Why would you not weight lift while losing weight?
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catsdogsh
Posts: 130 Member
I saw a few posts from people trying to lose a lot of weight. They are cutting calories and doing cardio and purposely not weight training. They plan to weight lift after the weight is off. Both my trainer and nutritionist say that's incorrect way to go. We should do weights and cardio the whole time. Any ideas what's correct?
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Lift while you lose. It (along with getting enough protein and eating in a moderate rather than extreme deficit) will help you retain muscle. Waiting to do resistance exercise until you are done losing weight means choosing to lose muscle and then have to rebuild it. Better to protect your current muscle as much as possible. You'll be stronger and, IMO, look better both during your weight loss and once you decide to stop losing.0
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Lift while you lose. It (along with getting enough protein and eating in a moderate rather than extreme deficit) will help you retain muscle. Waiting to do resistance exercise until you are done losing weight means choosing to lose muscle and then have to rebuild it. Better to protect your current muscle as much as possible. You'll be stronger and, IMO, look better both during your weight loss and once you decide to stop losing.
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Thanks! That's what I thought and building muscle along the way has definitely been helpful for me.0
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I agree with jemh, but in answer to the thread's question - sometimes people feel too fat and clumsy and self conscious to lift weight. Many, having endured scathing comments about their weight, don't want to go to a weight room with all those mirrors and lifters, and don't have the ability to lift at home, or don't feel secure enough about using body weight exercises, or don't have a clue about how to get started. It's easy for some to own their own space and "just do it," and incredibly difficult for others.0
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it is about an individuals ability to focus. Some folks just get overwhelmed by having too many things on the schedule... embarking on a plan to alter your lifestyle looks different for each and everyone of us.. some folks think they can get it done in a day... some folks see a long difficult path and are willing to take a more measured approach... lifting while in a caloric deficit is tough... and for some people disheartening because they don't and won't see the results because to add muscle mass you have to consume larger amounts of calories... while strictly going "deficit" will see a person's energy drain because they lose fat and muscle... I frame things in this context:
overweight sedentary people are handicapped by "fat" it is like everyday... they get up and gravity adds anywhere from a couple of 10lb bags of flour (or sugar) to possibly dozens of 20 lb bags... in my case I would like to lose about 40 lbs...so.. in context I am packing 2- 20 lb bags of flour on my frame... imagine how much easier the stairmaster would be for me if I wasn't packing all that extra weight on my frame? also imagine how much "weaker" my legs would be if I didn't need to haul that weight around with me everywhere I went?
and so... we should also focus on what is going on internally... most of us focus on what we see.. the fat that we have accumulated on the outside... BUT... we also accumulate fat around and within all our internal organs which decreases the performance of those organs which can and will inhibit our physical performance as we work towards a healthier happier "me"... what I am getting at is...
there is no one formula because we all have different challenges... we are all special.. just like everyone else0 -
A beginner can gain muscle through lifting while on a caloric deficit. The body is untrained and able to progress (albeit slower than someone on a surplus). So yes, lifting is good no matter what your intake is.
However I know of some very heavy people who are intimidated by the weights / weight section... It's not like the threadmill / bike / stairmaster where you just hop on and go. You are interacting with various weights and machines, surrounded by what's likely muscular individuals. Without knowing a program, it can be intimidating, at least until they get the confidence to use the weights.
If they did have the confidence and the programming, then absolutely get on it!0 -
because i don't want to lift weights.
i do body weight exercise instead0 -
I don't lift because I am exceptionally lazy, and adding in resistance, which I've stopped and started several times since I started losing, is overwhelming and just plain doesn't interest me. I know I'll still look like a lumpy sack of potatoes when I'm done losing. Maybe if I hate it enough when I see it, my attitude will change. In the meantime, I'm doing what I can manage.0
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Lift while you lose. It (along with getting enough protein and eating in a moderate rather than extreme deficit) will help you retain muscle. Waiting to do resistance exercise until you are done losing weight means choosing to lose muscle and then have to rebuild it. Better to protect your current muscle as much as possible. You'll be stronger and, IMO, look better both during your weight loss and once you decide to stop losing.
end post0 -
I agree with jemh, but in answer to the thread's question - sometimes people feel too fat and clumsy and self conscious to lift weight. Many, having endured scathing comments about their weight, don't want to go to a weight room with all those mirrors and lifters, and don't have the ability to lift at home, or don't feel secure enough about using body weight exercises, or don't have a clue about how to get started. It's easy for some to own their own space and "just do it," and incredibly difficult for others.
