Does lifting weights make it harder to lose weight?

Author: Manley Veum  |  Last update: Saturday, July 5, 2025

Strength training helps you lose weight and keep it off by building muscle tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be. More muscle also helps your body burn more fat than muscle, which is important if you want to lose weight and keep your strength.

Is it harder to lose weight when lifting weights?

Weight training does not slow down weight loss; in fact, it can enhance it. While cardio burns more calories in the short term, weight training helps you build lean muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate and helps you burn more calories throughout the day.

Why am I not losing weight when I lift weights?

If you're gaining muscle while losing fat, the number on the scale may not change at all at first. In fact, it may go up. “Muscle gain often masks fat loss on the scale, as muscle is denser than fat but takes up less space in your body,” she says.

Is it harder to lose weight while building muscle?

Most people tend to gain muscle or lose fat easier than the other way around. Since fat tissue is less dense than muscle, it spreads out and takes up more space than muscle tissue does. However, heavier people will lose weight easier than those with less body fat. If you're obese, it'll be easier to lose weight first.

Can fat people lose weight by lifting weights?

Strength Training

The best way to burn fat is to build muscle at the same time, and that requires strength exercises such as lifting light weights, and resistance exercises such as chest and leg presses, leg curls and lateral pulldowns.

Weight Training Is Bad For Weight Loss?

What is the best way for obese people to lose weight?

A lifestyle with good nutrition, regular physical activity, stress management, and enough sleep supports a healthy weight. People who lose weight at a gradual, steady pace—about 1 to 2 pounds a week—are more likely to keep the weight off than people who lose weight quicker.

Why is my body fat increasing with exercise?

Working out can cause short-term weight gain as your muscle mass increases. Post-workout inflammation may cause temporary weight fluctuations. Workout plateaus, supplement use, and dietary changes can also stall your weight-loss efforts. Try not to obsess over the number on the scale.

How to lose fat in the belly?

Studies have shown that you can help trim visceral fat or prevent its growth with both aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) and strength training (exercising with weights). Spot exercises, such as sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles but won't get at visceral fat. Exercise can also help keep fat from coming back.

How much protein to lose weight?

Eating 0.36 grams of protein daily per pound of body weight is fine for the average adult. But for those looking to lose weight, eating between 0.81–1.23 grams of protein daily per pound of body weight is better — especially if you're also exercising, which you're likely doing if you're trying to lose weight.

Why am I gaining weight if I barely eat?

If you're asking yourself, “Why am I gaining weight when I barely eat,” several factors may be at play. Your body may be holding onto fat stores if your eating habits are inconsistent or restricted. Or, your weight gain may be the effect of a sedentary lifestyle, medical condition, or long-term stress.

Why am I getting more toned but not losing weight?

If you're doing cardio and strength training, you may build lean muscle tissue at the same time you're losing fat. In that case, the scale may not change even though your body composition is changing.

Why am I not losing weight when I start lifting weights?

You're gaining more muscle mass.

“Lifting weights helps build muscle, which is denser and weighs more than fat,” says Avery Zenker, RD, a dietitian at Everflex Fitness. “This means that you can lose fat, but your overall weight on the scale might not decrease significantly because muscle adds weight,” she says.

What exercise burns the most belly fat?

Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.

Does fat get jiggly before you lose it?

The Science of Fat Loss

Think of it like a balloon losing air—it deflates, but doesn't disappear immediately. Over time, your body adjusts, but the jiggly feeling can be a temporary step along the way.

What is cortisol belly?

Cortisol belly is weight gain in the abdominal area, sometimes referred to as abdominal obesity, caused by an excess of the stress hormone cortisol. It can happen to anyone experiencing prolonged stress. 1. Other factors can also contribute to fat accumulation in the abdomen.

Why am I not losing belly fat even after exercise and diet?

Too many starchy carbohydrates and bad fats are a recipe for that midsection to expand. Instead, get plenty of veggies, choose lean proteins, and stay away from fats from red meats. Choose healthier fats in things like fish, nuts, and avocados. Even a moderate cutback on carbs (grains, pasta, sugars) can help, too.

Why have I gained 10 pounds since working out?

Muscle is denser (meaning a lot less fluffy) than fat, says Dr. Calabrese. Put another way, 10 pounds of muscle takes up a lot less space than 10 pounds of fat. So, as you start working out regularly and building strength, the new muscle you build may eventually weigh more than the fat you've burnt off.

Why do I look fatter but lost weight?

Your body weight includes the mass of your body fat and a fat-free mass, or lean body mass – your muscles, bones, organs, and water (1). A very real possibility is that when you notice that you are losing weight but look fatter, there is a high chance that you only lost water weight or muscle mass, or both.

Why are some weightlifters fat?

weightlifters can move up or down in weight class to optimize their competitiveness. moving to a heavier weight class (bulking) allows for strength gain or breaking through performance plateaus. This may come with fat gain and alter biomechanics and speed of the lifting.

What is the 30/30/30 rule for weight loss?

The 30/30/30 is a weight loss method that involves eating 30 g of protein within the first 30 minutes of your day and following it with 30 minutes of light exercise. This morning routine is rooted in sound science, and it could be a good way to increase your capacity to burn fat while keeping lean muscle.

How to flush out water weight?

  1. Exercise Regularly. Daily exercise provides several health benefits, including preventing water retention. ...
  2. Drink More Water. Drinking water to reduce water weight sounds counterintuitive, but it helps. ...
  3. Manage Salt Intake. ...
  4. Cut Carbs. ...
  5. Focus on Certain Foods and Herbs. ...
  6. Try Supplements. ...
  7. Up Your Caffeine Intake.

Is 300 lbs morbidly obese?

There are several medically accepted criteria for defining morbid obesity. You are likely morbidly obese if you are: more than 100 lbs.

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