Why is it harder to lose weight when starting a weight lifti

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Cookie22684
Cookie22684 Posts: 585 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started lifting weights 3 days a week i am also doing cardio for about an hour 6 days a week , i am currently eating 1200 to 1230 calories a day, i have been ding this for 3 weeks straight and have only lost 1 pound , what am i doing wrong ?

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  • CristalBelle
    CristalBelle Posts: 14
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    I would suggest upping to around 1400 calories a day to make sure your body isn't going into starvation mode. Also, when you start lifting, your body takes a while to adjust. You aren't burning as many initial calories as cardio, but in the long term the muscle will burn more calories while at rest, so a combo of the two is the best way to gain and maintain a weight loss.
  • EmilyArndt
    EmilyArndt Posts: 5
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    You aren't eating enough calories. Your doing more damage by starving your body. EAT MORE. You will lose the weight. If you are working out that much, your body needs fuel.
  • vjh431
    vjh431 Posts: 38
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    1200 a day for most women is enough without exercising. If you're exercising everyday and your only consuming the base amount of calories required for your body than it begins to feed on itself starting with your healthy muscle tissue. This is what we consider "starvation mode" and it will continue to do this until you consume the right amount of calories. If you're tracking your food and exercise diligently and have set your weight loss goals in the settings your main page will inform you of what you need to consume daily in order to achieve your goal. After that the pounds should slowly fall away week to week. Also since you lift weights pay special attention to your protein needs everyday and take a whey or soy protein supplement if necessary.
  • tiffanygil
    tiffanygil Posts: 478 Member
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    I think an hour of cardio is too much. Try kicking it down to 40 min. and increase your cals by 200 for a couple of days. Sounds backwards I know, but it works. I noticed when I was doing 1 hour of cardio I stopped loosing wt all together. Also if you shorten it you can start working on intensity while doing cardio (going faster and faster) Also the trainer at my gym said that anything over 30 min is wasting your time because all it does is depleat your body of glucose needed to do strength training.

    Another thing you have to take into account is you are building mass, and depleating fat; so its natural for you to stay the same or loose one or two pounds while building up your muscule....try taking your measurments. The most drastic changes I've seen on my body came when I got serious about weight lifting yet I have only lost about 20 lbs since than Ive lost aprox. 8 inches off my waist and 3 on my neck and 8 on my hips

    Up your protien intake as well. I think MFP is too low but it will help you build up the muscule and burn off fat.

    Good Luck
  • sajar_06
    sajar_06 Posts: 173 Member
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    Hey,
    Reminder that muscle also weighs. When building muscle it does weigh on scales like fat does but in your case it does sound like starvation mode. Increase food intake by a small margin and see if it helps. Hang in there it will get better. God Bless, Brenda
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
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    There are several contributing factors. First when you start asking your body to do things it's not used to it "protests." One of the ways it protests is to try and protect the muscle tissue by storing extra water around the muscle. It's not unusual at all to actually gain weight in the first few weeks of a strength training routine. This isn't a sudden explosion of muscle mass, but water retention. As your body starts to get used to the idea it slowly starts releasing the water and you should see the scale drop more rapidly in the coming weeks.

    Here's a good link on weight gain when starting a weightlifting program.

    http://chalenejohnson.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-do-you-sometimes-gain-weight-when.html

    I'd recommend that for the next month you put the scale in the closet and take out a tape measure if you want to track your improvements. Or even some clothes. Keep plugging away for another month and then bring out the scale. You'll be down as long as you continue doing the right things. Eating right and exercising. Don't get discouraged, you can do it.
  • shortwasp
    shortwasp Posts: 37 Member
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    When you are working on weights, you are losing fat while gaining muscle, so don't pay attention to the scale. Pay attention to how your clothes are fitting. You will go down in size first and later weight. Measure yourself at the arm, neck, waist, hips, etc., and keep track of your fitness that way. You'll be surprised at how fast you will become toned even when you don't lose a pound.
  • Cookie22684
    Cookie22684 Posts: 585 Member
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    Thank u everyone for your advice , i will up my calories ,continue to lift weights and i will weigh myself next month,i will also measure myself ,thanks :smile:

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