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Lifting weights, but no real fat loss

lisahewlett
lisahewlett Posts: 17
edited February 11 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All - I've been doing CrossFit since July...I'm about 40 lbs overweight...I've been seeing a change in my actual muscle - my arms feel different, I feel stronger...but I've not really had much fat loss at all - and I've gained 5 lbs. I knew that might happen at first, but I just keep gaining, and not losing actual fat. How can I get that process going? I'm always starving...I stay within my 1500ish calorie range on most days. Any help would be greatly appreciated?
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Replies

  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    Open your diary so folks can have a gander. Do you weigh and measure all your food? How many days a week do you do crossfit? What are your macros like?

    Rigger
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,170 Member
    you need to also do cardio to lose fat
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
    I haven't really looked at macros yet...but i was thinking about it.
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
    I CrossFit about 3 times a week, and walk daily.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    eat a little less, unless it is water weight you will lose weight in a caloric deficit.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    you need to also do cardio to lose fat

    Crossfit is more cardio than weight lifting really, the weights are relatively light and it's continuous movement.

    Rigger
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Are you under the impression that lifting weights is going to "cause" fat loss to occur?

    No matter if your lifting weights, doing cardio, or no exercise at all, a calorie deficit is the only thing absolutely "required" for fat loss. Lifting weights is really only going to affect body composition, it's not going to cause fat loss in and of itself.

    So in saying all of that, if you are not losing weight you are not in a calorie deficit.
  • AnexRavensong
    AnexRavensong Posts: 262 Member
    Lifting weights and only eating 1500 cals? That is probably the problem. Adding cardio alone isn't going to boost it (it will make it worse more than likely).. Muscles need CALORIES to survive. Your body isn't going to want to maintain something that costs energy when it can't even feel like it is getting enough energy itself. It's gonna cling to fat like nobody's business.
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
    The only reason why you're gaining fat is because you're eating too much. Eat less and measure everything.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,354 Member
    Based on your post all you know is you gained weight. What about your measurements (chest, waist, hips)? Losing fat and losing weight are not always the same thing. Many people can lose a lot of fat, and have their weight stay the same or even go up.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    you need to also do cardio to lose fat

    No.....just no.

    A caloric deficit helps you lose fat.

    Cardio for Cardiovascular health and so you can eat more food.

    Weights/Strength/Resistance training to maintain muscle mass, gain strength, etc.

    OP, are you eating back exercise calories?
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
    Chances are pretty high that you are eating more than you think. I started truly working out 5x week back in mid-April. At the end of July I had only lost 3-4 lbs, and I was easily 80-90 lbs overweight. So 3 /12 months of going from couch potato to hour long workouts (mix of cardio and weight training) and nothing but a few lbs. I realized I had to do something different. enter MFP, where I started logging in early August (weighing and measuring food, eating back some cals from exercise). I'm not starving at all (I'm not part of the 1200 club;) and I've lost 43 lbs much easier than I ever thought possible.

    Gotta weigh and measure and track every day!
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
    you need to also do cardio to lose fat
    She doesn't necessary need cardio to loose fat. Cardio just puts her in a calorie deficit. Lisa, how do you know you are not losing fat? Are you going by skin fold measurements? The inaccurate bodyfat testing scale? Dexascan? The scale may have went up in weight but that doesn't mean you didn't loose fat. It could mean water gain, muscle gain or a combination of the two.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    you need to also do cardio to lose fat

    wrong. all you need is a caloric deficit, this can be done from diet alone or a combo of diet and cardio, Cardio just allows you to eat more and still be in a deficit.
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
    So at 178 lbs (dang I hate putting that out there!), CrossFitting 3x a week, and walking 3-4 times per week, how many calories SHOULD I be eating? This is a loaded question, since some say I'm eating too much, some say not enough lol
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
    My pants WERE starting to fit better, but not anymore. That's why i believe I'm not losing. I think I have issues with water weight as well, since a lot of it is in my stomach.

