When you start working out why stall?
ChanceyTx
Posts: 38 Member
I'm not really sure how to word the title.
But I have lost 53 lbs so far and I have about 45 to go.
I lost 52 pounds from counting calories and light exercise.
Now I have joined a gym and am working out like a beast. I knew it was time to start toning up.
But why do you stops for pounds?
Please don't tell me to not look at the number - because when you are fat, that's all you focus on
Is there a time frame that the numbers start catching up to inches?
I joined planet fitness and my workout consists of -
25 min on the arc trainer. Working my time up 5 mins each time.
Then I do legs, arms and free weights. I do this every other day. I'm at the gym about 2 hours.
I do 4 sets of 12.
But I'm not seeing numbers change. Not even slightly.
Can anyone offer any help at all? Or point me in a good direction?
Thanks from Ft. Worth!
But I have lost 53 lbs so far and I have about 45 to go.
I lost 52 pounds from counting calories and light exercise.
Now I have joined a gym and am working out like a beast. I knew it was time to start toning up.
But why do you stops for pounds?
Please don't tell me to not look at the number - because when you are fat, that's all you focus on
Is there a time frame that the numbers start catching up to inches?
I joined planet fitness and my workout consists of -
25 min on the arc trainer. Working my time up 5 mins each time.
Then I do legs, arms and free weights. I do this every other day. I'm at the gym about 2 hours.
I do 4 sets of 12.
But I'm not seeing numbers change. Not even slightly.
Can anyone offer any help at all? Or point me in a good direction?
Thanks from Ft. Worth!
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Replies
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happymidgets101 wrote: »I'm not really sure how to word the title.
But I have lost 53 lbs so far and I have about 45 to go.
I lost 52 pounds from counting calories and light exercise.
Now I have joined a gym and am working out like a beast. I knew it was time to start toning up.
But why do you stops for pounds?
Please don't tell me to not look at the number - because when you are fat, that's all you focus on
Is there a time frame that the numbers start catching up to inches?
I joined planet fitness and my workout consists of -
25 min on the arc trainer. Working my time up 5 mins each time.
Then I do legs, arms and free weights. I do this every other day. I'm at the gym about 2 hours.
I do 4 sets of 12.
But I'm not seeing numbers change. Not even slightly.
Can anyone offer any help at all? Or point me in a good direction?
Thanks from Ft. Worth!
Sorry, not sure I understand the bold section. Do you mean why do you stop losing lbs?
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When you start a new workout routine or amp up an old one, the body floods sore muscles with more fluid to help cushion and repair them. This reads like a stall or even a slight gain on the scale. But it's temporary and it's just masking the fat loss that's still happening. It could take a couple of weeks for your body to get used to the new routine.0
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You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days0
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faeriesue1 wrote: »happymidgets101 wrote: »I'm not really sure how to word the title.
But I have lost 53 lbs so far and I have about 45 to go.
I lost 52 pounds from counting calories and light exercise.
Now I have joined a gym and am working out like a beast. I knew it was time to start toning up.
But why do you stops for pounds?
Please don't tell me to not look at the number - because when you are fat, that's all you focus on
Is there a time frame that the numbers start catching up to inches?
I joined planet fitness and my workout consists of -
25 min on the arc trainer. Working my time up 5 mins each time.
Then I do legs, arms and free weights. I do this every other day. I'm at the gym about 2 hours.
I do 4 sets of 12.
But I'm not seeing numbers change. Not even slightly.
Can anyone offer any help at all? Or point me in a good direction?
Thanks from Ft. Worth!
Sorry, not sure I understand the bold section. Do you mean why do you stop losing lbs?
Not sure why it added that part in bold. But yes, major typo there. Why am I not losing pounds - the stall sucks. Lol0 -
You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
By walking you mean cardio?
I really really like the arc trainer. Treadmills are out. They bore me. 0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »When you start a new workout routine or amp up an old one, the body floods sore muscles with more fluid to help cushion and repair them. This reads like a stall or even a slight gain on the scale. But it's temporary and it's just masking the fat loss that's still happening. It could take a couple of weeks for your body to get used to the new routine.
Ahhh... makes sense. This body better catch up quick!
Thanks! !0 -
I don't know your specifics, but it's also possible that you've reached equilibrium. (calories in = calories out)
Remember, your daily caloric maintenance needs will go down as you lose weight. Need to adjust accordingly.0 -
It's a pain, I've recently joined a gym and am going every other day. The scale is slowly rising every day. I ignore it, I've been beneath my calorie goal every day and not eaten any where near over maintenance so I know I've not gained weight. My muscles are just repairing themselves and holding onto water. It's disheartening but please try not to let it get to you.0
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If you keep up the workout routine and you are not eating back all of your exercise calories this will reverse itself over time. I had the same thing happen for almost a month after I started lifting. Then in one week 8 pounds disappeared and 2 inches fell off my waist... after that things got pretty much back to normal. Hang in there and you will see the results.0
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How long has it been since you started working out more intensely? Whenever I up my workout routine I retain water like crazy for about a week.0
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happymidgets101 wrote: »You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
By walking you mean cardio?
I really really like the arc trainer. Treadmills are out. They bore me.
Yes cardio. If you eat less and do cardio you will loose more weight. If youre building muscle aka working out you have to eat more calories. It's very hard to do both at once because its two different processes.0 -
I suggest meeting with a trainer or nutritionist at the gym.0
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I see a nutritionist - but the trainer at the gym is in her very early 20's and got her online certificates. I can't qualify her at a trainer in my head. I'm in my 40's.0
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happymidgets101 wrote: »You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
By walking you mean cardio?
