I started lifting now the scale won't budge?
jacki865
Posts: 122 Member
Im 5'2 and 200lbs. Started at 235 and My goal is to get to 125-130. I weigh myself daily to keep track. I hit ONEderland last friday at 199.8 and have started adding more weight training and toning.
Yesterday was leg day so I worked on squats, leg curls, leg extensions, leg presses, etc. Now I wake up and my weight increased to 202.8 yet I'm not extremely sore at the moment. This happens every time I use weights and I seem to be fluctuating like this for the past 3 weeks where my weight will drop after cardio days but it spikes back up after doing any sort of lifting. I know its the water retained from using these muscles but I have now gone 3 weeks without any drop.
I think I may be losing inches and I can tell my body is getting more toned. But obviously me being only 5'2, Its impossible for me to be lean and 200lbs so more weight must come off. Im not entirely sure how to get the scale to go down without stopping the lifting? How can I minimize this impact or get out of this plateau?
Yesterday was leg day so I worked on squats, leg curls, leg extensions, leg presses, etc. Now I wake up and my weight increased to 202.8 yet I'm not extremely sore at the moment. This happens every time I use weights and I seem to be fluctuating like this for the past 3 weeks where my weight will drop after cardio days but it spikes back up after doing any sort of lifting. I know its the water retained from using these muscles but I have now gone 3 weeks without any drop.
I think I may be losing inches and I can tell my body is getting more toned. But obviously me being only 5'2, Its impossible for me to be lean and 200lbs so more weight must come off. Im not entirely sure how to get the scale to go down without stopping the lifting? How can I minimize this impact or get out of this plateau?
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You need to re-evaluate your cal intake. If you have stayed the same weight for 3 weeks, plus u added in more activity, it sounds as if you were eating too much as it were, and now with the added activity you are eating at maintenance. You either need to add in more activity, or lower your cal intake if you want to continue to lose weight.
Sounds like u over-estimated your overall activity level, or you aren't tracking your calorie intake correctly1 -
Fat loss starts and ends in the kitchen. Period. Your body must burn more than you eat. You didn't mention your current TDEE, so I'd say that is the very first thing you need to look at.
I am glad you started to lift - most girls don't. It was a good choice and you shouldn't stop. Your efforts in the gym will help shape what the smaller you looks like in the mirror rather than on the scale. Lifting will likely slow the weight loss BUT, you are replacing light-fluffy fat with sleek segzy muscle. THIS IS A WIN. The scale might not be moving as fast but those jeans that won't slide over your thighs will suddenly fit.
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Eat less. Your current TDEE is not the same as it was when you were 235.0
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Allmyusernamesaretakengeeze wrote: »Fat loss starts and ends in the kitchen. Period. Your body must burn more than you eat. You didn't mention your current TDEE, so I'd say that is the very first thing you need to look at.
I am glad you started to lift - most girls don't. It was a good choice and you shouldn't stop. Your efforts in the gym will help shape what the smaller you looks like in the mirror rather than on the scale. Lifting will likely slow the weight loss BUT, you are replacing light-fluffy fat with sleek segzy muscle. THIS IS A WIN. The scale might not be moving as fast but those jeans that won't slide over your thighs will suddenly fit.
you dont replace fat with muscle it doesnt work that way. you can burn the fat over the muscle.0 -
Considering you're lifting, some of that weight gain after a workout will be water retention to help heal your damaged muscle. Even if you're not that sore, you will still retain some water from lifting. I always see a small increase the day after I lift, in the beginning (first month) it was sometimes 2lbs, currently it's between .4-1lb.1
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Keep track of your measurements and take progress pics. It's not all about the scale. Take a peek at this girl's post from yesterday. It's not all about the scale!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10381412/its-taken-4-months-but-10-pounds-are-gone-comparison#latest
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Keep track of your measurements and take progress pics. It's not all about the scale. Take a peek at this girl's post from yesterday. It's not all about the scale!
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10381412/its-taken-4-months-but-10-pounds-are-gone-comparison#latest
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I'm on a1200 calorie diet and have been within it for these weeksArmyofAdrian wrote: »Eat less. Your current TDEE is not the same as it was when you were 235.
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yeah dont eat less if on a 1200 calorie diet.
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Sometimes you have to trust the process. If you are eating right and logging accurately along with doing the exercise you'll get there. It's a marathon not a sprint. Keep up the good work!
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This is the advice above everything else you need to listen to.CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »yeah dont eat less if on a 1200 calorie diet.
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So your BMR is approximately 1700 and with whatever you do for regular day plus exercise, I'm betting it's about 2400 for your TDEE minimum.
I'm on a1200 calorie diet and have been within it for these weeksArmyofAdrian wrote: »Eat less. Your current TDEE is not the same as it was when you were 235.
The body can go into homeostasis when it adapts to how much you feed it versus how much you burn. Many times people who eat such low calories will find they stall alot even when exercise is added.
Try eating 1400 and see what happens.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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lol follow this advice too. good advice dude
So your BMR is approximately 1700 and with whatever you do for regular day plus exercise, I'm betting it's about 2400 for your TDEE minimum.
I'm on a1200 calorie diet and have been within it for these weeksArmyofAdrian wrote: »Eat less. Your current TDEE is not the same as it was when you were 235.
The body can go into homeostasis when it adapts to how much you feed it versus how much you burn. Many times people who eat such low calories will find they stall alot even when exercise is added.
Try eating 1400 and see what happens.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I'm on a1200 calorie diet and have been within it for these weeksArmyofAdrian wrote: »Eat less. Your current TDEE is not the same as it was when you were 235.
If you weigh 199 and aren't losing weight then you are almost certainly eating more than 1200 calories whether you know it or not1 -
Copied from another thread I posted in. Might apply here.
