Adding Weights Can Help You Lose Weight

A recent article touting the wonderful effects of adding strength training to your regular workouts for results in the weight loss department. I thought this was common knowledge.

I discovered this myself shortly after my pregnancy. I had always been nice and fit. Ex-gymnast, ballerina etc and just a high metabolism person. But months after my pregnancy I couldn’t seem to lose those “last 10 pounds”. You hear it often but I had never experienced it. I didn’t have the freshman 15 in college. Didn’t gain weight like everyone promised after high school and even starting my 30′s I was still the same weight as in high school. But pregnancy? That did me in.

I worked out daily with my sister. We were determined. Cardio, cardio, cardio. A few squats here and there. Some crunches but man I was still big! Then I happened upon some well known weight training videos for women in a second hand store. They were hard but they were fun. My body wasn’t used to the weight so I started small. Three and Five pound weights. I was having so much fun. Then I had to get eight pounders. Oh i also needed ankle weights. The weight was dropping off! It was so wonderful.

Then I plateaud. Common with heavy workouts. I got kind of sad about the whole thing and put the weights down. I still had 2 or 3 I would have liked to removed. I thought it was about that much. My lower regions were still kind of chunky. So I lost my momentum and put the weights away.

A few weeks later I picked up a well known female exercise enthusiast’s 20 minute workout. Nothing big. I knew her stuff was easy but it had been a few weeks since I worked out. It was all cardio too and I was kind of tired of weighs. OHMIGOSH! I lost about 5 pounds that week! I know I sound like an informercial. The bottom line for me was a combination of both. The weights definitely started the ball rolling but I had pretty much omitted the cardio because the weights were so fun and actually for me easier. Cardio made me breathe hard. Ick!

Well that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Get some weights ladies (and gents). Workout carefully and make sure you lift right. There are some videos to show just how it’s done too.

Have fun!

O Quinn is a wife and mother who likes to look for the best ways to get things done.
Visit her at http://www.homemakingorganized.com

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