weight training+cardio+healthy eating=no change

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qisi74
qisi74 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
hi guys, i'm new to myfitnesspal but i've been on this weight loss journey for years. I was heaviest in high school and i have gradually lost over 40lbs in the past few years by doing alot of cardio and decrease calorie intake, but my body form is never really the one i want. I was going crazy on cardio (workout 4-6time/wk for 1-2hrs each time) for a very long time but i still haven't gotten to where i want to be.
So recently i've been reading alot on weight lifting/strength training, and 4 wks ago i changed my routine, i have been doing mainly full body weight training 3-5 times/wk, I use heavy weights for less reps, i change my workout everytime. Usually i would start with 15-30min of cardio to warm up, then 30-60min of weights, I really push myself everytime (i get muscle sore the nxt day) and i can now do 15 push-ups which is a big improvement (I used to do women version of push ups because i couldn't handle the man version). I eat healthy 80% of the time, i drink alot of water, i make sure i eat enough calories (1500-2000), i also do ALOT of abs workout because that's where i feel most insecure about....anyway, I really thought i covered EVERYTHING and now it's been exactly 4 wks, the scale did not change AT ALL, which i can handle because i know that muscle weights more BUT my measurements did not change either! ESP my waistline! I have been 27inches for a long time and despite all the abs workout, i see no definition of abs, my measurement is the same, muffin top did not go away....my clothes feel the same.....I don't want to be negative but this is freaking frustrating!!!
I need help, advice, motivation, encouragement...whatever you can say to keep me from giving up :(

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    Do you use a food scale.. none of the things in your title matter if you aren't in a deficit. BTW, what is our height weight and age. Also, can you open your food diary.


    ps- ab work does nothing in terms of creating abs. You have to lose body fat all over to get abs and have enough muscle to give you definition.
  • qisi74
    qisi74 Posts: 4
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    hey psulemon~thx for your reply, I own a food scale but don't really use it....I actually don't want to get too much into calorie counting because that made me very obsessive in the past, but I do measure my food occasionally so i can get an idea of its weight and calorie range and use it as reference to approximate my calorie intake in the future. I usually count one whole fruit for 100kcal (like an apple, a pear, banana, etc) and for french veggies i don't count. I'm pretty sure i am in a deficit (but now i'm starting to doubt) i'm abt 5ft4 weight 60kg. I dont have a food diary, sry :(
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
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    for weight loss only:

    1) track your food (this includes weighing it whenever possible)

    2) eat at a calorie deficit (a lot of people chose TDEE-20%)

    3) exercise if you want to create a larger deficit and/or eat more food

    You need to record your food as accurately as possible. Too many estimations either way (underestimating food, overestimating exercise) will likely hinder any progress.

    There are more suggestions if you want to talk about health and body composition.
  • Stix039
    Stix039 Posts: 1 Member
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    Try doing your lifting first before cardio so as to not fatigue your muscles. It will help to prevent injury. Also, try lighter weight with more reps. It will create lean muscle and therefore burn more fat.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss

    highfiving.gif
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    From your account of your food intake I would imagine your consuming a lot more than you think.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    So you want improvement from the exercise?

    I ask because some really just want to spin their wheels and burn extra calories, not actually caring if there is improvement from it.

    So exercise if done right tears the body down.

    It's the rest that allows recovery and rebuilding stronger, if diet allows.

    Where is the rest in your routine?

    For instance, since it sounds like every workout is hitting it hard, do you use the same muscles day after day on intense efforts?
    Is your warmup cardio so hard you can't really get overload from the weight, but rather just tired from the effort? (they feel the same unless you have something to compare to)

    Even if a smart routine using different muscle groups on different days, a hard routine can start to slow you down for improvements.

    As to your ab workouts, like endurance style, lots of crunches and other stuff, like 10-20 minutes at a time, until you just can't do anymore? Feels almost the same as the few reps with lots of weight your others muscles get?

