Weightlifting??

I have been on a calorie reduction program to lose weight. I have always been moderatly active as I like to walk and walk between 3 and 7 miles a day at a brisk pace (4m.p.h). I have been logging meals, consuming about 1200-1500 cal a day (most days!!! Friday, Saturday, Sunday are tough!) burn about 300 during excercise. And I am not losing!!! I am 39. 5'8.5" 176 lb female and I am frustrated!!!!! I eat alot of protein, like I said the weekends are the toughest time for me cuz....well.....I like to party!!!!!! I know alcohol does nothing for weight loss but I do log the alcohol calories.
I have been thinking about buying a home gym so I can start a weight lifting routine. So here is my question.....if I continue to do what I am doing and add the weight lifting will I just build muscle under the fat and just get bigger and bulkier? Or will the muscle burn the fat and make me leaner? That may sound like a stupid question but If I start lifting and my clothes start getting EVEN TIGHTER I will FREAK OUT!!! So.....PLEASE.....someone tell me......will this help or hurt?
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Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,443 Member
    Weight lifting has done awesome things for me! I'm down about 17 pounds and feel and look amazing. Stronglifts 5X5 is the program I started with. You can check it out at stronglifts.com and download the app to track your progress.

    However, it didn't all click for me until I begin using a food scale faithfully and logging everything. Losing weight is about calories, not exercise. You have to eat less calories than your body burns in a day in order to lose weight. 9v0ecv3ieilo.jpg
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
    You have many issues that need addressing. First of all 1200 - 1500 is broad, and does that mean you eat 1200 plus 300 in exercise calories to make 1500??? If so that is the right thing to do if MFP gave you 1200 to eat.

    Do you weigh your food using a food scale and are you sure your exercise calories are 300 and not overestimated if you are eating them back.???

    Next, you can add weightlifting. You will NOT get bulky while eating in a deficit. Not going to happen. You will be able to conduct current muscle toning of the muscles you already have but no new muscle fibers can be built unless you eat a surplus.

    Weightlifting will help you KEEP your current muscle while eating a deficit thus loosing less muscle while loosing weight. By the way, muscle does not burn fat..

    Get the food scale if you do not have one, eat at your deficit calories and do lift weights and continue doing your walks. Be careful to not eat back too many exercise calories that may derail you from keeping you in a daily/weekly deficit.

    If you are overdoing the weekends then you need to stop that.. OR figure out your weekly calories to allow over indulgences and lots of alcohol and partying.. in my honest opinion doing these things you do Friday Sat and Sun is a recipe for weight loss disaster.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    http://www.bowflexmaxtrainer.com - better than a home gym, and it'll melt off the pounds. Just don't fall for the hype of 14min/day 3 times a week.. takes more than that but it sure kicks my *kitten*. Cross between a stair stepper, an elliptical, and spawn of Satan. I do just fine with body weight training, my M5, and a few free weights. The weight bench collects dust.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    http://www.bowflexmaxtrainer.com - better than a home gym, and it'll melt off the pounds. Just don't fall for the hype of 14min/day 3 times a week.. takes more than that but it sure kicks my *kitten*. Cross between a stair stepper, an elliptical, and spawn of Satan. I do just fine with body weight training, my M5, and a few free weights. The weight bench collects dust.

    exercise isn't needed to lose weight.

    but a progressive load lifting program is a great idea....if you like it.

    If you don't that's fine too body weight is good or this machine...but again exercise isn't needed for weight loss...

    PS I have tried the maxtrainer at my brothers and it is HIIT...and I am in good shape and it kicked my *kitten* too...but it wouldn't take long to get up to speed if I used it frequently.
  • HeatherLeAnn622
    HeatherLeAnn622 Posts: 45 Member
    edited June 2016
    You will only get "bulky" if you are eating on a surplus while lifting weights. The fear that you will get big while lifting is unfounded. If it were that easy, guys and gals wouldn't be killing themselves on bulk/cut cycles to get the body they want.