For the last 3 months, I have started "whooshing." I was a consistent loser before that. I go 2-3 weeks with maintains/fractional losses (like 0.2)/small gains and then lose 7 pounds at my next weekly weigh-in. I'm still 40ish pounds from normal BMI.
I haven't looked through your diary, but maybe you're experiencing the same. If another week or 2 goes by with absolutely nothing, then you're eating at maintenance.
I sat down and ran the numbers today for the last 3 weeks because I am currently in a stall. Even with 20% off the burns estimated by my Fitbit and with 10% added to my intake recorded in my food diary, I should still be losing. So, I continue. Last month, I also stalled for 3 weeks before suddenly being 7 pounds down.
Now, if 4+ weeks were to go by, I would be reevaluating my intake. It is worth knowing one thing, though. Do you weigh, on a digital food scale in grams, 90%+ of what you're eating?1 -
Firstly those above have pointed it out log properly , weigh food , log everything.
Secondly you are weighing yourself every day ? Doesn't that drive you insane , maybe use other measurement techniques, the scales for me sometimes knock me up higher one week to the next due to TOM water weight stress pretty much anything , I get BF measured once a month and waist measurement etc
I started at 195 way back when and did the whole 1200cal-1500 a day as well as exercising 5/6 times a week , I was down right miserable that low on cals but I dropped 35lb in 3 months.
Keep logging and swap up your lifting program if you aren't making any gains
Good luck1 -
Find a good personal trainer who knows nutrition. I'm currently doing contest prep for a fitness model comp and my trainer has increased my calories to 1800 per day (I was inadvertently around 1600) with 40% protein, 30% carbs & 30% fat. I'm 5'9 and 64kg (approx 141lb) and I'm losing fat measurements on this diet. If you're lifting and only eating 1200 your body is probably in starvation mode and storing fat as protection. Good luck.0
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If the weight lifting is a new activity give it a couple weeks...
and I agree if you are truly (and that mean logging accurately and consistently using a food scale)eating 1200 you should probably increase that esp with lifting.0 -
Find a good personal trainer who knows nutrition. I'm currently doing contest prep for a fitness model comp and my trainer has increased my calories to 1800 per day (I was inadvertently around 1600) with 40% protein, 30% carbs & 30% fat. I'm 5'9 and 64kg (approx 141lb) and I'm losing fat measurements on this diet. If you're lifting and only eating 1200 your body is probably in starvation mode and storing fat as protection. Good luck.
@mcmahoj3 bolded is a myth.0 -
Hi there, it's a combination of exercise, nutrition and rest. Work out your TDEE which should certainly be more than 1200 cals if lifting weights. Increase your water intake to flush water out and do cardio between your lifting days. You need 1-2g protein a day per 1lb and will need to increase carbs to 1g per lb on weightlifting days.
Are your fats coming from good fats like coconut oil, avocado, salmon?
Do you have rest days so your muscles can recover and grow stronger?
Also remember that muscle weighs more than fat so maybe invest in a Bodyweight scale that tells you your fat percentage, muscle, bone and water which will help you make the right choices to address the issue. Hope this helps.0 -
Hi there, it's a combination of exercise, nutrition and rest. Work out your TDEE which should certainly be more than 1200 cals if lifting weights. Increase your water intake to flush water out and do cardio between your lifting days. You need 1-2g protein a day per 1lb and will need to increase carbs to 1g per lb on weightlifting days.
Are your fats coming from good fats like coconut oil, avocado, salmon?
Do you have rest days so your muscles can recover and grow stronger?
Also remember that muscle weighs more than fat so maybe invest in a Bodyweight scale that tells you your fat percentage, muscle, bone and water which will help you make the right choices to address the issue. Hope this helps.
nope.
you should get 0.8 grams of protein for each lb of bodyweight...more is redundant
you should get 0.35 grams of fat for each lb of bodyweight...
muscle takes up less space than fat and she is not building muscle eating 1200 calories....it is hard for women in general to build muscle let alone at a deficit.
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I know everyone hates cardio but if you add in about 3 days a week of cardio (maybe 15 minutes HIIT) you'll start seeing not only fat loss but the scale will start to budge and you can keep lifting to increase muscle mass.1
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I currently weigh 192lbs. I have been lifting heavy (SL5x5) on 1500-1700 calories but also doing some HIIT on treadmill and crosstrainer for 20-30 minutes 3 times a week depending on how I feel. I have been losing a lb a week still. I do the cardio to help with my deficit.
I would have another look at that 1200 cal diet of yours. Something must be amiss. I don't see how you wouldn't lose weight (or not feel drained and rubbish) eating so little.0 -
Dr1nkbleachndye wrote: »
lol follow this advice too. good advice dude
So your BMR is approximately 1700 and with whatever you do for regular day plus exercise, I'm betting it's about 2400 for your TDEE minimum.
I'm on a1200 calorie diet and have been within it for these weeksArmyofAdrian wrote: »Eat less. Your current TDEE is not the same as it was when you were 235.
The body can go into homeostasis when it adapts to how much you feed it versus how much you burn. Many times people who eat such low calories will find they stall alot even when exercise is added.
Try eating 1400 and see what happens.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
This. Sometimes the answer is to just eat a bit more. Eating 1,200 calories and exercising isn't really getting 1,200 calories. You have to subtract off whatever you're burning through exercise to come up with your Net Calories. It's your Net Calories that should never be under 1,200 (for most people a good bit higher too).
Also, if you just started lifting, you're probably retaining some additional water (your muscles will retain more water as part of the repair process) so that's going to add some weight to the scale. It's good weight, but weight none the less.0 -
I stalled for a month the last time I started weight lifting (all the expected loss for the month came off in a few days at the end of that time).1
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