I really really like the arc trainer. Treadmills are out. They bore me.
Yes cardio. If you eat less and do cardio you will loose more weight. If youre building muscle aka working out you have to eat more calories. It's very hard to do both at once because its two different processes.
I completely watch my calorie intake. I am doing lots of cardiovascular along with some free weights too to help tone the jiggle 0 -
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ibamosaserreinas wrote: »How long has it been since you started working out more intensely? Whenever I up my workout routine I retain water like crazy for about a week.
I only started a more intense workout about 2 weeks ago. I've started my lifestyle change in late January early February.
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I don't know your specifics, but it's also possible that you've reached equilibrium. (calories in = calories out)
Remember, your daily caloric maintenance needs will go down as you lose weight. Need to adjust accordingly.
My nutritionist told me 1100 calories... and I stick with it....for now.0 -
You arent building muscle and what Dianne said. Just be patient and keep on exercising. Take one rest day a week.0
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If you're working your muscles properly for the first time, they're going to react very quickly. When I first started lifting, I actually gained just over a kg of muscle while simultaneously losing a kg of fat in the first month or so, meaning my actual scale weight didn't change, but I looked better. As your muscle mass increases, so will your BMR, meaning that you need more calories just to maintain weight, and so if you stick to your original deficit, it'll actually be increasing - ergo, you'll lose weight.
Two weeks really isn't worth looking too much into though, try four weekly - oh, and 53lbs in 5/6 months is very dramatic, don't forget to reassess calories etc once in a while, especially if you're massively increasing workouts.0 -
You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
Ahhh NO. It doesn't work that way. Gaining muscle is very hard work!
OP, you're retaining water while the muscles repair. Keep doing what you're doing and it will come.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
Ahhh NO. It doesn't work that way. Gaining muscle is very hard work!
OP, you're retaining water while the muscles repair. Keep doing what you're doing and it will come.
Gaining muscle in the first few weeks/months after starting is incredibly easy if you're doing the right things. Not a lot, but you will do it.
EDIT: Although if you're starving your body on a drastic deficit, then yes, it will be hard.0 -
Well, when you're losing weight, you can play with the following things: Duration of exercise, exertion during exercise, and type of exercise. Your body adapts as it changes so if you expect to do the same thing through your weight loss journey, when your body adapts everything will stop. That's what an earlier poster meant about reaching equilibrium. I would ask my trainer to change up the workout. Add more weight, do intervals when you're on the arc trainer. Go hard (it should be hard to talk while doing this) for about a minute or whatever you can do, then slow down for an equal amount of time, and then repeat this pattern until the end of your total planned cardio time.
Food-wise you have some things you can experiment with too. Fuel mix (% of Carbs, Protein, and Fats), and number of calories consumed are the most prominent two. Most people who aren't training for something typically end up with 40-50% of their daily intake as carbohydrates, 20-30% Protein, and the rest of it as healthy fats. So take a look at the Nutrition charts here on MFP and see where you are now. Then perhaps take a shot at adding more Protein and cutting back on the carbohydrates.
To lose weight, you basically have to continuously be in a state where you are burning more calories than you're eating. Start measuring and weighing what you eat to be sure that your portion sizes haven't crept up and see where it leads you. I'd also have a talk with the nutritionist as well, let them know how much time you spend working out. It might be possible that you're consuming too few calories when your activity levels are figured in.
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happymidgets101 wrote: »I don't know your specifics, but it's also possible that you've reached equilibrium. (calories in = calories out)
Remember, your daily caloric maintenance needs will go down as you lose weight. Need to adjust accordingly.
My nutritionist told me 1100 calories... and I stick with it....for now.
I don't know how much you weigh, but if you've got 44 pounds to go I'm guessing you're north of 150 pounds.
1,100 just doesn't seem like enough calories for someone who's in the gym on a daily basis.0 -
1100 calories. You need to eat a bit more, at least 1200 calories.0
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
Ahhh NO. It doesn't work that way. Gaining muscle is very hard work!
OP, you're retaining water while the muscles repair. Keep doing what you're doing and it will come.
Gaining muscle in the first few weeks/months after starting is incredibly easy if you're doing the right things. Not a lot, but you will do it.
EDIT: Although if you're starving your body on a drastic deficit, then yes, it will be hard.
There is newbie gains, but that would be much much much less than 10lbs over a short period of time while eating at a deficit.0 -
Another vote for water retention.
2 weeks really isn't that long, so I wouldn't worry about it. I know it's frustrating when the scale doesn't move - I've been there. Keep in mind that weight loss isn't always linear, meaning that the number on the scale might not always move down every time. Sometimes the number on the scale will go up a little bit before it goes down, and sometimes it may stay the same for a little while. This doesn't mean that you're not losing fat, it just means that there are also other things going on.
Make sure you're drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated, as this will help minimize water retention. 0 -
madhatter2013 wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
Ahhh NO. It doesn't work that way. Gaining muscle is very hard work!
OP, you're retaining water while the muscles repair. Keep doing what you're doing and it will come.
aaaaand there it is 0 -
happymidgets101 wrote: »You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
By walking you mean cardio?
I really really like the arc trainer. Treadmills are out. They bore me.
There is ... outside.
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happymidgets101 wrote: »You may be dropping fat but building muscle now. If you drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle it won't show on the scale. Also your cells hold water during strong workouts. I suggest work out 3 or 4 days then walk 2 days
By walking you mean cardio?
I really really like the arc trainer. Treadmills are out. They bore me.
There is ... outside.
Out...side?
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