    Weight training is very important for overall health and fitness. But adding it won't be the reason you lose weight. My guess is that you're not losing because you're not logging accurately. It's easy to underestimate your calorie intake while overestimating your exercise. Definitely add weight training to your routine, but take an honest look at your food intake and your exercise expenditure.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I'm going to venture a guess (okay not a guess, it's pretty much certain) that you're eating more than you think you are eating. It has happened to most of us. Use a food scale.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    I have been on a calorie reduction program to lose weight. I have always been moderatly active as I like to walk and walk between 3 and 7 miles a day at a brisk pace (4m.p.h). I have been logging meals, consuming about 1200-1500 cal a day (most days!!! Friday, Saturday, Sunday are tough!) burn about 300 during excercise. And I am not losing!!! I am 39. 5'8.5" 176 lb female and I am frustrated!!!!! I eat alot of protein, like I said the weekends are the toughest time for me cuz....well.....I like to party!!!!!! I know alcohol does nothing for weight loss but I do log the alcohol calories.
    I have been thinking about buying a home gym so I can start a weight lifting routine. So here is my question.....if I continue to do what I am doing and add the weight lifting will I just build muscle under the fat and just get bigger and bulkier? Or will the muscle burn the fat and make me leaner? That may sound like a stupid question but If I start lifting and my clothes start getting EVEN TIGHTER I will FREAK OUT!!! So.....PLEASE.....someone tell me......will this help or hurt?

    I have a home gym and lift there exclusively and have for 3 years. I love it.

    you will not build any appreciable muscle in a calorie deficit. If new to lifting you might build a little bit but it will be measured in oz not lbs so no worries there.

    weight lifting does not help you lose weight per say..it can create a bit of a deficit but the goal when lifting while losing weight is to maintain muscle mass and lose mainly fat.

    You may see a stall in weight loss when you first start but it is water and glycogen stores in the muscle being held for repair and try hard to stay off the scale for a bit if you do start lifting.

    as for the current trend of not losing..you are eating more than you think.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    edited June 2016
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    exercise isn't needed to lose weight.

    but a progressive load lifting program is a great idea....if you like it.

    If you don't that's fine too body weight is good or this machine...but again exercise isn't needed for weight loss...

    PS I have tried the maxtrainer at my brothers and it is HIIT...and I am in good shape and it kicked my *kitten* too...but it wouldn't take long to get up to speed if I used it frequently.

    There's nothing wrong with lifting, don't get me wrong. I'll be doing it again some day to try and build more muscle. Exercise is not required, you are correct, but it certainly helps things along, and makes adjusting your calorie intake easier. It also keeps you from ending up skinny with hanging skin everywhere. So exercise isn't required, but I recommend it in some form, whether that be lifting or cardio.

    The MAX Trainer is nice, but pricey, there are other machines that cost less (elliptical), but it also doesn't have to be HIIT only. I use mine every morning at a steady state for 30 minutes (well 6 days a week) and manage to burn about 500 calories. That's 500 calories more I can eat daily, and it's done wonders for the muscles in my legs, and lower abs. Because of it I can pretty much skip having a 'leg day'. So the rest of my hour I spend exercising a day I spend working on upper abs, arms, back, and chest with body weight exercises. That coupled with the MAX equals around 800 calories a day I can add back into my diet. Averaged over a week it's an extra 600ish I can put back into my diet. Now that I'm on maintenance it pretty much means I can eat damn near anything I want and still come out even. When I was at a deficit it sure made things easier to continue to lose and eat more of the things I like.

    I guess my point is that if you want to lift, I'd recommend it. If you want to do cardio, I'd certainly recommend it. Exercise is good for you if nothing else even though it isn't required.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have been on a calorie reduction program to lose weight. I have always been moderatly active as I like to walk and walk between 3 and 7 miles a day at a brisk pace (4m.p.h). I have been logging meals, consuming about 1200-1500 cal a day (most days!!! Friday, Saturday, Sunday are tough!) burn about 300 during excercise. And I am not losing!!! I am 39. 5'8.5" 176 lb female and I am frustrated!!!!! I eat alot of protein, like I said the weekends are the toughest time for me cuz....well.....I like to party!!!!!! I know alcohol does nothing for weight loss but I do log the alcohol calories.
    I have been thinking about buying a home gym so I can start a weight lifting routine. So here is my question.....if I continue to do what I am doing and add the weight lifting will I just build muscle under the fat and just get bigger and bulkier? Or will the muscle burn the fat and make me leaner? That may sound like a stupid question but If I start lifting and my clothes start getting EVEN TIGHTER I will FREAK OUT!!! So.....PLEASE.....someone tell me......will this help or hurt?

