To Lift or Not to Lift??? THAT is the Question!!!

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  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
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    No worries hun.

    I believe that lifting weights increases bone density and in turn means stronger bones and less problems later on in life.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Evidently you don't have to have an education to be a nurse.

    Of course, since I used to teach Human A&P to nursing students at UNC, I can already tell you that you don't need to be intelligent to make it through nursing school.

    Lift. It shouldn't even be a question at all.
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
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    Oh here's a funny thing someone said me once.

    I was trying to lose weight 10 years ago and a female friend of mine (she was a bit of an air head) said to me "Don't drink too much water; every litre of water is one kilo of weight!"

    WOW
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
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    Do what you enjoy-you will stick with it. And a good mix always helps keep you motivated. Every BODY is different-and there is not only one way to lose weight. Do what works for YOU.
  • reese373
    reese373 Posts: 4 Member
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    Every pound of muscle you gain your body burns an extra 500 calories a day just sitting. To increase muscle is to increase your basal metabolic rate.
  • CoachSamB
    CoachSamB Posts: 40 Member
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    Definitely train with weights as well. Cardio is obviously important, as is eating the proper amount of food. But weight training is vital as well. Keep up what you're doing, but always bring more intensity than you did the previous workout, and your weight should fall right off you, as long as you closely monitor your nutrition.
    Hey everyone! Just wanna run something by you guys and get some insight...
    Yesterday, I went for a doctor’s visit, and prior to seeing the doctor, I met with the nurse, who gave me some “tips” on losing weight. I advised her of my basic routine, which was mainly cardio, but also involved about 30-40 minutes of weights 3-4 times per week (though I’ve been slacking this last couple of weeks – don’t judge me!). Now, I haven’t been to the doctor since August, so when I saw him last, he’d advised me that he wanted me to lose 20-30 pounds in 6 months. I ended up having to reschedule my appointment twice due to a work conflict and a death in the family, so it’s now been 8 months. Anyways (back to my chat with the nurse – sorry, got sidetracked), she advised me to give up weights for a while and just focus on cardio ONLY and add weights in later. She’d lost 60lbs by doing this and, of course, reducing her food portions and eating much more healthily, all the while being monitored by the doctor. She’d advised me that weight training made you heavier, which I figured because muscle weighs more than fat, but when you have a lot to lose like she did (and I do), she says it’s more difficult to drop weight because the fat is being replaced by muscle. The reason we began this discussion is because I’d advised her that, though I’d only lose 3lbs since August, I’d dropped 2 dress sizes since then, but I was still frustrated because the scale wasn’t moving like I would have liked. My question to you guys is, have you guys tried this cardio only method without weights? If so, has it been successful for you? See… I LOVE weight training, but I want to reduce my actual weight’s number. I’m pretty healthy now, but as we age, the number on the scale can lead to other health problems and I don’t want to risk falling ill in the future.
    You input is greatly appreciated!
    Thanks!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,394 MFP Moderator
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    I have lost 80 lb with cardio only. Long, low-intensity workouts are best for burning calories. So walk for an hour or swim for an hour. A lot of people feel that you should add strength training - builds muscle, which uses more calories. It sounds good but I have done ok with the cardio. At one point I decided to CHANGE from cardio to strength training. Sadly I gave up on the cardio but never picked up the strength training. So I'm happy to be back in cardio-land. Some day I'll lift.

    Actually the best thing for burning calories is short high intensity workouts. HIIT will burn more calories in 20-30 minutes than any long low intensity training will. And on top HIIT has been linked to help with muscle retention.


    OP, yes, cardio only will burn more calories but weight loss isn't just about burning calories. When you burn too many calories and do not offset it with enough calories, you lose muscle and lean body mass. This means your weight will drop faster, but your metabolism will slow down, you can lose body density and a ton of other things. Weight training helps with lean body mass intention, maintain your metabolic rate and provide a leaner and tighter body in the long run. Also, when you have more lean body mass, you need to lose less weight to get a leaner and tighter body. So why prolong your weight loss for an extra 20-30 lbs because you lost muscle?
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Every pound of muscle you gain your body burns an extra 500 calories a day just sitting. To increase muscle is to increase your basal metabolic rate.
    Lolwut? No. It's actually 6 calories per pound daily. However, I still recommend lifting.
  • LaviMc
    LaviMc Posts: 355 Member
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    Lift weights, keep doing it! A man lifting heavy weights in a progressive routine would be lucky to put on more than a few pounds a month. Keep lifting weights it isn't your problem. Not only does it not add HUGE mass if you aren't lifting for it, but it also helps prevent injuries down the road.

