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Glad to hear you are persistent. The key is, of the 10lbs that you said you gained, was it actually muscle? The only way to tell is if your body composition was measured. It is not impossible but very unlikely that a woman in her 40s would put on ten pounds of muscle in a year.
Either way, you are treading on thin ice in a couple ways according to what you say. First, tons of cardio and a very low calorie diet might actually be responsible for weight gain due to muscle loss and fat retention. 1200 calories is extremely low by the way. Second, if you stopped the weight training that is not a good idea. A better solution is to use circuit training with the weights. This means that you do one exercise after the other continously. For instance, squats, pushups, llunges, lat pulldowns, core, rest, repeat.
Or, if you are doing only cardio, focus more on interval training. An example would be doing, say four minutes of high intensity cardio, followed by 2 minutes of low intensity cardio. Repeat. The high intensity bouts should be very difficult, like say, 7-8/10 on your perceived exertion. Then, the easy two minutes is simply to recover from the hard two minutes. Total workout time won't need to be very long for this type of workout. You will get more bang for your time, and it will minimize muscle breakdown. Slow long distance cardio can break down muscle and that is no good for metabolic rate. Age and gender are factors naturally. But don't let that stop you!
There are lots of good ideas to mix it all up. Feel free to message me with questions.
Good post,
As a woman in her 40's and an athlete and coach, I can say that a woman in her 40's+ do have to contend with the M word. Our hormones are taking on a drastic change, and our metabolism is literally turning upside down. I noticed that within my own physical make up that changes were happening and I was going to do what I needed to stay healthy.
This misconception that weight training in women will bulk us up is a myth. We need weight training especially as we age to protect our bones. Muscle is what burns fat, the one thing we do not have to do is to body build. Incorporating a stretching routine like yoga, cardio routines and weight training will provide us with a well rounded healthy lifestyle.
If you are looking at elongating your leg muscles, then stretching; changing up cardio routines and lifting low weights high reps is the thing to do. I personally lift heavier on my upper body and lighter on my lower body. Don't forget about your core, a strong stomach and back will help to prevent back injuries. Most women feel they have to kill themselves to loose weight. I am a runner, and volleyball coach; do you realize that when you run you actually skip a step in the fat loss process. Walking at a fast pace will help you to loose fat more effectively then running. Running works the heart, which is important, but you can work the heart by doing other exercises too. Keeping the heart rate at about 130 is within the fat loss range. If you are on a treadmill, then change it up between walking, jogging, running and elevation. Also use the other machines. Take some classes, I love the cycle classes for working my lower body. On the days I do a weight workout, I start by warming up for 5 minutes, lift my weights and then do a cardio workout. Remember to stretch after your workouts, and drink water during your workouts.
If you are working out at a gym, check out the certified trainers, make sure they are nationally certified and that they know what they are talking about. They can help to set you up on a program the is specifically designed for you and your age. So many people think they can just lift and see results, or exercise and see results, or change their eating habits and see results. You will see some results, but you really need to incorporate all three things for great results. Remember it does not happen all at once, enjoy your adventure, find the things you love to do. I actually love hiking and climbing in the summer, I am in the gym only a few times a week, because the rest of the time I am spending in the mountains. During the winter I see the gym more often. Also like ptdudeboston said, make sure are actually eating enough and not just carbs. We need carbs for energy, but you also need the protein to help rebuild your muscles. Feed your body!!! Again, many gyms have nutritionalisist to help put you on a good and healthy eating plan. You are on your way, and you will succeed.
So, since i quit smoking, on April 1st, i started to exersize daily, i joined gym and spend 1hr to 2 hrs a day.
As i started my routine, they measured me all over, and my weight was 164lb
Now, almost end of the month, I've gained about 5lb , so they were telling me i'm starting to build up some muscle, which weighs more then fat.
I'm actually trying to lose weight, how will this muscle thing work? Will i keep gaining or eventually start losing?
Thanks for the explanation regarding this!
As you build muscle you will start to burn more calories, after a point you will balance out, dont worry so much about your weight, you are burning fat and getting in shape, the routine and habit is half the battle. good job,
Why not just get a body fat scale and a set of body fat calipers and test it?
I refuse to believe that women dont bulk up. I know that I personally do and it really annoys me when people say you wont. Of course I dont look like a man but its still bulking up when I add weights. Same thing with lunges and squats. They dont just tone me. I have the body type that leans towards being muscular without doing much at all. If I lift 2x a week I get extremely cut within a month. Veins...hot on guys..Gross on me. Just sitting around doing nothing I maintain a low body fat ratio.
Stopping smoking always seems to make everyone gain. Your body will adjust.
ALso if you have been doing the same things for awhile it may be time to switch it up.
