How best to lose the last 5-10lbs - Please advise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP - my ultimate goal is to look great in my clothes and I don't even own a scale at home because it's not about the numbers for me.

Today, I did a mix of machines and free weights and focused on arms and chest.

Yesterday I ate the following:
Bfast: whole wheat bun with 2 eggs & coffee
Lunch: 1 slice bread with a potato dumpling and grilled zucchini
Afternoon snack: 1 apple with 2 tablespoons almond butter
Dinner: 2 pieces of Chicken and 1 cup brown rice

Am I eating too many carbs? What should I do diffrently if I'm strength training? Thanks so much for your advice!

You are doing great!
Just add more vegetables and choose between the bread or the potato for lunch not both.
Good luck on your journey! I am trying to do the same and some days are difficult.

[Anonymous]

NP. What is "lifting heavy" for a beginner? Should I be able to complete the set, or should I be pretty much useless the last 1-2 reps?

For me, some exercises are difficult simply with 5 lbs. Others I can push to 10. Any advice?

[Anonymous]

http://stronglifts.com/

[Anonymous]

present_tense wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. What is "lifting heavy" for a beginner? Should I be able to complete the set, or should I be pretty much useless the last 1-2 reps?

For me, some exercises are difficult simply with 5 lbs. Others I can push to 10. Any advice?

Heavy is defined by the number of repetitions you can do. To use your example, if you can only lift that 10 lbs over your head for 5 repetitions, then that 10 lbs is heavy. Heavy is not defined by the absolute number, but your relative strength. And I wouldn't advise someone new to lifting weights begin by lifting heavy. There's no defined scale, but generally I would say a beginner should be working in the 8-12 rep range. Moderately heavy I would call the 6-8 rep range, and anything less than 5 reps I would say is heavy.

Now, this is a very simplified way of looking at it. Advanced lifters define heavy by the percentage of their 1 rep maximum of an exercise. These advanced lifters will do what are called "de-loading" stages during which they are purposefully lifting lighter weights than they normally can handle.

But for the purposes of a beginner, it's helpful to think of heavy as something that's less than 6 repetitions.

Jason

Very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[Anonymous]

Okay guys, OP here. So I know it has only been 5 days and I promise you I have done everything right - I've been doing some intense workouts daily and have cut down on the carbs significantly (eating salads as meals mostly). I just weighed myself and I am 2lbs heavier than 6 days ago. Please tell me that is muscle. I definitely fit in my clothes better already.... why is the number on the scale so dejecting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay guys, OP here. So I know it has only been 5 days and I promise you I have done everything right - I've been doing some intense workouts daily and have cut down on the carbs significantly (eating salads as meals mostly). I just weighed myself and I am 2lbs heavier than 6 days ago. Please tell me that is muscle. I definitely fit in my clothes better already.... why is the number on the scale so dejecting?

Because you let it be dejecting. 5 days is nothing. Unless you're only planning to workout for a few weeks or a month. Then it is a lot. No, you're added weight is not muscle. Likely it's a normal fluctuation or a little extra water. Relax and keep lifting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay guys, OP here. So I know it has only been 5 days and I promise you I have done everything right - I've been doing some intense workouts daily and have cut down on the carbs significantly (eating salads as meals mostly). I just weighed myself and I am 2lbs heavier than 6 days ago. Please tell me that is muscle. I definitely fit in my clothes better already.... why is the number on the scale so dejecting?

Take a pregnancy test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP - my ultimate goal is to look great in my clothes and I don't even own a scale at home because it's not about the numbers for me.

Today, I did a mix of machines and free weights and focused on arms and chest.

Yesterday I ate the following:
Bfast: whole wheat bun with 2 eggs & coffee
Lunch: 1 slice bread with a potato dumpling and grilled zucchini
Afternoon snack: 1 apple with 2 tablespoons almond butter
Dinner: 2 pieces of Chicken and 1 cup brown rice

Am I eating too many carbs? What should I do diffrently if I'm strength training? Thanks so much for your advice!

You are doing great!


Just add more vegetables and choose between the bread or the potato for lunch not both.
Good luck on your journey! I am trying to do the same and some days are difficult.

