I started Cathe on demand about 3 weeks ago, and also started back on my good eating plan, documenting my intake, etc. I weigh myself once a week or so.
I had a small circuit step with no risers, which was ok for the moment because of my past back surgeries. I can do a little high impact but not crazy stuff. By the end of a cardio workout, I am breathing heavy and red in the face! I usually can't even finish a complete workout.
I also started the STS program, which has really helped my arm definition! I love lifting weights and hope that will be the difference this time. I had belonged to the local YMCA and did massive step cardio twice a week and a little at home, and last year went from 180 to 162 at my lowest, but seemed to even out at 165. I was pretty happy with that but my goal has always been 150.
Anyhow, I lost 4 lbs during the first 2 weeks, then weighed myself today, and I am back up a pound! Granted , I didn't eat so well over the weekend, but nothing collosally bad! Am I gaining water from all the weight training? Getting muscle back? I haven't done measurements, but my belt is still on the same notch (is belly fat always the last to go??). Any suggestions?
Bret Contreras (The Glute Guy) has some AMAZING pics of ladies who are clients of his and are the same weight as when they started with him, but wow...do they have bods of steel! In fact, some of them gained weight, yet are as tight and toned as one can be.
http://bretcontreras.com/dont-be-slave-scale/
The weight on the scale is truly and utterly meaningless. It is also immensely volatile, particularly for women. Most trainers in the know do not recommend weighing yourself more than once a week. When you do this weekly, do it on the same day and at the same time, preferably on an empty stomach. Some trainers even say toss the scale entirely because it is so inaccurate at determining health or fitness or progress. Your fitness level improvements, measurements, body fat percentage, and muscle-to-fat ratio are far more important. I am highly critical of the BMI standard for a number of reasons, and the fact that the muscular among us would often be considered overweight or obese strictly on a scale's figure is one of them.
Ultimately, the fitness journey is a marathon and not a sprint. The body is very, very complex. It could be hormones, medication, eating something salty the day before, or some other mysterious factor having nothing to do with actually being fatter that day. Water weight increase the day after a harder strength workout is common, as serious weight-training will temporarily create a bit of water retention. (I'm no scientist, but that's my understanding.)
Believe me...I more than understand the frustration you feel. My personal trouble zone is in the hips and thighs, and I honestly still think sometimes that I will never lose the excess fat there that's haunted me forever. But the more I train with weights and hit them with a variety of exercises using a band, stability ball, etc., the more changes I see in that area. There is hope. STS is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself!
I have lost 160 lbs from my top weight, but I still am nowhere near thin. The first 80 lbs. came from dieting alone. (I didn't have any surgery.) While I was smaller in dimension 80 lbs. in, my body before exercising hadn't changed in actual shape one bit. The next 80 lbs. lost, those that came far more from exercise, were where the vast majority of my dress size losses, fat loss, and actual shape changes came from. Especially once I lost my wariness over heavier weight-lifting! But losing the last 80 lbs. was VERY much a back-and-forth struggle when looked at from week to week. I'd be up three pounds one week, then down five the next. I wasn't crash-dieting, bingeing on junk food, drinking lots of booze, anything understandable. However, with continued clean eating, three days of serious cardio and three days of serious weight-training a week, I can assure you that the results came. The sizes fell off in droves. And the changes
keep coming even now. You are right- strength-training is the key! To top it off, I am more fit than at the age of ten. That is priceless! My weight has been static for a few months, and technically I could stand to lose more. However, my body fat percentage has continued to decrease, while lean mass has increased. My pants size has gone down, which is a big deal for me. Cellulite has diminished like never before. I mean, my thighs are smoother than when I was in high school! My strength and cardio gains have been astronomical in that time period. And if it takes eating a bit more and losing a bit less (or not at all), to ensure that I keep making strength gains, I accept that now. My goals have moved way beyond sheer numbers, be it on a scale or a in a dress size.
It's good to analyze your diet and exercise efforts to an extent, I don't mean to imply it isn't. If it's lack of clean eating and putting full effort into workouts that is holding you back, okay...learn from that, and move on. But the reality is that there will indeed be times you're doing everything "right" and your weight won't change or may even go up a bit. Sometimes that is the (often temporary) price to pay for lifting weights. The benefits of long-term weight-lifting are so numerous though, even if we got a bit bigger and never hit that arbitrary goal we have on the scale, would it truly matter? I can almost promise for anyone who hits the six-month mark or so of lifting serious weights, their goals will shift for good regarding fitness. Continued training with weights truly takes on a wonderful life of its own.
You are obviously committed to fitness and hard work. You sound like you're well within a pretty good weight range (nothing dangerous health-wise, or where excess weight is destroying your life). It seems you've seen positive body changes visually already, and I'm guessing in your energy levels and feeling of fitness, too. I say celebrate the ability to exercise, appreciate the strong and able body that allows you to do things like step aerobics and STS, be proud of your new arm definition, and simply enjoy your workouts. We are blessed to be able to move these bodies of ours and see them evolve with modern training. It's a wonderful time to live in, as far as that goes. Pragmatically, I would say don't change your
overall strategy too often, unless you're seeing really drastic negative changes in either workout progress or your size. Don't be hard on yourself, and don't give up.