    I have a home gym and lift there exclusively and have for 3 years. I love it.

    you will not build any appreciable muscle in a calorie deficit. If new to lifting you might build a little bit but it will be measured in oz not lbs so no worries there.

    weight lifting does not help you lose weight per say..it can create a bit of a deficit but the goal when lifting while losing weight is to maintain muscle mass and lose mainly fat.

    You may see a stall in weight loss when you first start but it is water and glycogen stores in the muscle being held for repair and try hard to stay off the scale for a bit if you do start lifting.

    as for the current trend of not losing..you are eating more than you think.

    The goal for weightlifting in a deficit is to maintain muscle mass only.. a calorie deficit is for loosing fat. Do not get confused that muscle burns fat.

    Also weight lifting does not help with losing weight at all. again eating less calories than you burn will break your stall.. One hour of lifting may burn around 100 calories or so.. that is less than one glass of wine or beer..

    OP a reassessment of your current lifestyle is in order if you are truly committed to loosing weight.. Its says in your profile, the very first paragraph says you love to party and hang out with friends..but you want to loose weight and feel better in your clothes, etc..

    Set the priorities that you deem more important, and if you deem weight loss is more important than cutting back on the partying is all you need to do.



  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have a home gym and lift there exclusively and have for 3 years. I love it.

    you will not build any appreciable muscle in a calorie deficit. If new to lifting you might build a little bit but it will be measured in oz not lbs so no worries there.

    Just curious, what home gym do you have? One of these days I am thinking of replacing my bench with one. I have back problems so resistance training on a home gym seems like it might be better suited than straight up heavy lifting which I can't do. Well, I can, but I have to modify and/or skip some things to keep heavy weight off my lower spine.

    Also, it is possible to build some muscle in a deficit. If you have a lot of fat, your body will burn the fat for the extra calories it needs, so in that respect you can build muscle, but my guess is you'll build muscle at about 1/4 the rate you'll lose fat, so you'll lose inches not gain them. If you do start lifting in a deficit, don't go super heavy at first, you may want to consider higher reps lower weight at first. I tried heavy in a deficit and only managed to injure myself. I wasn't gaining strength but I was trying to raise the weight. It was a losing battle. I switched to body weight (push ups, chin ups, squats, sit-ups, etc.) instead and seemed like I progressed much easier in a deficit.

  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Let's get some things straight:

    (1) Weight lifting burns calories. It may not burn as much as running but it does burn calories.
    (2) More muscle will increase one's metabolism. No, it's not magic but it is part of the equation.
    (3) One can build muscle in a moderate deficit. It's not as fast as a bulk, but for someone just starting out its not going to just be ounces either. Train hard and eat a high protein diet. Just do it.

    If you are interested, then check out the January 2016 and March 2016 Alan Aragon Research reviews on (3). I'm on my phone so I'm not typing out the full links, but the related studies on pub med are at 26817506 and 8379514. These are also consistent with my own and my wife's n=2 experiences.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
    Let's get some things straight:

    (1) Weight lifting burns calories. It may not burn as much as running but it does burn calories.
    (2) More muscle will increase one's metabolism. No, it's not magic but it is part of the equation.
    (3) One can build muscle in a moderate deficit. It's not as fast as a bulk, but for someone just starting out its not going to just be ounces either. Train hard and eat a high protein diet. Just do it.

    If you are interested, then check out the January 2016 and March 2016 Alan Aragon Research reviews on (3). I'm on my phone so I'm not typing out the full links, but the related studies on pub med are at 26817506 and 8379514. These are also consistent with my own and my wife's n=2 experiences.

    1. agreed about 100 an hour or so.
    2. a small very small tick upward in metabolism but not enough to matter unless you are eating at a deficit to loose the pounds. Lots of muscle mass will increase metabolism but we are not talking about anything that matters in this case.
    3. One cannot build moderates amount of muscle in a deficit. You will entail newbie gainz in the very beginning but these taper of around the 5 - 7 week ..

    If I could build moderates amount of muscle in a deficit then all my 2 years of weightlifting and still lifting today.. I would be one huge bulky woman!

    edited to add: put me or other women in a calorie surplus, we can build some muscle, but getting bulky and huge takes purpose and a serious progressive overloading strength program and quite a while to do.. we just do not build muscle like men!
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,288 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    You have many issues that need addressing. First of all 1200 - 1500 is broad, and does that mean you eat 1200 plus 300 in exercise calories to make 1500??? If so that is the right thing to do if MFP gave you 1200 to eat.

