Unsure if what I’m doing is pointless
TheSma11Print
Posts: 165 Member
Hi everyone. My goal is to shred fat. I’ve taken up joggingrecently, in particular I’m doing C25K. I’m really really enjoying it and I even bring my dog with me while doing it sometimes. She’s a husky so loves running.
Alongside this I’m on a calorie deficit - MFP reccomend 1200 but I have been eating back some calories I’ve burned working out because honestly I’m finding I’m pretty starving if not.
Anyway I understand the only way to really get rid of fat is through weight training, and honestly I’ve always hated weight training, like absolutely hate it. I don’t know what I’m doing I find it tedious and I give up every time I try. So I only really enjoy a cardio workout.
Am I just going to have poor or no results from doing what I am right now? I.e lose muscle and just be left with fat still.
Alongside this I’m on a calorie deficit - MFP reccomend 1200 but I have been eating back some calories I’ve burned working out because honestly I’m finding I’m pretty starving if not.
Anyway I understand the only way to really get rid of fat is through weight training, and honestly I’ve always hated weight training, like absolutely hate it. I don’t know what I’m doing I find it tedious and I give up every time I try. So I only really enjoy a cardio workout.
Am I just going to have poor or no results from doing what I am right now? I.e lose muscle and just be left with fat still.
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Replies
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You are supposed to eat back all of your exercise calories.3
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You don't have to weight train. You will lose fat with a calorie deficit.
Weight training will change the way your body looks at the end, though. Is that the issue? You have a body goal that requires weight training?
I've found it helps to go to the weight room with a program and a plan. I began with Stronglifts 5x5. I downloaded the app, and just followed what it told me to do. About 45 minutes, three days a week, and only 5 lifts to learn. Completely do-able, even if you don't like weight training.9 -
The running will mostly just be burning off whatever energy stores that your liver has in it. Diet will definitely be your main focus here, 1200 you should definitely be losing on though. Are you weighing all your food?1
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TheSma11Print wrote: »
Anyway I understand the only way to really get rid of fat is through weight training
Where did you get that from? It's totally false. Fat loss comes from a calorie deficit, no exercise needed. Building some muscle can certainly change your shape and body composition, but weight training does not cause fat loss.
You should also probably be eating more than 1200 calories, plus your exercise cals. What does MFP tell you if you put in your stats and lose 1lb per week?
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You will lose fat by using more energy than your body burns whether or not you're doing weight/resistance training. Weight training will not cause fat loss.
What weight training does is preserve the muscle you already have while you're in a calorie deficit. In addition to the health benefits of having sufficient muscle, many people -- including women -- find they prefer the way their body looks when they give some attention to retaining or even gaining some muscle. I get it how you feel, I didn't like it myself when I started. Finding a progressive plan that made me feel like I actually knew what I was doing helped *a lot*. It also helped to know that resistance training is a great help for running fitness. Working my legs and core, for example, has made me feel stronger on runs and I've been much less injury-prone.
1,200 is a really low calorie goal. Did you choose a goal of 2 pounds per week of weight loss? It's generally as low as a woman should go, so if you want to be active you'll really want to focus on eating back your exercise calories if you want to continue growing as a runner.5 -
Redordeadhead wrote: »TheSma11Print wrote: »
Anyway I understand the only way to really get rid of fat is through weight training
Where did you get that from? It's totally false. Fat loss comes from a calorie deficit, no exercise needed. Building some muscle can certainly change your shape and body composition, but weight training does not cause fat loss.
You should also probably be eating more than 1200 calories, plus your exercise cals. What does MFP tell you if you put in your stats and lose 1lb per week?
Just things I’ve been reading online really.
So much emphasis on weight training = fat loss because the more muscle you build the more fat you lose. I dunno I’m glad I asked on here to get some real answers.
I’m doing 2 pounds per week. 1 = 1400 cals. I’m worried that won’t do much for me.
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quiksylver296 wrote: »You don't have to weight train. You will lose fat with a calorie deficit.
Weight training will change the way your body looks at the end, though. Is that the issue? You have a body goal that requires weight training?
