weight loss and toning at the same time

I am currently 160lbs and 5'6". I am looking to loose around 30 pounds as I carry most of my weight in my tummy and hips. Should I be doing something other than my cardio and calorie counting to help me fix these problem areas?

Everyone suggesting to lift heavy..100% agree! I started lifting heavy a long time ago and actually shrank! I lost inches first and then some weight came off. So as mentioned already (and will be mentioned many times) LIFT HEAVY! People will ask for advice and not use it but trust those who have tried it! Alot of the same comments are repeated on here but people enjoy sharing their thoughts and things that have worked for them.

I started interval training with a trainer at work about 3 weeks ago, and I'm not losing as much lbs as I want...but my clothes fit better only have 3 weeks. He does 30 secs of strength training, then 30 secs of cardio. Good luck

so my every other day regimen of crunches, girl push ups, squats and leg lifts won't cut it then?

I would say that if you are starting from a fitness level of ZERO, it might be an okay place to start. But you have to keep in mind that the human body is amazingly adaptable, and will get used to those things vrey quickly. You have to up the intensity, and that doens't mean doing 100 crunches/pushups /etc. instead of 50... you have to get up the courage to move on to the prone jackknife, "real" pushups, and squat with increased weight.

As someone else mentioned, try reading New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women. I'm a recent convert to strength training, and in the first month and a half of the program I have seen my muscles get firmer and tighter, and my strength increase. Scale hasn't moved, but I'm learning to be okay with that.

Best of luck, feel free to add me

First picture is at 135# from doing cardio, body weight exercises, and stuff with 5# dumbbells.

Second picture is at 133# from doing cardio and heavy weights.

bump!!

everyone keeps saying heavy weights, please specify what you do when using heavy weights.

i went to http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/workout.htm and picked a routine from there. i really love that site - they have a section that shows each exercise and explains how to do it.
im doing jaime easons 12 week burn the fat program, and ive lost about 20 inches overall since january 1st

I do a lot of muscle building moves but without weights too. Squats, lunges, pushups, and crunches. This ensures that once your muscles are more visible, that they will look nice and toned. I make a playlist on itunes and each 16 count of music will do a different one of these exercises. Change it up every time so you don't get bored.

i am interested in 16 count of music?

I'm squatting 85# and deadlifting 110# on an olympic bar. (Almost done with Stage 3 of New Rules of Lifting for Women.) Pretty good for an old chick, I think!

I lost 20# last spring/summer. I was thinner, but still jiggly in all the wrong places. I did a lot of reading, and the verdict came back "lift heavy". I'm so happy I did.

My shoulders and arms are tight and shapely...my bra straps don't slide off anymore, and I can carry a purse-strap on my shoulder and it stays put. My waist looks like it did when I was in high school. My muffin-tops are G-O-N-E!

My butt has made the most amazing progress. (I SQUATS!!) Remember the scene in Death Becomes Her, when Meryl Streep drinks the potion and watches in the mirror as her backside shrinks up high and tight? That's what I feel like has happened to me (only in slo-mo! Hehehe).

I'm not bulky in the least...you can see some definition after I lift, while I'm still pumped, but otherwise I'm just less jiggly. And all of the aches and pains that I thought were just an unavoidable part of getting older? Gone! I've never felt better in my life!

I lift about an hour, 3 days a week. I make sure I'm lifting heavy enough to really struggle with the last rep of the last set of each move. No cardio except for the HIIT built into the program (less than 20 minutes every other session).

I'm actually eating over maintenance right now, 2100 cals at 40% carbs / 30%fat / 30% protein, and have gained back maybe 2# in 2 months, but have shrunk in size. I'll drop back to maintenance near the end of my program to hopefully cut a little more BF%, but my weight isn't really a factor anymore. Measurements tell a much more accurate story.

I highly recommend NROLW and lifting heavy. Good luck with whatever you decide!

as in benching or what type of lifting? i do not really want to be buff, just a girly toned i guess.

Dont take steroids.

Lifting had increased my metabolism amazingly! Plus I feel a lot stronger. I also do cardio. I love the combo because I am never really doing the same thing on back to back days. It keeps me from getting bored. I am doing ChaLEAN Extreme. It kinda rocks! :happy: