male only Weight Lifting/ weight loss

[Bigboy76 102]

Hey guys,

I'll start by stating I'd appreciate only guys responses on this one please. I started working out at gym in December. I want to know how much you guys are lifting at the gym?? I've not been a weight lifter in past so just trying to see what's the norm.

Also, want to understand how your weight loss is going while lifting weights. How much are you losing weekly while hitting the weights in gym? I've been irritated during December as I've lost very little weight. Probably only lost 10 pounds this entire month.

Talk some sense into me fellas.

[SuperKen 231]

Hey guys,

I'll start by stating I'd appreciate only guys responses on this one please. I started working out at gym in December. I want to know how much you guys are lifting at the gym?? I've not been a weight lifter in past so just trying to see what's the norm.

Also, want to understand how your weight loss is going while lifting weights. How much are you losing weekly while hitting the weights in gym? I've been irritated during December as I've lost very little weight. Probably only lost 10 pounds this entire month.

Talk some sense into me fellas.

Hey Bigboy76 I'm a year a 2 months post-op I started working out 1 month post-op. I started my weight training program at the 6 month mark and have been ever since then. If you want the name of the weight training program I'm using send me a personal message as I don't want to seem like I'm a promoting.

[Stevehud 1,790]

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Edited January 7, 2015 by Stevehud

[Bigboy76 102]

Yeah I was mainly looking to tone up. Not sure I really wanted to wait until all the weight loss happens. I don't want to deal with loose skin..so that was my thinking on toning now. My doctor didn't really talk to when was the right time to start weight training. Sounds like I might be a bit early.

[JerseyJules 862]

You may technically gain weight on the scale or see it not move, but the more muscle you have the more fat you burn when working out and the more calories you burn while resting. The weight lifting actually does more for your metabolic rate than cardio. Lifting weights is the best exercise there is IMHO. Try doing a set of squats or leg presses and tell me how winded you get compared to walking on a treadmill. Plus your body will look better from the weight lifting. I would start with a medium weight, basic movement resistance training program followed by 25-30 minutes of some form of medium intensity cardio. I have lifted all my life and in recent months packed on more fat cause i was unable to lift as much due to a shoulder injury from martial arts...

Dont look at the scale, you'll notice it mostly in your clothes fitment. Eat Protein right after your workout in the form of a recovery shake, and dont count it as a daily meal. Good luck and start light and basic.

[Sleeverino 26]

I started at week 6 with my Doc's OK. I was STRUGGLING when I started. I don't know if I atrophied from not lifting or it was from not eating for so long or what--but I could barely throw any weight around. I'm pretty much back to "normal" now...and I have put back on a noticeable amount of bulk in under 2 months that I haven't seen in a few years. The numbers on the scale kept going down except for the expected stalls during all of this. I can't tell if it will have any impact on loose skin or not yet, but I am reminded that each pound of muscle on your frame adds 10 calories burned per day at rest...and that benefit is amplified exponentially with the addition of exercise. A word of caution though: working out made me pretty hungry. If I don't get a fair amount of Protein in then I feel like a grizzly bear in late November. So I need to watch it. I do 3 days of heavy lifting a week and about 4 hours of martial arts training over 2 separate non-lifting days. I don't count calories but I'd put my daily intake at around 1500, depending on the day. I'm 90 days out from surgery and down 100 pounds (70 post surgery date). Seems to be working fine.

[JerseyJules 862]

I started at week 6 with my Doc's OK. I was STRUGGLING when I started. I don't know if I atrophied from not lifting or it was from not eating for so long or what--but I could barely throw any weight around. I'm pretty much back to "normal" now...and I have put back on a noticeable amount of bulk in under 2 months that I haven't seen in a few years. The numbers on the scale kept going down except for the expected stalls during all of this. I can't tell if it will have any impact on loose skin or not yet, but I am reminded that each pound of muscle on your frame adds 10 calories burned per day at rest...and that benefit is amplified exponentially with the addition of exercise. A word of caution though: working out made me pretty hungry. If I don't get a fair amount of Protein in then I feel like a grizzly bear in late November. So I need to watch it. I do 3 days of heavy lifting a week and about 4 hours of martial arts training over 2 separate non-lifting days. I don't count calories but I'd put my daily intake at around 1500, depending on the day. I'm 90 days out from surgery and down 100 pounds (70 post surgery date). Seems to be working fine.

Thats awesome!!! Sounds exactly what Im going to experience after my surgery..

