No weights until goal weight?

lemoribond
lemoribond Posts: 7
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so you can see from my entries I really have been staying pretty damn close to 1200 calories a day (the weekends are a struggle, but eh) and I am hitting the gym twice a day everyday. If not twice, at least once. I haven't missed a day once since getting my membership about a month ago.

I do about 40 minutes to an hour of intensive cardio everyday. Without fail.

I have gained weight.

I feel better, I'm eating better. I am looking better. Could it be muscle mass? I don't usually log it but I do leg and arm strength training alternately everyday and drink a protien shake after every session.

But seeing the numbers rise on the scale is so discouraging.

Someone told me that I shouldn't be doing strength training until I am at my goal weight... is that true? I that a mix was optimal.

HELP?

Replies

  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    You can lift weights while losing weight. :) It will help you lose inches. It will help your body understand that you would like to keep muscle mass, and lose body fat instead.

    Lifting weights is a good thing :) No reason to avoid it (other than injuries).
  • 1myfit
    1myfit Posts: 69
    Are you counting those protein drinks. they basically replace a meal.
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    Strength training is important during weight loss. That coupled with proper nutrition will minimize the amount of lean muscle you lose. You can alternate strength and cardio every other day, and stay within your calorie deficit. You can do more cardio, but you run the risk of burning muscle and/or burning out.
  • hazelnut861
    hazelnut861 Posts: 390 Member
    Not true. Muscle helps you burn more calories even at rest. Also skinny weak isn't as appealing as toned even if you're not at your goal weight. Sometimes after training I retain water from my muscles swelling but it goes down in a couple days.
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    You should incorporate weights earlier to lessen the muscle you *will* lose on any calorie deficit.

    And you're not eating enough- that's why the scale isn't moving very well. Eat your exercise calories, even if it's just half.:flowerforyou:
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
    I love weights and it had helped tremendously. -117 tatal :)
    Have you tried eating your exercise back? I know it is controversial on here but your body needs more fuel if it is going to work properly. Are you hitting 1200 NET? That is the key to hit your net. I eat 2650 before exercise, but I have an active job .
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    Whoever told you that didn't know what they were talking about! Strength training does help you lose weight, and you should do it a few times a week. Also, is it possible you're not eating enough, and your body is actually in starvation mode, and that's why you've gained weight. If you're doing cardio, I'm thinking you're running, riding, doing the elliptical or something like that -- in which case your muscles have probably streamlined themselves and your weight gain is not muscle. Chances are, you're body is holding onto whatever you put into it (starvation mode) because you're not eating enough (if your calorie count is correct)
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
    Damn typos! Total I meant
  • MSBNANA
    MSBNANA Posts: 2
    Maybe you're not eating enough? If you're not logging the weight training exercise & protein shake you don't know how much you're burning & then taking in. I'd start logging it all & see where you stand.

    When I had a trainer I did weights & cardio at the same time. I don't think you need to wait for a certain number on the scale to lift weights. And if you look & feel better then that number on the scale doesn't mean anything. =)
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    You should do both weights and cardio. Regarding your weight gain, there could be a number of things causing it, but one isn't increased muscle mass. You need to eat at a calorie surplus (over maintenance) and train in very specific ways in order for your body to build new muscle tissue. Make sure you're eating enough, including exercise calories. It may be hard to understand but you really do have to eat more (to a certain extent) in order to lose.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    You know what I'm going to say...............
  • lemoribond
    lemoribond Posts: 7
    I was afraid that I was going to get this response... it seems so counter productive to eat those calories I burn! But it looks like the consensus is I'm not eating enough, though I feel like I am eating all the time.

    I'll give it a try!

    (And yes, I count the protien shakes. I count every last calorie.)
  • onegr8legend
    onegr8legend Posts: 8
    How heavy are you training? Weights are perfectly fine. If you are working out heavy (5-8 reps max) then perhaps you should consider training with less weight for a higher rep (12-15) to turn your weight training into a cardio workout as well.

    You also say you train arms and legs every other day. What about chest, back and shoulders? You also said you train every day. You really should have a rest day or two each week. You don't build muscle at the gym. Muscle is built at rest.
  • carlitamargarita
    carlitamargarita Posts: 3
    It is good to know that I am not the only one who is doing this! My stomach is getting bigger! Your post could have come directly from me! My husband just told me that MSN said that people who exercise but don't lose weight are taking in too many calories! Poppycock! I did 45 minutes of Zumba today and have only taken in 1108 calories. Yes, the w/e's are tough - we had parties to attend all week end, but I am trying! At the gym they told me I was not doing enough Cardio - and too much weight training. I need to do cardio every day and the weight training every other. Hard to do an hour's worth of exercise when I get up at 4:30, travel 35 miles to the gym (close to work) do an hour's workout AND get to work by 8! But I AM trying! I know that my weakness is carbs - I love cookies and bread, but can live without pasta.
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    The reason people think its counter productive is MFP sets in a deficit without exercise so when you exercise, you open that deficit up much more, for some people its too much and they gain or plateau.
  • Shawn_Marie
    Shawn_Marie Posts: 307 Member
    Do you measure regularly (weekly) you are most likely losing inches

