Fitness coach with 18 years of experience gets honest about strength training: ‘It will not help you lose more weight’ | Health – Hindustan Times

Have you ever been told that lifting weights is the shortcut to dropping pounds faster — and wondered whether that was the whole truth?

Fitness coach with 18 years of experience gets honest about strength training: ‘It will not help you lose more weight’ | Health – Hindustan Times

You read that headline and felt something shift: relief, disbelief, frustration, or maybe a little defensive. The coach’s statement is blunt, and that’s exactly why it matters. For 18 years someone has watched bodies change, listened to promises and excuses, and seen which strategies actually move the needle on health and weight. You deserve clarity, not platitudes. This article will hold that clarity up to the light and break it into pieces you can use.

Why this statement sounds shocking and why it’s necessary

You’ve been told lifting weights is the secret to “boosting metabolism” and “burning more calories at rest.” Those messages are seductive because they promise an effortless win: do a thing, get a long-term payoff. That narrative sells gym memberships, books, and instant gratification.

The coach’s honesty punctures that fantasy. Strength training has many crucial benefits, but causing you to lose more weight, in the sense of a larger calorie deficit or faster scale-weight decline, is not reliably one of them. If you want fewer assumptions and more evidence, keep reading.

What the coach likely meant by “will not help you lose more weight”

You need to parse weight loss carefully because the word “weight” is slippery. When experts talk about whether a method “helps you lose weight,” they’re often talking about absolute reductions in scale numbers over a given period.

Saying strength training won’t help you lose more weight usually means: all else equal — particularly calorie intake — adding resistance training alone will not create a materially larger daily calorie deficit compared with not lifting. That’s not the same as saying strength training is useless.

Weight loss versus fat loss versus body recomposition

You need to know the difference between these terms because they change what success looks like. Weight loss is simply a reduction in total body mass as measured on a scale. Fat loss is specifically a reduction in adipose tissue. Body recomposition refers to losing fat while gaining or preserving muscle, often leaving your scale weight similar but your shape and metabolic health improved.

You should focus on what matters: fat loss and body composition for health and aesthetics, not the number on the scale alone.

How strength training affects your metabolism

Strength training does increase your resting metabolic rate by adding or preserving lean muscle, but the effect is modest. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, but not as dramatically as popular headlines claim. A pound of muscle burns maybe 6 to 13 calories per day at rest — a number far smaller than many assume.

This modest metabolic boost means strength training helps long-term maintenance and health, but it won’t produce rapid scale-driven weight loss without dietary changes.

Calories, energy balance, and why diet trumps exercise for weight loss

Let’s be blunt: the thing that causes you to lose weight is a sustained calorie deficit. Exercise can help you create that deficit, but in most real-world settings, it’s easier and more efficient to change what you eat than to burn thousands of extra calories through movement.

You will always lose weight if you maintain a caloric deficit, and you will stall if you don’t — regardless of how many deadlifts you do.

How much does exercise actually burn?

Numbers differ by intensity, duration, and body size, but the calories burned in an hour of weightlifting are typically less than high-intensity cardio. Strength training does expend energy during the session and causes an elevated post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), but that post-exercise burn is usually small and short-lived.

Your time is finite. If your priority is maximal short-term calorie burn, certain forms of cardio will outpace resistance training. But you should weigh that against other goals: function, strength, and longevity.

Table: Estimated Calories Burned per Hour (approximate)

These are ballpark numbers. Your own physiology and effort level change them. But the table shows why pure caloric math often favors cardio for short-term burn.

Why you can’t out-exercise a bad diet

People who expect training alone to produce dramatic weight loss forget that appetite, food access, habits, and social factors govern a huge portion of energy balance. Exercise can increase hunger in some people or give a psychological license to overeat in others. If your food choices are counterproductive, exercise becomes an uphill battle.

This is why the coach’s statement is a corrective: don’t present resistance training as a magic calorie burn fix when the real lever is nutrition.

Why strength training still matters — and matters a lot

Just because strength training might not increase the rate of scale-weight loss doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. In many meaningful ways, it’s essential.

You’ll preserve muscle during calories deficits if you lift. That maintains your shape, strength, and metabolic health. Strength training improves your functional capacity — carrying groceries, climbing stairs, remaining independent as you age. It supports bone density, helps with insulin sensitivity, and improves mood and sleep. These benefits compound over time.

Preserving lean mass and looking better naked

If you restrict calories without resistance training, you risk losing muscle along with fat. That can leave you smaller in some areas but softer in others, changing your proportion and sometimes making you look less fit despite weight loss.

By including strength work, you increase the odds of losing fat and keeping or gaining muscle, so your clothes fit differently in a way you’ll like.

Strength training and metabolic health

Even if the calorie burn is modest, resistance training improves how your body processes glucose and lipids. It reduces insulin resistance and inflammation markers, which is important for long-term disease risk.

You want a training strategy that makes you healthier beyond what the scale shows.

