joelilavois's Journal, 28 March 2021

I was under the impression that you could both lose fat and gain muscle at the same time 

Sorry to hear you’re struggling. There’s a lot that could be going on. One of the things to consider is HOW you’re lifting weights. Based on whether you are increasing reps, weight, and/or difficulty, you may be increasing muscle endurance rather than muscle strength/tone. Sometimes, people end up building muscle, but it’s hiding underneath a layer of fat. That could also be the case. A final thing that may be happening is that your diet may be the key. If you aren’t eating enough protein, or if your diet isn’t at the right nutrient ratio, you may not see the fat go away unless you change that. I’m not informed enough to weigh-in on the cardio vs. strength training debate, but I have heard that you should find a body type you want, and emulate their nutrition and training. In other words, if you want a swimmers body, eat and train like a swimmer. Same with running. Same with bodybuilding. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, but I wish you luck!  

Such good advice. Ty 

I do take protein shakes every day. Whey protein. I’ve been lifting for mass. Heavier weights approx 3 sets of ten to twelve. I did go vegan as a dr recommended which gave me a sweet tooth. My diet is not horrible but I could make some changes there. And will. Ty 

Start reading Diablo’s posts on here. 

Yes muscle is heavier then fat I played sports semi pro I ran into same thing brisk walking with dieting works best if you to run take it from me with your weight outside running is not a good thing on joints for anybody over 200 lbs take it from me I am a big& tall dude get a good walking machine and watch the weight pell off 

Are you noticing a physical change in appearance in your body? Is clothing looser? Are you looking leaner? 

One suggestion it to try the wait train first then cardio below I attached a link with great tips https://youtu.be/pndEy_YWfD0 

how many carbs are you eating every day? muscle will build time and will add healthy weight ... but it needs to be balanced. I personally don't like running cause of my knees!  

Time to do some real research and try to understand the factors involved in weight loss. Many people here are very knowledgeable about their way of eating and what works for them but not everyone is the same because everyone has different metabolic and health issues to consider.  

I am NOT the one to be giving exercise advice; BUT, I'm praying you find the answers you're looking for and that you find what you need to be able to give you the results you are looking for. 

If you want to drop weight, it's your diet. Losing weight doesn't have anything to do w/exercise. Exercise is to keep you toned, tight, muscular, fight diseases, good for your heart/circulation, and endorphins are pleasing too. Diet, diet, diet to lose weight. EOS  

The critical factors are that you maintain your calorie deficit to lose weight, but that you consume enough protein and get enough sleep/recovery to build or maintain your muscle mass. A high volume of running will work against you if your goal is to bulk up, but should be fine if you're looking to lose weight and develop lean, toned muscles at the same time. I don't think the numbers you provided could indicate just an increase in muscle mass, and I agree that the factor to have a look at is probably diet. Just my thoughts - best of luck at figuring it out! 

Ditto what Katsolo said - Diablo is a great resource for weight lifting and so is Hebrews. They know their stuff! ~ On a separate note, what worked for me personally was taking a body type quiz to help figure out my macros. I customized my macros in FatSecret based on my results. I also had food sensitivity so getting that ironed out helped a ton too. Weird trend that I’ve seen in myself is that my body holds onto fluids more after an longer intense workout session (for me usually Saturdays and Sundays) and it takes a couple days for the water weight to drop. I try to mix in so lighter less intense workouts during the week so that my body can recover. It’s like clockwork- I lose most of my weight between Wednesday and Friday. That’s just what I’ve noticed in myself and I’m not sure if it’s true for everyone. 😊 👍 

first think about your goals. my problem is I'm like a squirrel so when I would read comments or see others journeys I'd change goals. second we focus so much on weight loss. if I take the motor out of my truck it's lighter but I'm missing a functional part. I blame all the commercials on tv. its about fat loss. do you want to be strong? or run 5k with out puking. I agree cardio or weights training. or a balance of both but you can totally overdo one or the other. take pics and measurements because if you weight train the scale goes nuts. don't pay too much attention to that. I agree with slow meta diet is more important than the exercise. in my 20s I could lift heavy but had a belly. now I don't and it's all due to eating habits. I hate to repeat the same info but increase in protein and a balance of carbs and fat is good place to start. I'm not sure everyone needs 40% protein but that works for me. also when I tried vegan for a short period it was super hard to get my protein without shooting fat thorough the roof. I'm not sure if I have helped or made things more confusing. be patient. it takes time. and based on my last year i can burn fat and build muscle to a point then when my body fat is low the deficit increases due to less fat stores so I'm having to increase calories to keep muscle growth. I'm up 10# over last March but much leaner. play with stuff. you'll dial in what you want. took me a year and I'm still playing with macros and workouts.  

lol kelsey. we must have been typing at the same time. I don't know much. just that my body is firing on all cylinders currently. time and consistancy.  

Hebrews- kudos where kudos is due! You’re killing it! 😁 

Depends if want to built muscle or lose wt?? If want to lose wt I’d go back to walking. Toning us what you want while losing wt. then can as n start building muscle once down the wt. up to you but yeah I’d want to lose fat & wt first. Cico most important. If calories dropped & toning exercises included should start losing. Up to you! Listen to your body. Good luck🍀 

It’s definitely muscle!! The reason lifting weights is good is because it speeds up your metabolism since muscle mass takes more energy to nourish. I am a college softball player 5’8. I was 120 lbs and after 3 months of weights i’m 140 but I’m still a size 2/4. Don’t worry about numbers. keep lifting and doing cardio and eating a healthy diet!! 

Good for your for all that working out! Walking is key! It is better than running.