“How Strength Training Changed My Life”
I have a special guest post in store for you guys today! This wonderful lady does not need much introduction, but like the guest posters before her, I feel very fortunate to have her contribute to my blog. Deb from Smoothie Girl Eats Too is not only a friend of mine but also a kick-ass role model for sensible health and wellness! Just don’t mess with her in the weight room 
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How Strength Training Changed My Life (by Deb aka Smoothie Girl)
OK it might sound a tad dramatic. But I firmly believe it to be true.
First let me introduce myself. My name is Deb, and I write a blog called Smoothie Girl Eats Too. I am a fan/friend/kindred spirit to the lovely Lara. If you are reading these words, then you know how fabulous she is. We struck up a cyber-friendship through commenting on each others’ blogs and finally had a really fun weekend hanging out together in the fall. We both understand the struggles of maintaining a significant weight loss. You know about her story, and if you are curious, you can read about mine here and here.
October 2009 Miss ThinSpired & Miss SmoothieGirl (aka Lara & Deb)
One way that we differ is that Lara has not yet fallen head-over-heels, madly & passionately in love with strength training. Notice I said "YET". 
Lara has found a healthy weight without devoting a lot of time to strength training. And she looks amazing. But she is curious about adding more strength training into her healthy living arsenal and that is why she asked me to write a post on this topic. She may never adore it, and neither may you, but you’ll never know until you give it a decent try!
A little history: By eating anything and everything and never exercising, I became a big girl:
~ 1997
I had lost about 70 pounds in 1999 and kept it off for about 8 years. But the weight loss had stalled at a point where I still felt tubby despite the fact that I was spending countless hours weekly doing cardio. At five foot six and a half inches, I weighed about 155-160 pounds.
I was not fat, but I wasn’t lean either. 155-160 lbs: The Cardio Queen
Then in the fall of 2007 I did what I call the Triple Threat (I call it that because I just made it up-indulge me, people!). I incorporated the following three changes into my life:
- Food diary
- Daily smoothies
- Strength training
It is due to the Triple Threat that I dropped another 20 pounds. But truthfully, the strength training might have been the most important of all of them. Strength training completely changed my body. And I believe that it has helped me to maintain my weight loss with LESS EFFORT.
2009 in the weight room. About 140 lbs.
I want to tell you that strength training is so terribly important, especially for women. Here are some of the benefits:
- Lean muscle mass=more calories burned AT REST (read: sitting on the couch)
- Sculpted muscles=less "bulk"= less "junk in the trunk" no matter what the scale says
- Increased bone density (!)
- Empowerment- seriously- when you’re strong, you feel like you can accomplish a LOT, and you CAN
- Increased endurance- even in other training regimens. Inexplicable, but true. It seems to help with running, cycling and other sports.
- Sense of accomplishment- I always feel very accomplished after doing a strength routine. And I love the day-after soreness that tells me I worked hard.
- Improved Sleep
- Improvement with depressive conditions, diabetes, and other chronic conditions such as arthritis and back pain.
I want to dispel a myth for anyone out there who is afraid (as I was) to strength train and consequently (gasp) get big and bulky. Unless you are rockin’ the ‘roids (taking steroids), weight lifting for hours a day and eating like a horse, you will NOT get big. PROMISE!
Top of a lunge
Bottom of a lunge: LARGE CHILD NOT NECESSARY, but kinda fun!
Learn from my mistakes…Do not wait to lose weight and then "firm up". By strength training while you watch your diet, you will actually lose fat more efficiently. Also, when you diet (maintain a low calorie level) you lose muscle. This is not good! By strength training, you can maintain most of your muscle, even while you lose fat. I used to be under the impression that I had a slow metabolism. This was not the case- I was simply lacking the muscle that my body needed to burn calories in a more rapidly.
I also want you to know that you should not shy away from weights that are a challenge. Those little pastel colored weights in the corner of the gym will do you no good unless you are an absolute beginner. You need to pick a weight that makes it difficult to complete the last rep when you do anywhere from 8 to 12 reps. If you can keep going and going, you are lifting too light. I am not saying that you should lift "heavy", but with instruction, you should lift a weight that is tough.
These were about 20-25 pounds each. Optical illusion: they look even bigger than that!
I HIGHLY recommend having a personal trainer work with you to show you the correct form as it is of UTMOST importance to do all of the exercises correctly. You do not want to start a training program only to get sidelined with an injury. Some things to keep in mind: Do not work the same muscle group two days in a row- did you know that your muscle grows on its day off? Also, shoot for a couple of times per week to start- that should be plenty.
By the way, I consider a challenging form of yoga (some names: flow, power, ashtanga, hot) to be a form of strength training as well. Aside from being relaxing and teaching many important life lessons (like breathing through a difficult moment), it takes you through a series of lunges, squats, planks, V-sits and pushups- all under your body’s weight- no small feat! It also helps tremendously with balance training- invaluable for anyone at any age. But even more important as we get older.
I know that there are a lot of bleeps (blog peeps) who are totally on-board with this weight-training way-of-life. Janetha, Susan, and Allie are all fans. You can check out their blogs to see some of their moves.
So I encourage you to get more information about strength training and give it a try if you are physically able. You just might be surprised at how much you grow to love it! And there is no question what it can do for your mind and body.
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Wow, great advice and inspirational story. I’m so lazy when it comes to strength training because “it hurts” and I never know exactly what to do — but you made me seriously want to try again. Thank you!
