Weightlifting for weightloss

fabpal · September 2015

Who has been successful losing weight while toning for weight loss?

maodonne · September 2015

I've been lifting for years and have never lost weight. My coach says you can't out exercise a poor diet. I guess he's right

maillemaker · September 2015

The prevailing wisdom around here seems to be that weightlifting while on a calorie deficit will not build muscle but will help you retain muscle while losing fat.

But the weight loss comes from a caloric deficit.

LiveLoveLift48 · September 2015

I have been succesful in losing some pounds while weight lifting but more so have lost many inches. Which i think is better anyway. It is true you really cant out exercise a bad diet but a caloric deficit will help with the fat loss. You just may not get the body shape you are desiring without the proper nutrition. If i have my choice i will Always choose the weights over the cardio.

heybales · September 2015

Along the lines of the eating less than you burn in total in order to lose fat weight.

The problem can be that weight lifting doesn't burn as many calories as cardio - so you don't burn as much in total.

But the lifting can make you really hungry as the body attempts to repair and recover from good workout.

And if you attempt bigger deficit with weight lifting, meaning you are eating little compared to if you did cardio - you might not adhere well.

Weight lifting benefits better from minor deficits - so you get better body transformations that everyone can see - rather than just scale weight loss that mainly only you can see.

Oh, and if by the popular use of the word "toning" you mean light weights with lots of reps and barely feels like a workout - that ain't lifting that requires repair and recovery, nor does it even burn as much as normal lifting.

kami3006 · September 2015

I was lifting the entire time I was losing weight but I made sure my deficit came from the kitchen. I found it easier to separate the two: eating for weightloss; exercise for fitness and body composition.

So, regardless of my exercise I was always losing weight. Currently maintaining doing the same thing. I eat back 100% of my exercise calories to keep myself feeling strong for my workouts. I like that I can change up my routine or that missing a workout doesn't affect my weight.

boogiewookie · September 2015

I've lost 35lbs weightlifting on a deficit. its friggen tough! lol. I get so hungry when I work out and its easy to over-eat. I know the weight I've lost is a result of eating less, I just happen to lift becase I enjoy it but I can't credit my weight loss to picking up heavy stuff

noclady1995 · September 2015

I've been lifting for 5 months now and have lost 10 lbs. Slow going but I'm only eating around 15% below tdee on average. That's about half a pound per week for me. But I'm seeing good changes in my physique and my measurements. I started with 20 lbs to lose but gave myself a year. I just can't go back to doing cardio daily.

vixtris · September 2015

I lift with a barbell and some dumbbell/kettle bell exercises 3 times a week, and workout on my elliptical 4 times a week. I started out at a pretty low weight, using 5 lbs hand weights and just my body weight. Every time I lost 5 lbs, I added 5 lbs to my exercises. I lift 40 lbs now, which feels pretty heavy to me, but I'm going to try to keep adding more as I go! I've built up a lot of strength since the start. But since I'm eating in a deficit, I don't expect to gain as much strength as I would if I were doing a bulk. However, my body is more toned looking, especially in my shoulders, arms, butt, and legs - of course, thats mostly from losing fat, revealing the muscles I have underneath. My main goal with lifting while losing is to retain most of the muscle I had to begin with.

ar9179 · September 2015

I follow a strength training program, so fairly heavy, and have since right after starting to eat at a deficit. It has not impacted my weight loss all that much because it hasn't contributed much to my deficit. It's not a calorie burner in the way a cardio workout is. For me, diet has been behind the pounds lost. I HAVE lost several inches, which I credit to lifting. I'm wearing sizes that I wore when I weighed less, so my body is smaller in comparison.

I started because I didn't want to be flabby when I reached goal by ignoring the fact that we lose muscle when we eat less calories than we need to fuel our activities...but a deficit is necessary to lose fat. Lifting preserves more muscle and your body tends to use more of it's fat stores for fuel under those conditions. I realized that I want to lose FAT, not just pounds.

Just be aware that the scale can go up when you start a new workout. Your muscles will retain fluid as part of their recovery/healing. This will go away and you'll see a downward trend, but it may be slower than you'd like. Take pictures and/or measurements for better tracking! I will also gain a few pounds after a workout, which leave after a few days. The scale is not a great tool for letting you know what is really happening.

arditarose · September 2015

I lost all my weight while lifting in a deficit. 30-35 lbs so far. I'm extremely happy with my results. I know I would not look quite as lean if I had not. My cardio was extremely moderate, along with my deficit. Shaving off the last few pounds so I can start a proper bulk.

Weightlifting for weightloss

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