I lost 120 pounds total but I also lost my "fat guy strength"
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derkin2005
Posts: 282 Member
So I worked out A LOT while losing the weight (it took one year). In the 10 months since I have been in maintenance mode. I gain I lose repeat. As of right now I am down from 264 to around 153 lowest was 144. While I have noticed significant muscle gain I have def lost some of the strength I had as a larger guy. Is this commonplace? I am happy where I;m at just making adjustments...
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Well done sweetie... not sure about the strength part. Hopefully someone else can answer that! xx0
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I have a theory. If you were 264 lbs, that meant you were always lugging around a 264 lb body. Just getting up or walking up a flight of stairs with that kind of weight would require quite a bit of strength. I always wondered how extremely heavy people (400+ lbs) could even walk. If I put a 200+ lb suit on me, I'm not going anywhere. But a 400 lb woman can get up and move around. The only explanation I have is that muscle was added as the weight increased. Lifting weights isn't the same as carrying around a lot of weight 24/7.0
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I have a theory. If you were 264 lbs, that meant you were always lugging around a 264 lb body. Just getting up or walking up a flight of stairs with that kind of weight would require quite a bit of strength. I always wondered how extremely heavy people (400+ lbs) could even walk. If I put a 200+ lb suit on me, I'm not going anywhere. But a 400 lb woman can get up and move around. The only explanation I have is that muscle was added as the weight increased. Lifting weights isn't the same as carrying around a lot of weight 24/7.
Good answer!0 -
I have lost 102 pounds and feel like I am not as strong when I need to lift something or when my lab jumps on me or tries to pull me. :-)0
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It is a fair answer when I was heavy it was like I was immovable but now my legs are still as strong from carrying said weight for so long, my bench strength however has decreased.I have a theory. If you were 264 lbs, that meant you were always lugging around a 264 lb body. Just getting up or walking up a flight of stairs with that kind of weight would require quite a bit of strength. I always wondered how extremely heavy people (400+ lbs) could even walk. If I put a 200+ lb suit on me, I'm not going anywhere. But a 400 lb woman can get up and move around. The only explanation I have is that muscle was added as the weight increased. Lifting weights isn't the same as carrying around a lot of weight 24/7.
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mygrl4meee wrote: »I have lost 102 pounds and feel like I am not as strong when I need to lift something or when my lab jumps on me or tries to pull me. :-)
Congrats on the loss0 -
Thank youkendalslimmer wrote: »Well done sweetie... not sure about the strength part. Hopefully someone else can answer that! xx
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I've noticed the same thing. When I was 240 pounds (and an untrained "athlete"), I could bench a lot more than I can now. Now, I lift heavy 3 times a week, but I'm nowhere near my bench PR. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but know that you're not alone.0
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I have a theory. If you were 264 lbs, that meant you were always lugging around a 264 lb body. Just getting up or walking up a flight of stairs with that kind of weight would require quite a bit of strength. I always wondered how extremely heavy people (400+ lbs) could even walk. If I put a 200+ lb suit on me, I'm not going anywhere. But a 400 lb woman can get up and move around. The only explanation I have is that muscle was added as the weight increased. Lifting weights isn't the same as carrying around a lot of weight 24/7.
This is an awesome answer!!0 -
In one year you lost over 100 lbs! First Congrats!!!! Second during that time you have lost muscle, no way around that, losing that much weight resulted in muscle lost. The "muscle gain" you see is the fat that you have shed allowing the muscle that is left to come through. My recommendation is to start putting muscle back on, get off the "maintenance" thing. Unless you are happy with the loss in strength and your overall appearance. I'm not saying you need to add muscle or look different, so please don't take this the wrong way. If you want to put muscle back on and gain strength you need to hit heavy weights, low reps, try a program like stronglifts 5X5. Again this is my opinion and only that an opinion, from what I can see/tell in the picture you look great!0
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I totally feel what you are saying. I do want to get stronger not really about looks. Not gonna lie though you bust your *kitten* to see the numbers on a scale go down it is a lot harder to watch them go up. I am at 153 atm when I was at 144 I was told I looked "sick" quite often. Again that never entered my frame of mind some of the weight I have gained I am sure is muscle , some not. I am ok with that the goal when I started this was to see my daughter grow up, I feel I have aided in that anything else is a bonus.In one year you lost over 100 lbs! First Congrats!!!! Second during that time you have lost muscle, no way around that, losing that much weight resulted in muscle lost. The "muscle gain" you see is the fat that you have shed allowing the muscle that is left to come through. My recommendation is to start putting muscle back on, get off the "maintenance" thing. Unless you are happy with the loss in strength and your overall appearance. I'm not saying you need to add muscle or look different, so please don't take this the wrong way. If you want to put muscle back on and gain strength you need to hit heavy weights, low reps, try a program like stronglifts 5X5. Again this is my opinion and only that an opinion, from what I can see/tell in the picture you look great!0 -
Wow, awesome loss, great work!! To answer your question, you need to remember, you lost muscle as well as fat. Lift heavy, it will come back.0
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Thank you
Thank youLiftng4Lis wrote: »Wow, awesome loss, great work!! To answer your question, you need to remember, you lost muscle as well as fat. Lift heavy, it will come back.