The appetite paradox: why strength training can make you hungrier

Here’s an honesty you might not appreciate: lifting may increase your appetite. Hunger is complex — hormones, sleep, stress, and taste preferences all influence it. For some people, strength training can create a spike in hunger that undermines the calorie deficit.

If you’re not mindful, you might replace calories burned in the gym with larger portions at dinner. That’s why pairing training with nutritional strategy and mindful eating is essential.

How to manage appetite while training

Protein, volume, fiber, and timing are your allies. Prioritize protein at meals to support muscle repair and to increase satiety. Vegetables, legumes, and whole grains provide low-calorie volume that fills you up. Plan meals so you’re not arriving at the plate ravenous.

These strategies help you keep nutrition aligned with your weight goals while still reaping the benefits of strength work.

Why the coach’s honesty is professional and useful

When a seasoned coach says something that contradicts mainstream fitness marketing, it’s usually because years of clients taught them where myths lead people. That honesty saves you wasted time and false expectations.

You should appreciate clear information because it helps you set realistic goals, measure the right things, and avoid ritualistic behaviors that feel productive but aren’t.

Common myths about strength training and weight loss

You’ve likely heard claims like “lifting raises your resting metabolism so much you can eat more,” or “muscle turns into fat if you stop lifting.” Both are misleading. Muscle and fat are different tissues; one doesn’t magically become the other.

A coach with experience sees the patterns that perpetuate these myths: people measuring success only by scale weight, expecting immediate body rewrites, and blaming training for lack of progress while ignoring diet.

How to design a program if your primary goal is weight loss

If you want to lose weight but also want to keep the functional and health benefits of strength, you design with both priorities in mind. You’ll use diet to control the deficit and exercise to preserve muscle, increase total energy expenditure, and improve fitness.

That means a mixed approach: resistance training 2–4 times weekly, cardio sessions to increase calorie burn and cardiovascular fitness, and lifestyle adjustments like increasing daily steps and improving sleep.

A sample weekly plan (balanced for weight loss and strength)

The following plan gives you a model that balances calorie burn with strength preservation. Adjust volume, intensity, and durations to your experience and recovery.

Table: Sample Weekly Training Plan

You should program progressive overload in the strength sessions and vary cardio intensity to avoid excessive fatigue.

How to structure a strength session

Think in terms of compound movements first: squats, deadlifts, bench press or push patterns, rows or pulls, and overhead presses. Finish with accessory work for weak points and mobility.

A template: warm-up (10 minutes), compound lifts (3–5 sets of 3–8 reps), accessory lifts (2–4 sets of 8–15 reps), conditioning or short metabolic finisher if desired (5–10 minutes). This structure balances strength and metabolic benefit.

Table: Progression Template

Rotate phases across months to keep progress and avoid burnout.

Nutrition strategies that actually make weight loss happen

You must treat nutrition like the lever it is. That doesn’t mean deprivation, but it does mean awareness and planning. You need a sustainable deficit, enough protein to protect muscle, and a lifestyle approach you can maintain.

You can base your plan on simple math and realistic habits.

How to set your calorie target

A reasonable starting deficit is 10–20% below maintenance for slow, sustainable fat loss. Aggressive deficits create faster weight drops but risk more muscle loss, hormonal disruption, and unsustainable hunger.

Calculate maintenance using a validated formula, then subtract calories. Reassess every 2–4 weeks based on progress rather than overreacting to daily scale fluctuations.

Protein and macronutrients for preservation and satiety

Protein is non-negotiable if you care about preserving muscle during calorie reduction. Aim for approximately 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.7–1.0 g/lb). If you lift heavy and are experienced, stay toward the higher end.

Carbs and fats can be adjusted based on preference. Carbohydrates fuel hard sessions; fats support hormones and satiety.

Table: Macronutrient Guidelines by Body Weight

These are starting points. You will tune based on hunger, recovery, and rate of loss.

Sample day of eating for balance

Breakfast: Protein-rich source (eggs or dairy alternative), whole grain or fruit, vegetables.
Lunch: Lean protein, salad/veggies, healthy fat.
Snack: Greek yogurt or protein shake with fruit.
Dinner: Higher-volume veggies, lean protein, moderate carbs.
Hydration, sleep, and fiber matter.

Focus on making the plan tolerable so you can stick to it for months, not just weeks.

Tracking progress: more than the scale

If the scale tells you only part of the story, what else should you track? Body measurements, progress photos, strength performance, clothes fit, and how you feel are more meaningful long-term markers.

You should treat the scale as one data point among many. Weight fluctuates with water, glycogen, and inflammation.

How to measure body composition responsibly

Methods range from tape measures to DEXA scans. Tape and photos are inexpensive and often reliable when done consistently. If you can access DEXA or hydrostatic weighing, they’re more precise but not required.

Choose one or two methods and use them consistently rather than chasing every new device.

Performance as an indicator of progress

If you’re lifting heavier, recovering better, and have more energy, those are wins even if the scale moves slowly. Strength improvements suggest favorable body recomposition.

