eating at deficit, and running/HIIT ony nights i dont lift. I think its safe to say that its called newbie gains.. So ive heard it referred to before. I want some info too. So i hope we get spme good replies!

F1uffy123

Thanks both

I'm confident the results will come but like you say Vegas its definitely a struggle to get my head round lol

DaniH826

My scale has moved very little in the 2 months (like 4 lbs maybe?) that I've been decreasing calories and lifting.

BUTTTTTTTT ... clothes are fitting better, I'm getting stronger, I've got more energy and less aches and pains (once the ones from lifing settle down that is ... sux trying to get in shape in your 40s :laugh:)

I eat at a very modest deficit, do very little cardio, and have dropped about 3 inches overall.

The thing with lifting heavy is that you've got to bring patience to the table and allow your body to change like it's going to, for however long it takes. The first month for me was a total mindbend, with all the water fluctuations and whatnot going on as my body was beginning to adjust to this new thing I was doing. "Why is my weight not movingggggggg????? "

But, I've loved lifting ever since my first barbell workout, and I knew I had to be patient and buckle down for long-term results, so I stuck with it. I had already decided that I was going to give this a year or two (at least) and just keep slogging at it, in some way, because I want fitness to become a lifestyle, and I love, love, love lifting heavy.

Really, I was giving my scale way too much credit for way too long. Lifting heavy taught me to put it in its proper place (which right now is in a shelf in my closet from whence it only gets consulted every few weeks or so anymore).

If you're addicted to scale numbers, you'll hate the weight lifting approach to "weight loss" because the scale will not be a truthful indicator of your progress and success. The truthful indicator will be your body. So you're going to have to shift your thinking to body composition, strength gains and fat loss, which is a point us lifting ladies arrive at somewhere along the line at some point or another.

I know we think that measuring everything about something will tell us the true story about it, but with our bodies, that's just not the case. And, you know, humanity has been thriving just fine without scales for thousands of years. I think we're good.

Just letting you know what to expect.

lwoodroff

thanks for that Dani, I'm ignoring my scale for now! partly cos I've only been lifting for a month, and partly cos I've not been totally good with my cals, 2000 seems like a target to be hit and exceeded lol.. so I might track once a month or so, but let's see how the clothes go. certainly people have been asking if I've lost weight again, so that's a good sign!

F1uffy123

Thanks dani, appreciate the time in your reply!

I'm happy to put the scale away! I love how lifting makes me feel so this is waaay more important to me!

Thanks again

kirabob

I've been lifting about 6 weeks at a 20% deficit, and have gained two pounds, according to the scale. But I also was doing a 'challenge' at my gym, and over those 6 weeks I know (with some certainty, they used a pretty reliable machine), that I have lost 5% of BF and gained 3 pounds of muscle. So yeah, just put your scale away. I feel like I have added muscle, even on a deficit, but in part I know that my genetic make-up is one that lends itself to fast muscle gains (I've seen it in a lot of my relatives).

I highly recommend you take some progress pics if you haven't yet - they will be far more reliable a measure of progress than the scale or even the tape.

Keep lifting!

tameko2

Its mostly water and glycogen being stored in your muscles - its a GOOD thing as it means your muscles are repairing themselves.

Beginners may see some muscle gains, even on a deficit, but its dependent on a lot of things, how over-fat you were, how under-used your muscles were, and genetics. eating a smaller deficit may also help with that.

So yeah - normal. Also, you would have seen your losses slow down naturally anyway, generally the first 2-3 months of dieting seem to be the biggest loss periods for people and then things slow up quite a bit, so that combined with the lifting makes it very reasonabel that you'd stop seeing losses.

The fact that you didn't see GAINS on teh scale at all, to me, says you are probably still losing fat, since most people actually see an upswing in weight.