6 ways to tell if you're gaining muscle & burning fat…
1. Look in a mirror
If you're looking better then you're gaining muscle and/or Burning fat.
2. You're getting stronger
If you're getting stronger as you workout then that means you're gaining muscle.
3. You look the same
If you gained weight but you look about the same or even better then you gained muscle & burned fat.
4. Smaller waist
If your waist is getting smaller then you're burning fat but if you also gained weight then you gained muscle and burned fat.
5. People tell you
If you have not lost any weight but people say you look thinner then it's obivous you replaced the fat weight you lost with muscle. (see #3)
6. Do the math
If you're body fat percentage is lower then you're burning fat and… If your Body Fat percentage is lower but you gained weight then you gained muscle and burned fat so…
Focus on how you look & not what the scale says becasue…
- Losing fat NOT weight makes you look better naked and…
- Although certain plans like the Perfect body plan for women or the How to get ripped in 6 weeks plan both help you lose lots of weight…
- They both help you look better naked by burning off lots of ugly fat and building you sexier muscles.
Use this to help you gain muscle & burn fat…
- How to get ripped
- How to build muscle & burn fat at the same time
- How much weight can I expect to lose
- How much muscle can I expect to gain
NowLoss.com Created by Adrian Bryant
Hi Adrian, I'm a male 5'7 180 pounds. I recently lost 15 pounds but put my body in a huge calorie deficit, and now after almost 3 weeks my weight has been stagnant. I currently try to consume 1800 calories and do workout for an hour everyday. I've also been consuming roughly 180 grams of protein a day. I've been told I look a bit thinner but it's really hard losing the last 20lbs. I don't know what to do to lose that weight before the summer.
March 03, 2018
Will this help me keep my muscle mass though?
March 03, 2018
Hi Adrian!
I'm freaking out that my body isnt responding anymore as how its been when I lost weight 3 years ago.
I'm 4'11 and weighing 140.36 lbs which makes me look miserable.
I tried to get back to shape on the 1st day of December. I tried military diet w/30 mins HIIT and lost 1kg.
Then, I switch to intermittent fasting made me eat 2x a day and strictly counting calories (eating not more than 1200 cal). I drink 1 gal of cranwater as well (no to sodas but 2 cups of coffee and 3 cups of green tea a day) and I normally eat 150-220 g of veggies for early dinner at 5PM, strictly no rice and bread and if I eat meat it should be only 100g. HIIT for 1 hour for 3weeks straight and made my knees hurt so bad and stopped for 8 days.
I didn't lose weight after losing 1kg aside from the fact I lose and gain weight for those 3 weeks (I check scale each morning).
I wonder if that's due to my age thats why my body wont lose weight anymore? I dont want to quit exercising so I'm on my 1week now with only 30 mins HIIT (to avoid my knees to get hurt again) but I dont know if Im doing it correctly. Anything to help me more motivated. Thanks
January 14, 2018
Restricting your diet isn’t going to help. You’ll feel like you aren’t “allowed” to eat those things which eventually will make your body crave them even more. Setting your caloric intake too low can actually make you gain weight as well. Try looking at your TDEE online. Follow that suggestion. Exercising will create the deficit needed to lose weight.
February 02, 2018
Hi Adrian! I am 200lbs (from pre-pregnancy weight of 155lbs) and I actually would love to keep my thighs/butt (even though I want my butt bigger and more curvy). I also want to lose weight and get back towards 145. I just started your workout for bigger butt/thighs while losing weight. By doing this, since my thighs are pretty much where I want them to be, will this tone them up, or what will happen otherwise? I don't have weights but I will be pleased with the 'no weights' results based on what I've seen. Losing my stomach is important, I just don't want to lose everything else in the process. Thanks!
January 01, 2018
you will "LOSE" fat all over so with that said... if your thigh shape is b/c of fat then you will lose some thigh shape but usually thigh, hip and belly fat is the last to go as you lose weight or lose fat all over
January 01, 2018
Hello,
I am 18 years old and in my first semester of college. Coming in I was terrified of the Freshmen 15 so I made sure to get in the gym 4 times a week which is more than I would do before, I used to only go once or maybe twice a week and weighed 117lbs (I’m 5’7). I didn’t really change my eating habits, I dont eat unhealthy all the time but I don’t deprive myself if I have a craving. I have now gained nearly 10lbs in about 2 and 1/2 months and gained about two inches in my waist, bust, hips, and thighs and my butt has gotten bigger. My clothes still fit fine just a little more snug. However, I don’t look 10lbs heavier at all except for in my thighs maybe. I freaked out and started eating a little less but haven’t seen any results. My workouts consist of about 10-15 min of cardio, 30 minutes of abs, and weight training(squats, leg presses, dumbbell rows and other small arm workouts). I have never gained this much weight in my life and it’s freaking me out and won’t come off. I also started birth control in September so maybe that added to it. What should I do?
