weight loss question

googlehead

I have lost around a stone in the last 2.5 months. i was 5 8" and 173lbs
now I am 160lbs. diet is pretty good,Excerise is alot of cardio, usually 150-200 miles on the bike and running for an hour once a week. I want to keep losing weight until I hit 154lbs and then i will start some weights. tone my body and add a bit of definition/muscle, i just wanted to ask, I do see a difference in my body but I still have the belly although a bit smaller. but i hear some people talk about weight loss and fat loss, I know I have lost weight but I still see fat in my waste. Is it just a few lbs off? our will i never loose the fat without doing weights?

EileenG

Weights don't actually make you lose fat, though lifting weights burns a lot of calories, and having a good muscle mass keeps your metabolism revving higher.

In the end, losing your belly is about cutting bodyfat to a low enough level. However, dieting and cardio without weights will encourage your body to drop muscle mass along with fat. Lifting weights now will convince your body that it needs to hold onto the muscle, so you'll lose less muscle as you lose weight.

The object of the exercise is not to have a particular number on the scales, it's to look really good when you take off your clothes.

floggg

Congrats on the progress so far. It will take time to shift the fat around the stomach, its often the last place you will lose it. That doesn't mean your not losing fat, it just means you have a bit more to go. Keep up the good work and you will get there eventually.

Also, as Eileen said, weights aren't necessary to lose weight, although they can help. They certainly won't hurt at any rate, so there is no need to wait to lose the fat before you start the weight training.