Is weightlifting really sabotaging my weight loss?

IamUndrCnstruction
IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
edited November 15 in Fitness and Exercise
Wait a minute....before everyone jumps all over me....let me say I sure as hell hope it isn't because I love it. I am asking because I have hit a stall. One that has lasted about 3 weeks (maybe, hard to tell because I am terrified to get back on the scale for fear it hasn't moved). When I have posted about said stall, and said fear of the scale on my own time line, and in a couple groups I belong in, I have been told by a few that lifting is the reason and that I should back off. I eat keto under Dr's orders to deal with edema and prednisone related insulin resistance. That is mentioned because I have been told that weights and the beginnings of a keto lifestyle don't mix well. The problem is that I have discovered that I LOVE lifting. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. It wouldn't matter to me at all about the scale, except I have a medical reason (transplant) for needing the number to go down. So...am I hindering myself, or hurting myself? The number doesn't need to go down super fast, so maybe I should just ride it out?

Stats (if it matters)
5'10"
sw:235
cw: 208
gw (short term for transplant): 195
ugw:155-160
Diary is open and I weigh and measure everything that is not pre-portioned (like a wrapped cheese stick sort of food)

Thanks for any help you can give, and if you can't be helpful....well..never mind
«1

Replies

  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
    The only thing that will sabotage your weight loss is eating more calories than you burn.

    You will gain water weight when starting any new program or step up the intensity of an existing one. I did the latter on Saturday, was sore yesterday, and up three pounds of water weight today. Is what it is. It will come off eventually.
  • shancheer24
    shancheer24 Posts: 22 Member
    http://www.strengthsensei.com/female-training-hard-and-the-too-massive-myth/

    This article really helps me mentally while im beginning the weightlifting part of my journey.

    I have never had any trouble losing .5-1lb a week when im really being strict with my diet, however since doing a bootcamp in January and starting crossfit in February, my weight has been stalled for months, maybe moving only 1-2 pounds the whole time. Its been frustrating because i work out 5-6 days a week and have been really making sure to put the right kinds of foods into my body as well as making sure im not overdoing it on calories.

    I know muscle weighs more than fat and while that should be easy to wrap my head around since i can clearly see new muscles forming, it still makes the aspect of not losing weight a hard thing, since i have spent the last 18 months focusing only on losing weight.

  • badbradclark
    badbradclark Posts: 47 Member
    What are your other measurements (he asks rhetorically)? Are you not losing weight, but losing size? When you add weight lifting as a component, the scale becomes a difficult measurement, but the tape measure can tell the real truth.

    Consider changing up the types of exercises that you are doing. Maybe you've hit a plateau and a change up in your routine is order. A 90 day breakaway to p90x3 (which I love), or insanity, or some other type of routine might jump start your body back to weight loss.
  • _nice_
    _nice_ Posts: 55 Member
    Prednisone changes everything, alters your ADH in addition to every other renal and adeno hormone. Your water retention weight is going to be difficult to account for (you obviously know that) without having a dry weight to compare to (pre and post diuresis or retention, with stable body weight, which you don't have because you are losing). The scale is not going to be a good indicator for you if you are checking weight frequently. Cut back to once a month. Measure, measure, measure! And I would probably add in there a consultation with an endo if you don't already. I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice. Hang in there, know that you are doing the right things to get there, and kudos for being able to not shove every food in your mouth while on prednisone!
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    Very rarely will any form of exercise cause weight gain. You may be over-estimating your caloric burn, or you may be retaining water. If it is water retention, you will probably see a drop soon. Some days I lose real well, others it may take a week or two for the scale to move, but many times it will move quickly when it does.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Thank you for the replies everyone! @_nice_‌ Thank you for understanding about the "pred"..I hate it, but it is unavoidable for me.

    I don't eat back any more than 100 calories worth of my exercise calories to account for any overestimate. I put a much larger deficit than needed to account for any caloric underestimate as well. I just get confused when I read one thing, then some one tells me another and then I have a Dr (my cardiologist) tell me not to lift cause I'll get.....*gasp*...bulky! So thank you for the input so far!
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    Thank you for the replies everyone! @_nice_‌ Thank you for understanding about the "pred"..I hate it, but it is unavoidable for me.

    I don't eat back any more than 100 calories worth of my exercise calories to account for any overestimate. I put a much larger deficit than needed to account for any caloric underestimate as well. I just get confused when I read one thing, then some one tells me another and then I have a Dr (my cardiologist) tell me not to lift cause I'll get.....*gasp*...bulky! So thank you for the input so far!

    You would need a surplus of calories to get bulky! And a very specific regimen in the gym and with your diet. Your body can't build muscle from nothing, and certainly can't build much while it is already being forced to tap into stored fat just to keep you breathing. (Not to mention that the body also breaks down muscle while you're in a deficit, not just fat.)

