HALP! Heavy Lifting Made Me SUPAH Bulky!!!
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How many calories are you ladies eating? I'm 5'6" and I am eating around 2200 calories a day. I want to get leaner and it is so tempting to cut calories. But maybe I should be eating more and hitting the gym harder. Any suggestions? I'm currently doing full body lifting three days a week, each with a HIIT session, and two cardio days.
90% of the time I'm eating between 1800-2100 gross calories and I've been losing 1kg (2.2lb) a month. Im currently 59.5 kg and want to lose another 2-5 kg.
I'm 5'2, aged 43
I can maintain on somewhere between 2250-2500 gross weekly calories.
re:eating more and hitting the gym harder, yes you could be onto something there, but if you want to get leaner it comes down to CICO. You could always eat at a 0-10 % defecit. Have a read of Tim Venuto's ebook. "Burn the fat feed the muscle" there is a nice little chapter in there
How much more did you want to lose?
Edited: Also it's really irrelevant how much you or others are eating, because what it comes down to is tdee. I try to remind myself not to worry about the number I've set as a goal for myself on mfp. I take each day as it comes.
For instance I just started back at footy training and for some strange reason my appetite and hunger level hasn't been as high as usual on footy training nights! I have been satisfied eating 1850 calories. I ran a deficit of around around 30 % on those days. I'm fine with that as I know that it will help to bring my weekly gross calorie average down because on some other days I might eat higher. Yesterday I only did some walking (80 min walking to work and back) ate 2171 and probably only had a 0-5 % defecit. I have averaged 1993 for the past 5 days and I'm on track to lose. My goal is set to 1850 on Mfp I think I'll change it to 1950 because that is the amount I'm hitting and having success with.
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I'm looking to lose about ten pounds. I think I will try cutting calories for a few weeks and see how that goes, but not depriving myself if I am still hungry. Especially with all the exercise I've been doing. I will also eat extra to make my protein macro if necessary.
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Yeah there is no need to go hungry & be miserable. It will just take a bit longer0
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I would really love to start heavy lifting. I'm just not a cardio person. Anyone out there that has be successful willing to friend me and point me in the direction to get started, offer advice and answer questions, I would greatly appreciate it.0
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cybernet00 wrote: »I would really love to start heavy lifting. I'm just not a cardio person. Anyone out there that has be successful willing to friend me and point me in the direction to get started, offer advice and answer questions, I would greatly appreciate it.
Search out the group http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
and download the app strong lifts 5x5 the summary is in that group.
This is a great beginner program and you will find lots of help in that group.
Feel free to ask questions to me or in that group.
I've been lifting for 3 years now and started with that program and it helped a lot. I can now bench press my body weight.0 -
cybernet00 wrote: »I would really love to start heavy lifting. I'm just not a cardio person. Anyone out there that has be successful willing to friend me and point me in the direction to get started, offer advice and answer questions, I would greatly appreciate it.
Search out the group http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
and download the app strong lifts 5x5 the summary is in that group.
This is a great beginner program and you will find lots of help in that group.
Feel free to ask questions to me or in that group.
I've been lifting for 3 years now and started with that program and it helped a lot. I can now bench press my body weight.
I agree with this. Stronglifts 5x5 is a great program for beginners and there is lots of info available for free on the internet - just google it and you'll find explanations of the program, how-to videos, etc. The free app is great and lays out for you what lifts to do each workout and how much weight to put on the bar - no thinking required on your part. The MFP group linked to above has lots of great info about how to modify the program for women (for example, starting with a lower weight if necessary or progressing at a modified pace).
I've been doing Stronglifts since August and the difference is certainly visible. Besides that, I can feel the difference in my everyday life. I pick up my kid easily, I can carry groceries like they're nothing, and over Christmas when my husband was waiting around for his brother to stop by to help him lift something heavy I declared that, "I could totally lift that with you." He scoffed at first but agreed to let me try and I handled it LIKE A FREAKING BOSS. Plus I feel like a badass after a lifting workout.0 -
Before: 2012. I'm 46 yrs old & 5'2". I probably weighed 140+/
-Did nothing for a couple of years and started Stronglifts 5x5 in October 2014. I was in the 130s when I started. I wasn't very good at keeping my deficit so was 137 lbs January 1, 2015. In the last year I've lost lbs & inches, pants sizes and I'm 118.8 lbs today. Kept up with heavy lifting & started PHUL recently (split program).
You look fab!
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Thank you!0
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bump0
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Question to all above who have gotten to their goals. I'm at the lowest weight in 7 1/2 years finally...really seeing some changes. EXCEPT instead of losing smoothly, now I have these pockets of balls of fat (Sorry!!) on my thighs, followed by smooth muscle. It's unsightly...and I'm guessing it's part of my losing weight/toning up that it's not coming off evenly.
So the question - This improves over time, correct? Or are those areas something I'll just have to get surgery for later on? Did any of you go through something similar? Looking for hope *laugh*
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As you lose fat that should even out @chyrsalis2015. I had some non symmetrical pockets of fat on my thighs that seem to have evened out. The stubborn areas are the last to go. Or that's true in my case.0
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I came here ready to blast you, not gonna lie, glad I was pleasantly mislead! Well played!2
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Bump! This post is so inspirational!0
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Love this thread!