The body becomes used to a certain exercise and burns less calories doing it.
When you exercise you will see more fluxs in body weight in general because of your hydration and glycogen storage always being different due to activity.
Why not just get a body fat scale and a set of body fat calipers and test it?
I refuse to believe that women dont bulk up. I know that I personally do and it really annoys me when people say you wont. Of course I dont look like a man but its still bulking up when I add weights. Same thing with lunges and squats. They dont just tone me. I have the body type that leans towards being muscular without doing much at all. If I lift 2x a week I get extremely cut within a month. Veins...hot on guys..Gross on me. Just sitting around doing nothing I maintain a low body fat ratio.
Stopping smoking always seems to make everyone gain. Your body will adjust.
ALso if you have been doing the same things for awhile it may be time to switch it up.
The body becomes used to a certain exercise and burns less calories doing it.
When you exercise you will see more fluxs in body weight in general because of your hydration and glycogen storage always being different due to activity.
Question: How tall are you, and what is your age? Do you do any type of yoga, Pilate's or elongating exercises to lengthen your muscles and help to create a more feminine physique?
You may be blessed with a naturally fast metabolism.
Question: How tall are you, and what is your age? Do you do any type of yoga, Pilate's or elongating exercises to lengthen your muscles and help to create a more feminine physique?
You may be blessed with a naturally fast metabolism.
I think what might some call a blessing, other people call it the kiss of death. Like me, I hate having a fast metabolism. I have to eat twice as much to gain size than a mesomorph.
I have also gained weight when I started weight training. I did a full body workout 3 times a week, after 1 year I had gained 10 lbs. Now I am trying to loose that weight with more cardio, and healthier diet, 1200 - 1400 calories, but so far I haven't been able to loose it, any sugestions. I'm desperate for answers. I'm also in my 40's and was wondering if it is my age and slower metoblism.
You are probably eating far too little with 1200-1400 calories a day. You need to adequately feed your body druing weight loss, or it will go in to "starvation mode", meaning it will start to burn muscle instead of fat, and your metabolism will slow down. Chances are you also won't have a lot of energy.
I'd recommend raising your calorie intake. There are many online daily calorie needs calculators which use your age, weight, sex, and activity level to tell you what you need, and also give a weight loss calorie goal. Ideally, you'll eat a few hundred calories less than you need a day (like 300 or so, but it depends) and your body will make up the rest with your fat reserves. Also, if you eat properly you won't be hungry, even during weight loss. Most diets don't work because they starve people, making weight loss difficult, and make the idea of blowing your diet on some junk food very appealing.
Hi. For 6 weeks i upped the time i was spending in the gym. I averaged 50 minutes a day....4 days a week averging 40 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0 mph no incline...and 10 minutes on machines w/24 in a row reps. I ultimately burnt myself out, created a tremendous amount of leg pain and lost no weight. I found this website by trying to figure out what the conversion is...for every 10 pounds of fat burned, how many pounds of muscle do we gain? That's what we're trying to find out. I ddnt go to the gym for the next 6 weeks...and gained 10 pounds w/o even changing my diet. My diet during the whole 12 weeks was an English muffin w/peanut butter for breakfast; either cup of yogurt or cup of fruit or salad for lunch (no croutons) and albeit, late, regular old supper. I paid a nutrionist $100.00 to tweak my diet and all she could recommend was i give up the 4 pieces of hershey's kisses after dinner and go from 2% milk to 1% milk in my coffee...no sugar, ever. So, what the Johnny Green Apples is going on here?
finally the answer i was looking for from my cardio physician. it's all calories. so, when i was treading it up 50 minutes a day 4 days a week and not losing any of my 170 pounds...it's because my caloric intake was for a person who weighed 180 pounds. Treading it up was merely maintaining my weight. I thought i was eating properly to boost my metabolism, unfortunately, i was overdoing it. But it explains why, when i got disgusted and took a 6 week break from the gym, i gained 10 pounds because i hadnt changed my caloric intake. The doctor also did the math for me and said at 180 pounds, and 40 pounds overweight, i'm taking in 400 calories a day too many. I hope this helps some of you out there. good luck, i wont be back.
I just came across this website while trying to find out why I was gaining weight after I started walking twice a day about 4 weeks ago. I walk 1 1/2 miles in morn and same in eve. I weighed 130 when I started and now I weigh 135. I don't eat any more than before and if anything I eat less. Also, I eat more fruits and veggies and hardly any bread or meat. I have always been able to keep my weight between 120 and 130 lbs. but I just turned 65 and I guess that is part of the problem. Anyone else out there have that problem?
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, so they were telling me i'm starting to build up some muscle, which weighs more then fat. 
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