This is exactly what I'm trying to do. I'm new to the 5x5 program but I am also a runner. I'm currently training for a half marathon. I've recently put on 20 lbs from a pregnancy and I have not been able to take off a single pound despite all my efforts. I'm taking measurements and they are still the same too. I started back on my running routine about a month ago and started 5x5 last Monday
Any tips ir advice would be appreciated.

Well, if you are still lifting, you are still burning calories - so fat loss can happen there (and is more likely, since you are doing resistance exercise). Your muscles retain glycogen and water even after the initial loading occurs - they can't function properly without it. I instantaneously lose about 5 pounds every time I take a week off lifting - that's water, pure and simple. And at the point the weight gets really challenging, I feel that there is a pretty intense cardio element to lifting. Finishing 5x5 squats with 170 pounds on your back will get your heart rate jumping, I guarantee it. Nothing is as clear cut as calories in<calories out - the equation is always far more complex.

This is a bit off topic, so my apologies. I have been told, and seen the research to back it up, that you cannot gain muscle while on a calorie deficit unless you are an obese beginner. When you first start lifting, I know that you gain some weight in your muscles due to glycogen and water (the "pump"), but doesn't that amount get steady at some point? No one's muscles have popped like overfilled water balloons that I've heard of. So my question is this: After a couple of weeks when the "pump" has leveled off, how would you lose inches without losing weight? A calorie deficit says that you are losing fat, but also says that you can't be building muscle to replace the weight, so what is happening?

I believe what you are describing is known as recomping--slowly adding muscle mass while losing fat mass. Most likely, the people who report this happening are not eating at a deficit but rather at maintenance. Either through not logging intake correctly or through relying on an online calculator to estimate their TDEE instead of paying attention to what their body weight does over time given a fixed intake level.

Hello

The scale weight - can mess with your head big time.

I started stronglifts (8weeks ago) and I can't tell you how much I love how it makes me feel. 8 weeks in and I have dents appearing on my arms, legs, tummy (yay dents!) but the hardest part has been watching the scale go up and up and up (from 132/133 - to this morning 139lbs!) - not a lot but for a calories counting obsessed scale weighing (twice a day!!) in 1200 cal dieter for the last oooo 15 years or so it is hard. and a tough mental shift.

I am waiting for the magic to happen and my weight to back down - but you know what it might not and I need to get to where that is ok - I can squat my body weight, I can deadlift more than I weigh - I feel like I can kick A&& right now and I love feeling like that.

So feeling & looking good, after what a stupid scale says....yup still hard. But getting there.

Just to give you some feed back from someone who is gaining while lifting - I don't think I am overeating - I track and record everything (but hey I could be!!)

Those dents must mean something!! - stuff is feeling solid and not jiggy - bingo wings - nope - those like like "guns to me!

My strength is awesome, and I am so pround of being where I am - I get excited every morning when I go to lift.

So jump in - and try not to be hung up on the scale - focus on form, and gaining strength.

Happy lifting x

I believe what you are describing is known as recomping--slowly adding muscle mass while losing fat mass. Most likely, the people who report this happening are not eating at a deficit but rather at maintenance. Either through not logging intake correctly or through relying on an online calculator to estimate their TDEE instead of paying attention to what their body weight does over time given a fixed intake level.

Hmmm.... Everything I have read, says that this is not possible (gaining muscle while losing fat). Could you please point me in the direction of articles/books/studies that says that it is? I REALLY hope that you are correct

P.s. Anyone who doesn't want their "bulk" can send it my way!

It *is* possible to gain muscle and lose fat under very specific circumstances (overfat, beginner, ideally a combination of those 2), but there isn't a ton of research on the kind of recomping that's out there in the fitness sphere, mostly because its SLOW and research is expensive so running a research study for the 6 months you'd need to see if it really happens is a pain.

Anecdotally, people do report it happening. A majority of it may be some combination of those circumstances I mentioned (beginners, overfat, and/or both) and people who are not tracking carefully (for example, people who eat 'clean' or 'paleo' but don't actually track calories) and end up naturally cycling periods of deficits and surpluses.

Research wise, I haven't seen any on people who are already in shape and have weight lifting experience successfully recomping but beginners can often do it and SL is a beginners program so it makes sense that you'd hear a lot about it in a group like this.