Losing inches but not weight, wierd (a few questions)

[Arkitech]

Well I'm about a month and a half into a new eating program and 2 weeks into a exercise schedule. I'm losing inches (my clothes are loose) but my weight is practically the same.

How many weeks in before I start to notice a drop in weight?

If a person is doing heavy lifting, daily cardio and a clean diet how long would it take to start showing muscle growth and definition?

Can anyone point me to any studies done on the benefits/deteriments of working out more than once a day? (I'm doing 2 lights sessions of cardio in the morning and before bed, and one moderate to vigirous workout in the later afternoon, my theory is that the constant activity will increase the metabolism to a very high rate)

 

[Hanpan]

Muscle is denser than fat, that is why you are losing inches but not weight. This is actaully nothing to be concerned about. In fact this is quite positive. It means you are not loosing lean muscle mass, which is unfortunentaly the problem with many who diet. Keep on trekking and you will see the result you desire soon enough. (I would give it at least 2 months)

 

[badluck]

It really depends on what kind of workouts you are doing (i mean, specific info). Don't worry about the weight loss, if you are losing inches. You probably are building muscle, which of course, is more dense than fat. Anyways, give your diet + exercise plan a few months and you'll be losing weight (and more inches)

 

[y00ycdz]

what/which program did you start? Just curious to hear about a one that sounds like it may work good.

 

[Arkitech]

Here's a little more detail to my regimine, its still kind of loose as I'm constantly learning things and I'm trying to incorporate them into my schedule.

Diet: I started off basically with a variation of the Atkins diet, I cut out all starchy foods (potatoes, breads, pasta, etc.) I stopped eating sweets (basically candy bars and pastries) and I also eliminated fried foods from my diet. Normally with Atkins they give you the freedom to eat as much meat and eggs as you like however I limit myself to eggs less than once every 2 weeks because of the cholestrol and when I eat meat I try to usually eat lots of veggies with it. I also eat 1 or 2 pieces of fruit per day. Because of the fact that I'm a diabetic this diet works well for me as my body can't handle carbs and sugars as well other people. So far it has'nt been difficult at all, I'm learning that veggies really are'nt that bad and I still have a wide variety of meats to choose from so I don't get bored with my meals. The only thing is that I have to take time to cook my meals beforehand as most fast food places don't offer a lot of healthy choices. Just as a suggestion, trying looking in the supermarket for ground turkey patties, they are very low in fat and they're easy to prepare. I love onions and green peppers so I like to dice those up with a couple of turkey patties for a good filling meal. They're also good with a light layer of honey b-bq sauce. Yum


Exercise: I'm still putting together a solid workout plan as I'm only 2 weeks into exercising again. However so far I've managed to run at least 5 days out of the week. I try to do a combination of power walking/jogging and sprinting, my sessions like this only last for about 10-20 minutes but I always feel like I've had a good workout. I try to run like that before I eat early in the morning. After work I usually do weights, although I only lifted once last week (I was sore afterwards) I plan on training the upper body at least twice a week. I don't train my lower body much as I have unusally large and muscular legs, I just count running as lower body training. I have'nt done any abs on this program yet but my goal is work that into my schedule starting this evening, I'm currently reading up on various exercise I can perform to tighten up the midsection. In the evenings I try to do about 100 jumping jacks and a few kicking and punching exercises. Afterwards I usually hit the shower and go to sleep. I've been reading that sleep is really important for building muscle and losing weight while training so I've been trying to make sure I get around 8 hours per night. Its been tough but I've been doing much better about getting to sleep earlier.


I know that was lengthy but that about sums it up. I'm going to try and keep reporting my progress,, hopefully before the next presidential election I'll be back in shape again.

 

[psydancerqt]

congrats on being on the program for 2 weeks!! i wish i had your motivation

 

[Koing]

You are losing inches and not weight because your building muscle also to compensate for this. After a while you'll continue to lose less inches and your weight will go up depending on how intensive your weights are.

The main things I got from reading your more detailed diet and training is this.

First your losing a lot of inches because of your *running in the morning*. That is the number one thing I think at this point. Running in the morning is an AMAZING away to lose weight. Your blood is thin of carbs and you run so you will really get trim.

I'd also recommend training your legs with squats. Squats will really help you get tone and definition in your mid section (abbs, back and trunk) faster. If you don't squat you won't get as ripped or toned.

Definately do back exercises they are very good and most people avoid this or just don't bother.

Some simple back exerises for you.

Lay on the floor on your front. Have your arms forwards and your legs together. Now dish your back so that your raise your upper body off the floor. You can have your arms crossed first if you find it hard. Do 20 of these. You can keep your legs on the floor and only dish your upper body to start though. When you get better you can dish your legs also. Great for glutes and lower back.

Look up bent forward rows also. Good isometric exercise for your back. Look it up with a site with pictures as it would be too much of a hassle to type out here!

