Weight loss question?? - Weight Loss Message Board

nykingpin · 05-20-2003, 10:38 PM

hi i want to lose some weight and tone up..should i lose the weight first...then hit the weights, or should i do it both at the same time? i heard that if you work on your abs and muscles and such, that it doesnt burn fat it just pushes out yer stomach and arms under the fat?

heather6869 · 05-21-2003, 09:49 AM

Hi, You will want to do both. The more muscle you have-the easier it is to lose weight since it boosts you metablisom. Cardio will help you lose weight and but if you are flabby it will do nothing to shape and tone, only strength training will do that. I was once at almost 200 lbs. and am now at 130 but I looked flabby and still could not fit into the "smaller sizes'. That was because I had hardley no muscle and all fat and fat takes more room then muscle.So my suggetsion is to do them both.

DonutsNCoffee · 05-21-2003, 11:25 AM

Any fat loss plan should always include weight lifting for the following reasons:

1) Losing fat requires cutting calories, but there's a risk you'll lose muscle along with fat. Weight training tells your body to hang onto the muscle.

2) Muscle gives your body its shape. If you just diet and do cardio, you'll lose fat and muscle and have loose skin.

3) Weight lifting is a high-intensity exercise and will keep your metabolism elevated for several hours after you're done working out.

Yes, it's true that as you build muscle, it'll push the fat out farther. But it's not easy to gain muscle. Not only do you have to have a lot of testosterone, which women don't have enough of, you also need to eat a lot, which you won't be doing if you're on a diet. So if you're dieting and doing cardio, adding weight training won't cause you to gain muscle, unless you have really good genes. But it will minimize muscle loss, help burn fat, and even strengthen your heart. The benefits of weight training are too many to list.