Should I start lifting weights and doing body recomp while I’m still obese or wait until I lose a good portion of the weight?

[indent]

For context I’m 17f 5’0 170 pounds, started my weight loss journey in november and since then I’ve lost 15 pounds mainly through diet along with the occasional 1 hr walk on the treadmill at home which im trying to turn into a daily habit. I prefer not to obsess over my calories or macros since im afraid it might trigger ED behaviors so I’m mainly going off of the meal plans my dietitian wrote for me before with a couple tweaks here and there, opting for healthier lower calorie high protein options overall. And It’s working so far but from what I know I’d look and feel much much better If I were simultaneously building muscle and losing fat & on top of that I’m p sure having more muscle boosts your metabolism which is huge for us petite girlies lol.

Anyways I’m still very much a beginner to this whole fitness thing, never lifted weights before let alone tried to change my body composition. I’m also pretty tight on time with finals coming up & all the school work I have to do so I’m not sure if I can manage going to the gym 5/6x week until I finish in april.

Is it ok if I keep doing what I’m doing till I’ve lost some more weight, 25 pounds or so, and THEN start building muscle or should I try to squeeze in some time in the gym now? I read sth on another sub ab how its very overweight untrained ppl who should be doing body recomp and how it’s p much guaranteed to happen if ur new to lifting. Which is surprising to me cus wouldnt that look a bit odd? Like how r u supposed to see all the muscle ur building under the fat when ur overweight? Or would you appear smaller and more ‘“toned’” regardless? Sorry if my question is a bit trivial but I fully need someone to explain to me like im five and guide me through this process cause reading on this type of stuff can get rlly confusing esp w how much misinformation there is out there.

 

[sacm]

@indent You can start building muscle now. One major benefit to being overweight is that you don't need weights because your excess is already enough. If a fit person is doing squats with a 50lb bar, then you're already doing the equivalent or more doing squats with your natural body weight.

Plus, you have a LOT more muscle than you think. Most normal weight people would struggle carrying 170lbs every day, but you literally do it all the time. Up and down stairs, walking around the neighborhood, your muscles have been growing that entire time. You probably have a solid foundation of muscle, you just need to shed the fat to reveal it.

(Speaking from experience here. Deadlifting 200lbs was hard for my friends but easy for me because I was already carrying that around on my body at one point. Lifting "heavy" isn't hard when you are physically heavy. Your muscles are already conditioned to it!)

Use your current weight to your advantage. You don't need to go to the gym for now, body weight exercises will be enough. You got this!

 

[indent]

@sacm Woww I had no idea. This really motivated me thank you

 

[sacm]

@indent Glad I could help!

 

[dawn16]

@sacm Never thought of it this way. That’s pretty interesting.

 

[sacm]

@dawn16 It's the truth. Heavy people have a lot of muscle by default! It takes muscle to move all that weight. Sumo wrestlers and powerlifters are probably the best examples of fluffy people with muscle. Both groups of people obviously trained for those physiques, but being overweight definitely gives someone a head start when it comes to building muscle.

 

[jimmyh214]

@sacm Being heavy, I totally agree. I know I've a fair bit of muscle under my fat, my problem right now is balancing it. I've recently realized my knee pain is probably in part to my quads being tight, but I've also realized my hamstrings are weaker than I realized. Same for my lower back being overdeveloped, but my abs are weak.

This is a bit of a kick in the ass that a bodyweight workout is just fine right now, though, for me, which I will think on and try to remove my road block of working out not being worth it if I'm not in a gym. Any movement is good, I gotta remember that.

Healthy is active, not passive.

 

[turfbanner]

@sacm This is great advice!

 

[sweetkf]

@indent It’s up to you. I will say the scale stalls when you lift but it doesn’t mean you’re not still losing fat.

I went from 148-120 and lifted the entire time. The scale moved very slowly at first (first 10 months really) but I was building muscle. Now I’m a leaner 120 than I’ve ever been before.

 

[indent]

@sweetkf Interesting. How do I track my progress though? Would an InBody test be accurate or should I rely on measurements? Both? Cant really trust my self perception with body dysmorphia lol

 

[jaz2001]

@indent Measurements and photos in the same clothes

 

[sweetkf]

@indent Actual tape measure and progress photos. Those scans are garbage.