    Do you weigh your food using a food scale and are you sure your exercise calories are 300 and not overestimated if you are eating them back.???

    Next, you can add weightlifting. You will NOT get bulky while eating in a deficit. Not going to happen. You will be able to conduct current muscle toning of the muscles you already have but no new muscle fibers can be built unless you eat a surplus.

    Weightlifting will help you KEEP your current muscle while eating a deficit thus loosing less muscle while loosing weight. By the way, muscle does not burn fat..

    Get the food scale if you do not have one, eat at your deficit calories and do lift weights and continue doing your walks. Be careful to not eat back too many exercise calories that may derail you from keeping you in a daily/weekly deficit.

    If you are overdoing the weekends then you need to stop that.. OR figure out your weekly calories to allow over indulgences and lots of alcohol and partying.. in my honest opinion doing these things you do Friday Sat and Sun is a recipe for weight loss disaster.

    Some clarification on this post and my own two cents. You may see a little weight gain (initially with fluctuations) starting a weight lifting program as your body will pump your muscles full of fluid to facilitate repair. To what extent this happens is dependent upon the intensity of your routine, how your body reacts to muscle damage and how much fluids and sodium you take in. It's not something you need to worry about because it won't last. You actually can build muscle while eating at a deficit. It's called newbie gains and will occur more often if you already have a good surplus of body fat on your frame. Your body will pull the energy it needs from whatever source it can find to do the work it feels is necessary. Eating at a surplus to gain muscle mass is more important for those that have already been lifting for a while or are already getting close to, what the body considers, maintenance weight. However, I wouldn't worry about muscle gain. If you are eating at a deficit, you will lose body fat while gaining muscle so there will be some offset in how your body is shaped although you may not see massive changes in the scale. This is what you want, to look fit and healthy. A lot of people worry too much about the number on the scale and too little about their overall physcial appearance. Also, you will not get bulky. You aren't a man and don't have the necessary testosterone to build the kind of muscle to make that happen.

    Also, the statement that muscle does not burn fat is not completely accurate. Muscle facilitates fat burn, although muscle does not directly burn fat. The more muscle you have, the higher your bodies energy requirements, which means the body must consume more energy to support it's needs. Gaining muscle is good for this reason alone, not to mention being and feeling stronger and having more physical endurance. As you gain more muscle, your at rest energy requirements will go up. That's why men typically have an easier time losing weight and keeping it off, we just have more muscle to support.

    I do agree that your problem is likely that you're eating more calories than you think you are or are overestimating the amount of calories you're burning from exercise. The only way you are not losing weight is because you're either not burning enough calories over time or taking too many calories in. Cardio is good for short term caloric burns but a progressive (moderate intensity) strength training program is what you need for continous burn throughout the day.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    edited June 2016
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Let's get some things straight:

    (1) Weight lifting burns calories. It may not burn as much as running but it does burn calories.
    (2) More muscle will increase one's metabolism. No, it's not magic but it is part of the equation.
    (3) One can build muscle in a moderate deficit. It's not as fast as a bulk, but for someone just starting out its not going to just be ounces either. Train hard and eat a high protein diet. Just do it.

    If you are interested, then check out the January 2016 and March 2016 Alan Aragon Research reviews on (3). I'm on my phone so I'm not typing out the full links, but the related studies on pub med are at 26817506 and 8379514. These are also consistent with my own and my wife's n=2 experiences.

    1. agreed about 100 an hour o do.
    2. a small tick upward in metabolism but not enough to matter unless you are eating at a deficit
    3. One cannot build moderates amount of muscle in a deficit. You will entail newbie gainz in the very beginning but these taper of around the 5 - 7 ..

    If I could build moderates amount of muscle then all my 2 years of weightlifting.. I would be one huge woman!

    Perhaps you should read the studies. A woman won't build as much as a man and it takes real effort for most women to build muscle in any event, but the science is what it is. The no muscle in a deficit thing on MFP seems stem from an attempt to dissuade female newbies from the "bulky" complex some women have when it comes to lifting weights. It also stems from the fact that a well trained and lean person will at some point find it impossible to gain muscle in a deficit. Even with that the generally accepted exceptions to this "rule" are threefold: (1) PEDs, (2) obese individuals and (3) newbies. Many new to MFP fall into (2) and/or (3) so the constant discussion of this "rule" on here seems counterproductive and even misleading.

