Dreaded last 10 pounds

M

mrsditchen

Member
Ok ladies here goes...
I am 54 years old and exercise is nothing new to me. I've been lifting and stepping since Susan Harris and the 1st Firm video came out back in my 20's. Two years ago I stumbled upon Tabatacise and Cathe dvds and haven't looked back since. However...as the birthdays keep coming so did the few extra pounds.
In January I signed up for a 12 week winter weight loss challenge, clean eating, weekly weigh ins blah blah blah. We've got 1 week to go and I'm 10 pounds from my goal weight. The number on the scale may not even be attainable but I'm dam sure gonna give it a try.
My question is this...which Cathe rotation, homemade rotation whatever...is gonna get me to my goal weight? I'm not afraid to lift heavy either.
I know the scale should be irrelevant but to be brutally honest...I like seeing the number getting smaller and smaller.
Please feel free to chime in....no scolding though for my obsession for the scale!
 
Thru trial and error I know that cutting calories consistently is what gets me closest to my goal. But, you want to make sure you are losing fat and not muscle. I read alot of articles on a site called aworkoutroutine. com which confirmed what experiences I've had in the past. If you are eating at a caloric deficit you can't realistically expect to be able to workout at high intensity all the time. You'll have low energy and catabolism of metabolically active muscle can occur. I would say focus more energy on heavy, progressive lifting with cardio maybe only 1-2 times per week. As you get closer to your goal your weight may not change as much but your body composition should. I read if you are a person who likes to weigh in everyday, then add the weights up and divide by 7 and come out with a weekly average to track. This can take the daily fluctuations into account. Good luck and happy lifting!
 
Thank you so much for your input. I've been doing a lot of research on lifting heavy, periodized lifting, metabolic resistance training....it can be overwhelming, I wasn't sure which direction to go.
I received the RWH just as the holidays kicked in, then started the challenge in January & never had time to put a rotation into play.
I'm super excited to start a RWH rotation...thanks again!
 
RWH is tough! Make sure you're taking enough rest days! I did RWH after a few months of not working out consistently thinking I could just push thru it and I became so exhausted after about 2 weeks! Listen to your body, eat enough to fuel your workouts and take a rest day if needed.
 
Hi,

I just would like to share advise below from Bret contreras---Knowledgeable Fitness trainer.
Strength trainer is what he specialises in. aka Glute expert.

The advise is helpful for anyone interested in gaining strength. If it is not what you are looking
for then something else might work for you.:)

"
Whether your goal is to gain weight, maintain weight, or lose weight, prioritizing strength training is the way to go. The stronger you are overall at any given body weight, the more muscle and less fat you'll carry.

If weight loss is your goal, I urge you to think of it as "fat loss" rather than "general weight loss." The goal is not to just be a proportionately smaller version of your current self and potentially end up being "skinny-fat," it is to lose as much fat as possible and retain as much muscle as possible.

In some circumstances it is possible to build muscle while losing significant amounts of weight, but this usually only applies to beginners, those using performance enhancing drugs, or those returning to training after a long lay-off.

For fat loss, adjust your caloric intake and macros according to your goals, which usually involves maintaining protein intake and reducing carbohydrate and fat intake. A caloric deficit can be created from diet alone, however, additional exercise can be valuable as well. There is a fine line between optimal amounts of exercise and excessive amounts, so be aware that too much conditioning work can sabotage your progress.

For fat loss, you rely on diet and possibly cardio/conditioning to create a caloric deficit, and you rely on heavy strength training to stave off losses in muscle mass and metabolic rate. Resistance training obviously burns calories, but it is important to think of it as strength training so you avoid treating it like circuit training.

If you prefer, conditioning work can involve traditional resistance training equipment and exercises via barbell complexes, ultra-high reps, non-stop circuits with no rest periods, combination movements, and other finishers, but these are not mandatory. They can be tacked onto the end of your strength training sessions, but make sure you choose joint-friendly options that do not compromise your recovery and hamper your strength training.

I prefer conditioning work to be separate from strength training, and also to be low impact to reduce the likelihood of injury. My personal favorites are sled pushing, hill sprints, cycling sprints, and incline treadmill walking. In this manner, you won't end up drastically altering and losing focus with your resistance training.

Basic heavy strength training prioritizing compound movements with some high rep targeted movements sprinkled in is the best approach to hypertrophy training. What builds muscle best during periods of caloric surpluses also maintains muscle best during periods of caloric deficits. More muscle equals less fat, better shape, and a higher metabolism."

HTH
 
Bret said it all! I finally had my "aha" moment when I realized that it is okay to scale back workouts a bit when you are in fat loss mode so as not to sabotage your efforts. I found this out most drastically while trying to go all out with RWH and at the same time cutting cals (and I'm not talking a super drastic cut). I also now know the other important thing I wasn't focusing on was Progressive Overload. I am now separating strength and cardio/conditioning days and on my strength only day that is where I am putting more of my effort, making sure I can increase strength on at least one exercise. I have decreased my cardio a bit by adding in an extra rest day. This, has made a world of difference! I have also simplified my diet by tracking overall cals, eating about 200 cals a day more on more intense workout days, and about 100-200 less on rest days. I don't track macro's too closely other than protein. Less is more is paying off, as long as I focus primarily on Progressive Overload and overall cals/protein. I have a busy work schedule so this simplification plus an extra rest day has decreased alot of stress in my life as well!
 
:):):)
Stacy said:
I have decreased my cardio a bit by adding in an extra rest day. This, has made a world of difference!
Click to expand...

Stacy said:
Bret said it all! I finally had my "aha" moment when I realized that it is okay to scale back workouts a bit when you are in fat loss mode so as not to sabotage your efforts. I found this out most drastically while trying to go all out with RWH and at the same time cutting cals (and I'm not talking a super drastic cut).
Click to expand...

1200kcal might too drastic IMHO, especially for someone who has been in long fat loss journey.
There is no way of effectively lifting hypertrophy style with this amount of calorie, while aiming to gain lean mass.
:):)
 
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