I think I've finally cracked this weight loss thing....

[QueenMortificado]

My go-to weight loss if I'd piled it on used to be cutting the calories and piling on the cardio (ie, 4-5 x spin classes a week). My tummy would feel nicely empty and clothes would start to be baggy around the waist.

Just before end of November I joined a gym and did one of those fully body measurement things where it measures fat and muscle %. I did the standard cardio / calorie deficit thing and went back and did the same thing the next week - I had lost 0.4kg of fat. And 1.8kg of muscle!!

It was shocking and ridiculous so I did lots of googling and discovered: protein and weights are my friends. And carbs are not an enemy!

So I have done that, dropped the cardio, done lots of weights, plus long walks for fat burning. Added lots of protein esp straight after a workout. Plus, added carbs in in the morning too.

Today I measured again and I am delighted, I've got back what I lost in muscle and added 0.5kg back, plus I have lost 1.7kg in fat. I really feel for the first time that I understand this gaining muscle / losing fat thing.

Just thought I'd share :) Hopefully it's useful for someone who is calorie cutting massively and doing cardio but not noticing a difference. Seems weights and protein are the key.

(I'm sure lots of you know this already but it was a revelation to see it in actual stats for me)

I am with you on the protein and weights, you lose me with the carbs though, simply as I'm low carb and it's about the only thing that keeps me off the sugar and stops any pigging out.

I'm not a nutritionist so this may be absolute crap but I find carbs in the morning are working for me - ie eggs and avocado on toast. Then no carbs after mid-afternoon.

I don't understand it at all! I went to a bootcamp thing in November and despite working out really well, weights, interval training, hard core abs, legs, cardio etc, I ended up weighing more than I ever have! I did the same thing last year and weighted less than I ever have as an adult. I am eating really good food, maybe that is it? Too many calories? Avocado & prawns with dressing, far less carbs (but sweet potato chips, noodles etc.) Far less bread. I mean really doing what is now considered good eating but I am getting lardy and feel absolutely disgusted with myself!

Wasn't it the South Beach Diet or something where you could eat carbs until 2 pm?

I recently watched a documentary about anorexia and a young woman in her 20s put herself of a starvation diet. She would eat a few mouthfuls of cornflakes for breakfast, a diet coke for lunch and a cup of tea and one rich tea biscuit for dinner.

Within a few weeks she lost 10kg and went to a gym to up the anti. The body fat analysis test showed her body fat percentage was high at 30% despite having lost so much weight. She was burning off lean tissue rather than fat.

I havent cracked it yet. I dont lose weight at all on weight training but cardio does. So what do you do? How many weight training sessions per week and how many cardio?

Bump
I would like to know a bit more too... please share your tips OP

I think what the OP is saying is that if you do cardio cardio cardio all the time such as RPM, body attack, then you burn muscle as well as fat. Your fat levels may stay high even though you lose weight.

If you weight train on the gym floor using machines as well as free weights then more likely to burn fat and build muscle.

I think anyway

So is cardio not good for you then? I mean as a stand alone exercise? So just mix it up a bit? 2 cardio and two weights sessions a week or something?

Of course ut is good for you. You just need to mix it up.

Steady state cardio will eat into your muscles. I lift weights 5 days a week (5 day split) and a few 20min interval bursts on the rower or treadmill (after weights or a seperate session) or a HIIT class like metafit.

I do lots of yoga and pilates. The odd body combat class and some hiit and circuit classes.

Joined a new gym today having had 6 weeks away. Abs and core tomorrow. Can't wait 👍🏻💪🏻