    As for (2) it may get lost in error but it may also create the deficit you mention. As for (1) it will depend on the individual.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Since everyone knows that our bodies can adapt and add muscle when at maintenance with no calorie surplus, why do people insist that our bodies can't adapt and build at a slower rate when at a small deficit?

    Honest question as I happen to think you can build in a deficit to a certain extent.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
    wilsoncl6 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    You have many issues that need addressing. First of all 1200 - 1500 is broad, and does that mean you eat 1200 plus 300 in exercise calories to make 1500??? If so that is the right thing to do if MFP gave you 1200 to eat.

    Do you weigh your food using a food scale and are you sure your exercise calories are 300 and not overestimated if you are eating them back.???

    Next, you can add weightlifting. You will NOT get bulky while eating in a deficit. Not going to happen. You will be able to conduct current muscle toning of the muscles you already have but no new muscle fibers can be built unless you eat a surplus.

    Weightlifting will help you KEEP your current muscle while eating a deficit thus loosing less muscle while loosing weight. By the way, muscle does not burn fat..

    Get the food scale if you do not have one, eat at your deficit calories and do lift weights and continue doing your walks. Be careful to not eat back too many exercise calories that may derail you from keeping you in a daily/weekly deficit.

    If you are overdoing the weekends then you need to stop that.. OR figure out your weekly calories to allow over indulgences and lots of alcohol and partying.. in my honest opinion doing these things you do Friday Sat and Sun is a recipe for weight loss disaster.

    Some clarification on this post and my own two cents. You may see a little weight gain (initially with fluctuations) starting a weight lifting program as your body will pump your muscles full of fluid to facilitate repair. To what extent this happens is dependent upon the intensity of your routine, how your body reacts to muscle damage and how much fluids and sodium you take in. It's not something you need to worry about because it won't last. You actually can build muscle while eating at a deficit. It's called newbie gains and will occur more often if you already have a good surplus of body fat on your frame. Your body will pull the energy it needs from whatever source it can find to do the work it feels is necessary. Eating at a surplus to gain muscle mass is more important for those that have already been lifting for a while or are already getting close to, what the body considers, maintenance weight. However, I wouldn't worry about muscle gain. If you are eating at a deficit, you will lose body fat while gaining muscle so there will be some offset in how your body is shaped although you may not see massive changes in the scale. This is what you want, to look fit and healthy. A lot of people worry too much about the number on the scale and too little about their overall physcial appearance. Also, you will not get bulky. You aren't a man and don't have the necessary testosterone to build the kind of muscle to make that happen.

    Also, the statement that muscle does not burn fat is not completely accurate. Muscle facilitates fat burn, although muscle does not directly burn fat. The more muscle you have, the higher your bodies energy requirements, which means the body must consume more energy to support it's needs. Gaining muscle is good for this reason alone, not to mention being and feeling stronger and having more physical endurance. As you gain more muscle, your at rest energy requirements will go up. That's why men typically have an easier time losing weight and keeping it off, we just have more muscle to support.

    I do agree that your problem is likely that you're eating more calories than you think you are or are overestimating the amount of calories you're burning from exercise. The only way you are not losing weight is because you're either not burning enough calories over time or taking too many calories in. Cardio is good for short term caloric burns but a progressive (moderate intensity) strength training program is what you need for continous burn throughout the day.

    I do get the more muscle you have ... etc...

    now what I am trying to convey to OP is getting lost in translation and now this thread is not on point and turned into a debate.

    I will now leave this post area of the forums and let you guys talk to OP how to get her to her goal!

  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    wilsoncl6 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    You have many issues that need addressing. First of all 1200 - 1500 is broad, and does that mean you eat 1200 plus 300 in exercise calories to make 1500??? If so that is the right thing to do if MFP gave you 1200 to eat.

    Do you weigh your food using a food scale and are you sure your exercise calories are 300 and not overestimated if you are eating them back.???

    Next, you can add weightlifting. You will NOT get bulky while eating in a deficit. Not going to happen. You will be able to conduct current muscle toning of the muscles you already have but no new muscle fibers can be built unless you eat a surplus.

    Weightlifting will help you KEEP your current muscle while eating a deficit thus loosing less muscle while loosing weight. By the way, muscle does not burn fat..