I never thought about it this way thanks for the insight.0 -
I think it is just early overwhelm & the unfamiliarity... Which is why I always tell people just starting out to make a few simple body weight exercises a part of their weekly routine. Especially women! I started at 200 lbs in August & I just decided that at the advanced age of 52 - LOL - I was only going to do what I wanted to do. That was modest calorie restriction, unlimited walking, and some planking. About two months later my walks had morphed into hikes. I rediscovered how much fun a Zumba class or three could be. Suddenly yoga was incredibly appealing on my 'off' days. Then in January I took the plunge and started a progressive free weight lifting program with a friend. LOVE IT!!! But it was like knitting a sweater; I needed to start simple and 'add a stitch' as time went on.0
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sarahlifts wrote: »Lift while you lose. It (along with getting enough protein and eating in a moderate rather than extreme deficit) will help you retain muscle. Waiting to do resistance exercise until you are done losing weight means choosing to lose muscle and then have to rebuild it. Better to protect your current muscle as much as possible. You'll be stronger and, IMO, look better both during your weight loss and once you decide to stop losing.
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Not really. It's not simply a matter of knowing what to do.0 -
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That's great to. I do both0
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I saw a few posts from people trying to lose a lot of weight. They are cutting calories and doing cardio and purposely not weight training. They plan to weight lift after the weight is off. Both my trainer and nutritionist say that's incorrect way to go. We should do weights and cardio the whole time. Any ideas what's correct?
As a matter of general fitness, people should be doing both cardiovascular work and resistance training...but by and large, I think a lot of people are just intimidated because they've never done any resistance training before...they don't know where to start even with body weight work, let alone getting under a bar bell.
Beyond that, a lot of people are just ignorant where diet, nutrition, and fitness are concerned. A lot of people I've come across think you have to burn tons and tons of calories doing cardio to lose weight...they look dumb founded when I tell them they burn a crap ton of calories just existing and doing nothing else whatsoever.
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Lift while you lose. It (along with getting enough protein and eating in a moderate rather than extreme deficit) will help you retain muscle. Waiting to do resistance exercise until you are done losing weight means choosing to lose muscle and then have to rebuild it. Better to protect your current muscle as much as possible. You'll be stronger and, IMO, look better both during your weight loss and once you decide to stop losing.
Agree completely! In addition, lost muscle means a lower BMR, so the same deficit be much less effective over time.
If anything, I'd encourage people to do some form of strength training first (doesn't have to be weightlifting), then add cardio if possible.0 -
I personally love both lifting heavy and running, but if I had to give one up, I'd give up the running - lifting heavy actually causes a cardio effect. I don't actually care if lifting makes me lose weight or not or if running makes me lose weight or not - I love them both and would do them regardless of weight loss. I just wish both activities weren't so prone to injuries, because I'd do them even more than I do now!0
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I think it is just early overwhelm & the unfamiliarity... Which is why I always tell people just starting out to make a few simple body weight exercises a part of their weekly routine. Especially women! I started at 200 lbs in August & I just decided that at the advanced age of 52 - LOL - I was only going to do what I wanted to do. That was modest calorie restriction, unlimited walking, and some planking. About two months later my walks had morphed into hikes. I rediscovered how much fun a Zumba class or three could be. Suddenly yoga was incredibly appealing on my 'off' days. Then in January I took the plunge and started a progressive free weight lifting program with a friend. LOVE IT!!! But it was like knitting a sweater; I needed to start simple and 'add a stitch' as time went on.
That's definitely my trajectory as well - I've been lifting and running for 10 years, but I started out not even knowing the difference between a stretch and a strength exercise. Someone gave me a light resistance band as a gift, and all of a sudden, my world opened up.0 -
t I've been lifting while "losing" but not losing any weight. I've lost over 6" though. It's frustrating to not see the scale budge. I find I get so oooo out of control hungry. I was thinking about stopping for a bit just to drop some fat.0
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