Little results, can I get some advice?

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utookmyname

New member
I've been going to the gym 3-4 times/week for a little more than 4 months. I'm 5'4, F(early 20s), and 230lbs, with a goal of 170lbs.

My goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, and tone in the end. I haven't changed my diet outside of trying to add more protein. Going to start calorie counting shortly (1,500 max), to try and "cut".

I feel like all I've done is "bulk", and have only seen my biceps increase, and my physique change slightly. No real weight loss or results I'm looking for.

My routine consists of:

Squats - 3 sets, 10 reps, 50lbs + bar (~12 lbs)
Lat pulldowns - 3 sets, 10 reps, 90lbs
Chest press - 3 sets, 10-15 reps, 70lbs
Bicep curls (on machine, not dumbbells) - 3 sets, 10 reps, 50lbs

Hip abduction (thighs pushing in) - 3 sets, 10-15 reps, 220lbs

Hip abduction (thighs pushing away) - 3 sets, 10-15 reps, 160lbs

Leg press - 3 sets, 10 reps, 310lbs

Lateral raise - 3 sets, 10 reps, 40 lbs (just started incorporating these)

And 10-20 minutes of cardio on a treadmill. Was doing 10 mins at 3.5 speed on a full 15 incline for the last 3 months. Sometimes longer if I had it in me. Recently started doing 20 minutes at 3.5 speed with no incline, alternating between jogging for 2 minutes at 5 speed, then walking for 2-3 mins at 3.5 speed.

Can anyone provide advice on if I'm doing too much, not enough, or what I should be trying instead?

Thanks everyone!
 
@utookmyname If you want to lose weight, the ONLY way to do that is to be in a calorie deficit. Doesn't matter how much you exercise, if you aren't losing weight, you're eating too much.

https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&age=23&g=female&lbs=230&in=64&act=1.2&bf=&f=1

So an estimated amount of calories to maintain your current weight is about 2100. If you want to lose 1lb a week, you'd need to eat 500 calories less than that. So about 1600. I would personally aim for maybe around 1400-1600 calories a day. I would not go below 1200.

You want to have a focus on protein and healthy fats. Remember, fat is an essential macronutrient. Your carbs should be veggies and some fruits. Focus on eating whole foods (meat, eggs, plain dairy, veg, fruit, nuts, etc) and limit/eliminate ultra processed foods (bread, pasta, cereal, chips, crackers, sweets, etc). Try and make steady, sustainable changes to your diet because how you eat to lose weight will be how you later eat to maintain weight.

https://thefitness.wiki/weight-loss-101/

My goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, and tone in the end.
Click to expand...

Tone is a bullshit word. But the first 2 things will give you what you're expecting. But it more than likely won't be a one and done thing, this will take time.

Due to your size, your priority should be weight loss. 170lbs can be a good first goal, but honestly, you should be aiming for at least 130-140lbs. Like I said before, this is done via calorie deficit.

Building muscle while in a calorie deficit is nowhere near an optimal position, BUT as an overweight beginner, you'll definitely be able to make some muscle gains as you lose weight! You just need to focus on getting your protein in (try and aim for 90-100g a day) and workout consistently. I would recommend getting on a proven routine rather than just making one up. More info and routines can be found here: https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/

At minimum, lifting while dieting helps preserve muscle mass, which is super important!

Doing cardio is also good, but at your size, I would be more hesitant about running/jogging. Walking is great though, or you can get on a bike/elliptical for some low impact cardio. You just want to take care of your knees until you get some weight off. If you can, try and walk daily. Just go outside and walk around your neighborhood. More movement helps burn more calories which can make keeping your deficit easier. But dont' try and track calories burned. Even what is listed on the treadmill is inaccurate. Just track the calories that go in your mouth and what your scale does.

And lastly, remember to drink PLENTY of water!!!
 
@dinafrancis Thank you for your input!

I do want to clarify the reason I'm aiming for 170lbs is because I was 180lbs at 13 and I wasn't fat then, just a touch chubby. My mother had tried giving me tops she had when she was 135lbs and the size looked like something you'd pull from a children's store. 😂

Although my BMI tells me I'm "Morbidly Obese", I look nothing like others I've seen in my height/weight category, so I try to take these things with a grain of salt. I honestly don't think I'll be able to fit into a size Medium tshirt when I eventually do lose all the fat and become "skinny", because of my build.

I've done keto in the past for 6 months and lost 30lbs, but stopped losing weight after the 4th month. I'm considering getting back into it to help with the fat loss.

The struggle right now is getting rid of the foods in my home that you mentioned above; especially since the Holidays just happened.
 
