What does progress look like and what keeps you motivated?

[Girlintheframe]

Morning all

I'm very new to weight lifting. Only started 3 months ago. Currently using dumbbells and following Caroline Girvan on you tube, though plan on joining the gym after summer.

I don't have a great deal of body fat to loose but definitely some especially around my lower body.

Im post menopause and on 1500 cals a day, walk around 15000 steps a day and also do a workout 4-5 days a week.

I can lift heavier than when I started. I've seen next to no change in scale weight, which is fine I understand why that might not move but I've also seen next to no progress in pictures.

When did everyone see progress and what did it look like for you. I know building muscle takes a long time, I'm just not sure how long.

To change my body composition how long am I realistically looking at? Also what keeps you motivated when progress is slow?

Are you looking to build muscle (hypertrophy)? If so, you're probably not lifting heavy enough for the weights to make a change in look. I've watched a few of the Girvan work outs & they look more like aerobics to me - as in Pump class style.

I train with a PT, and we do 30 mins of heavy strength work, followed by30 mins high intensity work - he calls it metcon (metabolic conditioning) but it's a bit like HIIT or Cross Fit only tougher as it's usually "rest breaks are over" territory. I then do another couple of classes each week - Bootcamp style circuits. And I spend at least 20 minutes after every work out stretching as well as 10 minutes mobilising before a work out.

I keep going because I love being really strong at my age (mid-60s) - and it feels great to be so fit & mobile.

So it depends on what you want? If you want visible quads & hamstrings and calf muscles - you mentioned lower body/legs - then starting to do the classic compound moves of back squats & deadlifts, with progressively heavy weights, will start the process.

If you can do so, use barbells & weights - the barbell organises the weight for you & you can lift heavier. I deadlift 80 k regularly, and my PB is 100 kilos. I back squat 50 kilos regularly, and my PB is 70 kilos. It's fantastic being so strong!

Building muscle is a slow process, it takes hard work and food. You need to be fueling muscle growth. 1500 calories probably isn't giving your body enough to make muscle with - ideally you need a small calorie surplus. It's not impossible to build muscle eating maintenance calories or even a small deficit but it's hard and takes a long time. And are you pushing your training so that your last few reps are really hard? You do need that progressive overload too.

For comparison I am in a muscle building phase and I am eating 1000 calories a day more than you!

Thank you @SideWonder and @everycowandagain

I'm eating 1500 to try and loose body fat.

I'm not entirely sure what I want to achieve. I know I want more definition in legs and arms and a flatter stomach. I also know I want to feel strong.

Re lifting heavy enough. I'm lifting as heavy as I can. Some days, especially lower body it takes me a couple of days to recover from. Not DOMS more muscle fatigue in quads and general lack of energy.

Thanks for your comments, certainly things to think about going forward.

Not DOMS more muscle fatigue in quads and general lack of energy.

I think that's another vote for the fact you're not eating enough.

@Girlintheframe I think the point other posters have made about you not lifting heavy enough to build muscle (as well as not eating enough) is about how you are lifting, not that you're not working hard.

The Caroline Girven workouts are aerobics based. You have to use relatively light weights to be able to move them at speed and as many times as those workouts require. Workouts in that style will burn calories (albeit they'll also increase your appetite, so not automatically resulting in weight loss) They are good for your heart/lungs and overall fitness.

What they won't do is make much change about how you look. Losing weight on its own, tends to make you smaller - but not necessarily defined. It's definitely possible to be skinny/a small clothes size but a bit flabby. Which is obviously ok if that's something you're happy with as it's not unhealthy, but it sounds like you want something different.

In order to build muscle you need to lift weights that are heavy - and that means lifting them in a slow and controlled way, in a workout that doesn't make you out of breath. Not an aerobic workout but a strength training workout. Most women need to build a muscle to get the 'lean' 'toned' look that they see in the media. If you want to go that route you would need to do a different style of workout and be prepared to eat more in order to build the muscle first. It's very difficult to build muscle while losing weight so you kinda have to do one first (eat more, train hard) before cutting it to eating (slightly) less while training moderately.

@Proteinpudding thanks for your advice.

Im going to try some other DB routines which are at home workouts and see how I get on.
Don't feel ready psychologically to raise cals yet but it is the 'lean toned' look I'm chasing so understand I will have to at some point.

Thanks for everyone's help

Progress to me is being able to lift heavier and what keeps me motivated is lifting heavier. I train for strength rather than hypertrophy (muscle building) but I do have plenty of visible muscle. I think I saw tiny tricep definition about 3 months in. 18 months now and they're visible bulges.

To get strong you need to fuel your body which means plenty of food including protein. If losing fat is your priority then it's a calorie deficit but then it'll be harder to get strong. So that sounds harder to be motivated as results will be slower.

Personally I'd much rather be strong, and I now see my body very differently. It's something that does amazing things rather than something I want to be skinny.

@Proteinpudding is spot on

When I first started I saw differences fat-loss wise around 3-6 months in, noticeably different body comp takes TIME, years in most cases.

I looked hugely more defined with fat loss and muscle built etc. at 1-2 years.

This time round will take me longer as pregnancy and birth did a number on me.

Best of luck OP, you’ll get there if you are determined and keep at it!

So what happens or what should you do when you’re fat?
So I’m fit and I work out about 5 times a week and have done at least 3 times a week bootcamp style for 2 years.
However, I’ve got a massive fat tummy (it’s where I hold all my extra weight) and am 3 stone overweight.
I eat 1300 kcals a day (occasionally more but never over 1700 of its been a weekend bad day etc). In the past I’ve done fast 800 with success when I’ve lowered the exercise.
But I love exercising and I don’t want to lower it this time! I want to continue to build muscle etc but really need to loose the weight but how!!!!! I think I’m quite a weird unusual person as looking at me you wouldn’t think I work out or eat what I do (no I’m not guessing my calories!).

@Banrockmystation There are people who do Fast800 but 5 normal days and 2 fast days and they continue to lose. As you work out a lot, ideally you would do 6 normal eating days at maintenance and 1 800-1000 fasting day on one of your rest days.

@Banrockmystation if you're genuinely eating 1300 a day (don't mean to offend with that, I'm sure you're aware of how easy it can be to underestimate) then it may be that you're metabolically adapted. Essentially that you've deprived yourself continuously for too long, and your body has adjusted to the lower calories. If you went really, really low you would of course start losing because there's only so far the body can adapt, but it isn't healthy to try that!
The way to get out of it is reverse dieting - gradually increasing your calories so that the body adjusts without piling on weight. However it can be a scary thing to do if you're worried about weight gain and if that's the case, I'd strongly recommend seeking a dietician to help you and provide the reassurance. NB my source for this is having friends who compete in bodybuilding and have sometimes ended up in this situation where they've gone too low in calories to get lean and they get 'stuck' in this situation.

Progress to me is measurements.

Yes I have suspected this actually may be the case for some time. Always put it down to PCOS etc etc but actually I think my body has adjusted to low calorie and I need to look at cycling it.
still the reality is I may always be over weight but I’m damned if I will not keep trying and continue to eat healthy and exercise regularly. There’s nothing like knowing you are feeding your body good stuff and keeping it fit despite the extra layers!