[Stevehud 1,790]

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Edited January 7, 2015 by Stevehud

[SuperKen 231]

im curious why would you want to keep bulk? now I know its a very personal thing. One thing I will say is to say weight lifting is the best exercise over cardio is a bunch of bull, and the only people who would ever say that are lost in weight lifter land. Weight lifting doesn't have to burn any calories. high reps low weight done fast like circuit training is a great cardio exercise but straight up lifting is not anywhere near the calorie burn that cardio is. I guess if you want to stay bulky , then hey go for it. Here's the big rub, you get more bulky with muscle, then slack off just a bit, the calories get a little higher you get into a few old habits here and there and what happens...yep muscle turns to fat much faster than gaining fat on its own. That's why people, like football players, who don't lose their playing weight immediately after retirement become fat. So I know im not wiling to take the chance of becoming fat again, after doing all the work to not be. If I wanted to be a musclehead I wouldn't have had weight loss surgery. Comorbidities like vein issues in my legs, joint pain, back pain etc , pre diabetic etc. will NOT be relieved by changing fat to muscle. You lose the advantages of weight loss . I used to be heavily into lifting when I was younger and I know when I stopped It certainly contributed to my weight gain. I know I want to fit into a medium or large shirt someday, I wont shop in the big and tall just because of weight lifting. Besides I cant stand the tools staring in the mirrors as they do curls while in the free weight areas of any gym. The last thing I want is to increase caloric intake while trying to lose weight. sorry to all who feel differently but that makes zero sense to me. But I know that weight lifting is like a cult, you throw into it and believe the hype very easily. Its a macho cult ideal that fits right in to people. once they use the word guns to describe their arms...they're lost.

Man why are you so negative? Geez. There is no doubt that you have a strong opinion about weight training, but remember that not your opinion nor anyone else's opinion is gospel. Cardio, weight training, mental health and most importantly NUTRITION should be done in balance. I try to respect everyone's opinion on Bariatricpal, but when I run across a post like this I feel compelled to respond. I really hope you are successful in your weight loss and healthy living journey. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE respect other folks decisions and methods.

SuperKen

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

I am new to the board and not looking to stir the pot, but with my background (BS and MS in Physiology), I feel compelled to comment on what I have read about weightlifting just to make sure there is not a ton of misinformation.

For one, muscle does not weigh more than fat. That is absurd. One pound of muscle weighs the same as one pound of fat. With that said, muscle IS more dense than fat. In other words, you could stuff 10 pounds of muscle into a much smaller box than you could 10 pounds of fat.

Another great thing about adding LEAN muscle mass an increase of lean muscle will increase your basal metobolic rate. In other words, an individual with more muscle mass will typicaly burn more calories at rest compared to the person with less lean body mass.

When the gentleman above is talking about bulking up, I am sure he means that he wants to gain some lean muscle and that is a great goal to have and I do not think any medical professional would have a problem with this.

The trick is to "bulk up" and still maintain your lower body fat percentage. If you are adding fat pounds along with your lean muscle mass, then that can be counter-productive to our overall goal getting healthy.

So, please, if your physician approves of you adding resistance training to your exercise program, by all means you should do so. I would use this as another tool in your "toolbox" but also keep performing your aerobic exericse as well (walking, running, etc.).

Edited January 5, 2015 by Vikingsfan8178

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

Here is another great caveat to weight lifting. Beginners are able to add lean muscle mass fairly quickly compared to those of us who have been weight training for years. Stick with some very basic lifts (compound movements, look them up if you do not know what I am talking about or PM me) and you will see results.

[JerseyJules 862]

Weight training when done properly burns waaaaay more calories than straight cardio, period.. I dont want to be a muscle head, I just want to look like a man should look and retain a good portion of my strength and not feel weak and frail..Resistance training when done properly strengthens you joints and back and helps you burn more resting calories. Oh and muscle does NOT turn to fat, it is physically impossible. Without Protein the first thing your body would turn to for energy would be muscle which is actually easier to break down and use for energy than fat. So perhaps you will loose muscle then in the long term add fat if thats what he was referring to.

There are skinny fat people believe it or not..And thats not why I want to loose weight, just so I can be fat but not weigh as much..Makes no sense to me..I want to lose and tone..Resistance training is the only thing that does that..

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

Resistance training when done properly strengthens you joints and back and helps you burn more resting calories. Oh and muscle does NOT turn to fat, it is physically impossible.

Exactly Right.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Vikingsfan8178

[Vikingsfan8178 62]

Weight training when done properly burns waaaaay more calories than straight cardio, period.. I dont want to be a muscle head, I just want to look like a man should look and retain a good portion of my strength and not feel weak and frail..Resistance training when done properly strengthens you joints and back and helps you burn more resting calories. Oh and muscle does NOT turn to fat, it is physically impossible. Without Protein the first thing your body would turn to for energy would be muscle which is actually easier to break down and use for energy than fat. So perhaps you will loose muscle then in the long term add fat if thats what he was referring to.

There are skinny fat people believe it or not..And thats not why I want to loose weight, just so I can be fat but not weigh as much..Makes no sense to me..I want to lose and tone..Resistance training is the only thing that does that..

Another way to think about this is the following example:

Would you rather weight 150 pounds at 20% body fat or 150 pounds at 12% body fat? Both scenarios are at a body weight of 150lbs but the person with the lower body fat is going to be healthier and have a leaner physique

[catdaddy 232]

Wow, and all I want to do is enjoy my later years. You know, sit on the front porch and talk about the people going by.