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Old 01-28-2011, 12:54 PM   #31  
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Aside from muscle retention another big reason to lift weights is the hormonal response your body has. It will significantly increase in the enzymes responsible for fat oxidation and obese individuals often have a defect in fat oxidation. I strongly advise lifting 3x a week and doing full body workouts. This is a big topic but there is a lot more going on than simply retaining muscle.

Also, sorry to be the bad guy but ... reality check -

If you weigh 275lbs and you're eating 1200 on off days and 1800 on workout days and you're gaining weight two things are possible :

1) Your scale is broken
2) You're not counting calories right

Minor flucuations in weight happen due to water balance. I'm not talking about a day or two I'm talking about a trend. Many people screw up the calorie thing when they first get started. Weigh, don't measure your food.

Finally, if you're 275 lbs there is no reason you need to eat 1800 calories on workout days unless it is a compliancy issue. Do you need to have the higher calories days to avoid the big binge? If not I'd just stick with 1200 a day and give yourself a cheat meal a couple times a week. Recoginze that the most important thing is giving yourself a diet plan you can live with over the long haul.
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Old 01-28-2011, 12:58 PM   #32  
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I would continue to do both!
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*Diets make you look good in clothes, but exercise & weightlifting make you look good naked! ...........'nuff said!
hahah now THAT statement was convincing enough! LOVE it!
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Old 01-28-2011, 01:05 PM   #33  
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That's alst I'm sayin...do what YOU WILL do...this is NOT an all or nothing journey. I don't want the OP to think if she doesn't start off weight training, she will eat through all of her muscle or not see progress...because this simply is not true.
I agree. I just think that many women in general feel that if they don't see a change in the scale that they are making no progress which simply isn't true, especially if you are incorporating weight training.
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Old 01-28-2011, 01:09 PM   #34  
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Finally, if you're 275 lbs there is no reason you need to eat 1800 calories on workout days unless it is a compliancy issue. Do you need to have the higher calories days to avoid the big binge? If not I'd just stick with 1200 a day and give yourself a cheat meal a couple times a week. Recoginze that the most important thing is giving yourself a diet plan you can live with over the long haul.
John,

I know you are new to this site so welcome One thing I'd say is that it sounds like she has an eating plan which she is happy with. A lot of calorie counters do zig/zag where they eat lower calories some days and higher calories on others.

1500-1800 calories on workout days for a 275 lb woman sounds fine to me, coming from a woman who weighed that and beyond. Now I'd agree that if for some reason it isn't working over time, she may need to evaluate and see what she can tweak. Staying the same or even gaining within a couple weeks time frame is not unusual for a woman.
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Old 01-28-2011, 01:26 PM   #35  
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John, I agree with Nelie. Women's weight fluctuates more than a man's and 1200 calories is not enough to fuel the body of a woman who weighs 275, or at least not efficiently.

I do agree with you though that all of us need to take extra care with the weighing and measuring of our foods. Calorie creep happens to all and is an often overlooked problem with the scale. However a .8 "gain" after one week can not be called a true gain.

Sorry, it's just that if you had told me I had "gained" .8 pounds because I wasn't eating right I would have given up. (And DID...many times!) I gave up because of that advice for ten years!!! I am where I am right now because I finally got the idea that the scale fluctuates. It fluctuates. It does! It goes up, it goes down, but given persistence and dedication to plan, it does eventually go down.

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Old 01-28-2011, 01:49 PM   #36  
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I always operate on a 4-6 week principle. If things don't start changing by then, it's time to re-evaluate. Due to the amount of water, muscle tissue, and body fat on a person's body (especially a female around 200+lbs), you really have to try and wait it out to see consistent downward trends. Good luck!!!
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Old 01-28-2011, 01:51 PM   #37  
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Definity keep up with your weight lifting regimen. Weight lifting is GOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!
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Old 01-28-2011, 02:14 PM   #38  
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I have been weight lifting just a couple of times a week,when I am at my boyfriend's house. I am a college student, and I have access to a gym with weights, but I am so nervous about weight training around men. Also, I do not really know what I am doing without some guidance. I don't have money to pay for a personal trainer. I think this is the reason some people wait to do weight training: it can be embarrassing for an overweight person to lift weights in public, and it may be easier to do cardio on a treadmill then learning weight training exercises.

Is there like a beginner's guide or a tool someone has used to learn proper weight lifting on their own? I just feel so safe, and secure doing cardio in my gym, that I do not want to get out of my comfort zone and do weights by myself.

