Best Way to Shed Pounds & Inches?

The best way to lose pounds and inches is to consume fewer calories than you burn.

This is mostly done through food choices, though cardio can be a way to increase the number of calories you use in a day and increase your deficit. Resistance training (weights or through body weight resistance) is a fantastic way to ensure you'll look great when you are done losing pounds and inches.

tincanonastring wrote: »

The best way to lose pounds is through a moderate, consistent calorie deficit over an extended time period. Cardio is very helpful in achieving a deficit. The inches will come off as you lose the pounds. Use strength training (weights) and macro/micronutrient management to minimize the loss of lean muscle mass while in a deficit (so you don't look "skinny fat").


ETA: Here's a decent thread that might help you out.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

^^^^ This

Wow, so much goodness in this thread.
It's refreshing to see solid, good advice given.

The sexy pants thread linked above is solid.
Also, So You Want A Nice Stomach would be a great read for you (look for it in the Most Helpful Posts sticky in this forum).

melodygrooms wrote: »

cnbbnc wrote: »

melodygrooms wrote: »

I am eating a calorie deficit, so that's taken care of. I'm not concerned so much about the number on the scale as the health of my body, and my understanding is that muscle mass and cardio are the way to achieve that.

If your diet is already in order, then I would do a mix of both cardio and weights (heavy weights...no little girlie ones!), leaning more towards the lifting. My weight loss has been consistent doing that, and I've lost a lot inches and firmed up quite a bit. I lift 3xs/wk and do cardio once (cardio isn't my thing or I would probably do more). I would also make sure you're eating adequate protein to minimize muscle loss while you're losing weight.

Define girlie? I'm finding that 15 pound dumbbells are the most I can handle without significant strain, and I can't do much with those before my arms shake like noodles!

Thanks all for the advice! Taking it all in!

But as you continue to lift those 15 pound weights, you'll become stronger. At which point you'll move up to heavier weight. And repeat. The point is to continue to push yourself, not to limit yourself to traditional "girlie" light weights.

In my opinion, get your diet down. That is what will ultimately determine weight loss.

Find an exercise you enjoy doing and can see yourself doing indefinitely. This is what you want to do.

melodygrooms wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

melodygrooms wrote: »

cnbbnc wrote: »

melodygrooms wrote: »

I am eating a calorie deficit, so that's taken care of. I'm not concerned so much about the number on the scale as the health of my body, and my understanding is that muscle mass and cardio are the way to achieve that.

If your diet is already in order, then I would do a mix of both cardio and weights (heavy weights...no little girlie ones!), leaning more towards the lifting. My weight loss has been consistent doing that, and I've lost a lot inches and firmed up quite a bit. I lift 3xs/wk and do cardio once (cardio isn't my thing or I would probably do more). I would also make sure you're eating adequate protein to minimize muscle loss while you're losing weight.

Define girlie? I'm finding that 15 pound dumbbells are the most I can handle without significant strain, and I can't do much with those before my arms shake like noodles!

Thanks all for the advice! Taking it all in!

But as you continue to lift those 15 pound weights, you'll become stronger. At which point you'll move up to heavier weight. And repeat. The point is to continue to push yourself, not to limit yourself to traditional "girlie" light weights.

That makes sense. I don't want to become bulky or solid though, because I admittedly like being a little bit soft (just not as squishy as I am now!). How can I tone up without bulking up?

Women don't bulk without really, really trying. You have to eat at a surplus and lift heavy to even begin to bulk up. Men have it slightly easier, but it's still not "wow I lifted these 10lb weights and suddenly my biceps are ****ing huge."

From what I've read here, you're much better off following a progressive lifting program - ideally something with free weights, like Strong Lifts 5x5. Machines are OK if that's what you have available.

I'm a bit of a weakling myself right now - my 8lb dumbbells are challenging - but I'm working on it!

Just don't think you need to use light/easy weights and massive numbers of reps in order to "tone" vs "bulk." Toning isn't a thing - it's losing the fat to reveal the muscle underneath. Bulking is hard to do.

How soft you can look while having the muscle you want is going to be partially up to genetics. Some people can't get their abs to show without being really, really low body fat for example. They may not like that look, and may choose to weigh a bit more/not lose as much fat to keep the look they want.

When you exercise, your body will likely retain water, which in turn means the number on the scale won't go down.

Keep your diet in check, give it 6 weeks, and re-evaluate how much food you're eating then if the scale hasn't budged a bit.

~Lyssa

katrina_pitts wrote: »

Creating more muscle tone will make you thinner in spots and burn more calories. Changing my arms into muscle made the muscle bigger but my arms became smaller. Same with thighs and butt. Hate squats and lunges, but they are effective.

Sigh...and we were doing so good...

It just doesn't work that way. Building muscle doesn't make anything smaller. It makes muscles bigger (and/or more dense) and stronger.
Fat does not turn into muscle nor vice versa. You did not "change your arms into muscle." You strengthened/grew the muscles you already had in your arms.
If your arms got smaller, it's because you lost fat by eating at a caloric deficit (less than you burn).

The idea that you can exercise a body part to tighten it up and make it smaller is a complete myth perpetuated by cheesy infomercials.
If you want a part to get smaller you have to lose fat (from everywhere, as you can't spot reduce). If you want to look "toned" you have to have muscle leftover once the fat is gone (otherwise you just look skinny and frail).

But again, lifting weights does not turn big fat deposits into hard little muscles. It only builds/strengthens muscle. Then if you also lose fat (via your diet) you can see the muscle you built/strengthened and look "toned."

Also, you can't turn fat into muscle.

ETA: lifting weights won't shrink fat deposits or turn them into muscle.

ETA: lift weights because even though it doesn't shrink fat, it builds muscle which looks (and feels) really good.