Do big girls lift weights?

Losetowin402019
Losetowin402019 Posts: 1 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am so confused. I have always been told that I need to do cardio to lose fat. But I never see the fitness buffies I follow on social media doing cardio. They are always incorporating exercises that involve HIIT (high intensity intervals training), strength training with weights varying from light to heavy resistance. So which is it? Ive heard that we (big girls) should focus on losing weight first, then toning up as we get within range of the goal weight. What do you think about this?

Replies

  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    We should be lifting things right out the chute. Muscle mass is where it's at for maintaining the skin's elasticity, it's the best thing we can do to preserve it along the way. Our parents generation used to believe you should lose the weight first and then tone but we should start where we're at and able and increase as we tool along. We're that much further ahead when we reach our 'dream' weight.
  • cmsavells
    cmsavells Posts: 257 Member
    I started strength training about 4 weeks into my weight loss journey. I realized I needed to muscle tone or the saggy skin was going to get worse. I met with the trainer at my gym. He went through and specifically picked what he thought would help. I think it has. On the nights I lift I do 30 minutes of cardio. On non-lift nights I do 45. I alternate my time between the treadmill and the elliptical (10 minutes treadmill, 10 minutes elliptical, that sort of thing). Sometimes I incline walk. That will get you cardio and leg work!

    Connie in KY
  • kapurcel
    kapurcel Posts: 27 Member
    I'm a big girl, I lift.
    Lifting while increasing your protein intake, will help you keep your muscle while losing fat. Maintaining your muscle mass will help to burn calories. I still do cardio, in the form of fast walking, elliptical , or hiking, but because I have more muscle mass, I'm burning more calories than say, my sister, who has less muscle mass than I do. While you are trying to drop weight in the form of fat, it\is almost always beneficial to do cardio type activities, regardless of what type. HIIT is nice, because it takes less time than steady state cardio( 30 min vs. 60+), and I believe it has the added benefit of increasing caloric burn even after completion, while SSC only burns calories while during the activity, but you can do it for a longer amount of time, which can burn more calories. You really just need to find the activities that are a good fit for you.
    The benefit of lifting is that it makes you feel so much stronger, and you can feel the muscles working and doing what they are meant to do, and that feels awesome, and makes you feel bad-*kitten*. And who doesn't need to feel like a bad-*kitten* when slogging through the weight loss trenches. You'll start to make noticeable gains in the amount you can lift, and even if the scale isn't moving as quickly as you'd like, there is tangible evidence that you are making progress.
    And the very best part is that when you get rid of enough body fat, those lovely, shapely, bad-*kitten* muscles will be there, just waiting to be admired.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Lifting. So that as you lose your weight through DIETING, you're nicely shaped underneath!

    Not saying don't do cardio- do cardio that you enjoy.
  • bunnyaa
    bunnyaa Posts: 18 Member
    edited August 2019
    Definitely lift while you lose weight. You retain more muscle that way.
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    edited August 2019
    Losetowin402019 wrote: »
    I am so confused. I have always been told that I need to do cardio to lose fat. But I never see the fitness buffies I follow on social media doing cardio. They are always incorporating exercises that involve HIIT (high intensity intervals training), strength training with weights varying from light to heavy resistance. So which is it? Ive heard that we (big girls) should focus on losing weight first, then toning up as we get within range of the goal weight. What do you think about this?

    I think that you should approach your aesthetic goals with the fitness routines you're most comfortable with, with a combination you'll be willing to maintain for some weeks, before you'll consider another add-on. You needn't overthink this. Simply commit to your eating plan@deficit calories + macros ratio@proteins/fats/carbs.

    Personally for me, at my heaviest, my weight class was similar to that of a moose, so any movement on my part would give me more than satisfactory results. I'm also of the mind, that if anyone feels awkward in their body, determined to drop weight earlier in their programme, where the coordination and movement in general is way off, steer well away from any weight-training, extreme cardio or even HIIT. The key to THIS at your heaviest and throughout your ideal weight/aesthetics is to be injury-free AND nail your C(alories) I(n), C(alories) O(ut).
  • noodlesno
    noodlesno Posts: 113 Member
    YES LIFT!!

    I could give you all the reasons why you should, hormone balance, bone density, increase metabolism, strength to carry your shopping,...etc but instead just try it and see how you and your body feels. I mean probably a little sore to start with but after a while...so great.

    The only advice I would give though is to see if you can find someone to help with technic to start, form is so important to not injuring yourself and building those muscles. If you can't have a look at youtube for the different lifts/movements. Also get a program online, there are loads of free beginner ones out there.

    Good luck. I am sure you are going to love it.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,253 Member
    edited August 2019
    Losetowin402019 wrote: »
    I am so confused. I have always been told that I need to do cardio to lose fat. But I never see the fitness buffies I follow on social media doing cardio. They are always incorporating exercises that involve HIIT (high intensity intervals training), strength training with weights varying from light to heavy resistance. So which is it? Ive heard that we (big girls) should focus on losing weight first, then toning up as we get within range of the goal weight. What do you think about this?

    Well, now you know who to stop listening to. Eating fewer calories than you use is what you need to do to lose fat. You don't 'need' to do any kind of exercise at all; although there are a lot of benefits if you do.

    Cardio burns more calories than strength training. Incorporating cardio in your routine can let you eat more while continuing to lose weight. And it's good for your cardiovascular health.
    Strength training builds muscle - or, when you're in a calorie deficit, helps you preserve muscle. I mean, you could wait until the end when you've lost all your muscle and then try to rebuild it, or you could just not lose it in the first place. Which of these sounds like a better idea to you?
    HIIT is just a kind of cardio. And it's currently a fashionable term, so intense cardio workouts often get labelled HIIT even when they're not.

    None of the above affect your skin elasticity. If you have a bit of a deflated-balloon look going on, then building muscle can fill out your skin a little, particularly in your upper arms. But your skin will shrink back and look better over the course of the next year or two whatever you do.

    So what you 'should' do really depends on what your goals are. I hike so that I can eat cake, and I do BodyPump so that my shoulders look great in wide-necked dresses ;)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Lift. I started day 1 at 300+ lbs. That was 5 years and 140 lbs ago. It improved my functioning and helped me look better when I got to goal and into maintenance.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
    Everyone can lift provided their health and physical ability allows it.

    Join us on the dark side and lift to your hearts content.
  • Sharod_BeastFit
    Sharod_BeastFit Posts: 61 Member
    Whatever your goal is...take on the Journey like you want to own it! Nevermind what someone else may think what you can do or how you should do it! Do it as you please because at the end of the day you believe in yourself first! This is your path your route to goal achievement success. Crush it. Chase it. Stick with it! You have no limits. Be MOTIVATED for the fitness changes you desire! Embrace the SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT to keep you going no matter what the scale says. No matter how you look in the mirror. No matter of your fitness level. Let's do this together! One day at a time! You got this! 💪

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