@utookmyname 170 is still better than 230, so at the end of the day that's an improvement. But I would bet money on you still being fat when you were 180lbs (and by 13, oof!) I'm not trying to be mean, but that is seriously a lot of weight for someone your height. I have multiple male friends who sit around 160-170lbs while being 5'10-5'11, and relatively untrained, so low muscle mass, to the point that I (a 5'7 woman) out lift them. While the BMI chart may not be entirely accurate for individuals, it's usually only skewed for those who have high muscle mass.

The AVERAGE person you see nowadays is very overweight if not obese. The average woman, based on 2018 numbers, is 5'3 and 170lbs. A LOT of people got fatter over covid, so I'd argue that more than half the population is overweight/obese+. So comparing yourself to the average person would make you look normal, but I'm saying this for your future health - it's not!

You may absolutely carry the weight better than others though! Back in high school, I had a friend who was probably also around 5'3/5'4 and she absolutely was overweight. I don't know her actual weight, but I would have bet it was more than me at the time (I'm 5'7, and at my fattest, about 160-165). She held a lot of her fat on her hips/thighs, had larger boobs, and thicker arms. Her stomach was pretty flat though! Meanwhile I held my weight basically all on my stomach and thighs. So where she could wear a clingy tshirt, I couldn't. So fat distribution really makes a huge difference.

Muscle mass can also make a huge difference as well since 1lb of muscle is less volume than 1lb of fat. So the more muscle you have at a given weight, the smaller you look. So at the end of the day, your weight isn't the full picture buuuutttttt I would still argue 170lbs is going to have you way too fat still. So for health reasons, I would encourage you to continue to lose weight past that point. Once you get to that point, you can have a look into waist to height ratio. This is a more accurate predictor of weight-related health issues than BMI because it's looking more at your visceral fat than just blindly at height/weight. You may still have some weight you could healthily lose if you are very bottom (or top) heavy, but limiting the amount of fat around your midsection is very important.

I've done keto in the past for 6 months and lost 30lbs, but stopped losing weight after the 4th month. I'm considering getting back into it to help with the fat loss.
Click to expand...

Keto is helpful because it forces you to remove a lot/all ultra processed foods from your diet. But for many, this may not be a sustainable choice. And at the end of the day, it still comes back to calories in vs calories out. So you can eat keto and be in a calorie surplus and gain weight. And even if you are in a calorie deficit, if you come off keto and reintroduce carbs, if you aren't careful, you could find yourself getting hungrier again because of the sudden intake of carbs and you have to make sure this doesn't lead you to eating a TON more.

So I would still 100% recommend tracking your calories. And regardless of how you intend on eating, take time to reflect on your food choices. Right after you eat... do you feel full? Are you craving anything? Was that worth the calories? Then give it 30 mins to an hour... do you still feel full or are you looking for a snack? Are you feeling energized or do you want a nap? Any bloating or stomach issues? Asking yourself these kinds of questions can lead you to figure out what foods actually work well for you and what foods may leave you feeling like shit. Then you can avoid those latter foods.

The struggle right now is getting rid of the foods in my home that you mentioned above; especially since the Holidays just happened.
Click to expand...

Invite friends over... offer food! That's how I get rid of extra sweets when I have them come into my house. Then you just have to focus on not buying more
 
@utookmyname All excellent advice from FlameFrenzy.

To be honest, your workout doesn't actually look too bad and 3-4 times a week is absolutely fine. But I'd definitely look at following a programme (you can set your own, just keep to it) - then you can log progress which will help keep you motivated.
Include progressive overload (basically add a little bit more weight every week or two, or an additional rep) i.e. don't just do the same weight and reps week in week out.

I'd focus on full body routines (which it looks like you are) and 2-3 compound exercises each workout and add a couple of isolation exercises. These can be different on your alternate days.

Things like lateral raises, curls etc probably want to reduce the weight and aim for higher reps. 15-20.
Things like hip abduction/adduction are things you'd add in later, they're sapping energy that you could use elsewhere. I'd probably swap out for a variation on a deadlift.

But yeah - you're going to have to change your calorie intake to lose weight.

Good luck
 
@utookmyname try to go for steady state cardio. i think minimum 60mins a week of slightly elevated heart rate cardio is what people recommend. so if you like jogging then thats fine, but walking at a pace that elevates your heart rate but still allows you to speak full sentences without getting winded is the essence of steady state cardio

many ppl think you need to run or do some other high intensive activity for cardio but steady state is perfect for building a strong heart

also its better for your joints if your legs arent quite trained yet

30mins walking after every strength session is perfect
 
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