Lifting ladies- similar weight, different look?

I weigh MORE in the last picture than I did in the first.



These are the exact same weight

Gorgeous! Am starting to lift weights too. Any advice/tips? Please share your routine!

Lifting ladies, you guys are amazing, keep up the hard work and spread the word. Were not just losing weight we are building the bodies we want to live life in! I tell woman (and men) all the time if it was just a matter of loosing weight on a scale you could just cut off a leg and be totally happy right?

Much respect ladies

Picture on the left, I lost weight with diet alone after my 2nd pregnancy. Picture on the right I lost weight with diet, exercise, then gained 8lbs weight lifting.

Hell yeah mama!!

I don't have pictures, but in the ""good old days"" I lost weight twice... (i"m 5'4):

Got down to 119 the bad way (no exercice, not much food) and was wearing a size 11

Then I gained a lot

Then got down again to 140, this time exercising, lifting weight, and I was a size 7.

So it definitly makes a BIG difference!!!

Bump for inspiration. You girls rock!

Wow so glad I logged on today - im having a 'why do I bother,im fat and bloated' day. Seeing this post has given me a boost as I always find it hard to find other ladies who lift. Around my area its all about ladies who lunch lol I am the only girl in the free weights area and in the 3 years ive been at my current gym I have never seen a lady use the squat rack - its a sin :-)
Keep up the good work ladies. Maybe one day I will be brave and post some pics

It often isn't thought this way, but we guys add "shape" and "curves" to our frame the same exact way.

Women who - at least - maintain their muscle mass while reducing fat mass won't have to lose as much total weight as someone who just does calorie restriction and cardio. In other words, maintaining [or increasing] muscle volume under the skin will lead to a leaner, shapelier physique sooner. This is why lifting using adequate volume, intensity and frequency is so beneficial in achieving a favorable body composition with little weight loss - or even modest gain.

I'm not sure how to post pics but in my profile pics I have a before and an after from lifting heavy with p90x. Over the past yr I have gained 8 lbs from it

Bump

This time last year my workouts consisted of an hour of running 5 days a week, an hour of tracy anderson mat workouts 6 days a week and an hour yoga 3 times a week. I also walked to the store to get groceries, drop & pick up my son from school and run misc errands during the day (Usually 5 miles a day). Occasionally I would switch up a running day for Zumba. Cardio bunny. You get the picture. I was on a calorie deficit and about a size 8/10 depending on the jeans I was wearing. It took me 6 months to go from a size 12 to a size 8/10. I lost 40lbs from the time I started dieting, but I still looked the same.

Six months ago, I switched to doing Stronglifts 5x5 3x a week and cut everything else out except the very occasional yoga if I was bored. I also started eating at maintenance instead of slashing calories. I went from an 8/10 to a size 2 RAPIDLY. I wanted to kick myself for not lifting earlier!!!

Today I am currently bulking to add muscle and doing Madcow 5x5 (an intermediate version of Stronglifts) 3x a week and am now heavier weight wise as I was this time last year, but still wearing all my size 2 jeans.

ALL of my girlfriends thought I was bat**** crazy for lifting weights. There are so many misconceptions out there and what it will do to your body. I know- because I believed them!!! I wouldn't lift anything heavier than a dinky 3lb dumbbell for a long time. If only I could go back in time... !!

Good Luck!

bump. great thread. Y'all ROCK!!!!!!!!