Agree with this. I would also eat 1/2 cup of rice instead of a whole cup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay guys, OP here. So I know it has only been 5 days and I promise you I have done everything right - I've been doing some intense workouts daily and have cut down on the carbs significantly (eating salads as meals mostly). I just weighed myself and I am 2lbs heavier than 6 days ago. Please tell me that is muscle. I definitely fit in my clothes better already.... why is the number on the scale so dejecting?

No answer but I can commiserate. I just went 21 days of zero cheat, lean protein, healthy fats, lo lo carbs, some healthy veggies, tons of water and exercise. Weighed myself this morning: lost 3 pounds.

[Anonymous]

I kick start weight loss with Dr. Oz's 3-day cleanse. It's not a starvation cleanse (it's smoothies not juice) and I'd guess somewhere between 1200-1500 calories per day. Both times I lost 4 pounds. It helps me eliminate cravings, processed foods, and control portion sizes. Last time I did it, I did not regain until maybe a year or so when I got off-track with diet and exercise. Just did it this past weekend so we'll see how it works this time.

[Anonymous]

It's so confusing. Some people say women shouldn't use heavy weights and then this threat suggests using heavier weights to lose weight. Which one makes sense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's so confusing. Some people say women shouldn't use heavy weights and then this threat suggests using heavier weights to lose weight. Which one makes sense?

It's going to differ depending on each individual person. What is the reasoning not to?

[Anonymous]

In response to PP, I have heard that women can bulk up if they use heavy weights. This is OP and it's been 2 weeks now and I feel awesome - stronger, leaner, healthier. I am going to keep it up! I'm not bulking up as far as I know but I will say that I don't step on the scale because I'm not making progress there - but as they say, muscle weighs more than fat and looks way better so I am OK with it.

Thanks all for the advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In response to PP, I have heard that women can bulk up if they use heavy weights. This is OP and it's been 2 weeks now and I feel awesome - stronger, leaner, healthier. I am going to keep it up! I'm not bulking up as far as I know but I will say that I don't step on the scale because I'm not making progress there - but as they say, muscle weighs more than fat and looks way better so I am OK with it.

Thanks all for the advice.

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! Sorry, but that phrase drives me nuts. A pound of muscle weighs a pound. Guess how much a pound of fat weighs (a pound!). Muscle is denser than fat so a pound of fat will be "bigger" than a pound of muscle. So if that is what you care about, you should be measuring yourself (hips, waist, thighs, etc.). Also, I don't know what you are lifting, but it is very unlikely you are bulking up. Some people are more likely to develop more defined muscles (genetics, body fat, etc.), but unless you are following a bodybuilding and very heavy weightlifting program (along with the bodybuilding diet), you very unlikely to bulk up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In response to PP, I have heard that women can bulk up if they use heavy weights. This is OP and it's been 2 weeks now and I feel awesome - stronger, leaner, healthier. I am going to keep it up! I'm not bulking up as far as I know but I will say that I don't step on the scale because I'm not making progress there - but as they say, muscle weighs more than fat and looks way better so I am OK with it.

Thanks all for the advice.

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! Sorry, but that phrase drives me nuts. A pound of muscle weighs a pound. Guess how much a pound of fat weighs (a pound!). Muscle is denser than fat so a pound of fat will be "bigger" than a pound of muscle. So if that is what you care about, you should be measuring yourself (hips, waist, thighs, etc.). Also, I don't know what you are lifting, but it is very unlikely you are bulking up. Some people are more likely to develop more defined muscles (genetics, body fat, etc.), but unless you are following a bodybuilding and very heavy weightlifting program (along with the bodybuilding diet), you very unlikely to bulk up.

All true. It drives me a little batty as well and is part of the reason I have trouble training with women. I'm just not sure i want to expend all the energy it would take to combat this misconception. It also doesn't help that I am a woman with some pretty vicious muscles. But I worked REALLY hard at it. They didn't just appear when I picked up a heavy weight. You have to try purposely work to build visible muscle and even then tons of people can't do it.

Glad to hear it's working for you PP. If there's a point that you don't like the size of your muscles, lower the weight a bit and up your reps (8-12 range). Thats more in the muscle endurance range rather than hypertrophy and strength.