Lifting, gaining weight, losing curves, getting bulky?

Hope this helps some women's qualms about weight lifting. Yes, you may weigh a little more. Yes, some parts of your body might get a little bigger. You're not going to turn into a man, though, and you won't lose your curves.

Back story for anyone who doesn't know... I lost 25 pounds doing mostly cardio from Dec 2010 to June 2011 and got to my inital goal weight. Started strength training in July 2011, using machines at the gym. Between July and October 2011, I lost about ten more pounds. Took a break from logging when I got to about 125, and gained a little back, but my clothing size didn't change so I didn't care. Continued running and strength training. Quit the gym in July 2012 and bought a weight bench for home, and was amazed at what a difference free weights made. Putzed around for a few months and started Stronglifts 5x5 in late September. Just finished week 8 on Friday.

Here's comparison photos from one year ago to now. I'm benching 85, deadlifting 135, squatting 127, rowing 95 and overhead pressing 65, and still running 2-3 times a week. I think I might have been a little less than 130 in the 2011 pics - maybe 128? -but I wasn't keeping good records of my fluctuations then.... I didn't log any weight change from October to December 2011.







My legs, particularly my quads, are bigger now. Sometimes that's a bit of a pain when finding jeans that fit properly. But personally? I think they're hot. My husband loves them. I love that I can lift and carry heavy things, and run up steep hills. And I'd much rather have bigger, stronger, firm legs than thinner, weaker and jiggly ones.

And I can't get over how my waist has shrunk. I was never one to believe that weight lifting would make me look like a man. I knew that any woman who looks extremely muscular has worked very, very hard to look that way and it wasn't going to happen accidentally or overnight to me. But I did think that losing body fat and getting muscular might make me lose my curves and look more boyish. I never thought it would give me MORE curves!



In particular, having lost weight through severe calorie restriction in my mid 30s, and being so disappointed that at my goal weight, I still had back fat rolls, double chins, and a cellulite ridden droopy *kitten*.... looking like this at 40 is particularly sweet.

But best of all, I used to be sooooo accident and injury prone. I'm hypermobile, and I was always spraining a wrist or ankle, or twisting my back weird and end up walking hunched over like a question mark for a week. I was afraid of lifting at first because I thought I'd hurt myself. But strengthening my muscles has made me into Iron Man... err... Girl. I haven't had any problems since lifting. Ok, one little tiny stress fracture, but that was a running problem, not a lifting one.

Edited to add: Best of all part two: Eating 2000-2300 calories a day.