December 01, 2017
use this plan and yes... some birht control can sause you to retain water weight
December 01, 2017
I am glad I found this and hope you can help me out. I'm female, 5 feet 6 inches and before I started working out which includes cardio (walking on the treadmill and swimming for 45 minutes) and strength training (light weights 2 to 4 kgs) I was 53 kgs. It's been 3 months and instead of dropping weight I've gained not only on scale but in inches as well. I was a size 2 and now I'm a size 4 and it's frustrating because I can't fit into my clothes. My problem areas are my hips, thighs and arms which seemed to have ballooned. I feel terrible because I wanted to lose fat but somehow my body seems bulkier than it was before i began working out. I am also on a 1200 calorie diet where I stick to protein and veggies and avoid sodas and fatty junk food.
What am I doing wrong? I freaked out so bad that I stopped my workout altogether afraid of looking fatter.
Please help.
Thank you.
October 23, 2017
I'm sort of perplexed about my weight gain and hope someone might be able to figure it out.
Recently when I went to the doctor, they weighed me at 248, which shocked me. I haven't been weighing regularly, but I certainly didn't feel like I'd gained that much weight.
I've noticed a slight increase in my stomach and waist, but the last time I was at this weight, my clothes were much tighter. I have a particular t-shirt that I can't even fit over my chest when I've gained a lot of weight, and I was able to put it on, though my stomach bulged through it. And I have other smaller shirts I use to test my body with, and I could fit them okay over me.
My diet has changed in the past 3 weeks to a month after being diagnosed with acid reflux. I use prilosec every day before breakfast.
For breakfast, I have 2 waffles and ginger tea.
For lunch, salad with chicken and balsamic dressing, along with cantaloupe and sourdough bread.
For snacks, I have pretzels. Usually two to three times a day. Sometimes I have a soda or two, depending on how sleepy I feel that day.
For dinner, I generally have rice with chicken, a baked potato, salad with balsamic dressing, a cup of ginger tea and a cup of chamomile tea, cantaloupe, and sometimes a nutribullet juice with two to three fruits and celery and carrots. I generally use banana, apple, and pear as my fruits.
I don't regularly exercise during the week, but my activity tracker shows that I'm active 30 minutes or more for most days. I rack up a lot of activity grocery shopping because I'm going back and forth all the time, and it generally takes me an hour to shop.
On the weekends, I do a lot of walking. Sometimes walk to the park and back, which is about 2 miles away. But I haven't got into a good routine yet.
So, does anyone know why I've gained almost 20 lbs in the past few months and see very little impact on the way my clothes fit?
May 18, 2017
quite simply you're gaining muscle and losing fat. the muscle takes up less space and the reason you still have belly fat is because belly fat is the last to go
May 19, 2017
Maybe try eating your largest meal at noon rather than evening? This is hard but nix the sodas for black coffee. This is harder: Drink at least 2 quarts water per day. Harder still: no more candy cookies and milkshakes/ice cream for 30 days then once a week take a splurge day. It works. I hate raw veggies (sorry Jack Lalanne) but i have apple or banana mid morning and mid afternoon. Ignore the scales for 6 months and trust how your clothes fit. When you start wearing 2 inch smaller jeans and large vs xl shirts you'll be looking a lot different than you did. Took me a year of 3x per week exercise (i knew i could stick with an easier routine). You hang in there and dont think about how long youve been at it. Its a lifestyle change which means you can never quit. 🙂
August 23, 2017
Hi Adrian,
I am 30 year old female 5feet and 59kg weight. I had c-sec and have 1.5 year old child. I am trying to loose weight after her birth. I do 30 minutes running in the morning and 30 min of cycling with 30 min of excercise in the evening. Excercise includes squat, lunges, plank, and yoga. I am still struggling with my weight. Please adivise.
P.S I don't have Thyoride or any other problem.
Thanks
June 21, 2016
Hello,
I am 52. 5'1" and about 121lb.
My BMR is 1220 to 1300 depending on the calculator used.
My workout consists of rowing 5-6x/week for about 30mn (sometimes broken down sometimes not) & the monitor says average 250kcal burned.
I'm a bit unsure how to continue my weight loss because of the min 1200 kcal I read is recommended to stay healthly and I want to boost my metabolism.
Any ideas?
Thks
May 27, 2016
Dear Adrian
How long should I be working out in the gym?
I used to work out for almost 2 hours ( warm up & weights )
Now I am trying to reduce the time
I am now only doing 3 workouts ( each 4 sets of 12 reps ). Is that enough? What is the ideal time or number of workouts for leg day ?
Thank you very much for your valuable information. Your blog is a true treasure to me.
Kloudia
April 28, 2016
you mean the number of exericses you do for legs on leg day? You could just do squats to hit all the leg muscles for 4 sets of 12 reps 1-2 times per week
April 28, 2016
Hi, i am 28 M, height 5'8" weight 64 kg, though it is ideal, I want to gain weight. As I looks thin.. My friends teasing me as I look like a school going student.. I want to bulk up myself.. Suggest how I can achieve my target. Provide some diet chat and exercise routine.. Thanks in advance..
