Women who Lift Weights and Eat at a Deficit-15lbs to loose

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smontes16
smontes16 Posts: 38 Member
edited June 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Fit Fam! I am looking for a little advice or knowledge to say the least. Since the beginning of the year I have started lifting heavy at the gym about 4x a week while incorporating about 20-30 minutes on the elyptical. I like the way weightlifting makes my body look, however he scale really hasn't moved much since Feburary (maybe 4lbs) I will admit my diet has been "clean"-however I wasn't strict with counting calories (I dont think i was at a deficit which is probably why the scale didn't move) I joined MFP about a month ago and in just a month of logging my food and eating at a deficit I have lost 5lbs. I would like to continue weightlifting but if eating at a deficit is the trick then should i just stop going to the gym and focus on logging my food? My worry is that weightlifting may slow my progress on the scale, I understand that weightlifting-tones and makes everything look nice-but I would like to loose 15lbs before my wedding in October. Sidenote-my fiance and I started T25 yesterday...Im not a huge fan of home-workouts, but I am doing it with him to help eachother stay motivated (I will probably just count this as my cardio)

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  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    no, don't quit lifting! You don't want to lose muscle! The scale is far less important than ur body composition.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    If you like the way lifting makes your body look, why would you stop?

    Lifting while eating at a deficit preserves your lean mass so that you lose mostly fat. I'd suggest you keep lifting.
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
    edited June 2015
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    The scale may not show the same rate of losses as with just doing cardio, but weight lifting is so worth it. The number on the scale isn't as important as being fit and looking good :)
  • ShannonSmithHolbrook
    ShannonSmithHolbrook Posts: 2 Member
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    I agree, don't quit lifting! If you haven't tried it before you could try a carb cycling plan combined with a calorie deficit, that will help with lean muscle gains and fat loss! Congrats on your wedding! :)
  • jjzmholmes42
    jjzmholmes42 Posts: 1 Member
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    Don't quit the weight lifting! Maybe focusing on the scale isn't so good? Muscle is more dense than fat so it will weigh more (the same amount) as fat. So if you are loosing fat and GAINING muscle your number on the scale won't be able to reflect that change. Perhaps focus more on how good you look (or measurements?) since the scale can only give you a number, not how healthy or in shape you are. I personally LOVE lifting weights as well and I have not seen my weight go down much either BUT my body is changing and I'm loving the results. Best of luck to you!!!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Don't quit lifting! The trick to progression while eating at deficit and still losing weight is to not cut too aggressively.

    You can lose weight and build strength at the same time. A lot of people do it. Ignore people who tell you that you'll gain muscle, because you won't make significant gains at all. There might be slight newbie gains, but that's it.

    If the scale isn't moving, check your logging. Are you logging everything you eat? Are you logging accurately by using a food scale to weigh all your solid foods and are you measuring all caloric liquids?
  • smontes16
    smontes16 Posts: 38 Member
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    I agree with you all....why should I stop lifting when I like the way my composition is changing...but what about these 15lbs....they need to say sianara!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited June 2015
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    smontes16 wrote: »
    I agree with you all....why should I stop lifting when I like the way my composition is changing...but what about these 15lbs....they need to say sianara!

    Plug your stats into MFP. Aim to lose half a pound a week. Log accurately. Profit.

    Read the posts linked in this thread for more helpful information:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10000507/while-were-waiting-for-pinned-topics-to-come-back-all-those-useful-links-we-post-and-repost
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    smontes16 wrote: »
    I agree with you all....why should I stop lifting when I like the way my composition is changing...but what about these 15lbs....they need to say sianara!

    I'll just add that having a set number of pounds to lose may not be the best option. You may find that you are happy with your body at a higher weight with continued lifting. For example:

    Bodyfat-10555_549263111765669_471535296_n.jpg
  • smontes16
    smontes16 Posts: 38 Member
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    3bambi3 wow! Great results lady! I guess I'm at a 50/50 I am 5'1 and weigh 147, loosing 15 lbs will put me at a healthier weight and I can weight lift from there. Those of you who have continued to loose weight while weight lifting while eating at a deficit will you share your story?
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
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    To reinforce what Bambi posted, my wife is 10 pounds heavier than her "goal" weight, but has been lifting hard for about 18 months. She is stronger, more firm, and wears a smaller size than she did when she was previously at her "goal" weight. She is still wanting to lean out some more, but the number on the scale is far less important.
  • kclay1021
    kclay1021 Posts: 56 Member
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    Ditto to everyone who says not to stop lifting your weights - I'm not sure if you can see the pics in my profile but Ive lost a good deal of size as a result of my weight lifting. I start to LOOK significantly smaller despite not losing huge numbers of pounds. Jeans size went down significantly. Any women who lift please feel free to friend me :-) Love connecting with new people. These pics are older from when I first started lifting but check them out :-)


    2c80c6ebb7a3aa651a239e2636cc1f7cf915.jpg
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    edited June 2015
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1096001-halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky?page=13#posts-19366042

    I will just put that here.

