[motivation86]

I started using weights, but I'm afraid that I will gain weight from it. Is this really possible? I use about 3 pounds of weight, so its not heavy, so I doubt I will gain weight, but someone told me that it is possible, you can gain weight. I don’t really know.

[lumifan4ever]

I have been lifting weights and the only weight gain i have is water weight which last about 2 days. and honestly, that isn't even from lifting weights but from all the lunges i do on friday nights in my hour long cardio class. it is mostly 45 minutes of lunges of some type or another. hahaha. but i do know that over the weekend i have about a 2 pound gain, but then by monday or tuesday I am back down to normal.

you can't bulk up lifting weights unless you are on steriods or testosterone. it will just help you look slimmer as you lose the fat covering the muscles. don't let anyone scare you off of using some weights. it's very good for the body. lifting just 20 pounds on my biceps has helped me carry more of my groceries in from the car at one time. i don't have to make as many trips back and forth. lifting weights are very good for you. give it a try, but do start out small. no need to rush into heavy weights.

hope that helped alittle.

[jillybean720]

You may gain some temporary weight due to the fact that working your muscles causes them to retain more water. As for actually building so much muscle that you gain weight rom the muscle, that's very unlikely for most women since we just don't have the testosterone to build and maintain big muscles very quickly.

In any case, it shouldn't matter if the scale goes up a little--you should KNOW that lifting those weights is GOOD for you, and your body will appreciate it whether the scale reflects it or not Lifting weights can help to increase your resting metabolism (meaning you'll burn a few more calories each day, and not JUST while you're lifting!), plus it will help to keep you toned as you lose your fat so you can actually be thinner and leaner at a weight where you were once bigger and squishier

[ladybugfun]

When you weight train you gain muscle. They say muscle weighs more than fat. But as women we dont have the hormones that make men beef up when they weight train. Plus you would have to lift some serous(sp) weights. muscle burns alot of fat so it is good to gain muscle! and you probably wont see a gain of more than a few pds if any over a course of months. And if you are loseing you probly wont notice a gain at all. And even if you do, if its muscle and you are losing fat, that is a gain I could live with. If you are really worried about it you could stay away from the scale and just get your body fat % checked often. Good luck!!!

I am not an expert my any means of the imagination but this is just my thoughts on what I have learned since starting this journy myself from web sites, curves and ladys on here.

[kykaree]

Go and read the exercise and ladies who lift forums. The only problem with lifting is that its seriously adictive

Lifting has really changed my body, and I love it. You won't gain weight or look bulky. I was watching the womens weight lifting at the Commonwealth Games recently, and was struck by just how slim the 65 kilo class ladies look (140lbs)

[kykaree]

Originally Posted by ladybugfun

When you weight train you gain muscle. They say muscle weighs more than fat.

It's a common misconception. A pound is a pound. That's like saying a pound of feathers weighs more than a pound of bricks. (I paraphrase Meg here one of the personal trainers who pops in regularly)

However, muscle takes up a less room than fat, so if you lose a pound of fat and gain a pound of muscle, you may look better, but you will weigh the same, if that makes sense.

But being a woman, it takes a lot of work to build muscle and you can't go blaming any weight gain on your weight training (I did that at first)

In my opinion, if you start adding weight training to your routine in a big way, you'll start feeling more hungry as your metabolism kicks in, and it's easy to overeat. It's a good idea to journal and plan your food intake and your eating around your training times to prevent the feeling of being ready to eat anything in your path (ask me how I know )

Adding weight training won't magic away the pounds, it's just another tool in the whole armoury of things we do when we set out to lose weight and change our bodies shape.

[jillybean720]

Originally Posted by kykaree

It's a common misconception. A pound is a pound. That's like saying a pound of feathers weighs more than a pound of bricks. (I paraphrase Meg here one of the personal trainers who pops in regularly)

The saying, "Muscle weighs more than fat," is true--you just have to look at it from a different perspective. Because muscle takes up less room than fat, if you have, say, 10 cubic inches of muscle and 10 cubic inches of fat, the muscle will weigh more. No one says a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat--that's just crazy talk--but if you have the same SIZE of each, the muscle will weigh more than the fat.

[NotTheCheat]

There is a sticky tread in the exercise forum which has a picture of the difference:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37091

What's more important? Being an exact number on a scale or feeling strong and having a toned and fit body?