Strength training but losing nothing! Help?

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  • LSJC18
    LSJC18 Posts: 48 Member
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    All right, this thread is getting pretty messy! Haha.

    So, I think I've come to a conclusion. Thank you so much everyone for all your help!

    I gather that I should definitely add some cardio into my workout routine again (even if I hate it haha).

    Sorry I'm so adamant about not reducing my calories though. It's just... I know myself and I know how much I'm eating. I know I won't be eating enough if I eat less (every time I try, I never have enough strength in the gym during weight lifting, etc etc).

    Anyway... Thank you, thank you, thank you! (:

    Cardio it is! Haha.

    This is silly. Lower your cals and you will lose. Keep doing the same thing, and nothing will happen. If you add cardio, you are increasing the calorie burn. If, at the same time, you continue eating the same, you will lose. You will falsely think it's the cardio, but it's not. It's the increased calorie deficit you've created. Rather than increasing your activity, you could just reduce your calories for the same effect.

    I hope you read this and haven't blown this thread off because you're missing an important key factor. Your refusal to eat less is causing you to workout more, the net effect is the same. Why not just eat less? You don't have to eat a lot less, just a little less. Geez. Why is this so hard?

    Uhm, because If I eat less, I'll be eating TOO LITTLE. Please try not to be so patronizing.

    I have tried eating less, it didn't work for me personally. I don't eat 5000 calories a day or something. On my normal days I eat around 1400-1500. Some days I don't eat that much (like I miss a meal) and I get to around 1200. Some days I eat something extra (like at a birthday party I eat a slice of cake or something). And no, I don't go to birthday parties every week. It's very rare. Haha.

    ANYWAY... I would rather do more exercise than eat less. Because if I eat too little, I feel tired.

    Still, thanks for your input.

    This is too hard to explain to you. You're not even trying to understand.

    I'm not being patronizing. Eating less food, or working out more is EXACTLY THE EXACT SAME THING. If you eat a little less, you will be in a deficit and will start losing.

    Or, workout more and eat the same and be in a deficit. ITS THE SAME THING EITHER WAY. I'm trying to help you do less work to achieve the desired result of weight loss.

    If you want to spend more hours in the gym, fine. But, don't think it's the increased cardio that made you lose. It's not. It's the increased calorie deficit you are creating by working out more.

    Good luck.

    Yes I do understand. Calorie deficit = weight loss. How do you think I lost the first 24lbs?

    It's just that at this point I think it's a good place to stop reducing my calorie intake. And YES, I would rather spend more time at the gym and exercise because although the calorie deficit stays the same, my fitness level goes up.

    I'd rather eat more and exercise more and become a better runner/cycler/etc than eat less and JUST lose weight.
    I'm not worried about doing "less work to achieve the same results" because I don't believe the results are the same.

    I do understand that if I ate less I probably would see a change my in weight, but now I've come to a decision that I'd rather do it another way.

    Thanks.
  • unFATuated
    unFATuated Posts: 204 Member
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    I know you're probably sick of advice over this, but I wanted to add a couple of things.

    I have read that when you first start weight training it is one of the only times you can gain muscle mass despite being in a caloric deficit, so it is entirely possible that the scale is not going down because of this. However I would think that in that instance your measurements would have changed a little so I'm not sure. Like others have said, you may just not be burning as many calories as you were before.

    Mainly I wanted to suggest HIIT (as an alternative to steady state cardio) to you, 20-25mins once or twice a week might be enough for you. There are plenty of routines you can find online. It's hard work, but it is great if you're weary of 'normal' cardio.

    I would also suggest logging again for a few weeks, measuring/weighing what you eat. While you might eat the same things day in and day out, it's easy to creep up on the portion sizes over time.
  • eksero2k
    eksero2k Posts: 83 Member
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    Hello!

    So, after losing about 24lbs through cadio, I stopped all together to begin doing stronglifts 5x5. It's been a month and a half now and I have not lost a single pound. I have made progress in terms of strength gain, very steadily.
    Still, I am at 143lbs, and the scale has either only moved up (not by much) or not at all.
    My measurements haven't really gone down either.

    I still have a long way to go before my goal, about 25lbs more, because I'm still bordering the "overweight" category for my height (5'5") and I KNOW I'm still pretty darn chubby.

    I'm starting to get worried that my weight won't go anywhere. Should I do a lot more cardio now along with the heavy lifting? It's usually not recommended with stronglifts, but I really still do need to lose weight.