    TLDR; Nurse is giving BAD advice

    Thought so! Thanks! :)
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
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    But for now just lift, do some cardio and most importantly control your nutrition. Controlling your nutrition is the A1, most important thing. You can workout like Lou Ferigno and not see any changes if your nutrition does not support your exercise. I don't care if you run 10k. If you then smash 2000 calories as a snack then you're undoing all of the work you did in your run.

    Good luck, not that you'll need luck :)

    ^^^ So very true!
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 909 Member
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    What's the over-under for when this will turn into the muscle weighs more than fat debate???

    I say post 67.
  • tinana_RN
    tinana_RN Posts: 541 Member
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    I'm a nurse, and as a nurse........... I think your nurse gave you some bad advice.
  • ShanR77
    ShanR77 Posts: 287 Member
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    I work with a bunch of nurses and they all say to Gibb slap (NCIS move) that nurse of yours :tongue:
  • hungryhobbit1
    hungryhobbit1 Posts: 259 Member
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    What everyone else has said. ALSO if you aren't doing it already, track every last bite of food you eat. It really matters, just thinking you are eating healthier isn't enough.
  • LaviMc
    LaviMc Posts: 355 Member
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    That nurse is retarded. Go lift. There are plenty of us here that have amazing before and after mainly from lifting. I have two "before" pictures: one before I lost weight or lifted, one after in lost weight but before I started lifting, and then my current picture. The first two look pretty sh!tty. I'll let you judge my current picture for yourself. Dem gains.

    Can't see your pics because you're private, but I'm gonna send you a FR. Thanks!
  • fluffychicken7
    fluffychicken7 Posts: 77 Member
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    Without singing to the chorus, I think your nurse totally missed the point. There are other benefits to lifting such as increased metabolic rate while at rest and you don't need to lift 10 times your weight to do it. I'd done it before and I did not lift heavy. I say give it a try and come back in 6 months to tell me I'm wrong. good luck!
  • scorpiotwinkles
    scorpiotwinkles Posts: 215 Member
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    Lift. I can't do much cardio as I need a knee replacement and get severe pain if I try it for too long. My ticker shows how much weight I have lost in 12 months.
  • SaraBrown12
    SaraBrown12 Posts: 277 Member
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    I have been informed you can not build muscle when your on a low calorie diet. For me its a simple case of... what is the point in the hard work really hitting the weights hard to build and tone lush slender muscles when you cannot see it for all the fat. So i needed to get rid of oddles of fat first before i could up my calories so i could build muscles properly in the healthy way without injury.

    Its about using your time in the best way. Frankly i still did weights with cardio because i was petrified i ended up skinny fat. I don't think any exercise in any form can ever be seen as a negative.

    Who cares if muscle weight more then fat... be skinny fat nd light nd look like crap cause of bingo wings and wobbly flabby thighs. Or be a bit heavier and lean and have less inches over all. What weighs more makes no odds people. It just makes it clear that you all NEED to take measurements regularly. You might add say 2lb but you could have lost 3 inches from your waist. I for sure would not be disheartened by a NSV like that!!!!

    Common sense also told me...(waits for the shoot down) The more muscle you have and use the more calories you will burn doing your cardio routine or just day to day stuff. I think if your happy with your routine of a mixture of both then stick at it. What worked for the nurse might not be right for you. If it aint broke don't fix it. Good luck on your journey, i am sure you will kick *kitten* however you play it forward xxx
  • LaviMc
    LaviMc Posts: 355 Member
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    Read this

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/929824-its-been-over-a-year-since-my-hot-affair-began

    and this

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/976497-women-heavy-lifting-free-weights-16-month-progress

    Thanks for the articles!
  • LaviMc
    LaviMc Posts: 355 Member
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    Lift. I can't do much cardio as I need a knee replacement and get severe pain if I try it for too long. My ticker shows how much weight I have lost in 12 months.

    Wow! That's incredible! Thanks!

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