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

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  • FitnessBellaBarbie
    FitnessBellaBarbie Posts: 46
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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.

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    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.


    HEY!!! YOU COULD REALLY HELP ME!!!
    Check out my post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1318840-under-weight-in-need-of-help-with-goals
    I have the SAME problem!!! - Please can you help me with my goals PLEASE!
    :) Thank You
  • lisansc
    lisansc Posts: 14
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    Amazing, just look awesome!
  • cushygal
    cushygal Posts: 586 Member
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    Great job!
  • sgvdms
    sgvdms Posts: 33 Member
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    Thank you thank you thank you.

    My bf KEEPS trying to tell me that lifting will make me look like him (very muscular under a layer of fat). He insists that he's right because he took nutrition classes for anesthesiology school. I've been looking for success stories and photos of women who lift to show him that I will NOT bulk out!

    He also insists that the *only* way to lose weight is to run, because that's "what worked for him". Sorry, but no. The only reason he lost weight is because the running burned extra calories and he didn't eat additional food to make up for it. Calories in < calories out!

    Great job! Keep up the hard work! Can't wait to recomp my body by LIFTING!!!

    Oh man don't even get me started on boyfriends opinions of my fitness lol!!
  • MissGamerGirl
    MissGamerGirl Posts: 187 Member
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    This is great info - how often do you lift? How long are you lifting for?

    Great progress too.


    I lift 3 days a week alternating the Stronglifts 5x5 workouts. I also do one day a week of a HIIT routine I do that involves some strength moves as well as using the row machine.

    Truthfully, I spend forever in the gym (usually 1 1/2 - 2 hrs) but that's because I want to. It's my me time and I don't like to rush through my routines. :)
  • jwil1231
    jwil1231 Posts: 89 Member
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    Hi. Thanks for sharing! Great to see your results and great job!
    Check out Ernestine Shepherd on youtube. Her weight lifting results are well.....best to see for yourself:smile:

    I didn't get the name down there but thanks for the heads up about strong lifts and simple strength!
    I've had a lapse and I am back to healthier choices! I need ab work.
    Thanks so much for sharing!
  • californiabella
    californiabella Posts: 152
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    You look fantastic!
  • annabananna1183
    annabananna1183 Posts: 14
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    Awesome! Just replying so I can refer back to this! Heh. :bigsmile:
  • MissSarahAllison315
    MissSarahAllison315 Posts: 263 Member
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    You've definitely inspired me to lift more! I have the same tummy issue you had and am at my wits end about how to get it gone! I'll be starting some lifting!!!!!! :love: :love: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
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    Although I would recommend also running with the lifting because it's good for your heart and I love the idea of being strong and having good endurance! But those are my goals, not yours!

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  • tinkystyle
    tinkystyle Posts: 76 Member
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    Awesome!
  • ebailey710
    ebailey710 Posts: 271 Member
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    Loving this! I love lifting too, it's always been my favorite! We just moved and the weights aren't all set up yet in our home gym, so I use dumbbells and kettle bells when I can.
  • Peppah7
    Peppah7 Posts: 64 Member
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    Awesome, you look fantastic! Thanks for sharing, very interesting.. 2000 cal! :bigsmile:
  • PennyHarris123
    PennyHarris123 Posts: 159 Member
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    you look great....I too used to be a cardio bunny and now mainly do just weights with some spinning/swimming thrown in....my profile shows me at same weight, the left just cardio, the right mainly weights....picture couple of months old on the right and I have a tiny bit more belly now as I broke my leg and had to take time out
    I love this showing how weights change your whole physique...well done and thanks for sharing :flowerforyou:
  • MissGamerGirl
    MissGamerGirl Posts: 187 Member
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    Does this eating more thing ever actually work for guys? I'm 5'11" 250ish lbs. My lowest was 227lbs. I didn't really count calories then but did cardio 3 days a week and weight machines three days a week to get there. Same story as the OP though. Vacations, holidays, birthdays and I'm back up some. Since the beginning of the year I've tried several things.

    I tried what worked before. Meat & veggies ('m talking literally chicken breast and peppers 5 nights a week) only with one cheat night (nothing crazy, beer and pizza type thing). I gain and lose the same 5lbs. I tried high day low days weighting and measuring everything (yes I have a food scale). I lift 4 days a week (was doing 5x5 now 5/3/1 with supplemental stuff) so I did 2000 calories on off days, 2500 on work out days. I gain and lose the same 5lbs. 2300 calories everyday (like the IIFYM calculator says). Gain and lose the same 5lbs. Now I'm back again and losely logging, mostly because it doesn't seem to make a difference. I know, "you need to weigh and measure." I did for a while. Made literally not difference so I quit. Same 5lbs on and off.

    This would all be fine too if I actually made the huge gains the 5x5 website and other body building sites swear you'll have. Squat 500lbs. Deadlift 10billion pounds. Bench press a Volkswagon Beetle. Nope. Squat was up to 225 but I couldn't ever get 5 sets. Bench. 185 but couldn't ever actually do 5 sets. Deadlift? 285lbs. This one at least seems on track since I've been adding 5lbs every time still.

    TL;DR: so how is it 150lbs females can "eat more to lose weight!!" but 250lb males can't?

    Why are you eating different calories on different days? I eat maintenance calories (2,000) every day whether it's a training day or rest day.

    Also, I eat good food all the time. I don't think of life as "diet 6 days out of the week, cheat on one." That's not very sustainable IMO.

    And to be honest, it doesn't sound like you're committed to tracking, which you will reap benefits from if you're faithful to it. "Loosely tracking" is what usually gets people overeating without realizing it.
  • JeffInJax
    JeffInJax Posts: 232 Member
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    Im eating at a deficit at 2000-2200 calories and only lifting with maybe some cardio sprinkled in once or twice a week if I feel like it and I lose consistently. I am 29, at 6'5" and 252 pounds right now, averaging 1 sometimes 2 pounds a week lost. It also sounds like you are on a very low amount of carbohydrates during the week and then hit the beer and pizza for nothing but carbohydrates. I may be wrong but your muscles are going to take that cheat day as an opportunity to refill your muscles with glycogen from the carbs you're taking in which equates to gaining some of the weight back (Mind you its water weight and not fat).

    How long have you been at it? You mention a while several times, and maybe you should start taking measurements instead of just relying on the scale. You say your lifts have increased, yet your weight is still in the same range. If theres anything ive learned about fitness its slow and steady wins the game so looking for those huge gains is a bit unrealistic. My bench goes up fast even at a deficit, same with deadlifts and all tricep work, but my biceps and squats have always been pathetic and just takes more work.
  • JeffInJax
    JeffInJax Posts: 232 Member
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    Maybe see a dietician? Or have a metabolic study done if its affordable? Im not really sure off the top of my head

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