Also no problems with working out more the once a day. I'd work out 2 times a day if I could. Work out in afternoon and at evening. And maybe run in the morning also.

An important point is that if you do a lot of cardio this will impact your strength and muscle gain but this isn't so important to you as your not looking for strength gains? Well if you do it will impact it a little but I can't say how much. But its still good for overal fitness.

You feel sore after the work out as your body isn't use to the training. Weight training is intensive on your body. Your body isn't use to the big loads that you put it under with weights.

WARM UP PROPERLY. Stretch and do dynmatic stretches. When you get on your weights start with light weights and build up to your training weights. I squat 120kg for reps but I warm up on 60kg, 80kg and then 100kg a few times each to get my muscles use to it. No one goes straight to there training weight. Thats just looking for injury!

The more you lift weights the more your body gets use to it and the less sore you get. Also have oranges and things rich in Vitamin C that will aid recovery.

Try to eat 2hrs before you lift also thats very good.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

Koing

 

[StormRider]

That's weird. I want to gain inches and lose weight....

 

[OutHouse]

When i got out of boot camp i had lost 6 inches in my waist but had gained 12 pounds. lost the fat but gained muscle.

 

[Krassus]

It's usually a good idea to take it easy with cardio, as it's not all that great. If you overdo it, you will actually end up losing muscle right along with the fat, and hardly something that's in your best interests. Personally, i lift on mondays/tuesdays and thursdays/fridays (look up EDT), and do very short sessions of high intensity cardio on the other three days (look up HITT).

Most people also tend to agree that your diet is at least as important as your excercise program, if not more important. So if you want results, you gotta make sure you're doing everything right. And it doesn't sound to me like you are. It sounds like you're not eating enough - you're going low on everything: carbs, proteins, fats and calories, and it just doesn't work that way. No matter what you're doing, you need LOTS of protein, at least 1g for each pound of body weight, preferrably 1.5.

And if you're taking the low-carb route, as i have, you're gonna need lots of good fats as well as a decent amount of calories daily. If you're eating fewer than 2000, you're most likely losing muscle. I suggest you try multiplying your body weight by 15 and go with that number. Try it for two weeks, weigh yourself first thing in the morning once after the first, and once more after the second, and see what happens. If you've lost about 4lbs during the two weeks, the number of calories is right. If less, drop is by 20% for a week and see what happens, or raise by 20% for a week if you've lost something like 6-7 lbs.

Best of luck!

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: Krassus
It's usually a good idea to take it easy with cardio, as it's not all that great. If you overdo it, you will actually end up losing muscle right along with the fat, and hardly something that's in your best interests. Personally, i lift on mondays/tuesdays and thursdays/fridays (look up EDT), and do very short sessions of high intensity cardio on the other three days (look up HITT).

Most people also tend to agree that your diet is at least as important as your excercise program, if not more important. So if you want results, you gotta make sure you're doing everything right. And it doesn't sound to me like you are. It sounds like you're not eating enough - you're going low on everything: carbs, proteins, fats and calories, and it just doesn't work that way. No matter what you're doing, you need LOTS of protein, at least 1g for each pound of body weight, preferrably 1.5.

And if you're taking the low-carb route, as i have, you're gonna need lots of good fats as well as a decent amount of calories daily. If you're eating fewer than 2000, you're most likely losing muscle. I suggest you try multiplying your body weight by 15 and go with that number. Try it for two weeks, weigh yourself first thing in the morning once after the first, and once more after the second, and see what happens. If you've lost about 4lbs during the two weeks, the number of calories is right. If less, drop is by 20% for a week and see what happens, or raise by 20% for a week if you've lost something like 6-7 lbs.

Best of luck!

whoa I need to eat more than what I already am? Here's what I've had today so far (which is a typical day for me)


5:00am - protein bar, 8 oz of water

5:30-5:45am - did some sprinting\walking

8:00am - 1 pc of steak, broccoli, 1 orange, water

10:00am - protein bar, water

12:00pm - 2 small pork chops, yogurt, water

at 2:00pm - I'll have another protein bar

at 4:00pm - I'll do some back and ab training

at around 5:00-5:30pm - I'll have 2 turkey patties, veggies and a apple

about 7:30pm - I'll have a protein shake

then around 7:45pm - I will do a few jumping jacks, shadow boxing, kicking

8:00-8:15 - shower and get ready for bed

 

[Krassus]

You should throw pork right out the window. It has next to no protein, especially compared to turkey and chicken. It also has lots of bad fats and cholesterol. In other words, forget about it.

I don't know what your protein bars contain, but i'm guessing the total of all that is under 2000 calories and you're probably getting about .5g of protein per pound of body weight. You have to start reading the labels, keeping track of everything.

You need to pick a goal: i.e. lose a lot of fat and gain a little muscle, or lose a little fat and gain a lot of muscle. You can't lose a lot of fat and gain a lot of muscle at the same time. Once you picked a goal, find out what it will take to reach it.