I am just beginning my "heavy lifting" journey, and am sooooo excited to see where it takes me!
I can tell my bf is nervous, he has said he doesn't want me to get super muscly and bulky. I don't want that either...seeing all these results is so inspiring!!!0 -
Love this thread!
I am just beginning my "heavy lifting" journey, and am sooooo excited to see where it takes me!
I can tell my bf is nervous, he has said he doesn't want me to get super muscly and bulky. I don't want that either...seeing all these results is so inspiring!!!
I too am starting heavy lifting. Starting with 5x50 -
Hi, I love this thread! I started again SL last week Monday and wondering how long did it take to lose weight or see a difference?
I'm 5'2 and 141lbs I started beg of Feb and lost 7lbs in 1 week with cardio and deficit 1350 cals max. I then started SL last week Monday and I've gained back 4.4lbs! I almost fainted and Sunday i ate over 2200cals
how else can i track my progress and keep motivated? I'm a bit agitated because nothing fits with weight gain and I cant buy new wardrobe...0 -
Hi, I love this thread! I started again SL last week Monday and wondering how long did it take to lose weight or see a difference?
I'm 5'2 and 141lbs I started beg of Feb and lost 7lbs in 1 week with cardio and deficit 1350 cals max. I then started SL last week Monday and I've gained back 4.4lbs! I almost fainted and Sunday i ate over 2200cals
how else can i track my progress and keep motivated? I'm a bit agitated because nothing fits with weight gain and I cant buy new wardrobe...
@cherriegh Stop it. Just stop it. Put the breaks on the freak out.
While you were pounding away with low calories and doing your cardio, part of the 7 pounds you lost is likely definitely muscle.
Take into account that your muscles will hold on to water to repair themselves. I've noticed I can be up by up to 6 pounds, for myself. It's nothing. Drink lots more water and move along.
1) Get off the scale. It doesn't take body composition into account. Your weight fluctuates more than the stock market anyway.
2) Determine your TDEE and eat more. You're body will need it for building those dense, slimming, but weighty muscles.
3) Get a measuring tape, it's a lifesaver.
4) Take those horrifying 'before' photos. It feels good to have them for comparison after several weeks.
After a YEAR of eating 1300-something calories and losing 56 pounds, I started weight lifting with SL in January. January 9th to be precise. I weighed 164 pounds and, as of today, I weigh 166.4, I lifted yesterday so some water might be in there. In that time (almost 6 weeks) of diligent lifting, I've lost 2.5 inches off my waist and 2 inches off of my hips and GAINED WEIGHT.
But now I wear a size 8 pants instead of size 10 at the same-ish weight I was almost 6 weeks ago. Weight wise, my body can do whatever, and at the end of this month I'll be taking more progress photos for myself to compare to.
ETA: The time frame at which you begin to see results depends on your effort, your diet, your diligence, your genetics, and epigenetics. It varies person to person and how close you are to your goals to begin with.2 -
[quote
Thank you @lilaclovebird I'll try the pics, compare every month and will push on...patience and hope my pants fit in a month or two0 -
[quote
Thank you @lilaclovebird I'll try the pics, compare every month and will push on...patience and hope my pants fit in a month or two
@cherriegh Now THAT'S the spirit of a lifter!
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+1
you need to give your body time to adjust to new exercise routines. One week of lifting did not cause you to gain 4 lbs of anything except water. Which is temporary and part of the process. Plus, you are female, have hormones, your weight naturally fluctuates up and down. Do the math, do the work, use a tape measure to track your progress, not the scale.3 -
I'm 5.1" and my weight has stayed within about two pounds (give or take a random jump for whatever reason) for about 1 year. However I am desperately clinging to the smallest hole on my favourite belt even though it's now too big and I have a stack of jeans that haven't fit me for months that I should really sell. My shirts have become tight in the arms and almost sloppily loose in the body. So change happens off the scale!
I lift heavy 3X a week and do about 20 min of interval sprinting and/or stairclimber 1-2 times a week if I feel like it.
(that being said....I'd really like to get a bit of a cut going and see how my body would look 10lbs lighter but haven't sorted out my TDEE/macros etc yet...)1 -
SamanthaClarexo wrote: »
You look incredible! The rest of us heavy lifting 'BULKY OMGZ' women salute you! :drinker:
this ! cheers :drinker:0 -
Hi, I love this thread! I started again SL last week Monday and wondering how long did it take to lose weight or see a difference?
I'm 5'2 and 141lbs I started beg of Feb and lost 7lbs in 1 week with cardio and deficit 1350 cals max. I then started SL last week Monday and I've gained back 4.4lbs! I almost fainted and Sunday i ate over 2200cals
how else can i track my progress and keep motivated? I'm a bit agitated because nothing fits with weight gain and I cant buy new wardrobe...