I've found it helps to go to the weight room with a program and a plan. I began with Stronglifts 5x5. I downloaded the app, and just followed what it told me to do. About 45 minutes, three days a week, and only 5 lifts to learn. Completely do-able, even if you don't like weight training.
Thank you I’ll take a look
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yulin696969 wrote: »The running will mostly just be burning off whatever energy stores that your liver has in it. Diet will definitely be your main focus here, 1200 you should definitely be losing on though. Are you weighing all your food?
Ah, so running is completely pointless for weight loss and muscle building?
Maybe I need to be more strict weighing my food!
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TheSma11Print wrote: »yulin696969 wrote: »The running will mostly just be burning off whatever energy stores that your liver has in it. Diet will definitely be your main focus here, 1200 you should definitely be losing on though. Are you weighing all your food?
Ah, so running is completely pointless for weight loss and muscle building?
Maybe I need to be more strict weighing my food!
Completely useless for weight loss? Nope.
Muscle gain, definitely useless.3 -
TheSma11Print wrote: »
How much weight are you trying to lose?0 -
TheSma11Print wrote: »
How much weight are you trying to lose?
Sorry if this sounds really stupid but What I’m really trying to do is lower my body fat percentage.
I’m around 30% at the moment. I dunno I guess I’m not too precious about how much I weigh just as long as I start to see inches coming off me if that makes sense? Maybe I do need to incorporate some weight training.0 -
Weight training and calorie deficit got me from 240 to 1652
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TheSma11Print wrote: »yulin696969 wrote: »The running will mostly just be burning off whatever energy stores that your liver has in it. Diet will definitely be your main focus here, 1200 you should definitely be losing on though. Are you weighing all your food?
Ah, so running is completely pointless for weight loss and muscle building?
Maybe I need to be more strict weighing my food!
No, running can absolutely be part of creating a deficit. That is what creates weight loss. The point is that it is relatively easy to eat enough to "cancel out" the calorie burns of running and that is where people run into problems -- when they *just* focus on running and expect to lose weight from that alone.
Running will not build muscle. If you want to build muscle, you'll need resistance training for that.
If you enjoy running, there is absolutely nothing "pointless" about it. It's a great way to increase your fitness. It can be part of creating a calorie deficit. It's just not going to create weight loss outside of that particular context. I know you said you don't really care about weight, but if you want less fat on your body, you are talking about weight loss.4 -
Caring about your health and fitness is never pointless.
But, unless you have more than 60 lbs to lose a 2lb a week loss is to much.2 -
Running (as with other kinds of exercise) is also beneficial in many other ways, both physically and mentally.5
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TheSma11Print wrote: »Redordeadhead wrote: »TheSma11Print wrote: »
Anyway I understand the only way to really get rid of fat is through weight training
Where did you get that from? It's totally false. Fat loss comes from a calorie deficit, no exercise needed. Building some muscle can certainly change your shape and body composition, but weight training does not cause fat loss.
You should also probably be eating more than 1200 calories, plus your exercise cals. What does MFP tell you if you put in your stats and lose 1lb per week?
Just things I’ve been reading online really.
So much emphasis on weight training = fat loss because the more muscle you build the more fat you lose. I dunno I’m glad I asked on here to get some real answers.
I’m doing 2 pounds per week. 1 = 1400 cals. I’m worried that won’t do much for me.
I mean this in the kindest way possible, like a concerned internet Auntie (I'm old enough
): Please find better online sources.
Muscle gain is very slow. For women, a quarter pound a week of muscle mass gain would be a really good result, under ideal circumstances (which include both progressive weight training and surplus calories, among other things, not calorie reduction). Then, research suggests a pound of muscle tissue only burns something around 2-4 calories per day more than a pound of fat. Muscle is a minimal fat-loss contributor. (If there's any effect, I'm betting it's that strong people move more, so burn more calories that way. ).
What do you mean that 1400 would "not do much for you"? Losing weight too fast is a health risk (and appearance risk), and 2 pounds a week is likely to be too fast for any woman currently under about 200 pounds. If loss is too fast, not only do we lose more muscle than minimally necessarily (especially important for those of us who don't want to strength train to preserve what we've got, or to gain it back later).