Do some reading and learn how to manipulate macronutrients (carb/prot/fat) to reach that goal. Like i said either, you're going to need tons of protein whichever way you go. If you want to mainly lose fat, stick to the low-carb route but get some good fats into your system. If you're trying to bulk up, you can get away with far more carbs.

Also look into supplementation. Make sure you're getting your vitamins. When you increase your protein intake, start taking Folic Acid. Also consider creatine and the like.

 

[Amused]

Never measure your progress in pounds. Inches and what you see in the mirror are what's important.

 

[Sluggo]

Keep an eye on the sugar content of those protein bars. The majority of the sugar come from High Fructose Corn Syrup which will kill your dieting all by itself.

I suggest reading an article in the April issue of Men's Health magazine. It is titled "Devil's...." something or another. Interesting read about High Fructose Corn Syrup, and what it does to your body.

 

[radioouman]

I have been working out (upper body weight training, and cardio) for almost three months now. I go 3-4 times per week. I usually do about 25 minutes of weight lifting, including abs, and 15 minutes on a treadmill and 15 minutes on an elliptical cross trainer.

I haven't changed my diet. I normally eat cereal, fruit, orange juice, pop tart, milk for breakfast; a lunch meat sandwich, fruit, chips and a cookie for lunch, and a decent meal for dinner. (main course + vegetable and maybe salad, and sometimes a bread)

I've lost 4 pounds. My clothes fit better, but I haven't notices a lot. I don't count calories, but I know that some of my dinners have more calories than they are supposed to.

There are two reasons that I'm doing this.
1) I feel a lot better (less stress, sleep better at night, etc)
2) I am counteracting the effects of a desk job.

 

[SludgeFactory]

Losing inches but not weight is ideal! If you've lost substantial inches and no scale weight, then there is probably some combination of fat loss/muscle gain occuring. Particularly if you were more muscular at some point in your life, you can regain some of that fairly quickly when you get active again. I'd keep doing what you're doing, until weight loss or more importantly, waist size loss, stalls. You can make this as complicated as you want, but always remember that at the end of the day, it comes down to calories in vs. calories out.

I'd cut back on the protein supplements and replace it with real food, unless you're doing it that way out of necessity. For one thing, it gets expensive. A can of tuna is a cheap MRP. If you're lifting, 1 gram protein/lb bodyweight is all you really need. Also, other than a couple servings of vegetables, you're getting almost no fiber, which happens to a lot of people on low carb unless they go out of their way to get fiber. You would be amazed how full a little fiber can make you feel, and the health benefits are too great to ignore. 30 grams is the RDA. Don't forget calcium, there have been several studies linking it with weight loss.

If you like pork, pick a lean cut and eat it. Pork has plenty of protein, and the fat content is not that bad if you trim the fat away and are not frying it. A little saturated fat is necessary for everyone, and since you're on low carb anyway -- you have to get a lot of your daily calories from fat (just try to make sure that the a signficant amount of the total is of the unsaturated variety). A nice piece of grilled pork loin is tasty.

 

[StageLeft]

You're gonna be a cut beefcake soon Musclebound and svelte! Depending on how hard you go at it and original weight you should notice the differences soon.

 

[SP33Demon]

Ok man, to set the record straight, if you don't eat carbs, you will not get big and build muscle, it's as simple as that.

You have to eat at least 35% carbs in your diet if you want to maximize muscle growth, Atkins diets DO NOT WORK.

The only way to lose fat is to do more cardio, aka burn more calories than u normally (key word) take in. Once you calculate your sweet spot for calories per day, don't change your meals (unless you're competing). You will regulate your fat automatically by increasing muscle mass, increasing your metabolism, and creating the calorie deficit by doing cardio! I would HIGHLY recommend the cardio workout mentioned Here.

Keep in mind, you want to do your cardio at least 8-12 hours before or after a workout or you will inhibit muscle growth... if you have any questions be sure to PM me!

 

[UNCjigga]

I'm the opposite! I'm losing weight but not inches!! :Q

 

[Krassus]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Ok man, to set the record straight, if you don't eat carbs, you will not get big and build muscle, it's as simple as that.

You have to eat at least 35% carbs in your diet if you want to maximize muscle growth, Atkins diets DO NOT WORK.

The only way to lose fat is to do more cardio, aka burn more calories than u normally (key word) take in. Once you calculate your sweet spot for calories per day, don't change your meals (unless you're competing). You will regulate your fat automatically by increasing muscle mass, increasing your metabolism, and creating the calorie deficit by doing cardio! I would HIGHLY recommend the cardio workout mentioned Here.

Keep in mind, you want to do your cardio at least 8-12 hours before or after a workout or you will inhibit muscle growth... if you have any questions be sure to PM me!

I was going to post an informative reply and prove that you're wrong in regards to just about everything here, but then i got to "The only way to lose fat is to do more cardio" and all i have to say is: LOL!!