April 20, 2016
Hi! I'm 5'1, and somewhere between 112-115 pounds. I was 160 and have lost down to 110 in the last year. I've gained a little back, but I've also been eating more and trying to gain muscle. I want to lose weight in my stomach, (because I still have a lot of fat there,) but it seems as if it's just staying the same/getting worse in that area. I notice muscle gains in my arms and somewhat in my legs, especially my calves, but the lower stomach is pathetic, and a pudge of fat. I was eating around 1100 calories a day, and then faced the reality that I couldn't gain muscle like that. So I amped it up to 1300-1400, and sometimes 1500. It's really bothering me.
April 15, 2016
muscle or gaining curves is not due to calories but mainly from resistance training + getting enough protein in your diet which is about 30% of your diet
April 16, 2016
Hello Adrian
I am 6'1 411 lbs. When i started working out again i was at 403. I workout 5 times a week. I do 30 minutes of cardio every day. Im eating 5 smaller meals. Limiting sugars and sodas. However it still seems like im gaining weight. Im so confused .im consuming hyrdoxcut hardcore like it says. Ppl tell me i look like im losing weight, i cant tell it , my waistline is down by like an inch or two. Im getting stronger what am i doing wrong. Not to mention im not eating any carbs please advise
December 28, 2015
what is your calorie intake but it seems to me like you're losing fat if wasitline is getting smaller and getting stronger
December 29, 2015
Dear Adrian,
I'm 5.7 and weight about 125 pounds . It was very hard for me to get where I'm at because I have a fast metabolism so I started eating every two hours 6 meals per day. My question is , how do I build more muscle and also build toned abs? I have long legs and short torso. Also, I need to get rid of the cellulite .
Thanks,
Roxie
October 26, 2015
Hi Adrian!
I'm 5"6' and weight in at 165 lbs. My goal is to lose 30 lbs by the end of the year. I have been doing Insanity, TCX, weights and Vinyasa Yoga classes (5-6 days a week) at Lifetime Fitness for over 2 months now and I see absolutely no change on the scale. I look the same, my clothes fit the same, and my measurements are the same. I feel a bit stronger than I did when I started, but nothing else is changing.
I turned my diet around and started eating a lot healthier, following a 1200 calories/day. I started this the same time that I started working out.
Why isn't anything changing?
May 16, 2015
Hey Adrian
I've started a weight loss goal to go down from 175 and then I've hit 125, but over the course of a month on weight maintenance I've gained fifteen pounds while doing cardio/strength training and counting calories, I've seen some changes on the scale back and forth and honestly can't tell what my real weight is, though I'm pretty active, I work out 3-4 times a week for about three to four hours, and I also count calories and usually leave 100 away from 0 in order to get a better reading, but I've also seen some changes in overall appearance with clothes fitting tighter than when I was at 125 (Now about 138-140) but it's usually around pants, shirts fit the exact same. My question is, am I gaininy more fat, muscle, or water weight? I've ben eating carbs by around 300-500 though I usually end up burning most of it for energy.
March 31, 2015
if your clothes are fitting better than that is a sure sign of muscle gain and fat loss
April 01, 2015
Hi Adrian,
I am 5'9 and weighed 130 pounds. However; I recently gained 15 pounds but, I have not been able to fit into some of my clothes because they are to big. Why is this? Also I'm very active and love to workout. Is there any thing you recommend to keep my stomach toned?
December 03, 2014
Hey Adrian hows it going, I am 18 and 6'3 240 pounds and I recently lost 40 pounds in the last 2 months. I am looking to tone myself my arms and chest and back shoulders legs all that are pretty good but I can't seem to make any more progress with my stomach any suggestions what can I do?
November 06, 2014
Hi adrian, i weigh 102 lbs,i have been jogging every morning since 2 weeks for around 30 mins. I have alot of fat flab on my thighs that i want to get rid of! Is it possible to tone and get rid of my leg flab with 30 mins of light daily jogging?
I have weighed myself and ihave gained weight , i thought i woulshave lost some?!whenever i come back from jogging i realise my legs look kinda bigger for some reason?? Is that normal? Approximately How long will it take me to have slim sexy legs with jogging? Thanx
October 08, 2014
depending on how tall you are how much fat do you rerally have left to lose?
October 09, 2014
Hi Adrian, I am an Indian girl and i used to weigh 95kgs and I lost 13kgs by following a very strict diet n mostly starving myself and never worked out except for 15 to 20 mins of walking. I am 5 ft 3 and I am 26 years old.Now i have gained back and i weigh 89kgs and it is so disappointing. Please advise on what needs to be done to reduce and feel good and confident and walk into any room without feeling self conscious ..I am so tired of being Fat and people giving advices when they have no clue on what they are saying..I have irregular periods and I want to have a baby :(
May 02, 2014