Heavy lifting and TDEE-20 has stalled my weight loss

While I agree that measurable changes should be a sign of progress, some of us need to have BOTH (it's not "normal" for a 5'8" woman to weigh >200 lbs...). Stalling out is so demoralizing after a few weeks...especially if you haven't made much weight loss progress, and that's a big part of your goal. I'm in the same boat as he, but I'm only in my second month, so I'm not giving up, but I have signed myself up for the Tough Mudder in October and there is NO WAY I'll finish that thing at this weight. I need the pounds to come off so I can carry myself across those obstacles and 12 mile course. My / MFP calculations should have had me almost 20 lbs down by now. Instead, I'm 6...and holding. I've definitely change my mass around some (my lab coat buttoned all the way up today - even across the "girls" today) and I definitely AM a muscular woman (always have been), but GAWD this weight needs to drop!!!! ARGGGGG!

stop watching the scale. You said you're body is reacting to the weightlifting, so pay more attention to the inches you're losing. My weight has stayed the same for awhile, but I'm losing inches and getting definition. The number the scale gives you is not really the only way to look at your progress, and often a poor standard.

Throw away the scale and re-evaluate your goals. There are lots of men and women on here who do not fit into the "normal" BMI because they have more muscle. I have started a heavy weight routine and I am done with the scale. I plan on going by tape measurements and clothing size. When lifting heavy the scale and BMI charts become a very inaccurate measurement of progress.

from what I understand, heavy lifting will sculpt your body but it won't necessarily move the scale - you need cardio for that. If you want to see the scale move again, add cardio to your routine.

Not quite. A caloric deficit will move the scale, assuming you are not retaining more water than when you previously weighed yourself. Cardio has nothing to do with it except that with cardio you can eat more and achieve a deficit than if you didn't do any cardio.

Cardio is good for increasing endurance, as well as cardiovascular health, weight loss is mainly diet related (deficit) It is easy to each more extra cals than you burn than it is to burn those cals in the first place.

If you are building muscle (growing bigger) then you are likely not eating < TDEE. Remember the calculators only return the TDEE for the average person with the stats you entered. It may or may not be your TDEE.

If it's true that muscle is built at a surplus and fat is lost at a deficit, which sounds like it fits your present diet?

I was having the same problem, so my scale now resides in the closet. I go by the numbers on the tape measure and the bar!

Hard to say. I guess I'm just sort of in the ball park. By your description, if I was at a deficit, I couldn't continue on the 5x5 program because I would not be able to gain any more muscle and I would stall on weight lifting progression, which hasn't happened (yet).

I will keep at 2050 for another couple weeks and see how it goes. I have to say I feel quite good and quite strong.

You can get stronger without building muscle. I'm not 100% convinced that you can't build muscle on a deficit, but that is the prevailing sentiment amongst the muscley folks on MFP.

The prevailing sentiment is that you cannot build muscle on a deficit....unless you are

1. Brand new to weight lifting
2. Very overweight
3. Regaining muscle lost from inactivity for a time.

Most of these are for a very limited time which would apply to the OP since they have only been lifting 7 weeks..

Why would you care about pounds when your body is shrinking and becoming stronger?

measure body fat percentage with some calipers. Screw the scale. It's useless when lifting; just make sure your pants don't get tighter and you're fine.

This. Scale weight is all well and good, but it's not an accurate indicator of health or fitness. You're eating more, your waist is shrinking and you're not seeing weight loss? You're building muscle and feeding your body what it's been asking for strength and recovery! Forget lbs & kilos. You feel good and you are seeing changes. Don't sweat it!