    The image of your doctor telling you not to lift weights because your body might change in ways your doctor finds unattractive (especially when it won't even) is... something.

    I don't know enough about keto but from research I did a couple years ago, my understanding was that adequate levels of fat and water intake become even more important than usual. I can't tell from your diary whether you are on target in those areas, but it would be worth doing more research if you are not sure either. :)
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    edited March 2015
    It's not the lifting - unless it's really new and you're hanging on to water.

    How can someone as educated as a cardiologist think this?! Impossible to get bulky without a surplus (and even then very slow).

    If you've been at deficit for a while, you might have got complacent (I know I do) - get the kitchen scales back out.

    Edit: and like _nice_ says, tape measure > scales for measuring progress while lifting.
  • realityhack
    realityhack Posts: 8
    No. If you are eating at a deficit it will not. But you DO need to alter what you eat. Your protein requirement will go up significantly for example.

    I have actually done this in the past with a personal trainer and nutritionist.

    In addition you should ask yourself this. If you lost weight at a slightly lower rate but were getting in great physical shape... isn't that actually the point?

    Also don't forget cardio so your heart can handle the weight training.
  • realityhack
    realityhack Posts: 8
    dave4d wrote: »
    Very rarely will any form of exercise cause weight gain. You may be over-estimating your caloric burn, or you may be retaining water. If it is water retention, you will probably see a drop soon. Some days I lose real well, others it may take a week or two for the scale to move, but many times it will move quickly when it does.
    This is accurate. If you can find it in your area do a BodPod so you have a baseline lean muscle mass and body fat. Then check it again after a month of lifting. It takes a lot to put on muscle. If you are gaining weight at any significant rate it likely isn't all muscle. The report will give you a much better understanding of what is happening.

  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    I’m assuming your doctor wants you to lose fat, versus losing lean body mass. I’ll give you an example. I’m listed as obese on the BMI charts at 19% body fat and even if I were able to lose all of my fat (zero body fat, which is impossible), I’d still be 2 lbs over ideal.

    I’d have a conversation with the doctor and ask what they really want. Measure body fat and/or take body measurements and manage that. The scale is a terrible measure of health.

    In all likelihood, you’re retaining water.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    edited March 2015
    the only thing sabotaging your diet is the amount of calories that you are consuming...
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Let me clarify, I am not gaining weight. Even with my issues with water retention I am not gaining, which is amazing in and of itself. Lifting is new to me, I have only been able to do so for the last month and have been increasing both weight and cardio since finally getting medical clearance to do so. @AllanMisner‌ That is a very good point, and I will ask them Wednesday when I go to Transplant clinic. @futuremanda‌ I do need to research some more as I am always under my fat macro and am not sure I have everything set right. :\@realityhack‌ Yes, you are right, the point is to be in better shape, I am trying and trying to get there. I am just trying to sort out some conflicting things I have read/been told.
    @ndj1979 thank you for your cleverness. I never would have realized.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    Like I said. I wouldn't worry too much. If it is only water retention, which it most likely is, you will lose to water weight soon, or you will lose some body fat and the weight on the scale will drop from that. I understand muscles will hold on to water when one starts a lifting program, but much like the severe DOMS one gets when they first start lifting, the water retention doesn't last long.
  • Yisrael1981
    Yisrael1981 Posts: 132 Member
    You might want to buy a body fat tester , as you may be losing fat yet retaining water or added muscle.
    Omron body fat tester ($35) is pretty cheap and fairly accurate
  • GWehsling
    GWehsling Posts: 120 Member
    I read most of this and I think it has your answer, particularly if you look at the stats of the OP.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1276219/i-went-from-morbidly-obese-to-6-pack-abs-ask-me-anything
  • angellak
    angellak Posts: 68 Member
    It's probably the prednisone. You shouldn't go by the scale. You should go by your measurements and bodyfat. The scale doesn't tell it all.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    I can see results in the mirror when I am not being obtuse about it. Measurements are so strange as it seems to be coming off of weird places like my ribcage area and my mid and lower thighs and ankles and lower legs. Oh and squats are a good thing heehee. I just wanted to make sure that lifting was not going to hinder me, because I can see things happening somewhat even just after a month. I would like to have my body fat % measured...I think the transplant clinic would take that into consideration.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Just want to thank everyone who was helpful and update that the stall has ended and I am losing steadily once again. Continuing on with my training and progressing!! Oh! Also got the Dr to wean me down a bit from the Prednisone so I am incredibly happy about that.

    Thanks MFPers!!!
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    Thank you for the replies everyone! @_nice_‌ Thank you for understanding about the "pred"..I hate it, but it is unavoidable for me.

