Not sure if doing this right, advice needed please

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ChilliRed
ChilliRed Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, I need some advice. I am 51 years old and 5ft 2. I weigh 10 stone 12lb and I have been eating 1200 calories now for about six weeks. I am going to the gym three times a week doing 20 - 30 minutes cardio and around 40 minutes on the weights...using the weight machines in the gym, increasing the weights and also using the free weights. I also do a bit of walking and cycling but I have not lost any weight at all. According to my bodyfat scales my fat percentage has gone down 4% and my clothes do feel a little bit looser. I also have an underactive thyroid gland which can make it a bit harder to lose weight. MFP told me to have 1200 calories per day, I do eat extra on days that I go to the gym. I am not as bothered about the weight on the scales as much as toning up and getting fit and into shape. I am new to using weights and not sure if I am going about it the right way. I also have some kettlebells which I use at home some days for a short workout.

Replies

  • TessMacc
    TessMacc Posts: 31
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    I'm not an expert but from the sounds of it you are losing fat but gaining muscle, so no weight loss is fine. Losing inches is a much better judge, so if your clothes are looser you're doing the right thing.
  • molonlabe762
    molonlabe762 Posts: 411 Member
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    I'm not an expert but from the sounds of it you are losing fat but gaining muscle, so no weight loss is fine. Losing inches is a much better judge, so if your clothes are looser you're doing the right thing.

    I second this
  • michael44107
    michael44107 Posts: 3
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    i have read time and again that you have to replace the calories you burn working out. for example, if you eat 1200 calories a day, burn 500 doing cardio and weights, your net calories would only be 700. this will get your body into starvation mode and weight loss is difficult. you need to eat an additional 500 calories to keep your net calories at 1200.
  • ChilliRed
    ChilliRed Posts: 25 Member
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    Thanks for the replies, I was hoping that I was burning fat and building muscle but then someone said a few days ago that you cannot build muscle eating a calorie deficit. I do eat the extra calories that I earn on days that i exercise
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
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    Take photos and body measurements,

    They will also show you your success,
  • TessMacc
    TessMacc Posts: 31
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    .... someone said a few days ago that you cannot build muscle eating a calorie deficit.

    Pretty sure they're wrong about that. You can't get really bulked up, but you can still gain some muscle and tone up.

    All I know is, I haven't lost that much weight since I started about 6 weeks ago, but I've definitely shrunk a bit. I'm the same height as you and slightly heavier.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    .... someone said a few days ago that you cannot build muscle eating a calorie deficit.

    Pretty sure they're wrong about that. You can't get really bulked up, but you can still gain some muscle and tone up.

    All I know is, I haven't lost that much weight since I started about 6 weeks ago, but I've definitely shrunk a bit. I'm the same height as you and slightly heavier.
    When you first start lifting, you will see some minor newbie gains. You will also see some water retention in the first few weeks after you start a lifting program, so it's normal to either see no change in weight or even a slight increase.

    You can't build any significant muscle in a deficit. It's beyond difficult for women to build muscle anyway, under optimal conditions. If you weigh 152 pounds and the scale says you are down 4% body fat, that's about 6 pounds of fat. You didn't add 6 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks. As a woman, you probably couldn't do that even eating at a surplus, lifting like a machine and adding some unnatural chemical assistance.

    That's not to say that you're doing anything wrong. Weight loss isn't linear and it's completely normal to lose inches but not pounds. 6 weeks is a little long to see that, but if you're happy with your progress, stick with it.

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