Anybody else around here do Atkins/ South Beach?

[SkySooner]

I think I may have a handle on what is going on. I have significantly upgraded my cardio over the last 2 weeks. Prior to that I would do 3-30 minute sessions a week (primarily bike). Lately I have been doing 6-7 days a week for 45-60 minutes followed by a 30 minute bike ride at night and also 3 1-1.5 hr weight training sessions a week. My body fat 2 weeks ago was running 35-36%. Today it measured at 31%. I guess I'm building muscle since I'm not losing weight.

 

[l00p]

Yes, that is it. You can also burn fat while building muscle and your weight won't change all the time. You may even gain a pound or so. Yet lifting or doing anaerobic along with aerobic burns calories faster and more efficiently while keeping muscles in better tone.

I had a lady come to me once wanting to be X amount of pounds like in H.S. for a reunion. I asked what she did for fitness back then and the answer was nothing, she was just thin. So her body was now totally different as it slowed.

She was afraid of looking like a "dyke" or a man so she did not want to lift, she wanted to be X weight and look a certain way. I finally got a couple of my clients to come to the office and talk to her. They told her to toss her scale for what we were doing.

She brought it to me and we put it in the corner with others waiting their return home. We only did weigh ins at the gym once a week.

The result was her ending up 5 pounds heavier than what she thought she wanted (lost 25) and one dress size smaller than she thought she would get to. She slept better, stopped smoking and binge eating all together over the 6 weeks. She had begun new habits that were healthy and wow, she looked stunning.

She said she felt great and boy I wish I could have found out.

 

[SkySooner]

Plateau broken after 2 weeks. Key apparently was the added calories. Lost 2 extra pounds as of this morning. Thanks for all the good advice. I bought a body fat caliper and measurement tape now to allow me to look at that instead.

 

[SkySooner]

Question for you work out folks. I completely changed my nutrition and significantly upgraded both cardio and weight training in February.

Back then, I was 235# (at 5'10"), 46" waist pants, and my body fat measured 40-45% from skin fold measurements.

Today, I'm at 197#, 38" pants that are slightly loose, and my body fat is measuring 19.7% from the same skin fold measurements.

The problem is that means I have lost something like 55-65# of fat and gained around 30# of muscle. That just doesn't seem possible in that short amount of time. No doubt I'm much leaner now, but it is just possible that the skin fold measurements were that accurate at my heavier weight?