Wanted: Started Heavy Lifting More then 50 lbs from Goal

I started heavy lifting 70lbs from goal, I am now 35lbs from goal and it has been wonderful! Now as the fat is coming off I am seeing muscles peaking through! I still do cardio but have incorporated heavy lifting into my daily routine. My weight does not fluctuate as bad as it did when I was on a more cardio based routine, and I am loving the shape it is giving my body now

Lift heavy as early on as you can. Gaining some muscle now will help protect your joints from injury as you strive to be more active. You'll also look leaner and the extra muscle will boost your metabolism to speed your weightloss (or allow you to eat more). If you enjoy it...do it! I prefer weights to cardio and so I do whatever gets me to the gym. I usually have to sign up for a running race or some kind of event to get myself into cardio :P

I started lifting 51 days ago and I have lost 10 lbs since I started. It is very strange to me as people are already starting to notice. Alot of my clothes are starting to fit like they did when I was 5-7 lbs less than I am now. My arms and legs are looking pretty good.

I've got 60+ pounds to go before I hit my goal. I've been lifting for a year and have been taking my nutrition seriously (with a few bad days here and there) for 6 months (learned that lesson the hard way). I suggest starting now it was one of the best decisions I made. I try to only weigh in once every 2 weeks and I average close to 2 pounds in that time frame. Just remember everyone is different though. Here are some suggestions I have, that have worked well for me since I've started lifting:

1. Take progress photos and measurements before you start. I take monthly photos and measurements every 2 months.
2. Invest in a good protein powder. Shoot for at least 120 grams of protein daily (this is a number that my trainer gave me to shoot for. It's my blast fat and gain muscle number). Lot's of healthy lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish, quinoa, etc.) I have a protein shake (2 scoops) on my way to work and another (1 scoop) as a snack at some point in the day.
3. Keep a training log. Write down in a notebook (I do not recommend MFP for this task. The only app I would recommend is JEFIT.) the exercise, # of sets, # of reps, amount of weight, and anything else you feel is pertinent to your workout. Do this for every workout. Studies have shown people who do this tend to reach their goals quicker.
4. Break up with your scale temporarily. You WILL gain some weight when you first start training. I actually broke up with my scale entirely for a 4 month stretch and lost a "ton" of weight, well for me anyway since I seem to lose at a turtle pace (10 pounds).
5. DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)....it comes with the territory.
6. Never work the same muscle group(s) 2 days in a row. I work legs Monday's and Thursday's. Upper body Tuesday's and Friday's.

Feel free to add me as a friend if you would like.

Hello,

I have seen amazing before/after photos of women who have heavy lifted. As I looked through most of those posts, they were within 20lbs or less of their goal weight. I am interested in seeing results from people who still had a significant amount of weight to lose when they started. What does the results look like? I am debating whether to start now or wait a few months until I get the scale below 200 lbs. I would like to start now- but I know I will feel defeated when the scale stalls/slows down.

Start NOW. I started with weights when I was almost 90lbs overweight. Its taken me over 2 years to lose 45lbs, but I haven't really given my diet the proper attention.

When I first started I was 228 lbs, wore a 42DD bra, and a snug 18 in pants. My shirts were an 18/20 or 22/24 depending on style. I now weigh 184 lbs, wear a 38D, size 10/12 pants & 12/14 shirt. In the last 9 months I have only lost 6lbs, but people are constantly asking me if I've lost more weight.

My trainer is a competition bodybuilder, and my 2x weekly sessions with him are scaled versions of his workouts. I can squat 200lbs and deadlift 180lbs. Other gym members just gawk when they see us together. Feel free to look through my profile pics.

To be perfectly honest i started my journey in June 17 and i weighed in at docs office @ 355 lb. I didn't begin any form of exercise until January this year when i was down to 269 lb loss of 86 lb. I have to say that i am glad i started early on as now i am down to 198 lbs and am still working with trainer at gym once a week. The only other form of exercise i do is walking. On average week i will walk 35-40 miles This is a far cry from what i could originally walk. My honest opinion is start now. As i see my body reducing the shape that has been formed with body building is amazing and way better than i could of hoped for.
My goal weight is a little higher than most women as i am 5 10 and have excess skin that will need taken care off end of this year.

I started when I thought I had 50lb to go to my target. It wound up that I only lost about 40lb, felt uncomfortably skinny and put back on 5lb to get closer to the look and strength I want.

If you start now, you'll be so glad later that you did!



I've gone from a UK size 16-18 (US 12-14) to a size 8-10 (US 2-6, depending on brands).

