Strength Training while very overweight

[Lessara]

Got a question:

I was at the gym and a friend asked me if I have lost any weight in the month I have been going. I said no, in fact I gained 4 lbs, but that I have lost 2 inches. She said great, you are building muscles. I have always been strong before. Matter of fact, I surprise people when I tell them how much I weigh, I look like I'm 50-60lbs lighter than that. This got me thinking... :rolleyes:

If I am exercising my body has to build muscles to move this 300lb woman. Now I need more muscles than say a person who weights 150. My question is this, can I ever get to 150, if I have all these muscles? Am I making sense? :daze:
I talked about this with my roommate and he thinks, I won't be able to get past 200 due to my muscles. Will I be trim but still 200lbs? I'm trying to figure out how muscles work and are developed. Thanks.

By the way, I love going to the gym :)

[Meg_S]

Just in case: if you are 200lbs but "small" will you care about the number?

I someow don't think that that is going to be a problem, for a couple of reasons - but I am not an expert.

I realize the weights we are working with are different but it might turn out to be the same idea. How tall are you? I am 5 10"
I used to be 190lbs and I was really strong even though I did not weight lift, but I had a lot of fat on my frame. I gradually lost weight through diet over 2 years until I hit 150 pounds, stayed there and continued to lose size over 2 years. It's funny, since I started weight lifting this spring my muscles are getting bigger (I can see and feel it) but my measurements are getting smaller. I'm now 155 (gained in the last couple of weeks) but my clothes fit better than when I was 150.

http://www.hussman.org/fitness/bfl.htm
Dr Hussman will explain how your muscles work.
Your muscles are going to get smaller and heavier over time... you have fat within your muscle that you are going to burn most likely before the fat under your skin starts to go.

I also think that in the end your are going to be very pleased with your size and shape from weightlifting, and if you end up heavy - you'll be proud of the muscle and how it makes you look. Your muscle is on a female body and will give you wonderful curves (rather than bulges)and a female shape.

Meg

[mnokat]

The guy you were looking for Meg is Hussman.
Website is Hussman.org VERY informative.

Lessara, you should also check out exrx.net, it has all kinds of information on any kind of exercise you want to know about, the different muscle groups, and most importantly IMHO, PROPER FORM.

In regards to your original question:
If you look in my journal you will see I went through a similar revalation a few weeks ago and have subsequently re-adjusted my "goal weight" up for the same reasons that you are mentioning. I'm more concerned right now with my BF%. I know that I carry much more muscle than the average girl my size, and that I will ALWAYS weight 20-30 lbs more than people think that I do. If I can get my BF% below 20 %, I will have reached my goal... no matter what number weight I am at. I figured out that it may be very possible for me to weigh 170 lbs, at 5'3" and be less than 20% BF :eek: ... now if that just doesn't say it all!

LOL Anyway, worry about how you feel, how your clothes fit, that you continue to keep pushing and improving your physical ablilities, that you are always striving for more and to be a better you! That's all that really matters.

Hope this helped answer your question....

:wave:
Kate

[adnil53]

Hi... you know I really don't know much about this, but it would seem to me, as your weight goes down you would not be putting as much stress on your muscles... even if you w/o now...your what 5' 8"? I would think that because you are a women that in the end it would all level out... I don't think you could be as big as you think... I wouldn't worry about it much. Becides as you continue to lose and work out you may change your idea of what your ideal weight is... In the end you will get were you want to be... IMHO... :D

[Raquel2473]

My advise to you is not to worry to much about what the scale says at this point, just keep doing what you are doing, it seems to be working.... :)
As long as your clothes are getting looser and more comfortable you are loosing weight and increasing your muscle mass by lifting weights. Plus a good side to it is, that muscle burns more fat, so you see it will all even out, like one of the other girls mentioned.

Keep up the good work, we will all get to our dream body soon!