We can also experience appearance consequences like thinning hair (usually doesn't happen until weeks to months later, when it's too late to make changes to avoid it), brittle nails, haggard appearance, and more. At worst, it can cause serious health problems, with gall bladder, or the life-altering heart problems one formerly healthy young woman here reported : https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10761904/under-1200-for-weight-loss/p1).
Am I saying that will happen to you? No. But losing too fast increases the risk.
Look, I'm an average height li'l ol' lady, 5'5" - decades older than you, which normally would mean lower calorie needs. When I was first losing weight, 1200 calories plus all my exercise calories was way too low for me. It made me weak and fatigued (and I'm an athlete, not a feeble woman). Later, I lost 50 pounds in less than a year, mostly on 1400-1600 calories plus eating exercise calories. I can't tell you what your exact calorie needs are, but the idea that mega-fast progress is worth health/appearance risk, or that nothing can happen with weight loss if you eat more calories . . . well, maybe give that a rethink.
I understand being impatient and wanting to lose fast - we all do. The question is what you're willing to risk, to do it. You might get lucky.TheSma11Print wrote: »yulin696969 wrote: »The running will mostly just be burning off whatever energy stores that your liver has in it. Diet will definitely be your main focus here, 1200 you should definitely be losing on though. Are you weighing all your food?
Ah, so running is completely pointless for weight loss and muscle building?
Maybe I need to be more strict weighing my food!
No, running is not pointless. It will help you burn calories, so you can eat more calories and still lose at a reasonable rate, so get better nutrition while losing, and that's very worthwhile. If running is challenging for you, it may even cause some muscle improvement, and certainly will improve your cardiovascular system (which is usually beneficial in terms of circulation, so may help you keep a glowing complexion, youthful skin, etc., in addition to, y'know, warding off some kinds of health problems).
But yeah, eating somewhat (not lots) fewer calories than you burn is how weight is lost successfully.
Most of us want to be healthy, and look nice, besides, which is where things like nutrition and exercise come in.
Wishing you all the best! :flowerforyou:7 -
If you really don’t want to lose weight, why are you eating at a deficit at all. If you want to be more fit, less fatty, stronger, walking and running are both very good exercises. They build muscles in your legs. They are weight bearing so they make your bones stronger, as well as muscles. But if you want to look toned and muscular all over, you need to address your upper half as well. Core exercises like planks could help. Google arm exercises. Yoga is a good overall exercise. I think Pilates is too, but I don’t know from experience.
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corinasue1143 wrote: »If you really don’t want to lose weight, why are you eating at a deficit at all. If you want to be more fit, less fatty, stronger, walking and running are both very good exercises. They build muscles in your legs. They are weight bearing so they make your bones stronger, as well as muscles. But if you want to look toned and muscular all over, you need to address your upper half as well. Core exercises like planks could help. Google arm exercises. Yoga is a good overall exercise. I think Pilates is too, but I don’t know from experience.
Running, yoga and Pilates doesn't build muscle.
Good for cardiovascular heath, though.1 -
yulin696969 wrote: »corinasue1143 wrote: »If you really don’t want to lose weight, why are you eating at a deficit at all. If you want to be more fit, less fatty, stronger, walking and running are both very good exercises. They build muscles in your legs. They are weight bearing so they make your bones stronger, as well as muscles. But if you want to look toned and muscular all over, you need to address your upper half as well. Core exercises like planks could help. Google arm exercises. Yoga is a good overall exercise. I think Pilates is too, but I don’t know from experience.
Running, yoga and Pilates doesn't build muscle.
Good for cardiovascular heath, though.
So you're saying that regular recreational runners, yoga practitioners (including those handstand people?), and Pilates devotees don't have more muscle than people who just sit on the couch. And yes, I mean mass, not just strength.
Clearly, if muscle mass is the main point, or even strength, then weight training is the efficient and by far most effective route. But I think you're being a little black and white, here.9
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