Use strength gains to validate that your nutrition and training are preserving muscle even as you lose fat.

Common mistakes people make and how to fix them

You will be tempted to treat fitness like punishment: more cardio, fewer calories, no rest. That approach burns you out and makes weight regain likely. You need a measured, humane approach.

Here are the habitual errors and the corrections.

Mistake: Over-prioritizing cardio and ignoring strength

Cardio helps calorie burn, but without resistance training you risk losing muscle with your fat. Include both.

Fix: Schedule at least two strength sessions per week and adjust cardio to complement, not replace, strength.

Mistake: Chasing the scale daily

Daily weighing triggers emotional swings and misleads you with normal variability. Context matters.

Fix: Track trend weight weekly or biweekly, and use measurements, photos, and performance as corroborating evidence.

Mistake: Undereating for too long

Prolonged severe deficits undermine hormones, thyroid function, and mood. Your performance and recovery will suffer.

Fix: Use moderate deficits and consider planned diet breaks to reset hormones and adherence.

Special considerations for different populations

You are not a monolith. Your sex, age, history, and goals change how you should train and eat. A 22-year-old with few medical conditions needs a different approach than a 55-year-old returning from injury.

Customization matters more than trends.

Women and the myth of “getting bulky”

Many women fear strength training will make them bounce into a bulky physique. That fear is founded in misunderstanding. Women generally have lower testosterone, and gaining substantial muscle mass requires specific training and a calorie surplus.

You should lift without fear. Strength makes you functionally capable and can improve body shape in the way you probably want.

Older adults and the imperative of strength

As you age, muscle mass and bone density decline. Strength training is among the most powerful tools to prevent frailty and maintain independence. Even modest gains translate to meaningful quality-of-life improvements.

You should view lifting as a public health measure as much as an aesthetic choice.

Plateaus and how to respond

Plateaus are inevitable. When progress slows, your options are simple: change the equation or wait. That means adjusting calories, increasing activity, changing training, addressing sleep and stress, or accepting a slower rate.

Patience is actually a strategy.

Systematic steps for breaking a plateau

1. Check adherence and intake tracking for errors.
2. Recalculate needs because weight loss reduces maintenance calories.
3. Add NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) like extra steps.
4. Vary training volume or intensity to re-stimulate adaptation.
5. Consider a short refeed or diet break to restore leptin and mood.

You don’t need heroic measures. Small, consistent actions usually work best.

Practical case scenarios to illustrate how this works

Seeing examples helps you translate theory into action. Here are a couple of realistic scenarios.

Scenario 1: You want to lose 10–15 kg and keep your strength

You start with a modest 10–15% calorie deficit and train three times per week with compound lifts. You include two moderate cardio sessions for cardiovascular health and finish with daily step targets. You prioritize protein and sleep.

In several months you lose weight at a sustainable rate, your lifts mostly hold, and you notice clothing changes and greater confidence.

Scenario 2: You want rapid scale decline for an event

You create a larger deficit and add longer cardio sessions. You might lose weight quickly, but you’ll risk muscle loss, hunger, and metabolic adaptation. You may also rebound after the event.

If speed is prioritized, plan for a maintenance phase afterward and accept potential trade-offs.

Your mental relationship with weight and strength

You cannot separate the physiological from the psychological. How you talk to yourself about your body, exercise, and food will influence what you do and sustain.

You deserve to create rules that are compassionate and effective, not punitive and fleeting.

Building a healthier mindset

Practice self-compassion, set process goals you control (e.g., “I’ll train three times this week”), and de-emphasize the scale as the sole metric of worth. Learn to appreciate non-scale victories like better sleep, stronger lifts, and clearer thinking.

Those mental shifts are as important as a training plan.

Clear takeaways you can act on today

• Strength training is not a magic accelerator of scale-weight loss; calories are the primary driver.
• Strength training is essential for preserving muscle, improving health markers, and aging well.
• Combine resistance work with appropriate cardio and a manageable calorie deficit for the best outcomes.
• Track progress using multiple measures: strength, photos, measurements, and trend weight.
• Prioritize protein and recovery to support muscle and satiety.
• Plateaus are normal; respond systematically rather than panicking.
• Customize based on your life, preferences, and goals.

You get to choose what matters most: the number on a scale, the way your clothes fit, your ability to lift a heavy suitcase, or your long-term health. A seasoned coach’s honesty should free you to make those choices with clarity, not guilt.

Final words: honesty as a gift

A blunt statement like “it will not help you lose more weight” can feel like a betrayal if you really wanted an easy fix. But it’s also a gift. You get to redirect your energy toward the things that actually work and toward strategies that make you stronger, healthier, and more resilient.

Do the hard things that matter: eat with intention, train with purpose, sleep well, and be patient. You’ll build a body that does what you need it to do, and you’ll have fewer illusions about shortcuts. If you want help turning this into a plan that fits your life, you can use these principles to design something realistic and humane — and you’ll be glad you did.

Source: https://news.google.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?oc=5