3 Reasons Your Weight May Not Change When Strength Training

00:00Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals, and feel insanely confident. And the only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask for you to do is if you could leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, and it will mean the absolute world to me and may change the world of someone else. Muscles are pretty special. Think about it like your kids' book bags. They're dense, like the books in your kids' book bags.

00:32On the other hand, fat is more like the fluffy stuffing inside of a teddy bear. Muscle doesn't take up as much room as fat does. So as you build muscle, you may not be getting lighter, but you're actually getting tighter and stronger. What is going on, you guys? Welcome back to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkie Stott. Or if this is one of your first episodes of the show, welcome to this show.

01:03On the podcast, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. I am your host, Nikkie Stott. And welcome to today's episode, episode number 104. And guys, guys, I am stoked to talk about today's topic. I brought this to our Warrior Babe VIP community last night, and I, the chat box in Zoom was just like going off.

01:37Like, I needed this pep talk more than I even thought that I did. Like, thank you for breaking it down like this. Like, this is so helpful, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, all these things. It was amazing. The crew loved it. And now I'm bringing it to all you guys today. And so just to let you know where this thought process on sharing this topic came from, you guys will laugh, but maybe you've experienced this too. I have lately been gaining so many, like, downloads from God, from the universe on things that I should share with the team, my team, or, you know, you guys, the community, podcasts, X, Y, and Z, while I'm in the shower.

02:17No joke. Like, shower thoughts are real, you guys. Real. Real. And what's so cool is, like, you get so excited when you have the shower thought, and then, like, you act on it, and then, like, you share these things, and it's like, whoa, there was such good feedback. So this topic today is one of my shower thoughts, and I was like, I just felt like, you know, the God of the universe was telling me that, like, you guys needed to hear this topic.

02:48And so today, we're going to talk about three reasons that your weight may not change when you are starting strength training, okay? Hear me. Hear me out. Stay with me, because I know so many of you guys, when you start the new adventure of wanting to be strong, starting to lift weights, doing all these sorts of exercises, or going into the gym. You start out on this journey, and you're waiting to see the number on the scale go down.

03:28And some of you are, like, three weeks in, four weeks in, six weeks in, and you're, like, the scale is not moving. Like, even, like, the comments that I had last night on the VIP call, I, like, pulse-checked my crew, and I was like, guys, how much are you attached to that scale number? If it goes up, you feel defeated. If it goes down, you feel, like, elated. And I had just comments going, I hate the scale. I hate the scale. I hate it. It's not moving.

03:58And I was like, ooh, that one. And then I followed up by asking my community, how many of you guys, you know, is this the first time that you are doing strength training? And, like, doing it the right way. Like, consistently following a program from the coaches that are putting the program together for you, and, like, you're doing these exercises for the first time. And I asked them to give me the muscle emoji. Comment after comment after comment after comment on the muscle emoji. And I was like, let's go. So, like, if you guys, on the other end of the podcast, listen to this, resonate with the scale and hating it and not moving and resonate with, like, oh, this is really the first time because you've dabbled in, like, cardio or you've dabbled in boot camps or you've dabbled in, like, Orange Theory or you've dabbled in Orange 40 or F45 or you've dabbled in, like, other things but not actually, like, a consistent, solid, like, your focus is strength training.

04:53If that is you, this podcast is going to blow your mind. Okay? Getting into strength training, you guys getting into weightlifting, doing these exercises, think of it like this. And I'm going to pull, like, analogies throughout this podcast to paint it in a view that really is how my brain works. My brain works in pictures and analogies. So, like, if it makes sense that way for me, I know it'll make sense for you guys because I do better with explaining it that way. So, I want you guys to think about strength training as, like, playing a video game where you, this is how you feel at the beginning of your journey.

05:27You expect to be the level as soon as you start to learn how to play. Okay? Okay? But, look, just like it takes time to learn how all the tricks to the video game, all, like, the controls to the video game, your body takes time to show changes from all of your hard work. And so, next analogy for you guys to think about is thinking about your body being a superhero in training. Just because you can't see their powers doesn't mean they aren't getting any stronger. Same thing is happening with your muscles.

06:00Inside your muscles, there's a lot of awesome stuff happening here. Inside of your body, there's a lot of awesome stuff happening here. They're growing, they're getting ready to lift more, and they're helping you get better and stronger. All of the things that require strength. Walking, balancing, carrying your groceries, carrying your grandkids, running, keeping up with your grandkids. That's the cool thing that's happening with your muscles when you are starting to incorporate strength training. It's also, in comparison, very much like something when you're trying something new for the first time.