    Guess what your body does for endurance type muscle workout? Stores more carbs to endure longer next time.
    Guess what stores with carbs in the muscles that need it? Water.
    Guess what happens to muscle with more water in it, not only from glucose but also sore and retained for repair? Swells.
    Got the wrong idea if you don't want a puffy stomach.
    As commented above, your good strength training lifts will tighten that up, the diet will show them off.

    Also, you aren't going to do much in a month except make improvements.

    As mentioned, you are probably eating more than you think, basically at maintenance, and if you keep it up you'll start losing inches of fat as your body makes improvement to the muscle.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I think it's very possible to eat at a deficit without weighing and obsessing. Lots of plans do it other ways besides calorie counting. If you feel like you're eating at a deficit (not just eating 'healthy'), you might be. A lot of people retain water at the start of lifting or any new, intense exercise routine. I would say ignore the scale for a while, if you can.

    And a 27" waist is tiny. Don't expect miracles in a month, at your size.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,227 Member
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    First, how carefully are your measuring your food. Precision is important.

    Second, don't just throw a program together. Pick something like Stronglifts 5x5 which has built in progression which a program should have. Training differently every times doesn't provide that. Once you have selected a program, keep following it.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    hey psulemon~thx for your reply, I own a food scale but don't really use it....I actually don't want to get too much into calorie counting because that made me very obsessive in the past, but I do measure my food occasionally so i can get an idea of its weight and calorie range and use it as reference to approximate my calorie intake in the future. I usually count one whole fruit for 100kcal (like an apple, a pear, banana, etc) and for french veggies i don't count. I'm pretty sure i am in a deficit (but now i'm starting to doubt) i'm abt 5ft4 weight 60kg. I dont have a food diary, sry :(

    Well you are definitely a good weight. But if you don't want to count calories or get obsessive, then you just need to give it time. If you are lifting heavy and doing some cardio, you can see some composition changes. But if you want to guarantee success, you should weigh your food. Keep in mind, the most people your size are eating 1700-2100 calories. I think we people struggle the most is they see food as the enemy and not as fuel and tries to starve themselves to lose weight
  • qisi74
    qisi74 Posts: 4
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    There is one thing that I don't feel good about in my new lifestyle and might be a reason why I'm not seeing any results....my sleep. I'm a new nurse, working in a very heavy ICU doing full time and working 12hr shift, rotating btw days and night shifts, so my sleep pattern is all over the place. When i do day shifts i sometime go thru 12 hours without eating anything (there is not even time for wc break!)and then come home at 9pm and just dig into a pile of food before going to bed. When i'm on nights, I have to eat all night long to keep myself awake and obtain energy (I would snake on fruits, occasionally nuts and crackers, drinking lots of tea). I feel bad but there is nothing really I can do about it :S
  • kaylingonzales
    kaylingonzales Posts: 37 Member
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    Try doing your lifting first before cardio so as to not fatigue your muscles. It will help to prevent injury. Also, try lighter weight with more reps. It will create lean muscle and therefore burn more fat.

    "lighter Weight with more rep" who are you Tracy Anderson? Heavy Weights with low reps builds lean muscle.

    To the OP Tracking what you are eating more sounds like it might help but also you say that you have only been at this for 4 weeks. Keep going, building muscle, especially for most women is a lot harder than it is for men. Give it at least 12 weeks before you make any major changes. Consistency is your best friend. Good Luck
  • callie006
    callie006 Posts: 151 Member
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    We are about the same size (I'm an inch taller and 3 or 4 lbs heavier with a waist btwn 26.5 and 27 inches), and my best advice is to give it time and maybe add another rest day. For me, working out very hard 3-4 days per week and making sure that I get 2 consecutive active rest days sometimes makes a big difference in both appearance and the scale. Usually, I do light cardio, like a walk, and stretching on rest days unless I'm really active that day.

