first loose weight then lift

Why not do both.

HHEHEA wrote: »

Has anyone reached their goal weight before going hard core at the gym?

That's the plan, I've always been a gym person but had a terrible diet. Now I've lost 56 lbs and once I've maintained weight for a little bit I plan on adding some size

What do you mean they gave you crap @PowerKickChic ?

Seen great results from people who were heavy and lifted. You have already bulked... now lift and cut

As a rule of thumb,

eat , lift , cardio or whatever you want to do. A calorie deficit will result in lowering your weight.

If you were me, hit the gym , careful with how much you eat , add a bit of cardio and tell me if I am wrong in 3 -6 months

PowerKickChic wrote: »

Skinny girls look good in clothes, fit girls look good naked.

I like this a lot!!

HHEHEA wrote: »

Has anyone reached their goal weight before going hard core at the gym?

No. After reading/seeing the results of lifting while in a deficit, there is no way I would choose to wait. There is not one good reason to wait.

I started a beginner lifting program about a month and a half after implementing a deficit because of two key threads on MFP (2x/week yoga to start and continuing) and saw HUGE improvements in my body shape within that first month of lifting, while making great strides in yoga postures/strength. Right before typing this, I was marveling at my leg muscles. My inner thighs are still a disaster, but when I stretch my leg out to the side, I see inner thigh muscle definition. My arms are looking much better and I routinely touch base with my triceps...because they are so new to my world!

Keeping as much lean muscle as you can while you lose will only benefit you and your perception of your body's progress. Pounds are irrelevant when you look better than you did the last time you weighed the same, or less! I can get into clothes that fit when I was 10 lbs lighter. I'm only halfway to my first goal, which is at the top of my recommended weight range. It's very exciting to have the option of a higher weight and higher maintenance than you thought you'd have to live with forever.

I usually hear this sentiment from people trying to lose and then I post this photo.
Why wait to lift weights I achieved this with very little cardio (read none whatsoever aside from walking and taking th stairs when I could) in 18 months. if you incorporate cardio and weights imagine where you could be in less than 18 months….

sarahlifts wrote: »

I usually hear this sentiment from people trying to lose and then I post this photo.
Why wait to lift weights I achieved this with very little cardio (read none whatsoever aside from walking and taking th stairs when I could) in 18 months. if you incorporate cardio and weights imagine where you could be in less than 18 months….

You look great! Your shoulders look amazing! You are truly an inspiration. Well done.

I do both. No reason to wait. None.

I was wondering about this myself, whether a really bit deficit to lose the weight and then eating maintenance and lifting was a good idea. Because you can't build muscle at deficit can you? And you can't lose weight without a deficit... I get confused!

But it looks like it's best to eat at deficit and lift. Thanks for all the insight

No need to "go hard core" at the gym at all, unless you like it.

But it's best to do cardio at least 5 days a week for at least 30 min (more is better),
and lift progressively heavier weights 2-3 times per week, exercising all muscles,
all the way along while you're losing weight & getting fit.

a - It's easier to maintain the muscle you have than to rebuild it

b - For the same mass, muscle burns more calories than fat. It's not as huge a
difference as people like to think, because if you lose 40 lb of fat & then gain 10
lb of muscle you really haven't changed your calorie burn much, if at all. But you'll
look much better & be slimmer.

c - To lose weight, eat at a calorie deficit.
To build muscle, eat at a slight surplus and repeatedly lift progressively heavier things.

d - loose = not fitting well; your old clothes will be loose when you get fit
lose = to not have; when you lose weight, you will feel better

Do both. I absolutely love lifting.

I watch that 600 pound show. Have you ever seen that? Some of those people really have a hard time with losing even after changing their digestive system drastically. Anyway there was this one guy who had a really hard time losing the 50 lbs that the Dr wanted him to lose before surgery. So he went to planet fitness and started to lift. That one guy had a much easier time losing after surgery because he put on some muscle first. They really should make all of those people gain muscle before surgery.

Good

If you want to be able to see noticeable results, progress, and improvement on your journey, then I recommend hitting the weights as a part of your weight loss routine. Otherwise, you're going to wind up just looking "skinny fat", as mentioned above - a scaled down version of the same body type you are now, more or less, and there's nothing more discouraging than that, really. Add to that the fact that muscle gains are going to passively burn more calories (by raising your BMR), leading to additional weight loss between workouts.

Lift during... otherwise you are digging a big hole... lift during... and you will be ahead of the game