    I have lifted for almost 2 years...I have lost probably close to 35lbs while lifting...I am currently sitting at 150 at 5 ft 7 wearing a size 4/6...eating clean is not the answer...eating at a calorie deficit is and getting in enough protein.


    smontes16 wrote: »
    Hey Fit Fam! I am looking for a little advice or knowledge to say the least. Since the beginning of the year I have started lifting heavy at the gym about 4x a week while incorporating about 20-30 minutes on the elyptical. I like the way weightlifting makes my body look, however he scale really hasn't moved much since Feburary (maybe 4lbs) I will admit my diet has been "clean"-however I wasn't strict with counting calories (I dont think i was at a deficit which is probably why the scale didn't move) I joined MFP about a month ago and in just a month of logging my food and eating at a deficit I have lost 5lbs. I would like to continue weightlifting but if eating at a deficit is the trick then should i just stop going to the gym and focus on logging my food? My worry is that weightlifting may slow my progress on the scale, I understand that weightlifting-tones and makes everything look nice-but I would like to loose 15lbs before my wedding in October. Sidenote-my fiance and I started T25 yesterday...Im not a huge fan of home-workouts, but I am doing it with him to help eachother stay motivated (I will probably just count this as my cardio)

  • skiclimbdive
    skiclimbdive Posts: 32 Member
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    Another vote for keep lifting! I've lost 5 lbs since I started lifting, so not very much weight. But I'm down ~2 sizes, and I look and feel a lot better. Feel free to add me, OP or anyone.
  • cmcdonald525
    cmcdonald525 Posts: 140 Member
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    smontes16 wrote: »
    3bambi3 wow! Great results lady! I guess I'm at a 50/50 I am 5'1 and weigh 147, loosing 15 lbs will put me at a healthier weight and I can weight lift from there. Those of you who have continued to loose weight while weight lifting while eating at a deficit will you share your story?

    Don't quit!!! I'm only a month into lifting with at least 30-40lbs left to lose. this past month the scale has barely moved (water retention, to be expected) but I have dropped a full size. The weight may come off more quickly without lifting, but you won't look nearly as great. Keep at it, the scale number isn't as important as measurements and how you look and feel!
  • knt217
    knt217 Posts: 115 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I'm lifting heavy 3x a week, and I do a bit of cardio 6x a week as well because I enjoy it. I've lost almost 30# (beginning weight in MFP is about 2# off) since I started tracking 83 days ago. I've been pretty aggressive with it, but I'm enjoying what I'm doing, and really starting to like the way my body looks, and how strong I feel. I still have about 20# to go, so im continuing with a deficit. Stick with it. Keep lifting. It's worth it.
  • ChiliPepperLifter
    ChiliPepperLifter Posts: 279 Member
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    I am a 28 year old woman, 65 inches tall, and weight about 145 currently, and size 6 is loose on me. I lift heavy 3 to 4 days a week, and do very light walking on some rest days (I don't feel like doing cardio right now haha). I eat about 400 to 500 cals less than my TDEE a day, so about 1400 to 1500 a day. I lose about 5 lbs a month, and want to stop losing when I am about 19% body fat, which should be around 130 lbs if I continue to keep my lean body mass. According to my calculations, I've lost 21 lbs of fat and only 1 lb of muscle. I am happy with these results.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    smontes16 wrote: »
    3bambi3 wow! Great results lady! I guess I'm at a 50/50 I am 5'1 and weigh 147, loosing 15 lbs will put me at a healthier weight and I can weight lift from there. Those of you who have continued to loose weight while weight lifting while eating at a deficit will you share your story?

    Gur, I wish that was me :smile: I should have noted that I got it from the interwebs to use as a general illustration of body composition.

    One day, I hope to take pictures like that. Today, I'm about the middle one :wink:

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