You look great, what was your diet and your lifting programme?

I started lifting heavy when I was 236 lbs (I'm a 5'6" female, for reference). It didn't in ANY way stop me from losing weight.

Otoh, I wasn't lifting to lose weight. I was doing it for stress relief, because it was one of the few things I could do at 100% intensity given a couple of medical issues, and I happen to love it.

You'll notice I'm only down to 202 (ticker wasn't started at 236). That's on me, not the lifting. I've been working with underlying issues and am really happy to steady permanent changes (better eating and sleeping habits, for example, even when I took a several week break from MFP).

About half of my weight and size (from US 22-24 to 16-18) was accomplished while lifting heavy. My bench press PR is 230 lbs - when I say heavy, I mean *heavy*! About half of the drop was accomplished while taking a break from weights. The only reason for that break btw, is that I moved to over an hour from a gym, and am likely to move again within the year. So I don't want to buy equipment.

Oh, and I still look like a harmless hobbit, likely to offer a tray of tea and cookies. Which is frankly annoying when my lowfat female triathlete friend of my height has amaaaazing biceps (we curl the same #). Lifting makes my weight look better, and I stand taller/stronger...but from experience I know that muscle won't show until my weights a good bit lower. This too is a bit YMMV.

LIFT.

Ok...DONT WAIT!!! For many reasons. First of all heavy lifting will only help you on your journey to weight loss, as even at rest muscle burns more calories than fat (not a ton more mind you but it does burn some extra.) But more importantly, it can change your body, and maintain muscle mass instead of losing it though lots of cardio and low calorie diet. http://www.builtlean.com/2013/04/16/muscle-burn-calories/

Beyond the actual physical benefits, it just gives a confidence that I never received from cardio alone. I saw an incredible change in my body once I began to lift heavy weights. I felt strong, I enjoyed the gym so much more as cardio became boring after awhile. I became leaner and more shapely quicker than cardio alone. As someone that has lost a significant amount of weight, I highly recommend weight lifting. If you are unsure what program to use, there are many web sites that can help you out. Bodybuilding.com has a ton of programs you can search out.

Good luck and start lifting!!!! You won't regret it...Oh and make sure you take measurements before you begin!!! It is amazing how you can lose inches even when your weight does not change that much.

Everyone says to start now, so I did. I'm really enjoying it! I have about 50~ pounds to "normal" and ~70 to my ideal goal weight in my head.

Plus, I think that a good part about being heavier when you start is that your body is already used to carrying around a lot of excess weight so it's almost easier than waiting.

The sooner you start resistance training, the better. Many women (and men too) focus entirely on weight loss, and they end up losing a lot of lean mass along with the fat. You'll look better, and you'll have an easier time maintaining, if you can hold on to your muscle.

You don't have to worry about bulking up and getting huge if you're maintaining a calorie deficit. I wish that were a problem! I gained strength while losing weight, but at a certain point those gains became very small because it's so hard to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. The purpose of resistance training during weight loss is to maintain strength. You don't want to end up skinny but weak!

I've just started lifting again today after a 3 month (not my choice) hiatus. I'm not pushing myself to do more than I physically am able to right now, but when I got into it a while back, I could definitely feel a difference, so I agree with those who say to start early.

I'm currently 92 pounds from goal, but I'm not waiting.

Think of it this way...I started lifting AT my goal weight and size (8). I didn't intend to lose fat, weight, or get smaller. I just wanted to get stronger.

A year later, I am down 10lbs and tried on a size 2 the other day (the pants buttoned but didn't zip). I made that progress without drastically changing my diet or caloric intake. If you eat at a deficit, lift, and continue with cardio, you should be able to get good results with 50lbs left to lose.

I would say that if you want to start do it. But I waited until I hit goal (or even under actually), and I'm glad I did. And my trainer is looking for my husband to get to at least 15%BF (or lower) before having him start lifting heavy. I think it's that your body will most efficiently build muscle in a calorie surplus. Sure, it can take from your fat stores, but not as efficiently as from food directly. So waiting to hit goal (or less) then getting to overeat to build the muscle can be better. BUT, like I said, it's fun and if you want to start sooner, go for it!

people who don't lift while eating at a deficit will lose 28% more lean muscle during their weight loss on average then people who do lift thru out there weight loss. And its a lot harder to regain that lost lean muscle as a result of eating at a deficit then it is to lose body fat. Not lifting during their weight loss journey is the main reason most people are not happy with the way they look once they reach and even surpass their weight loss goal.