06:34Maybe it's macronutrients for you that you're trying for yourself for the first time. At first, you don't know much. It feels like it's like a huge learning curve. Same thing. With practice, you get better and better and better. With strength training, you get better and better and better. The more that you practice, the more that you show up, the more that you do it consistently. Your muscles are learning too here. And even if the scale doesn't show it, they're becoming like, your muscles are becoming like super muscles that are stronger and can do more.

07:05Okay? So to highlight like the North Star, this conversation right now, it's not just about the scale. It's about all of the amazing changes happening on the inside of your body and how you feel on the inside of your body. Okay? Okay, I love and I've used this before and I've said it before. It's like you are healing your body from the inside out. And like while these processes are manifesting and changing and you're going through this, the internal changes that are happening, that's going to take time.

07:39And it may not always show on the physical side. But if you keep up with it, you're consistent. You understand what I'm going to talk about tonight. Why the scales and budging and why you shouldn't give up after week four. Then if you keep going with it, all of the physical results will come. You just got to, it's like, it's not as quick as like the quick fixes you're used to. Or jumping on an all-in like trendy diet and experiencing results in the first week. You will experience results in the first week, but you will notice it in terms of your energy. You will notice it in terms of your mood.

08:10You will notice it in terms of sleeping better. You'll notice it maybe in terms of the strength that you have inside the gym. Right? So it's not all the physical, but it's all of these things that are happening internally that are making you stronger. And soon if you just keep going with it, you'll see it on the physical side. That's what I love to say, man. If you can just accept that your journey is going to take you like six to 12 to 18 months to see the physical results. Once you just accept that, your journey gets so much more enjoyable.

08:41And like you can start to learn that it's not just all about this scale. And like you can find love in the process that you're experiencing because you feel so much better. And that feeling is way better than a scale victory. Okay? So let's dive into these three reasons. Why? Why? That weight is not budging. And why it may not be budging for you. Especially when you're starting to focus on strength training exercises. And more so strength training exercises that are the first time you're doing it consistently and following a routine for the first time.

09:15Okay? The first and most important one that I want you guys to grasp is... Hey, hey. Just want to drop a huge appreciation to you guys listening to this show. It means a lot. I hope you guys are enjoying it. And there's so much more to come with it. If you are enjoying it, hit the subscribe button. I'd appreciate that tons. And also, it would help this podcast reach others who need to hear these messages too. The concept of your body building more muscle. Okay? So when you start lifting weights or you start doing exercises like, you know, pull-ups, squats, push-ups, your body is really busy building muscle here.

09:53Now, muscles are pretty special because think about it like your kid's book bags. They're dense like the books in your kid's book bags. And on the other hand, fat is more like the fluffy stuffing inside of a teddy bear. Muscle doesn't take up as much room as fat does. So as you build muscle, you may not be getting lighter, but you're actually getting tighter and stronger. Kind of like how a sponge, right, gets super heavy when it soaks up water, but it doesn't get bigger.

10:29That's exactly what's happening with your body. And I've talked about this in like one of the early, early, early episodes of the podcast with the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Because what you guys are experiencing, especially to you guys that I talked to, to the community of warrior babes, to the macro and to the strength training world, the result you get is fat loss. It's fat loss. It's not weight loss.

11:01Okay. You are decreasing the body fat around the muscles that you are building and preserving. And so when you do that, muscles, when they touch and strength train and touch weight and do exercises, starts to get, you're building them and they start to get more dense. They start to get more solid. They start to get more strong. While at the same time, you're decreasing the body fat around it.

11:35So that is how like you could be next to somebody who's 150 pounds that doesn't have any muscle mass. And you could weigh 150 pounds that has muscle mass. Me. Example, I weigh 150 pounds. However, you put me next to somebody that is my same height and structure, female, that weighs 150 pounds with less muscle mass. We look drastically different. That is because muscle takes up less space, but it is more dense than fat does. They weigh the same, but it's just one is way more dense and takes up less space, like the books in a book bag.

12:08And then the fat is more, has more volume to it. And it's, it takes up more space, like, like the fluffing in a teddy bear, like I said. Or like, think of like muscle is like, you soak up a sponge and it gets heavy because it's filled with water, but it doesn't actually get bigger. That's exactly what's happening here. And here's a cool fact. Like, think about a tiny square of muscle and a tiny square of fat. The square is going to be heavier because it's packed in there more like tightly. Right? That's why you will, that's why you will, like the concept of sharing right now,

12:41you will weigh the same on the scale, even though you're getting more muscle. It's because what's inside your body is changing. It's not just about getting lighter. It's about all the awesome stuff that's now happening with your muscles. And so more to that scale, right? Because so many emotions go around that thing. It's a bit of a freaking tricky tool, right? It's like it has a secret code that doesn't want us to, it doesn't want to tell us. But listen to me loud and clear. It shows us how heavy we are, but it doesn't tell us what we're made up of.

