Something strange is happening to my body.

[LauraMax]

I've gained maybe 7-8 lbs since just before the holidays. Not a big deal--I'd like to lose about 5 of it but I just can't seem to. Don't know why. I've been pretty serious about the diet & doing high intensity cardio 6-7 days a week, yet the needle on the scale has not budged.

But the other side of the coin is my weightlifting has been absolutely unbelievable. After about a 5 year plateau I've gone up twice--not once but TWICE--in the last 3 months. And am feeling strong enough that I expect I'll increase again in the next few weeks. The weights I'm lifting are ridiculous. I'm guessing some of this has to do w/the weight gain, but I've gained weight in the past & never experienced a strength increase the way I have recently.

Now, I just turned 40 about a month ago. Is it a coincidence that this physical stuff is happening at the same time? I don't think so. It appears I'm going through some weird metabolic change that's preventing me from losing weight but also helping me lift heavier.

Has anyone else experienced this w/the aging process? If yes, can you please tell me how in the he!! I can lose this stubborn 5 lbs?
;-)

 

[chefkate]

Do your clothes fit the same? Is your pantwaist tighter? I say if you look good, who cares what the scale says! If you didn't know the scale went up by seeing the numbers, would you know by the fit of your clothes? If you're lifting heavy it sounds like muscle, not fat, to me. Good luck!

 

[dorothyrd]

Could it be that you were too thin before to be able to lift heavier. That the level you had to eat to maintain that thinness restricted you and did not fuel the power you need for heavier lifting.


Age 40 was when I was FINALLY able to get the weight off, and lose 40 pounds. At 46 the body changes I notice is that it is very easy to gain a few pounds from just a couple days of poor eating, so watching what I eat and keeping it clean is essential. That my boobs have disappeared with the weight loss. Having been a C cup since age 13, it is strange to be a B cup now, but tops fit a lot nicer. That the fluff in the middle is the first place that excess weight shows up. Before it was more evenly distributed.

On the whole, watching my diet and keeping my regular exercise is enough to maintain my weight and I am not overly thin, size 6, but thinner than I was at age 14.

 

[SRP]

Good grief, Laura! You've GOT to be gaining muscle mass with that heavy lifting, don't you? I don't have any advice to give... yet. I'll turn 40 in August, so I'll let you know then.

 

[LauraMax]

My clothes are definitely tighter & I have, ummm, this jiggle around the middle I didn't have before. Like my abs are hibernating LOL. But I'm still wearing size 2s, I just don't have to safety pin them to hold them up anymore. I'm very petite though & always have been, so it's a bit horrifying to not have that 6 pack showing.

That said, I don't lose sleep over how I look. I wish I could lose 5 lbs but I'm not obsessing over it b/c I know I will eventually when I just figure out how.

Yes, I'm definitely putting on more muscle (I have finally built a butt!), but muscle only weighs like .01% more than fat so that can't be it.

I think I'm gonna give low carb another week or two & if I'm still not getting results I just might re-think my diet.