Weight Training.... Yes or No....

Here's a great article about weight lifting...read it and ask your self...why would you want to wait for all of the benefits weight lifting gives you.  What I did was read everything I could get my hands on about working out, metabolism, weight lifting, running and general fitness.  I think it's a good idea for you to educate your self.   


http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/WH/lose-your-fear-of-lifting

Thank you for the great article about weight lifting. You gave me an idea to subscribe to Women's Health Magazine. It's time to jump start this ole body of mine to a "Lean Mean Fit Machine"...LOL.

Sheka

What matters most to you? Size or a number on the scale? I know it's hard to ignore the scale but honestly, I am so glad I started weight training in the first year. On any given day, I'm 130-135 lbs but I'm a size 0 and sometimes a 2...nobody has ever guessed my weight as they usually say 110-115..it's the muscle. And it feels great when the lady trainers at the gym ask ME what I do for great arms and shoulders! LOL!

Size matters most to me. It's just so hard to not look at the scale in the beginning but my husband has done me a big favor by putting the scale away (only he knows where he has hid it) and he only brings it out once a week. I bet that was a good feeling to have a lady trainer at your gym ask what you do to get good arms and shoulders.... You are doing great!

Sheka

This is such a hard one for me.  In my head I KNOW size matters more but as I build more muscle and see the numbers on the scale creeping up I can't help but kind of worry that I'll gain all my weight back.  
My clothes fit the same, maybe a little tighter in the calves as I've built more muscle there but the waists are getting looser and I have no boobs left (thankfully the side boobage has dissapeared!)

For years I've had a weight number stuck in my head, "if only I could get back down to 120" I'd be satisfied and I sort of was when I got there and then I was ecstatic when I crept lower but now I'm hovering around 123 and am not satisfied.  WTF is up with that!?  I know it's just a stupid number and I have to get a handle on this because I refuse to let my life be ruled by a stupid number.

I say stick with Cardio and get in the pool! I'm going to Join OneLife fitness solely for the childcare and use of the water aerobics classes

Dont get discouraged...talk to a personal trainer about whats going on...a qualified one will set you on the right path for weight loss and toning

 Hi there-

I have yet to find out how to post a ruddy picture so apologies in not having a photo.

I had RNY surgery on 8/25/10 and lost 42lbs prior to surgery. Nearly 8 months out I have lost 132lbs. I too hit the gym almost every day and find it helpful to switch the different types of exercise.  I am now loosing at a snail's pace which can be frustrating.  Monday I am going to the local community college  to do the BOD POD as I really want to know what my actual % of fat is in my body. Really just to tie myself to the numbers on the scale is not helpful at ALL. 

When I have a large calorie deficit  -1100 calories or more a day- is this causing loss of muscle mass? I have yet to find any websites or medical articles regarding calorie deficits, weight training for gastric by pass surgery patients. I have heard numbers like we should no have more then a calorie deficit of -500 a day but this is for people who haven't had gastric by pass surgery. What about for us people? There is no way that I can eat enough calories with the amount of exercise I do to have  a caloric deficit -500. I have just been able to eat 3oz of meat or fish at a sitting.

Help

Sarah

 > When I have a large calorie deficit  -1100 calories or more a day- is this causing loss of muscle mass?

Whether you lose muscle mass is not directly related to what your calorie deficit is. Your body has many energy stores that it can use to make up the deficit. Which ones it use depend on a number of factors.

First: your fat stores are there for long-term calorie deprivation. They will get used and they will get used preferentially over other sources.  Your body isn't going to cannibalize your organs when you have 50 pounds of excess fat to use instead, as example. I say this because there are people on the web who will try to scare you that you will destroy your body if you don't eat 1200 calories a day. Really, our bodies just aren't  that stupid. :-D

Muscles are definitely a source of energy, however. They are a "use them or lose them" source. So, if you only restrict your calories and don't exercise, you are telling your body that those lovely muscles that you have built up to carry around your excess weight aren't really necessary any more. And you'll lose them. OTOH, if you do weight bearing exercises, you are sending your body the message that you do need them and it will do it's best to preserve them, especially if there are other stores available such as fat.

There are some other factors involved such as your testosterone levels, heredity, age ... but in general, if you use your muscles, you won't lose them or at least not more than you can spare (if you were really, really heavy before, you may just not need all the muscle mass you started with once you lose all that weight).

>There is no way that I can eat enough calories with the amount of exercise I do to have  a caloric deficit -500. I have just been able to eat 3oz of meat or fish at a sitting.

There are people in this forum who can eat 3000 calories a day (and need to because of the amount of exercise they do). When you are done losing and want to know how to eat more, we can give you plenty of ideas.