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Old 01-28-2011, 02:20 PM   #39  
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Is there like a beginner's guide or a tool someone has used to learn proper weight lifting on their own? I just feel so safe, and secure doing cardio in my gym, that I do not want to get out of my comfort zone and do weights by myself.
I highly recommend anyone wanting to do weight training to have a few sessions with a personal trainer. If that isn't an option, you can learn by yourself. One good site is http://www.stumptuous.com

Also, there is a weight lifting forum on 3FC, you can always come and ask questions A few people here are personal trainers or personal trainer certified.
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Old 01-28-2011, 02:25 PM   #40  
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John,

I know you are new to this site so welcome One thing I'd say is that it sounds like she has an eating plan which she is happy with. A lot of calorie counters do zig/zag where they eat lower calories some days and higher calories on others.

1500-1800 calories on workout days for a 275 lb woman sounds fine to me, coming from a woman who weighed that and beyond. Now I'd agree that if for some reason it isn't working over time, she may need to evaluate and see what she can tweak. Staying the same or even gaining within a couple weeks time frame is not unusual for a woman.
Thank you for welcoming me to the site here and elsewhere.

My point regarding not increasing calories on workout days is many experts reccomend dieters increase calories on workout days to fuel their workout and at 275 lbs you have plenty of fuel onboard already. The OP has stated she is not happy with the rate of loss, hence my suggestion. If the plan is working the way Mz Juicy D wants than by all means feel free to stick with the plan.
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Old 01-28-2011, 02:31 PM   #41  
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Also, I do not really know what I am doing without some guidance.
Most men lifting weights don't know what they're doing either so you're not alone. The two most important things to remember about weight training are to start slow with light weights and focus on learning the right technique.

I think any women, fit or not, is brave when they first go to a gym and start working out. What you will find out though is that the vast majority of people are there to work out and will never even say a single work to you especially if you have headphones in your ears.
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Old 01-28-2011, 02:33 PM   #42  
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I know that i am new to this and there is A LOT that i need to learn. The main thing that stresses me and confuses me the most right now is the proper calorie intake. I know that if you eat too much you gain and i've read that eating too little will make you gain. Ugh!!!! Stresses me out just thinking about it.
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Old 01-28-2011, 02:38 PM   #43  
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Originally Posted by MzJuicyD View Post
I know that i am new to this and there is A LOT that i need to learn. The main thing that stresses me and confuses me the most right now is the proper calorie intake. I know that if you eat too much you gain and i've read that eating too little will make you gain. Ugh!!!! Stresses me out just thinking about it.
It really can be trial and error. I agree that 1200 calories is too low. One problem with going too low is that you might be super-starving and it can be difficult to stick to that way of eating. I think 1500-1800 might be a good starting point. I would like to invite you to the Calorie Counting forum here at 3FC. There are lots of very wise, experienced calorie counters there who will have good feedback. Also, scattered around 3FC are threads where people post what they have eaten and their exercise. You might get a lot of good ideas and a sense of what is working for them and what might work for you. The 100lb Club is a great subforum with lots of smart folks too.

The main thing is to not give up. Sometimes the scale can be a spoiled brat and you want to toss it off a 5-story building (oh, wait, that might just be how I feel about it today!) but the one thread that runs through successful losers' stories is stick-to-it-ness. There will be good days and hard days and days where you might want to give up, but keep plowing forward.

You have come to a great place for ideas and support! I can't wait to hear about your next steps!

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Old 01-28-2011, 02:41 PM   #44  
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I know that i am new to this and there is A LOT that i need to learn. The main thing that stresses me and confuses me the most right now is the proper calorie intake. I know that if you eat too much you gain and i've read that eating too little will make you gain. Ugh!!!! Stresses me out just thinking about it.

Don't stress. It's not the rocket science we all make it sound like it is.

You eat less and you lose weight. Simple as that. Don't overthink it. Make good decisions everyday. If you make a poor decision, pick yourself up and continue on.

How did we all gain weight?? Did we do so by looking over our food and thinking "what exactly do I need to eat and in what quantities in order to eat past my caloric needs, while at the same time not making myself sick from overindulgence?"

No, my guess is, none of us did that. But scientifically it's the same process, only in reverse.

Measure your food, be honest with yourself about your calories and your portions. Do that 80% of the time and you'll be just fine.

You lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym. Lifting just makes you look awesome when you do lose the weight
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Old 01-28-2011, 02:45 PM   #45  
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I know that i am new to this and there is A LOT that i need to learn. The main thing that stresses me and confuses me the most right now is the proper calorie intake. I know that if you eat too much you gain and i've read that eating too little will make you gain. Ugh!!!! Stresses me out just thinking about it.
Hey don't stress out, it makes you gain! Haha J/K

The MOST IMPORTANT thing is that you have a caloric intake you can live with because dispite what we see on TV losing weight is not a quick and easy process. It takes a long time. So you'll have to experiment a little to see what works for you. When you find out what works just stick with it.

It is a myth that too little calories will make you gain weight or grind your metabolism to a halt. Having said that I really wouldn't reccomend going under 1,000 calories for a variety of reasons. Just make sure you eat your veggies and plenty of protein abecause the last thing you want to do is starve your body of nutrients.
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