13:18Like that is such an empowering statement. And I want you guys to play that back over and over and over again for yourself. It shows us how heavy we are, but it doesn't tell us what we're made up of. It can't tell the difference between the weight of our muscles, the weight of our fat, the water in our bodies, or the density of our bones. That's why you could be getting super, super strong with muscles of steel. And that scale number might not budge.

13:49Like it's not being mean to you, right? It just doesn't know any better. It's literally just telling you how heavy you are. Not what you're made up of. Not that you have more muscle than fat. Not that your bones are, you know, stronger because of the muscle that you're building so they're more dense. X, Y, and Z, right? And usually when I bring this up, they're like, well, Nikki, what are ways that I can track my body fat a little bit better, right? So people use calibers. People do these fancy machines that are like DEXA scans.

14:21People do in-body scans. People just take progress pictures, right? Those tools are like, they're way more of a detective to help solve the mystery of what's going on in your body when the scale isn't giving you the full story. Think of it like that. So remember, when you're like working out, when you're getting stronger, even though the scale isn't moving, it's not about the number. It's about how you're turning your body into a muscle-building, fat-burning, super strong machine. And that's what really counts.

14:51So just remember that. Muscle is more dense than fat, okay? So if you have more muscle mass on your body, the scale could be reflective of the same scale that somebody doesn't have enough muscle mass on their body, has more fat on their body that weighs 150 pounds. You can weigh about 150 pounds that has more muscle mass than somebody that weighs 150 pounds that has less muscle mass. It's just telling you how heavy you are. It's not telling you how much muscle and fat ratio you have. So like step one, reason one, that is why the scale could not be budging.

15:25However, you could be seeing tremendous results internally with you building more muscle. And physically at some point, you could be weighing the same as you started your journey, or maybe like a two or three pound difference, but yeah, you could look completely different. Because you're strength training. You're building muscle. It's more dense, okay? So one, two. Water retention. Hear me loud and clear when I say that you, when you strength train, retain water, not fat.

15:59And I'm going to elaborate. I'm going to explain. Imagine your muscles are like this tiny construction team of workers. It's like, think about like a construction site. You have these tiny construction workers going on. It's a team of them. When you lift weights, or you do strength training, or you do pushups, for example, it's like giving these workers a big job to do, okay? So you're giving your muscles, your muscles are the tiny workers. You're giving your muscles a big job to do.

16:29And sometimes they have to work really freaking hard. And this causes tears. This causes tears in their outfits, their jeans, they get scraped up, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's the muscle fibers that are breaking down while you are strength training, okay? Your muscles get these little tiny tears. Your body sends in help, kind of like a repair crew with lots of water to help fix everything up. That water is like healing juice for your muscles.

16:59It helps them grow back stronger so that you work it harder and longer. And because of this water rushing in, you may feel puffy. And when you step on the scale, it might say that you're a bit heavier. For example, think about it like this. Go do a leg day. Go do a back day. Those are the biggest muscles of our bodies. Then step on the scale the next day. I guarantee you the scale will probably go up a pound or two pounds.

17:35It is not fat. You did not gain two pounds in one day. Your body is pulling on water weight to help the repair process of those muscles that have just been broken down during that workout. Have to create these little fibers that are broken. And need repair. And so the crew is coming in to fix it. And they bring water to fix it. Because water is a huge essential part of all nutrition. That's going to help the recovery process to build your muscles back stronger.

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18:45Look, don't wait anymore. Take charge of your health and join our community of strong, empowered women. Visit warriorbabe.com forward slash apply today to start your transformation. That's warriorbabe.com forward slash apply. All right. Let's get back to the show. Along with the water retention, there's this thing called inflammation, which is your body's way of putting up like caution tape around the construction site. It's telling everyone to be careful and let the repair people do their job.

19:21This can make you hold on to even more water. Okay. Just until these repairs are done and your muscles are ready for more fun, more lifting. This kind of inflammation is not something you need to worry about. This is good inflammation. This is not bad inflammation like that's related to like chronic diseases and things like that. Right. So it's just your body's way of getting stronger and ready for you the next time that you go and exercise. So even if the scale doesn't move, you're still doing amazing things for your body.