    Get the food scale if you do not have one, eat at your deficit calories and do lift weights and continue doing your walks. Be careful to not eat back too many exercise calories that may derail you from keeping you in a daily/weekly deficit.

    If you are overdoing the weekends then you need to stop that.. OR figure out your weekly calories to allow over indulgences and lots of alcohol and partying.. in my honest opinion doing these things you do Friday Sat and Sun is a recipe for weight loss disaster.

    Some clarification on this post and my own two cents. You may see a little weight gain (initially with fluctuations) starting a weight lifting program as your body will pump your muscles full of fluid to facilitate repair. To what extent this happens is dependent upon the intensity of your routine, how your body reacts to muscle damage and how much fluids and sodium you take in. It's not something you need to worry about because it won't last. You actually can build muscle while eating at a deficit. It's called newbie gains and will occur more often if you already have a good surplus of body fat on your frame. Your body will pull the energy it needs from whatever source it can find to do the work it feels is necessary. Eating at a surplus to gain muscle mass is more important for those that have already been lifting for a while or are already getting close to, what the body considers, maintenance weight. However, I wouldn't worry about muscle gain. If you are eating at a deficit, you will lose body fat while gaining muscle so there will be some offset in how your body is shaped although you may not see massive changes in the scale. This is what you want, to look fit and healthy. A lot of people worry too much about the number on the scale and too little about their overall physcial appearance. Also, you will not get bulky. You aren't a man and don't have the necessary testosterone to build the kind of muscle to make that happen.

    Also, the statement that muscle does not burn fat is not completely accurate. Muscle facilitates fat burn, although muscle does not directly burn fat. The more muscle you have, the higher your bodies energy requirements, which means the body must consume more energy to support it's needs. Gaining muscle is good for this reason alone, not to mention being and feeling stronger and having more physical endurance. As you gain more muscle, your at rest energy requirements will go up. That's why men typically have an easier time losing weight and keeping it off, we just have more muscle to support.

    I do agree that your problem is likely that you're eating more calories than you think you are or are overestimating the amount of calories you're burning from exercise. The only way you are not losing weight is because you're either not burning enough calories over time or taking too many calories in. Cardio is good for short term caloric burns but a progressive (moderate intensity) strength training program is what you need for continous burn throughout the day.

    I do get the more muscle you have ... etc...

    now what I am trying to convey to OP is getting lost in translation and now this thread is not on point and turned into a debate.

    I will now leave this post area of the forums and let you guys talk to OP how to get her to her goal!

    Keep doing what you're doing. Some of us are just correcting and clarifying. The more I learn I swear the less I feel like I know.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have a home gym and lift there exclusively and have for 3 years. I love it.

    you will not build any appreciable muscle in a calorie deficit. If new to lifting you might build a little bit but it will be measured in oz not lbs so no worries there.

    Just curious, what home gym do you have? One of these days I am thinking of replacing my bench with one. I have back problems so resistance training on a home gym seems like it might be better suited than straight up heavy lifting which I can't do. Well, I can, but I have to modify and/or skip some things to keep heavy weight off my lower spine.

    Also, it is possible to build some muscle in a deficit. If you have a lot of fat, your body will burn the fat for the extra calories it needs, so in that respect you can build muscle, but my guess is you'll build muscle at about 1/4 the rate you'll lose fat, so you'll lose inches not gain them. If you do start lifting in a deficit, don't go super heavy at first, you may want to consider higher reps lower weight at first. I tried heavy in a deficit and only managed to injure myself. I wasn't gaining strength but I was trying to raise the weight. It was a losing battle. I switched to body weight (push ups, chin ups, squats, sit-ups, etc.) instead and seemed like I progressed much easier in a deficit.

    I mean a home gym. Bench, squat rack etc. I lift heavy using free weights.

    Yes you can build muscle on a deficit if one of the following is true:

    New to lifting but this only lasts a while and the gains are small
    Obese
    full of testosterone...aka young men.

    The only other time you build muscle and not bulk is during a recomp where you are at maintenance and doing a progressive load lifting program.