 

[thistle0sifter]

@indent Don’t measure by the scale, take measurements, in body scans, progress pics, and PR’s! Resting HR, blood pressure, hormone/stress levels, rate how you sleep, how easy it is to do tasks like walk a set of stairs. Consistency counters etc. So many more things and wind then that darn scale. It will help keep your mind off of « slow progress « . Really ask yourself why you want to just look small as opposed to all the other benefits you can have when the number is different then what you think is progress. Not a lot of people are out there flaunting a variety of numbers and what that actually looks like so just remember that the true reality is bodies look like a wider variety then the internet tells us and those bodies deserve to be appreciated too! Go get it!

 

[xeno32]

@indent Photos are the best, I reckon. There's also a kinda cool app called "Me Three Sixty" which gives you a 3D 'scan' of your body - it looks a bit odd, but I have done a few scans along my journey & I can see the progress in them.

 

[mamartinezzx]

@indent You can do both. When you’re overweight, it’s probably more beneficial to start body weight exercises at least. You can be in a caloric deficit while building muscle because of the extra fat storage.

You’re right that you probably won’t see results YET. And you’re right about you not seeing muscle until you lose fat. Body recomp is a slow process even if someone is completely consistent. However, lifting weights is more than just aesthetics. Lifting weights helps build bone density, which is super important as you grow older. Similarly, you know you’ve gain muscle when you’re able to lift heavier weights, do more reps, or last longer under tension.

Also, you don’t have to hit the gym 5-6x a week. Even some regular fit people don’t go to the gym that much. Start with 1x a week and build up the consistency.

Now, on a real note, it seems like you have finals. Finals are stressful. If you feel like you can go to the gym, great, but there isn’t pressure to do so. Going to the gym is a stressor for a lot of people, especially starting out.

 

[jasonsim]

@indent i’ll give you the honest truth. im 5’3, started at 209 and have been between 140-155 in recent years. working out at 175-209 i HATED IT. hated the way i looked going to the gym and moving my body was so so hard. working out did not make me feel good. at the higher weight i found it easier to just cut calories especially since you weight more and your calories don’t need to be 1200 to lose at that size. 150-165 i loved the gym! i saw some of the best results with kickboxing and weight training with cardio. if i were you and this is assuming you’re sedentary. i would start with 6k-10k steps a day even with youtube workouts and diet for 1-2 months. you’ll become more active and feel good about moving. then after those 2 months weight train or gym it up. everyone’s different so you honestly might feel better and empowered to start with weight training

 

[indent]

@jasonsim Yeah that was one of my main concerns when it comes to strength training. Esp w the whole “waiting to shed the fat to reveal the muscle” ordeal which takes a long long time and doesnt sound v rewarding. I might just wait till Im around 145 so I can reach a little happy medium. I’ll still have plenty of fat to grow muscle anyway minus all the extra effort needed to work out when ur unfit isnt that right? Dont wanna discourage myself too much tho lol. I mean who knows I might acc enjoy lifting but this timing with exams coming up doesnt make starting v ideal either. Thank u for not sugarcoating things I appreciate it

 

[jasonsim]

@indent weight loss really happens in the kitchen so see how the diet changes make you feel. you may have more energy from eating cleaner and want to get a couple workouts in. if you have a busy schedule just eating right and moving for 30 minutes a day will make a huge change i also love yoga! i wish you the best on your journey. cheers to 2024

 

[indent]

@jasonsim Yeah for sure!! Best of luck to u too girl

 

[jimmyh214]

@indent Maybe try it after finals, see what you think. I'm 210 at 5'1" right now, and I love lifting because it makes me feel strong. I've only gone twice in the last 2 months, but my squat was 85 and my bench 75 for 8 reps, so not nothing! And if you start with dumbbells instead of the bar, it still counts!

As stated above, though, I gotta get out of the mindset of it doesn't count if not in the gym, and realize my own bodyweight is still actually working out, which may help me do it more often. It's weird what our brains can do to us.

You got this, just gotta experiment and find what works for you. We are our own biggest experiment, so if something doesn't work, keep trying something else!