    Am I just being impatient? Because maybe my body composition is changing, but I'm just not sure I see results.

    Any helpful tips or advice? Words of wisdom?

    Thanks so much. (:

    EDIT: My calorie intake is at about 1400-1500 per day. Sometimes less, sometimes more, but that's the average.

    EDIT2: I sort of got to the point where I dislike cardio very very much. I dislike jogging on a treadmill or cycling on the stationary bike. I do enjoy running outside or biking outside, but it's winter and I just moved here from a tropical country and I can't handle the cold yet. I love dancing, but I don't have the space or teacher for that sort of thing... But if I HAVE to, I would do cardio in the gym.

    Since i started lifting I have actually gained 4 lbs. However, my arms/legs are much more toned now, and i've lost inches around my waist, so to me, what the scale says doesn't matter too much anymore. You should start measuring to see if there's any changes that way.
  • TamaraKat
    TamaraKat Posts: 533 Member
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    Bear in mind that you might not notice any fluctuations on the scale due to muscle gain.. You are probably better off consulting the measuring tape on this one...
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
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    I don't have much to add, but reading through I think HIIT is a great idea for you. I personally don't think you should be eating less at your height, weight and activity level (if you are truly grossing 1400-1500 a day) I think you need more time and a little more cardio and then review in another month or so.

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • rbutler1981
    rbutler1981 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hey you are gaining mus:happy: cle. Great job :) Remember muscle weighs more than fat, but will eventually burn fat. You are doing great. I think you need someone to do cardio with (you mentioned you would do it at the gym) and you will be good. You're doing awesome and, with a little re-directioning, you will succeed. Good work sisterica.
  • p4ulmiller
    p4ulmiller Posts: 588 Member
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    I'm amazed that this thread has gone on for so long without people wondering what is really happening inside OP's body.

    Heavy lifting means her body is matching new glycogen stores with additional water volume. If OP's water retention is rising, then the scales won't fall.

    However, BF% is dropping, which of course is the real goal for everyone.

    Combining a slight calorific deficit with a couple of cardio sessions and 3 x weight training sessions is perfect. Measure your BF% either at the gym or at home and you'll see it is tumbling. Since I started Stonglifts 5x5 on 21st October, I have lost over 11 pounds of fat. In that time, my overall weight has come down only 7 pounds.
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
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    Why don't you just skip breakfast? It is the least important meal of the day, you know.

    LOL
  • vegesaurfitness
    vegesaurfitness Posts: 1
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    Hey there,

    I'm in the same situation as you at the moment, but slowly and making progress.
    There could be many factors effecting you loosing weight such as what you do daily. If you are only eating 1400/1500 calories a day and are leading a lifestyle thats not very sedentary and more active outside your exercise routine then you have to take into consideration that you don't want to burn out all of your calories. If you're looking for muscle, it needs those extra calories to be able to grow.
    I agree that it can be tough eating a lot, and you may want to try and look for foods more calorie dense. So vegetables that are a little more starchy or adding seeded bread to your diet, because it's full of healthy fats and protein.

    For your calorie intake though, it seems a little low for your height. I know you need to have a deficit in calories to be able to loose weight at the same time as toning, but I'm 5'3 and I need around 1680 calories, just to compensate for my exercise and body needs. Hope that makes sense.

    Also I use to do a lot of cardio as you. And I could feel how jiggly my belly was when I ran, and it was only yesterday, after 3 months into my strength training that when I went for a run, it felt so much more firmer, but I couldn't see any difference. If anything I thought id gained on those areas. So maybe you should do what I did and weigh yourself, take measurements of your thighs, waist, hips, for arm and biceps and only measure them once a month.

    Sadly for us girls it takes more time to build muscle and those that are naturally slim will probably become more toned and defined. But keep at it, because it can ultimately take a year to see those perfect results you want. :)

    Take care, and good luck !


    "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams"
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    That's a great point and you are correct! However, when I originally started weight lifting I still had a good amount of fat to burn so I was able to get stronger while losing fat on a calorie deficit. Generally, I agree if you are fairly lean already you aren't going to gain muscle but I found as a new lifter it didn't hold quite as true. Scientifically, you are correct, but I guess my results didn't lie. Of course, I'm no personal trainer so what I say is solely based on personal experience.

    Getting stronger does not equate gaining muscle mass.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Not sure if your still reading this.. but I skimmed most of the posts and didn't see anything about your macro's.. At your weight your protein should be 120g a day.. so if your not there, replace one of your carb items with a protein item until you hit it.

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