    I also have seen the greatest difference in my abs from cutting out most direct ab work. I used to do abs all the time, and my stomach always looked puffy. Now, I'm doing Strong Curves, and there is little direct ab work, but my abs look better than they ever have when I've been this weight.

    I also don't like weighing food obsessively because it tends to make my food control issues worse, so like you, I weigh only when I start to stall and do it for a brief time to kind of reset my portion size meter. It works for me, but I've had to accept the fact that my progress may be slower. For me, it has been a fair trade off, and I'm okay with losing a pound or two per month instead of 4.

    When I worked nights in the hospital (I'm a vet), I ate like a teamster until I got used to the schedule. I think you just have to do the best you can and give yourself a break. I will say that more rest is likely to be even more critical when you are working nights than otherwise. Lack of sleep, calorie restriction and punishing workouts are all stressors, and lots of stress just makes everything harder.

    Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    Try doing your lifting first before cardio so as to not fatigue your muscles. It will help to prevent injury. Also, try lighter weight with more reps. It will create lean muscle and therefore burn more fat.

    "lighter Weight with more rep" who are you Tracy Anderson? Heavy Weights with low reps builds lean muscle.

    To the OP Tracking what you are eating more sounds like it might help but also you say that you have only been at this for 4 weeks. Keep going, building muscle, especially for most women is a lot harder than it is for men. Give it at least 12 weeks before you make any major changes. Consistency is your best friend. Good Luck

    Realistically, muscle is always lean. Whether you do low weight high reps, or low rep height weight, the purposes of weight training is to preserve muscle. I have yet to see a study that would suggest it's better to do 6 reps as opposed to 15-20 + reps in terms of muscle retention. Essentially, low rep high weight works fast twitch muscle fibers which increase explosive power while low weight high rep works slow twitch muscle fibers to work endurance. So if you want strength, go low rep/high weight, if you want more endurance go high weight low rep. Personally, I think you can find a happy medium and work both sets of muscle fibers. For the most part, I am in the 8-12 rep range but either for my last sets or on "off days" i will work cardio weight training to improve endurance.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    There is one thing that I don't feel good about in my new lifestyle and might be a reason why I'm not seeing any results....my sleep. I'm a new nurse, working in a very heavy ICU doing full time and working 12hr shift, rotating btw days and night shifts, so my sleep pattern is all over the place. When i do day shifts i sometime go thru 12 hours without eating anything (there is not even time for wc break!)and then come home at 9pm and just dig into a pile of food before going to bed. When i'm on nights, I have to eat all night long to keep myself awake and obtain energy (I would snake on fruits, occasionally nuts and crackers, drinking lots of tea). I feel bad but there is nothing really I can do about it :S

    Sleep can effect weight loss, especially if you are stressed out and getting little sleep. What kinds of food are you eating? Do you eat a lot of protein type food?
  • dread886
    dread886 Posts: 1
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    Dont talk rubbish, you clearly have no understanding of weight training. Light weights create lean toned muscle?? Crazy. Learn how to train correctly, learn to understand the different types of training and how and when to use them dont just randomly start quoting rubbish you've read in a magazine
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1122891-9-reasons-fat-loss-is-always-slower-than-you-d-like

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1105036-article-on-flexible-dieting-by-armi-legge?page=1#posts-17068746

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/the-myth-of-good-and-bad-foods-by-eric-helms-588801

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1144679-kiss

    highfiving.gif

    Totally this!

    And this!
    Guess what your body does for endurance type muscle workout? Stores more carbs to endure longer next time.
    Guess what stores with carbs in the muscles that need it? Water.
    Guess what happens to muscle with more water in it, not only from glucose but also sore and retained for repair? Swells.
    Got the wrong idea if you don't want a puffy stomach.
    As commented above, your good strength training lifts will tighten that up, the diet will show them off.

    Also, you aren't going to do much in a month except make improvements.

    As mentioned, you are probably eating more than you think, basically at maintenance, and if you keep it up you'll start losing inches of fat as your body makes improvement to the muscle.

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