Trouble Losing Fat - Weight Lifting

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khawkshead
khawkshead Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, all. I've been trying to lean out and lose some much unwanted fat lately. Unfortunately, I have not had much luck. For starters, I'm a 5'4'' female, 162 pounds. I lift HEAVY about five to six days a week and incorporate a rest day. I definitely try to keep my food clean but I don't always stay 100% on that. I've been attempting to meal prep and eat about 1,400-1,500 calories per day. I can't seem to lose any weight - any ideas why? May I not be eating enough calories? It makes me nervous to eat more because I don't want to gain any more weight. Before I started lifting so much, my weight fluctuated between 140 - 145. This is exactly where I would like to be while still lifting heavy. Any and all pointers would be appreciated! :)

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  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
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    I'm guessing you're eating more than you think you are. Can't see your diary though
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    First, how long ago did you start lifting?
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    OP, it IS possible you're eating more than you think you are.

    It is also possible that other factors are masking your weight loss if the changes you have made are fairly recent. I'm providing a link to a blog that gives a good overview of some other issues that can mask weight loss temporarily.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/SideSteel/view/if-you-re-not-losing-682957

    Since I don't know how long you have been weight lifting or how long you have been trying to lose weight, it's almost impossible to say for certain whether the issue is that you are eating too much, or if you just need to give what you are doing a little more time. But my general advice is, if it's only been a couple weeks, give it more time. If it's been more than six weeks, there's something wrong with how you are tracking calories and you need to make adjustments.
  • Damir_Poljak
    Damir_Poljak Posts: 10 Member
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    I might not be the most competent person on this matter but if you want to lean up I recommend more cardio and low weight burst exercises. While building mass will help in burning calories in the long run, your body still builds certain fat storage for that use. So when you are comfortable with your mass, switch to those exercises that will get your mussels lean and at the same time burn excess fat.
    Best of luck
  • oksanatkachuk
    oksanatkachuk Posts: 149 Member
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    I might not be the most competent person on this matter but if you want to lean up I recommend more cardio and low weight burst exercises. While building mass will help in burning calories in the long run, your body still builds certain fat storage for that use. So when you are comfortable with your mass, switch to those exercises that will get your mussels lean and at the same time burn excess fat.
    Best of luck

    I d love to understand what do u mean
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    How long have you been counting and lifting?
    Do you truly measure everything you eat?
    Are you eating back your "exercise calories"?

    There could be so many things, you have to give more details..;
  • khawkshead
    khawkshead Posts: 2 Member
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    I changed the settings on my diary, so it should be visible to all now. If not, let me know.

    On the topic of counting calories, I'm pretty accurate with them. I use a food scale and measuring cups for the majority of my meals. If I stray off what I originally plan, I try my best to accurately record what I eat.

    I've been lifitng heavy for about three months now. I really started getting in to it in May. I don't do much cardio and if I do, it's HIIT. When I say lift "heavy," that's exactly what I'm doing. A lot of full body exercises such as squat, cleans, deadlifts, and shoulder presses. In addition, I target certain muscle groups once I finish the full body exercises. I've put on quite a bit of muscle - I can definitely tell by looking at myself and my strength ability in the weight room.

    When counting calories, I usually don't eat back the amount of calories I burn when working out. I wear a Polar so I have a good estimate of what amount I'm burning. Could this be one of the reasons? Not sure if I'm not eating enough - I'm just hesitant to eat more because I've come to realize my body is extremely sensitive to what food I eat and it's much easier for me to gain weight than lose weight.

    Thanks for all the replies!
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
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    How do your clothes fit? Sometimes thats a better indicator than the scale.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    How do your clothes fit? Sometimes thats a better indicator than the scale.

    this... and go by the tape measure.. if you're lifting HEAVY (not even sure what that means in all caps), then your weight loss might take a while to show up on the scale

    and no you havent put on quite a bit of muscle newbie gains for women are like 5 pounds at most especially when eating at a deficit. plus being stronger doesnt necessarily = bigger muscles.

    being able to see those muscles doesnt mean you have more of them/bigger ones either, it just means that you are losing fat.

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