Less Cardio, Weight Gain?

[KC5689]

Hi,
I notice that there's been more talk about seeing better results when you lift more and do less cardio. However, I was wondering is there any chance of weight gain with this? Does this work better when your trying to loose weight or if you want to maintain current weight and just build muscle/definition? Do you have to eat very clean or can you cheat at times?
I want to loose a few lbs. that I recently gained and get more definition. I just completed a strength building rotation of yours but I haven't been eating well and to my dismay gained. I ask about having to eat strict because in the past months (when doing your weight loss rotations) I didn't eat clean all the time and managed to loose, not gain. But, maybe this month the overeating combined with less cardio is what did it. Anyway, if you (or others) could give me your thoughts on this that would be great. Thanks

 

[diane57]

Not Cathe, but I gained weight when I did P90x - I was eating very clean but I ate plenty to fuel the workouts - I basically did not change my diet while I did the X. I gained about 2-3 pounds by the second week of the X, which stayed with me the whole 3 months, and as soon as the X was over for me, I lost the extra pounds in a week or 2. For me I think it was just my muscles swelling up with water rather than the decrease in cardio, because I did not do much cardio for several weeks after the X, I was so wiped out I basically just walked and did some yoga! And still I very easily dropped the weight I had gained. I think weight training by itself can cause a water weight gain, not to be confused with fat weight gain. Just my experience...

 

[fitnessangel]

Not Cathe, but I wouldn't worry too much about a few pounds of weight gain when you are lifting heavier. Muscle weighs more than fat. Muscle also burns significantly more calories than fat and continues to do so even when you are not working out during the day. I would go by how your clothing feels (snug, loose, just right, etc.) rather than the scale. Also, you may gain weight right before a cycle (water retention maninly). You may have gained weight because of your eating habits, but remember that you won't see the significant changes if you don't eat right. In order to see the definition, you will have to eat clean the majority of the time. Obviously, you will have to have a splurge every now and then (ex. cheat meal a week), but remember not to overdo the cheating. Clean eating is a lifestyle change and not a diet, but if you are up to the inital change (and shock your body will go through) you will reap rewards in all aspects of your health- not just fitness gains. HTH

 

[KC5689]

Thanks ladies for the feedback. You're right. I do need to really tighten up on my clean eating. I do like the idea of have one cheat meal a week instead of one (or two, or three)cheat day

 

[SirenSongWoman]

You need cardio for your heart and for endurance BUT if you want to get leaner faster your emphasis should LEAN towards weight training. The reason: Every extra pound of muscle you have burns an additional 50 calories per day (see Bob Greene's Best Life Diet Book). So toning is THE key to losing fat. I used to emphasize cardio but since I stopped eating 2-3 hours before bedtime and changed my emphasis to sculpting the pounds have been rolling off TWICE AS FAST. But (there's always a catch, isn't there?) muscles require constant challenge to grow and if they don't get it they stop growing so as soon as you can comfortably lift that dumbbell you need to bump it up and increase the weight.

Finally, muscle weighs more than fat and your scale will reflect this fact. If that's hard for you to accept throw that thing out. Scales are an American disease and they tell you nothing. They don't, for instance, tell you if your weight is muscle (a good thing) or fat (not so much). So, forget the numbers. Instead, gauge your results by the fit of your clothes and the compliments you get. I speak from experience. Hope I helped.

 

[KC5689]

Thanks. That did help I actually read that book and it helped me loose a lot. The hunger scale was the most helpful for me. How much cardio do you do now? I just got into doing rotations(Cathe's) and the strength building ones usually have 3-4 days of cardio. So far her rotations have been effective so I think I'll be ok.

I am addicted to the scale unfortunately, but it helps me stay in line with eating. I usually weigh myself once a week. Until I get my eating habits under control, I'll probably feel the need to weigh myselfx(
But thank you for the info. That's why I love this forum because I can get input from experienced, health conscious women like yourself.