Me running/eating less calories vs me eating more/lifting

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  • MissGamerGirl
    MissGamerGirl Posts: 187 Member
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    First of all, thank you everyone! I have been very fortunate to find great support here at MFP. You guys rock. <3
    What is your routine?? I mean you don't get a flat stomach from lifting, are you doing something else as well?
    Very well done! You inspired me :)

    I should have mentioned that I (more or less) follow the Stronglifts 5x5 program. I say more or less because I do extra accessory work and I've actually replaced the barbell row with other exercises but that is neither here nor there, haha. Like my friend snowmaniac said, you can find the whole routine on YouTube. There are two videos, Stronglifts 5x5 workout A and workout B. They're 30 minutes long each. Pay close attention to form used in performing these movements. I had to watch the videos many, many times to feel confident in really understanding the movement.

    It is 100% true that abs are made in the kitchen. A great lifting routine will lend you mediocre results if your diet is crap. The group here on MFP called "Eat, Train, Progress" has permanent threads that teach you about macros, how to set your macro targets, how to find out how much you should be eating, etc. However, I will say that the Stronglifts movements will absolutely work your core. I find this especially true of squats, where I'm really tightening my core to help pull me out of the bottom position.
    That is great!! I love seeing real proof that purely cardio makes you "skinny fat" (NOT THAT YOU WERE FAT) and lifting makes you lean.

    HA! I promise I'm not at all offended by this. I happen to agree with the skinny fat thing. And yeah, I will say that in the first picture, I was squishy!
  • heykaraoke
    heykaraoke Posts: 191 Member
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    Absolutely awesome and so inspiring! Great work :)
  • losingles
    losingles Posts: 147 Member
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    Bump for inspiration and to show Mama
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    Way to go! Love to hear from strong, fit and PROUD women who lift! :flowerforyou:
  • _errata_
    _errata_ Posts: 1,653 Member
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    READ: This is not a post bashing running by any means. This is simply my personal experience that I am sharing with you.

    So I think that this is really, REALLY interesting.

    10469675_801374863220059_6593780097024686379_n.jpg

    I started getting healthier and losing weight early last year in 2013. I started at 151 lbs. Picture on the left is me on May 18th, 2013, happy about how small I was able to get my stomach down to. The only exercise I did was running and I ate around 1400 calories a day on the Weight Watchers system. I didn't know anything about macro targets or anything like that. I just ate relatively healthy things that I could fit in a 1400 calorie budget. I weighed 130 lbs in the picture on the left. Soon after this picture, I went on vacation and when I got home the "vacation" never ended mentally. I gained ten pounds of what I lost back over the course of a few months during that fall and winter. I had stopped running. I tried running and eating 1400 calories again to lose the 10 pounds I gained back and I hated it. I wanted to try a different approach and started lifting in February of this year (2014). The picture on the right is me today (June 9th, 2014). I eat 2000 calories a day and all I do is lift. I weigh 133.2 lbs right now. I don't even run.

    My goals had changed really dramatically. On the left, I could run distances with decent endurance, but I was weak. I couldn't do any man pushups like I can now. On the left, I just wanted to be skinny. On the right, my goals have changed to wanting to be strong.

    Blows. My. Mind. And I havn't even scratched the surface of the progress I'm going to make.

    Nicely done.

    daft-punk.gif
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
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    Commenting so that this gets bumped back to the top where it belongs. Well done!
  • jlgemma
    jlgemma Posts: 23 Member
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    You look great! Thanks for the inspiration :)
  • allisonjforsyth
    allisonjforsyth Posts: 105 Member
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    SO awesome!!! LOVE THIS!!! Congrats you look amazing!
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    4 month? wow...shockingly nice...
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Bump for all women who fear "getting bulky"
  • ericalyn73
    ericalyn73 Posts: 79
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    So true! Lift ladies, and lift heavy. Great job!
  • willrun4bagels
    willrun4bagels Posts: 838 Member
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    Amazing!!!
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    Great work... according to my scale (which I'm only taking that number at face value) I have about 65 lbs and 41% body fat to lose. So I'm working at using both as a way to lose it...

    Again, great work!!! You look awesome.
  • buzybev
    buzybev Posts: 199 Member
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    bump
  • __hannah_
    __hannah_ Posts: 787 Member
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    Great work! I've been reading a lot of good things about lifting and want to incorporate it into my workouts once I buy some weights. So far I've lost weight just from counting calories and light to moderate cardio, but I think if I want to see more changes from this point lifting is the way to go.
  • eimaj5575
    eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member
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    Bump
  • mermaidme23
    mermaidme23 Posts: 60 Member
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    Congrats! I'm looking forward to lifting too!! I've seen amazing results, including yours!
  • airplanes00
    airplanes00 Posts: 62 Member
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    No, I was just asking cause clearily I'm doing it wrong :) most of the machines at my gym are for arms anyway

    Imagine a world of no sit ups, what? But it is true with lifting heavy you build core muscle and you will soon see (if you eat right along with heavy lifting) a six pack grow. It is so hard to change the mind set of hours in the gym and 1200 calories and 100 of reps on the floor, I still leave the gym and think I didn't do anything today because I am not dripping of sweat from running on hour on machines. But trust me you can see major results with lifting. The scale may stay the same but you will see your clothes fitting differently. This is the blog that changed my life back in 2011 - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LorinaLynn - good luck you can do :)
  • RinnyLush
    RinnyLush Posts: 389 Member
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    Amazing difference! Thank you for this post. I don't think I will ever stop running (I really truly love it), but I am certainly inspired to start lifting! Thanks again! :drinker:
  • airplanes00
    airplanes00 Posts: 62 Member
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    I do have a question for anyone who might know the answer. When I first started lifting I was pretty much at my goal weight (149lbs wanted to be 145lbs) I happen to find lifting and loved the way it changed my body, I was so happy. I finished the NROL4W, I ran once a week for 3.1 miles and didn't really watch my calories, I simply did portions and didn't eat crap processed foods. I was maintaining and love it. So now flash forward I had a baby was not able to eat red meat or lift during my pregnancy (wish I would have gotten a second opinion, but what's done is done and she is one happy healthy baby) So short story long, I am doing the 5/3/1 Big But Boring - Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday, and doing a 20 minute HIIT program on Wednesdays. Should I do more cardio since this time around I need to lose weight on top of building more muscle? I am 5'5".5 179lbs and I like my body at 149lbs, although would love to be 145lbs but I don't care too much about what the scale says as long as I have a healthy BMI and Body Fat %, but I certainly do not have that now and know I have to lose at least 24lbs, any thoughts would be helpful - Thanks

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