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Jjatindranath · October 2011

i have lost a little over 50 pounds since the beginning of march. in the beginning all I did was count calories and didn't add exercise until around may, which even then was very little(1-2 times a week no more than 30 minutes of the elliptical). I didn't lose weight faster than when I was just doing dieting. In august my weight loss slowed down quite a bit so starting in September I added more exercise, 4-5 times a week 45+ minutes of elliptical and some weights. Again, my weight loss remained slow, going from 6+ pounds lost in a month to maybe 2-3 in a month. I stopped going to the gym a couple of weeks ago and I'm having trouble finding a new path. My question is how important is exercise really? The only time i noticed a change was when I added weights, I noticed more definition despite my fat still being there(if that makes sense). Should I think about exercising again or concentrate strictly on dieting? And if I do add start again, what should I do? Cardio? Weights? Both? And how much? I don't want to bulk, just have a slim look with a decent amount of muscle. Thanks in advance.

dls06 · October 2011

Are you eating enough. You need to eat the extra calories they give you.

Jjatindranath · October 2011

I eat anywhere between 1200-1500 depending on the day of the week

Sidesteal · October 2011

i have lost a little over 50 pounds since the beginning of march. in the beginning all I did was count calories and didn't add exercise until around may, which even then was very little(1-2 times a week no more than 30 minutes of the elliptical). I didn't lose weight faster than when I was just doing dieting. In august my weight loss slowed down quite a bit so starting in September I added more exercise, 4-5 times a week 45+ minutes of elliptical and some weights. Again, my weight loss remained slow, going from 6+ pounds lost in a month to maybe 2-3 in a month. I stopped going to the gym a couple of weeks ago and I'm having trouble finding a new path. My question is how important is exercise really? The only time i noticed a change was when I added weights, I noticed more definition despite my fat still being there(if that makes sense). Should I think about exercising again or concentrate strictly on dieting? And if I do add start again, what should I do? Cardio? Weights? Both? And how much? I don't want to bulk, just have a slim look with a decent amount of muscle. Thanks in advance.

If you are concerned about your physique, I would absolutely add weightlifting, immediately. If you are unsure how to lift properly, consult a trainer at your gym to learn proper technique and lifting basics. I would lift at least 3 days per week, 4 if you enjoy it.

If you are strictly concerned with scale weight and not with your appearance as you lose weight, I would add cardio. Cardio is not NECESSARY but it can help you create a larger deficit which may be beneficial depending on your circumstances. It also has other health benefits.

EDIT: And congrats on your progress so far.

Jjatindranath · October 2011

i have lost a little over 50 pounds since the beginning of march. in the beginning all I did was count calories and didn't add exercise until around may, which even then was very little(1-2 times a week no more than 30 minutes of the elliptical). I didn't lose weight faster than when I was just doing dieting. In august my weight loss slowed down quite a bit so starting in September I added more exercise, 4-5 times a week 45+ minutes of elliptical and some weights. Again, my weight loss remained slow, going from 6+ pounds lost in a month to maybe 2-3 in a month. I stopped going to the gym a couple of weeks ago and I'm having trouble finding a new path. My question is how important is exercise really? The only time i noticed a change was when I added weights, I noticed more definition despite my fat still being there(if that makes sense). Should I think about exercising again or concentrate strictly on dieting? And if I do add start again, what should I do? Cardio? Weights? Both? And how much? I don't want to bulk, just have a slim look with a decent amount of muscle. Thanks in advance.

If you are concerned about your physique, I would absolutely add weightlifting, immediately. If you are unsure how to lift properly, consult a trainer at your gym to learn proper technique and lifting basics. I would lift at least 3 days per week, 4 if you enjoy it.

If you are strictly concerned with scale weight and not with your appearance as you lose weight, I would add cardio. Cardio is not NECESSARY but it can help you create a larger deficit which may be beneficial depending on your circumstances. It also has other health benefits.

EDIT: And congrats on your progress so far.

I am not concerned with my physique. Not yet at least. I would like to lose another 20 or so before I worry about that but will add it if it helps. And thanks.

AdAstra47 · October 2011

Make sure you're eating plenty of protein. The chemical reaction that burns fat in your body also requires protein. And if you don't eat enough protein, your body will harvest it from your muscles. Which means that you're losing *both* fat and muscle.

Why is this bad? Losing weight is losing weight, right? Well, not really. Muscle tissue burns more energy, even when it's in a resting state, than other kinds of body tissues. So when you lose muscle, you're also losing the tissues that help you burn the fat.

I don't know if that's what has happened with you or not. But it's true in a lot of cases. That's why a lot of people can lose rapidly at first (they're losing both fat & muscle) and then they start getting tired more easily and their weight loss slows down (that's the effect of the muscle loss).

As others have said, exercise can help with that. And eating plenty of protein is really very important. If you need to cut out calories to make room for more protein, most people have a lot of success when they cut out some carbs. MFP should let you manually adjust your ratios to a lower carb percentage and a higher protein percentage.

If you're doing it right, you'll lose fat but gain muscle. Not get bulky or anything, just get toned. Because muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less room on the body, you may notice your clothes fitting more loosely even if the scale isn't moving that much.

Good luck to you!

Sidesteal · October 2011

I am not concerned with my physique. Not yet at least. I would like to lose another 20 or so before I worry about that but will add it if it helps. And thanks.

You should plan ahead though. It's a common misconception that "I'm too big to worry about lifting. I can't see the muscles yet so I should lose weight first and THEN start lifting". Not saying that this is your stance on it, but I hear this alot and it's poor planning. If you don't incorporate weights into your routine while you are losing weight, you will lose a greater portion of lean mass. The end result will very, very likely be what we call "Skinny-Fat". In short, a smaller fat guy.

Jjatindranath · October 2011

I am not concerned with my physique. Not yet at least. I would like to lose another 20 or so before I worry about that but will add it if it helps. And thanks.

You should plan ahead though. It's a common misconception that "I'm too big to worry about lifting. I can't see the muscles yet so I should lose weight first and THEN start lifting". Not saying that this is your stance on it, but I hear this alot and it's poor planning. If you don't incorporate weights into your routine while you are losing weight, you will lose a greater portion of lean mass. The end result will very, very likely be what we call "Skinny-Fat". In short, a smaller fat guy.

sadly that is my stance. Ill change that though. Should I alternate between cardio and lifting on different days or do both in the same day?

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