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In one year you lost over 100 lbs! First Congrats!!!! Second during that time you have lost muscle, no way around that, losing that much weight resulted in muscle lost. The "muscle gain" you see is the fat that you have shed allowing the muscle that is left to come through. My recommendation is to start putting muscle back on, get off the "maintenance" thing. Unless you are happy with the loss in strength and your overall appearance. I'm not saying you need to add muscle or look different, so please don't take this the wrong way. If you want to put muscle back on and gain strength you need to hit heavy weights, low reps, try a program like stronglifts 5X5. Again this is my opinion and only that an opinion, from what I can see/tell in the picture you look great!
This!!! You've lost muscle, and now need to build the muscle back up by being in a calorie surplus if this is your goal.
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This!!! You've lost muscle, and now need to build the muscle back up by being in a calorie surplus if this is your goal.
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Being in a calorie surplus is a very hard change after being so strict lol but I understand. Thank you0 -
Congrats on your loss and best of luck reaching a new PRI've noticed the same thing. When I was 240 pounds (and an untrained "athlete"), I could bench a lot more than I can now. Now, I lift heavy 3 times a week, but I'm nowhere near my bench PR. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but know that you're not alone.
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derkin2005 wrote: »
I totally feel what you are saying. I do want to get stronger not really about looks. Not gonna lie though you bust your *kitten* to see the numbers on a scale go down it is a lot harder to watch them go up. I am at 153 atm when I was at 144 I was told I looked "sick" quite often. Again that never entered my frame of mind some of the weight I have gained I am sure is muscle , some not. I am ok with that the goal when I started this was to see my daughter grow up, I feel I have aided in that anything else is a bonus.In one year you lost over 100 lbs! First Congrats!!!! Second during that time you have lost muscle, no way around that, losing that much weight resulted in muscle lost. The "muscle gain" you see is the fat that you have shed allowing the muscle that is left to come through. My recommendation is to start putting muscle back on, get off the "maintenance" thing. Unless you are happy with the loss in strength and your overall appearance. I'm not saying you need to add muscle or look different, so please don't take this the wrong way. If you want to put muscle back on and gain strength you need to hit heavy weights, low reps, try a program like stronglifts 5X5. Again this is my opinion and only that an opinion, from what I can see/tell in the picture you look great!
I feel you about getting bothered by the numbers on the scale going back up. Here is a suggestion. Try to shift your focus from your weight to your body composition. That is, focus on your body fat % and your lean muscle mass. Research getting tested using a BodPod or iDEXA scan. I would recommend an iDEXA scan. These scans only take about 10 minutes to be done and can give you a report indicating your bone density, lean muscle mass, and total body fat. It even tells you where you are carrying your fat as well as the symmetry in your muscle mass. More advanced scans can even differentiate visceral fat and sub-dermal fat. I have been using DEXAfit. They have an office in Atlanta. I am sure there are other places where these can be done as well.
By focusing on your body fat % and increasing lean muscle mass, you are really focusing the important numbers. One's weight is only an indirect measure of health. It is a measure but one that can be misleading especially if you are gaining muscle.0 -
Dude, excellent work, I am inspired. I would rather be slender and fit over fat and strong. Now at least you are at a baseline that you can decide if you want to build strength or stay where you are. It's a feat to get to where you have gotten, if you can do that, then you can do anything. Great job.0
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Well done on everything you have accomplished. I have noticed the same thing - at 194lb I was far stronger than I am now at 154lb and have lost a lot of muscle from my back and legs. I didn't see that one coming but it is very noticeable in my physical job.0
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jonjhayden wrote: »derkin2005 wrote: »
I totally feel what you are saying. I do want to get stronger not really about looks. Not gonna lie though you bust your *kitten* to see the numbers on a scale go down it is a lot harder to watch them go up. I am at 153 atm when I was at 144 I was told I looked "sick" quite often. Again that never entered my frame of mind some of the weight I have gained I am sure is muscle , some not. I am ok with that the goal when I started this was to see my daughter grow up, I feel I have aided in that anything else is a bonus.In one year you lost over 100 lbs! First Congrats!!!! Second during that time you have lost muscle, no way around that, losing that much weight resulted in muscle lost. The "muscle gain" you see is the fat that you have shed allowing the muscle that is left to come through. My recommendation is to start putting muscle back on, get off the "maintenance" thing. Unless you are happy with the loss in strength and your overall appearance. I'm not saying you need to add muscle or look different, so please don't take this the wrong way. If you want to put muscle back on and gain strength you need to hit heavy weights, low reps, try a program like stronglifts 5X5. Again this is my opinion and only that an opinion, from what I can see/tell in the picture you look great!
I feel you about getting bothered by the numbers on the scale going back up. Here is a suggestion. Try to shift your focus from your weight to your body composition. That is, focus on your body fat % and your lean muscle mass. Research getting tested using a BodPod or iDEXA scan. I would recommend an iDEXA scan. These scans only take about 10 minutes to be done and can give you a report indicating your bone density, lean muscle mass, and total body fat. It even tells you where you are carrying your fat as well as the symmetry in your muscle mass. More advanced scans can even differentiate visceral fat and sub-dermal fat. I have been using DEXAfit. They have an office in Atlanta. I am sure there are other places where these can be done as well.
By focusing on your body fat % and increasing lean muscle mass, you are really focusing the important numbers. One's weight is only an indirect measure of health. It is a measure but one that can be misleading especially if you are gaining muscle.
Thank you will look into the scan.0
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