19:53Okay. I need that one to really drill at home because this next one's going to blow your mind. This water, that's water weight. It's water weight. It's not fat. Okay. Your bodies are your strength training. It's something your body has never done before. And so after three weeks of doing this consistently and following a new plan, it's more likely than not that the scale will not budge. Because what's happening here internally is these things that I'm talking about.

20:26Okay. This next one. And like I said, this one's going to blow your mind. Increased glycogen storage happens when you start strength training. Okay. Imagine glycogen as your body's special energy sugar that saves up while you're lifting weights. When you eat foods like, just think about that. It's an energy. The glycogen is your body's special energy sugar.

20:58And it saves up for when you're lifting weights. Okay. I'm going to break down that concept here. When you eat foods like bread, bagels, rice, fruit. What are those? What macronutrient are those? They are carbohydrates. Your body takes these carbohydrates and your body turns them into glycogen. And think of it like this. It's like a, it's like a super, you're Mario playing the Mario Bros game or whatever it is.

21:32And he's like, how he gets bigger, right? It's a power up. The carbohydrates that could turn into glycogen is a power up for your muscles. When you start strength training, your body thinks, wow, we need to be ready for this fun lifting stuff. So it starts saving up more glycogen in your muscles and in your liver. Just like, like think about it as a concept of like you saving up money for a new workout outfit, right? You're saving up money for a new gym outfit.

22:05Your body is saving up more glycogen in your muscles and your liver so that it can do more of this cool stuff called lifting. And the cool part here is that when your body stores more glycogen, it also holds on to water. Sort of like how the sponge holds on to water. For every little bit of glycogen that your body saves, it also keeps three times as much water. Let that sink in for a second because I just talked about water retention, right?

22:39So when your body, you give your body carbohydrates, it turns them into glycogen to help you be more powerful with your muscles and lifting. And then you start strength training. Your body's like, whoa, this is, we need to be ready for this really cool lifting thing. So your body starts to store more glycogen into your muscles, into your liver. And so when your body starts to do that, it also holds on to water and keeps up to three times as much water in your body. This, think about it like this, breaking it down.

23:15When you guys eat carbohydrates, this is actually what's happening on internally. And this could be the cause of why you feel a bit heavier. It is not fat. I gotta say, man, hashtag make carbs great again here right now. Because carbs get such a bad rep because of actually this scientific thing that's happening inside of our bodies. But because, I mean, I don't expect everybody to know this scientific process.

23:47But when people feel heavier or they see the scale go up because you're eating more carbs, they attribute it immediately to fat. It is not fat. Carbs don't make you fat. What makes you fat is you eating way too much food or being in a calorie surplus. What is happening here is that your body is just holding on to water. It's just holding on to water, right? And especially two to three weeks into your journey, you guys,

24:19and you're eating carbs for the first time more than you've eaten before. This is what's happening. Paired with strength training. You are not getting fatter. Your body is doing this process inside to help your muscles get stronger. And so for every bit of glycogen that it stores to help you power up in your lifts, it's holding on to three times as much water.

24:53It's not fat. Carbs don't make you fat. Make carbs great again. Okay? So even though you may feel a bit heavier, it's not you getting fatter. And even though you may weigh a little bit more on the scale, it's really just a sign that your body is turning into an even better energy saving machine. Point blank. Okay? So those are the three reasons why you may not be seeing the scale budge

25:28in the first few weeks or few months of you getting into the world of strength training. And strength training the right way with a consistent routine, doing exercises that are challenging your body to make all these processes happen. So what I want you to do is that the next time you feel defeated, four weeks into your journey of starting this,

26:00let yourself be reminded of what I just shared with you here today. is that actually you are making progress. And actually, you are getting stronger. And actually, that scale is not telling you the whole story. Okay, ladies? Okay, my friends? I hope this podcast helped you dramatically. And please, I asked, can you please share this?

26:31Because I can positively impact you guys. But I need the help to get this message out to all of the other women that have no idea about this podcast, but would greatly benefit from this podcast to help reframe their mind around the scale, around strength training, around building more muscle, around all of the things that incorporate what I just shared with you guys today. So please, I just asked,

27:01screenshot this, share this with a friend that needs to hear it. So, appreciate you. Love you guys. And I'll catch you in the next podcast. Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals, and feel insanely confident. And the only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask for you to do is if you could leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds. And it will mean the absolute world to me

27:32and may change the world of someone else. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one. And it will be a good one.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.