question re: muscle buildup vs. weight loss

[ohiominnie]

Ok, I'm stumped. My kids are at grandma and grandpa's this week, which has REALLY helped my eating. I eat when I'm hungry....even if that means waiting until 11:00 am for breakfast and then skipping lunch. I've really watched what I've eaten. I've had 1/2 Coke all week and really upped my water.

I've made it to Curves SIX days this week....every day they were open.

My weight is the SAME! Not budging even 1/2 pound!!

I'm rationalizing, and saying "I'm building muscle, which will eventually help me burn off fat." But I've said it so many times to myself, now I don't believe it.

What do ya'll think? Is this possible? And if so, when does all this muscle building kick in and actually help me burn fat?

Thanks guys! I love the support here!

 

[magicmouse2]

Same here- I cant lose the bulk - I just put on muscle due to high intake of protein... (Atkins )....
I am planning to reduce intake of red meat and high fat dairy produce...


(saving all those juicy sugar high carbs for WDW Sep...2003 - Tonga toast - here I come,,,, starved and ravenous )

 

[CarolMN]

Sometimes it just takes longer to lose the weight than you would like. Keep up your hard work and very soon you will wake up and be lighter. In my case, often I didn't lose anything for 2 or 3 weeks and then all of a sudden, I was 3 or 4 pounds lighter! (I'm on the same plan as you - Curves and Atkins).

What kept me going was measuring. Even when I wasn't losing pounds, I was losing inches and getting smaller. My clothes were getting loose (and even baggy ). Last week I got into a size 10 petite and looked good. Started from a size 16 . Since I've only lost about 17 pounds over the last 3 months, I have decided that I don't care so much what the scale says. I care about looking and feeling good! Curves really, really helped me, but it does take time, darn it! LOL!

Anyway, just keep following your plan - you won't be sorry and the scale WILL eventually move in your favor. In the meantime, don't forget to measure!

Best wishes -

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by CarolMN
\(I'm on the same plan as you - Curves and Atkins).
\

I'm not on Atkins. The medical professional in me wonders about it. The bread lover in me knows I could never do it!

 

[ohMom]

if you metabolism is just taking some time adjusting to your new exercise and healthy eating?? It took mine about six weeks or more before the Whoosh Fairy came and I lost 3 lbs in one week. I am a very slow loser. I have only had one week like that, several weeks checking in with maintaining, and the rest were losses of one pound. Sooooo....hang in there, chin up! you are exercising, building muscle, losing fat, and eating wise, this WILL work, there is no other option!!!

As far as you muscle building replacing fat weight loss on the scale? gee, who knows? is there a mathematical formula for that? maybe somewhere on that great big pot of information we call the internet. I do know I read Kathy Smith on one fitness website saying that you must be at a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. And I know the more muscle you have the faster your metabolism runs, even at rest, so there you go burning calories! It will add up, hang in there!

Oh also, did you know that your metabolism stays at the resting rate of sleeping until you eat breakfast?? Maybe consider a small bite when you get up to get that metabolism going?

How long have you been on your plan? just curious if you dont' mind my asking

 

[ohMom]

article on-line, it's a little long and geared more for women who are into strength training but interesting.

Research has shown that adding 3lb of muscle will increase your metabolic rate by 7% and your daily calorie requirement by 15% ......................Research has also shown that the average woman who participates in strength training over a period of 8 weeks at a frequency of 2-3 x per week will gain around 1.75 lb of muscle and lose 3.5lb of fat, so this shows that you will lose twice as much weight in fat as you gain in muscle!

Link to article

So with that example she has lost 2 lbs on the scale, but 3.5 lb of fat!

One other quote

REMEMBER, THE MORE YOU EXERCISE THE MORE YOU WILL NEED TO EAT TO FUEL THE BODY AS IT BURNS MORE CALORIES

 

[ohiominnie]

Thanks Carol and ohMom,

I've been trying to stick to my plan for about 2 months now. I have lost 5 pounds in that amount of time, so I guess I'm losing slowly....just none for awhile.

My "plan" is based on the Weigh Down Workshop idea (a Christian program) Basically it says you can have whatever you want to eat, as long as you are ONLY eating when you're hungry (stomach growling hungry) and STOP eating when full (satisfied full, not gorged, uncomfortable full) I can't do diets that require counting calories, carbs, points, etc etc and I can't do anything that requires me not to eat sour cream on my tacos or ice cream with nuts and chocolate.

I'll keep this up...although the kids are coming home today which puts a crimp on my Curves schedule (have to work around dh's schedule which isn't always predictable)

Thanks for kickin' me in the butt and telling me to shape up (attitude wise!)

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by ohMom
article on-line, it's a little long and geared more for women who are into strength training but interesting.

Where does Curves fall? Aerobic, strength or a little of both? I'd think the machines would increase your strength, but maybe they are referring to things like lifting weights??

 

[ohMom]

sorry minnie just saw this - i dont' really know what curves is? do you work muscle groups on nautlis type machines - that's strength training. Do you do group exercise classes? that's aerobic exercise. is this helpful?? PM me if you'd like

BTW - sooo sorry to hear London isn't doing any fireworks!!!!!! Marysville is but they aren't anything to get too excited about! Are you going to Red, White, and Boom???? that would be awesome if it weren't for the crowds!!

 

[ohiominnie]

Dh and I were just discussing fireworks this morning before he went to work.

Have you heard for sure that London isn't having them? It was touch and go there for so long....haven't heard anything official.

Dh and I used to go to Red, White and Boom every year, pre kids. The last year we went, 1993 it was stormy and they had tornado warnings. We fled the area (slowly b/c one of our friends was in a wheelchair) while the tornado sirens blared!! That year 4 women went into labor downtown.

The next year, 1994, I was 39 weeks pregnant the night of Red, White, and Boom. For obvious reasons, we didn't go. After that we've always had little kids....not a good place for them. Now that they are almost 9 and 6, it'd be better, but, oh, we are SOOOO used to the country now we don't particularly care for those large crowd, heavy traffic situations (unless it's WDW!)

Not sure what we'll do.

btw, we usually take our kids to the dentist up by you. We love him!