I agree with the above, forget the scale. I honestly touch that thing once a month or two and it never goes anywhere. Remember that progress takes time, after 3 months, I hardly went down two inches total. Most importantly, DO NOT get discouraged if things fit a bit tighter. I can't wear my pants from 3 months ago, but boyyyy... does my butt look fabulous
Your body will change, take some pictures, I found they are the best motivation for me. Each workout I take a picture of whatever body part I felt looked fabulous that day (back, biceps, calves, butt), so almost monthly, I can go back and see my muscle definition progress. 0 -
@cherriegh Stop it. Just stop it. Put the breaks on the freak out.
While you were pounding away with low calories and doing your cardio, part of the 7 pounds you lost is likely definitely muscle.
Take into account that your muscles will hold on to water to repair themselves. I've noticed I can be up by up to 6 pounds, for myself. It's nothing. Drink lots more water and move along.
1) Get off the scale. It doesn't take body composition into account. Your weight fluctuates more than the stock market anyway.
2) Determine your TDEE and eat more. You're body will need it for building those dense, slimming, but weighty muscles.
3) Get a measuring tape, it's a lifesaver.
4) Take those horrifying 'before' photos. It feels good to have them for comparison after several weeks.
After a YEAR of eating 1300-something calories and losing 56 pounds, I started weight lifting with SL in January. January 9th to be precise. I weighed 164 pounds and, as of today, I weigh 166.4, I lifted yesterday so some water might be in there. In that time (almost 6 weeks) of diligent lifting, I've lost 2.5 inches off my waist and 2 inches off of my hips and GAINED WEIGHT.
But now I wear a size 8 pants instead of size 10 at the same-ish weight I was almost 6 weeks ago. Weight wise, my body can do whatever, and at the end of this month I'll be taking more progress photos for myself to compare to.
ETA: The time frame at which you begin to see results depends on your effort, your diet, your diligence, your genetics, and epigenetics. It varies person to person and how close you are to your goals to begin with.[/quote]
How many times does this need to be repeated until a mind will finally accept it? I'm so stubborn. I know this, but every couple months it gets me down. But, upward and onward!3 -
From January to November of last year, I lost about 65 lbs. Since then, I've been stuck at roughly the same number on the scale, gaining and losing the same 5-7 lbs. I started lifting heavy again in November and hoped to encourage the number on the scale to drop, but it didn't...it stayed the same and I became increasingly frustrated. This time, however, I decided to trust the process and determined that I wouldn't let the number on the scale dictate my progress or success. After all...I was getting much stronger and loved the feeling of lifting. It was just hard to wrap my mind around doing all that work and not seeing the payoff on the scale.
Anyway, I decided to compare some pictures of myself from November 2015 to February 12, 2016 and there is exactly a one pound difference. I was pleasantly surprised! I don't have and online album to share my pictures, but my profile picture is my most recent comparison shot. Hope you guys can see it and the difference weight lifting has made. TRUST THE PROCESS even when the scale doesn't move!
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Reinventing_Me wrote: »From January to November of last year, I lost about 65 lbs. Since then, I've been stuck at roughly the same number on the scale, gaining and losing the same 5-7 lbs. I started lifting heavy again in November and hoped to encourage the number on the scale to drop, but it didn't...it stayed the same and I became increasingly frustrated. This time, however, I decided to trust the process and determined that I wouldn't let the number on the scale dictate my progress or success. After all...I was getting much stronger and loved the feeling of lifting. It was just hard to wrap my mind around doing all that work and not seeing the payoff on the scale.
Anyway, I decided to compare some pictures of myself from November 2015 to February 12, 2016 and there is exactly a one pound difference. I was pleasantly surprised! I don't have and online album to share my pictures, but my profile picture is my most recent comparison shot. Hope you guys can see it and the difference weight lifting has made. TRUST THE PROCESS even when the scale doesn't move!
This. I just found a muscle in my forearm while driving. Total shock to the brain! And then I saw my calves at the gym yesterday.
I swear, if today wasn't a rest day....
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I think I figured out how to attach a picture. Here's my progress...exactly one pound difference in weight, but a pretty good difference in size. I hope you guys can tell.
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Reinventing_Me wrote: »I think I figured out how to attach a picture. Here's my progress...exactly one pound difference in weight, but a pretty good difference in size. I hope you guys can tell.
Fantastic progress. Hopefully the scale catches up to what your pictures are showing, but this is the perfect example of why you shouldn't let the scale get you down.
You look great!!!0 -
Reinventing_Me wrote: »I think I figured out how to attach a picture. Here's my progress...exactly one pound difference in weight, but a pretty good difference in size. I hope you guys can tell.
Fantastic progress. Hopefully the scale catches up to what your pictures are showing, but this is the perfect example of why you shouldn't let the scale get you down.
You look great!!!
THANKS SO MUCH! 0 -
Reinventing_Me wrote: »I think I figured out how to attach a picture. Here's my progress...exactly one pound difference in weight, but a pretty good difference in size. I hope you guys can tell.
That's amazing! There's a huge difference!!! The scale definitely doesn't tell the whole picture. Keep up the great work!0
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