    Here is something my PT told me - our bodies get used to doing things like running, walking and other cardio thus your body learns to those things efficiently. Instead of doing an intense cardio for 45 60 minutes daily try switching it up - for instance I use the elliptical daily but what I started doing is only doing 30 minutes instead of 60 and to intervals of 3 minutes at a regular pace then 1 minute balls out for the 30 minutes then 2 minute cool down - then I do free weights/circuit training for 30 45 minutes.
  • lemoribond
    lemoribond Posts: 7
    I do 3 sets of 15 reps for each machine. usually about 6 machines for each. And I guess I've been including back with arms. Abs are everyday. And I have heard I am hitting the gym to hard as well. A trainer there told me to go home and take a break once! Maybe Fridays I will take a day off...
  • Shawn_Marie
    Shawn_Marie Posts: 307 Member
    It is good to know that I am not the only one who is doing this! My stomach is getting bigger! Your post could have come directly from me! My husband just told me that MSN said that people who exercise but don't lose weight are taking in too many calories! Poppycock! I did 45 minutes of Zumba today and have only taken in 1108 calories. Yes, the w/e's are tough - we had parties to attend all week end, but I am trying! At the gym they told me I was not doing enough Cardio - and too much weight training. I need to do cardio every day and the weight training every other. Hard to do an hour's worth of exercise when I get up at 4:30, travel 35 miles to the gym (close to work) do an hour's workout AND get to work by 8! But I AM trying! I know that my weakness is carbs - I love cookies and bread, but can live without pasta.

    If you do not eat enough calories to sustain the calories burned your body goes into starvation mode and packs fat away which could be why you are gaining - especially when you say your stomach is getting bigger - women carry most of their fat in the torso area - I know that is where my biggest problem area is.

    I make sure I eat all of my calories plus exercise calories 1 - 2 days a week
  • onegr8legend
    onegr8legend Posts: 8
    Abs are just like every other muscle. Consider only hitting them 2 per week.

    Sample workout.
    Monday - back (4 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Tuesday - shoulders (4 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Thursday - arms (3 exercises, alternate biceps and triceps so there will be 6 exercises performed, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Friday - chest (4 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Saturday - legs (3 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
  • lemoribond
    lemoribond Posts: 7
    Abs are just like every other muscle. Consider only hitting them 2 per week.

    Sample workout.
    Monday - back (4 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Tuesday - shoulders (4 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Thursday - arms (3 exercises, alternate biceps and triceps so there will be 6 exercises performed, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Friday - chest (4 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)
    Saturday - legs (3 exercises, 3 sets each at 12-15 reps)

    Cardio everyday?
  • souki19
    souki19 Posts: 58
    people have different reaction to lifting AND cardio training at the same the time. i tried both for weight lost and i found that cardio is mandatory inorder to lose weight. Right now , i am only doing intreval cardio for an hour everyday with one day rest and it is working for me. during the summer , i started lifting a lot and doing very little cardio and i haven't lost a pound, acually i have gained about 7 pounds. some people would say that it was muscle mass, but i beg to differ since my inches acually increased as well. the other part of it , women usually (i say usually cause not all women are built the same) don't gain a lot of muscle mass in a short period of time, it takes months for women to gain one pound of muscle, therefore, i personally don't believe that muscle mass is gained as fast as people make it to be (even for men, on average , it take a male atleast a year to gain 20 pound of pure muscle). so as in for me, i am doing cardio for the next couple of months until new years, and then ill start adding weight lifting.
    good luck.
  • onegr8legend
    onegr8legend Posts: 8
    Yes, that's fine. Preferably before your weight training. Many may disagree but I think for what you are trying to you it will actually work in your benefit. It sounds like you're not trying to build muscle but rather tone and define. Cardio before will leave you with enough fuel to power through your walk/run/bike/elliptical workout and just enough for your weight training. Give that a shot for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.

    Also, how is your sodium intake?
  • lemoribond
    lemoribond Posts: 7
    Yes, that's fine. Preferably before your weight training. Many may disagree but I think for what you are trying to you it will actually work in your benefit. It sounds like you're not trying to build muscle but rather tone and define. Cardio before will leave you with enough fuel to power through your walk/run/bike/elliptical workout and just enough for your weight training. Give that a shot for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.

    Also, how is your sodium intake?

    I feel like you know me... I am a salt addict. :( But lately not so bad. Actually been really good totals, around 1000mg a day
  • onegr8legend
    onegr8legend Posts: 8

    I feel like you know me... I am a salt addict. :( But lately not so bad. Actually been really good totals, around 1000mg a day

    Continue with that intake for a few weeks. Plenty of fluids (preferably water). You should be drenched after your cardio workout (i personally go through two shirts every time I do cardio). You should start seeing your skin get tighter after 2-3 weeks.
  • lemoribond
    lemoribond Posts: 7
    Will do. Thank you all!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Simply put, food is fuel and muscle burns fat. You need to eat enough to lose weight (this becomes even more true as you approach your goal). Also, muscle helps increase your metabolism is it expends more energy per gram as a gram of fat. Increasing muscle mass will increase caloric needs (means eat more) and overall muscle mass.

    Also, make sure you are lifting heavy enough that your muscles are failing between 12-15. If you can do more than 15 reps, then you aren't lifting enough, just my opinion.
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