    I've always had issues with this, though. Even when i was running tons. In 2012 I ran a half marathon and gained 15 lbs - and it wasn't muscle.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    The only reason why you're gaining fat is because you're eating too much. Eat less and measure everything.
    This. If you're gaining weight you're eating too much. Period.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    So at 178 lbs (dang I hate putting that out there!), CrossFitting 3x a week, and walking 3-4 times per week, how many calories SHOULD I be eating? This is a loaded question, since some say I'm eating too much, some say not enough lol

    What does MFP say? set your goal to lose 1 lb/week, eat that for 4-6 weeks and re-evalute at that time. But make sure you weight solid foods and measure liquids, otherwise you are probably eating way more than you think you are.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    How tall are you? Are you actually eating 1500 calories, or are you guessing? If you're not weighing and measuring, you're guessing.

    Rigger
  • SugarLou57
    SugarLou57 Posts: 84 Member
    More GREEN FOODS - find some recipes you like and boost your greens. Kale in a salad with a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice, Swiss chard (or spinach), onion, mushrooms, pine nuts and some marinara. Low calorie, nutrient dense. Your work out schedule is awesome so keep that up.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    The only reason why you're gaining fat is because you're eating too much. Eat less and measure everything.

    This.

    Especially the weigh/measure everything part. I find it hard to believe that if you're actually staying within 1500 Cals you're not losing weight while doing that much exercise unless you are quite old, already underweight, or extremely short (by which I mean quite a bit under 5').

    Given that none of these is likely true, there must be a problem with your calorie counting somewhere. Either you're underestimating how much you're eating, or, if you follow MFP's method, you're overestimating how many calories you're burning doing Crossfit.
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
    In MFP, it asks me if i'm Sedentary, Lightly Active, etc.

    That's where I'm not sure, either, because i DO sit all day for my actual job (my walking breaks are in the afternoons). All of my lifting activity is before work.

    So am I sedentary or lightly active?
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
    I'm 5'1.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    In MFP, it asks me if i'm Sedentary, Lightly Active, etc.

    That's where I'm not sure, either, because i DO sit all day for my actual job (my walking breaks are in the afternoons). All of my lifting activity is before work.

    So am I sedentary or lightly active?

    set light active and don't log cals from strength training
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
    This might be a better calculator

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    Lifting weights does not cause weight loss. Prolonged caloric level does.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    From http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Here's the calc for a woman of your stats with little exercise (desk job):

    TDEE: 1872
    BMR: 1560
    (TDEE - 20%): 1497

    So, as long as you're eating under 1872 (let's say < 1772 to allow for potentially inaccurate estimation) you should be losing weight - and that's not counting the Crossfit exercise.

    With 3-5 hrs. per wk of moderate exercise, you're looking at:

    TDEE: 2418
    BMR: 1560
    (TDEE - 20%): 1934

    Clearly, somewhere there's an error in your estimations, somewhere. Or, on the days you don't stay in 1500 Cals are you eating a lot over? Possibly enough to cancel out your efforts on the other days?
  • lisahewlett
    lisahewlett Posts: 17
    So that's saying I need 1900 calories? I eat less than that every day.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    It's an estimate (like MFP), so for some people it will be a bit high and for some it will be a bit low and for most it will be pretty much dead on. But, yes, it's saying that with the exercise you describe, you should be able to lose weight on 1900 cals.

    So, that gets back to an inaccuracy somewhere on calorie intake. Or, possibly, a medical issue. Calorie intake errors are pretty common, so eliminate that first. You need to weigh and measure everything everyday - even on 'cheat' days if you have them - to be sure that's not the problem.

    If it turns out that isn't it, only then I'd look at potential medical causes.
  • idontcarroll
    idontcarroll Posts: 216 Member
    http://iifym.com
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Right now you are eating a little over you BMR, that is the calories needed to just live.

    1703 cals, that is the suggested cals for fat loss.

    GRAMS per day
    CARBS 87.5
    PROTEIN 178
    FAT 71.2
    FIBER 36 - 45
    1703

    These numbers will change as you lose weight. Lots of different things (diets) work for different people. this is what I go buy and what works for me. Good luck!
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