    I don't eat back any more than 100 calories worth of my exercise calories to account for any overestimate. I put a much larger deficit than needed to account for any caloric underestimate as well. I just get confused when I read one thing, then some one tells me another and then I have a Dr (my cardiologist) tell me not to lift cause I'll get.....*gasp*...bulky! So thank you for the input so far!


    Remember that 50% of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class...
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    Yisrael1981 wrote: »
    You might want to buy a body fat tester , as you may be losing fat yet retaining water or added muscle.
    Omron body fat tester ($35) is pretty cheap and fairly accurate

    Sorry, but these are so inaccurate. Dexa and water displacement are the gold standard. Short of that, caliper is ok (provided you get a consistent approach by the individual measuring, aka human error).
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    sofaking6 wrote: »
    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    Thank you for the replies everyone! @_nice_‌ Thank you for understanding about the "pred"..I hate it, but it is unavoidable for me.

    I don't eat back any more than 100 calories worth of my exercise calories to account for any overestimate. I put a much larger deficit than needed to account for any caloric underestimate as well. I just get confused when I read one thing, then some one tells me another and then I have a Dr (my cardiologist) tell me not to lift cause I'll get.....*gasp*...bulky! So thank you for the input so far!


    Remember that 50% of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class...

    ROFL! Oh I am SO figuring this out lately......

  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    Just want to thank everyone who was helpful and update that the stall has ended and I am losing steadily once again. Continuing on with my training and progressing!! Oh! Also got the Dr to wean me down a bit from the Prednisone so I am incredibly happy about that.

    Thanks MFPers!!!

    Good on you! Happy for you!

  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    AllanMisner wrote: »
    Yisrael1981 wrote: »
    You might want to buy a body fat tester , as you may be losing fat yet retaining water or added muscle.
    Omron body fat tester ($35) is pretty cheap and fairly accurate

    Sorry, but these are so inaccurate. Dexa and water displacement are the gold standard. Short of that, caliper is ok (provided you get a consistent approach by the individual measuring, aka human error).

    Oh! I am up for a dexa scan soon...supposed to just be to check bone density (because of long term pred use) but I am going to ask them to tell be BF% too! Don't know why I am excited cause I imagine it's disgusting high, but I guess knowing is a good thing.

  • sandylion
    sandylion Posts: 451 Member
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    When we are stuck we can do something that shocks our system to awaken it. I used to do leg presses at 800 lbs. on the smith machine...three or four of them would shock my system into moving again. (trainer promoted the behavior and it worked)
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    edited April 2015
    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    AllanMisner wrote: »
    Yisrael1981 wrote: »
    You might want to buy a body fat tester , as you may be losing fat yet retaining water or added muscle.
    Omron body fat tester ($35) is pretty cheap and fairly accurate

    Sorry, but these are so inaccurate. Dexa and water displacement are the gold standard. Short of that, caliper is ok (provided you get a consistent approach by the individual measuring, aka human error).

    Oh! I am up for a dexa scan soon...supposed to just be to check bone density (because of long term pred use) but I am going to ask them to tell be BF% too! Don't know why I am excited cause I imagine it's disgusting high, but I guess knowing is a good thing.

    I use bod pod. when I weigh 228 I was 32.7% body fat . At 200 I was 29.3% body fat. I do not want to know what I was at 265. I never finished my point which is its a value that shows where you are. You are able to change it if you want to. I really secretly want to know how much body fat I had at 265. Know that would show my true transformation on how much I have lost.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Because of the prednisone and all, maybe you should get one of those scales that checks body fat and water %. I know they're far from perfect, but it could at least give you an idea if your water % is much higher than normal.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    Let me clarify, I am not gaining weight. Even with my issues with water retention I am not gaining, which is amazing in and of itself. Lifting is new to me, I have only been able to do so for the last month and have been increasing both weight and cardio since finally getting medical clearance to do so. @AllanMisner‌ That is a very good point, and I will ask them Wednesday when I go to Transplant clinic. @futuremanda‌ I do need to research some more as I am always under my fat macro and am not sure I have everything set right. :\@realityhack‌ Yes, you are right, the point is to be in better shape, I am trying and trying to get there. I am just trying to sort out some conflicting things I have read/been told.
    @ndj1979 thank you for your cleverness. I never would have realized.

    You stated that you just started weight lifting program, give it time and also just make sure you are accurate with weighing/measuring foods and your workout burns. Good luck. :)
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    IamUndrCnstruction wrote: »
    Just want to thank everyone who was helpful and update that the stall has ended and I am losing steadily once again. Continuing on with my training and progressing!! Oh! Also got the Dr to wean me down a bit from the Prednisone so I am incredibly happy about that.

    Thanks MFPers!!!
    Congrats!!
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