    I have lifted heavy exclusively for 3 years in September and the first year I was at a deficit. I built up my weights over a course of a couple weeks from a 90lb dead lift to maxing out at 245 PR in under 2 years...and regardless of deficit or not if you are just starting lifting you never start out full on extra heavy...just asking for trouble.

    if you injured yourself that wasn't the deficit it was your form.

    if you weren't gaining strength you were doing a progressive load program

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have been on a calorie reduction program to lose weight. I have always been moderatly active as I like to walk and walk between 3 and 7 miles a day at a brisk pace (4m.p.h). I have been logging meals, consuming about 1200-1500 cal a day (most days!!! Friday, Saturday, Sunday are tough!) burn about 300 during excercise. And I am not losing!!! I am 39. 5'8.5" 176 lb female and I am frustrated!!!!! I eat alot of protein, like I said the weekends are the toughest time for me cuz....well.....I like to party!!!!!! I know alcohol does nothing for weight loss but I do log the alcohol calories.
    I have been thinking about buying a home gym so I can start a weight lifting routine. So here is my question.....if I continue to do what I am doing and add the weight lifting will I just build muscle under the fat and just get bigger and bulkier? Or will the muscle burn the fat and make me leaner? That may sound like a stupid question but If I start lifting and my clothes start getting EVEN TIGHTER I will FREAK OUT!!! So.....PLEASE.....someone tell me......will this help or hurt?

    I have a home gym and lift there exclusively and have for 3 years. I love it.

    you will not build any appreciable muscle in a calorie deficit. If new to lifting you might build a little bit but it will be measured in oz not lbs so no worries there.

    weight lifting does not help you lose weight per say..it can create a bit of a deficit but the goal when lifting while losing weight is to maintain muscle mass and lose mainly fat.

    You may see a stall in weight loss when you first start but it is water and glycogen stores in the muscle being held for repair and try hard to stay off the scale for a bit if you do start lifting.

    as for the current trend of not losing..you are eating more than you think.

    The goal for weightlifting in a deficit is to maintain muscle mass only.. a calorie deficit is for loosing fat. Do not get confused that muscle burns fat.

    Also weight lifting does not help with losing weight at all. again eating less calories than you burn will break your stall.. One hour of lifting may burn around 100 calories or so.. that is less than one glass of wine or beer..

    OP a reassessment of your current lifestyle is in order if you are truly committed to loosing weight.. Its says in your profile, the very first paragraph says you love to party and hang out with friends..but you want to loose weight and feel better in your clothes, etc..

    Set the priorities that you deem more important, and if you deem weight loss is more important than cutting back on the partying is all you need to do.



    not sure why this is directed at me...I've been lifting for 3 years and don't need this lesson.

    I was very clear in my post about what lifting does while trying to lose going as far as to warn the OP about water retention etc.

    and not sure why the goal of lifting was highlighted I indicated exactly what you did...it is to maintain muscle while losing weight...I never indicated it was for losing weight...

    If you are looking for a debate from me you won't get it...you said exactly what I said using the same words in a different order....*raises eyebrows*

    and you can build in a deficit...if it's a small deficit and you are doing it right a recomp is a great thing...
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Let's get some things straight:

    (1) Weight lifting burns calories. It may not burn as much as running but it does burn calories.
    (2) More muscle will increase one's metabolism. No, it's not magic but it is part of the equation.
    (3) One can build muscle in a moderate deficit. It's not as fast as a bulk, but for someone just starting out its not going to just be ounces either. Train hard and eat a high protein diet. Just do it.

    If you are interested, then check out the January 2016 and March 2016 Alan Aragon Research reviews on (3). I'm on my phone so I'm not typing out the full links, but the related studies on pub med are at 26817506 and 8379514. These are also consistent with my own and my wife's n=2 experiences.

    1. agreed about 100 an hour or so.
    2. a small very small tick upward in metabolism but not enough to matter unless you are eating at a deficit to loose the pounds. Lots of muscle mass will increase metabolism but we are not talking about anything that matters in this case.
    3. One cannot build moderates amount of muscle in a deficit. You will entail newbie gainz in the very beginning but these taper of around the 5 - 7 week ..

    If I could build moderates amount of muscle in a deficit then all my 2 years of weightlifting and still lifting today.. I would be one huge bulky woman!

    edited to add: put me or other women in a calorie surplus, we can build some muscle, but getting bulky and huge takes purpose and a serious progressive overloading strength program and quite a while to do.. we just do not build muscle like men!

    and no your wouldn't be....

    and I think like most you are underestimating the amount of calories burned from lifting....100 per hour?
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    My guess is that your weekends are killing any progress you made during the week.