I loooooove lifting! It has really transformed even just how I walk around on a daily basis. I am a firm believer in it
I’m a total weights gal too! It’s really helping me lose the weight. Love the post!
i am a TOTAL weight training girl. i love it, i live it, and i try to share my passion to those who are interested.
in fact, i am putting a link to this on my own blog because it is such a great post
GREAT post, Deb!!!!!!! you’re my hero for so many reasons including this post and your thoughts about strength training. It’s not my personal path but I love how you’ve explained your views and how it works for you and that’s all that matters. That’s awesome!!!!!! And you can carry my kid aorund anytime, she’s about 40-45 lbs I’d say. You look right at home carrying large child
And did I mention how HOT you look in your pics??!!!
oxox
I LOVE this post! I’m a huge fan of strength training and definitely see a difference when I do it (and when I don’t!) and my HRM confirms an awesome calorie burn! I will say that I have to keep the weights low… I don’t know why, but it’s happened to me before, I’ve gotten bulky. I think it’s just my body type or something? Don’t know, but low weight/high reps is the only thing that works for me! Thanks for sharing – LOVE it – and thanks Thinspired!
Cool everyone and thanks for reading and leaving comments! And thanks to Lara for letting me post on her amazing blog!
Fittingbackin- it’s great that you recognize what works for your body- while it’s not very common for gals to bulk up, at least you get results quicker and the worst that happens is that you have to back down a bit.
Glad that you stick with it though, for all of the great health benefits!
I love this post!
http://katiechangesforkatie.blogspot.com/
Great advice! I just recently (a couple of months ago) returned to the gym. I love to run but I am slowly learning more about strength training as well. I wish I could afford a trainer!
Gosh! That is an incredible story. What a great change, and how strong and motivated to take action like that!
I’ve always been a wimp when it came to strength-training…just hate it! But I’ll think about incorporating it more soon.
Deb, we’re the same height!! Chris insists I’m 5′7″ but I think he’s just in denial about how short he is
You know I love and agree with everything in this post!! Weight training (heavy weights!) changed my life too. When I lost my weight, I would look in the mirror and just see the exact same body as before, just smaller. But weights can totally change your body composition, and while you can’t spot reduce fat loss, you can target muscle areas you want to work on. Most importantly though, weight training gave me CONFIDENCE!!! I’ll never forget my first attempt at lifting free weights with all the beefy guys in the weight room. I was terrified. But I don’t feel self conscious at the gym anymore, or in everyday life
Thanks for the shout-out too
Wowee Deb, you are a hottie! I love how encouraging this post is! I am just starting to get into strength training and weights. I am still terrified of becoming bug and bulky as a result of less cardio, but I am sticking with it for now
xoxo
Hallelujah on the strength training! It really does get you to your “best body” possible – I am 110% convinced.
For the girls who find themselves “bulking up”, take a look at your nutrition and cardio. You might not be burning the fat on top of the muscles …
You look fabulous Deb!!!! Great post!
Great guest post! Strength training rocks and I love how I feel after a good hard session. And feeling like a strong woman is very empowering.
Love it!!!
~Justine
I love this post! I didn’t “discover” strength training until after I’d lost my weight, and I kicked myself for not doing it all along. I love how it makes me feel and, especially, how being stronger makes everything I do in my daily life easier. Also, I can eat more now and maintain my weight. I like that too!
Great post Deb! I discovered how much I love strength training when I was working my tail off in preparation for my wedding. I must say, my shoulders never looked better in a strapless dress and I even lost inches from my waist. My wedding dress was too big! Never thought that would happen…
Your story is fantastic! I love the next day soreness from a good weights workout too, best feeling ever.
Deb is such an inspiration! Great post!!
I’m not head over heels “yet” but this is really making me want to launch my own triple threat after the holidays!! 
Great post!!!
Great post & great advice! In the last few months, I have upped my weight lifting, and I really like the results. In fact, I had hit a frustrating plateau when I was trying to lose the last bit of “pregnancy” weight well after I had my second baby (actually, the “baby” was over a year old by then….). No matter what I did, I just couldn’t lose the weight. But when I honestly looked at what I was doing, I realized that I wasn’t lifting very seriously. Once I developed a plan and challenged myself with heavier weights, I saw results.
Excellent post Deb!! I’ve read your background story on your blog but I didn’t realize how much lifting weights impacted your life. I completely agree, too! Not that I need to – you are living proof. I love how you reiterate that lifting weights will NOT make you big and bulky…a huge fear of my female clients. Awesome post!! I agree with Averie – you look hot!
I am SO in Deb on this one. I LOVE LOVE LOVE strength training and I think I look a lot more toned because of it. My arms and shoulders are one of the body parts I’m most proud. No flabby “wings” on this girl!
A few of my friends are still afraid they’ll bulk up if they lift heavy weights. I tell them that won’t happen, but they still don’t believe me. It’s hard to get rid of those old myths.
i lurrrrv me a good weight lifting session
i look forward to the days i stand next to the meat head muscle packers and pick up weights and do cooler things then them 
great post girl!
OH and i tried the egg whites in the oat bran! a may zing. my oat bran actually started to flood the pot hahaha
I couldn’t agree more!
Deb’s a hottie! Lifting heavy weights (not 5 lb barbie dumbbells) can do amazing things for your metabolism and lean body mass. 30 minutes of lifting versus hours of cardio? Sign me up for that!
Wow, thanks for sharing this! I’m about where you were — significant weight loss with about 30 more pounds to lose and I know that strength training is the key. I just don’t enjoy it like I do cardio.
Now I know for sure though that it can help. This has reinforced my goal to be more serious about strength training.
Great advice
I have been kind of slacking in exercise in general and I need to get back on track. You have a great story!!
Great guest post Lara!! I love Deb’s strength training story, and its totally true- strength training the correct way is totally life changing.
This is a fantastic post!! I really need to get into strength training more – I just started again recently and I can already feel the difference after only a few weeks!
“Lean muscle mass=more calories burned AT REST (read: sitting on the couch)” the #1 reason i love lifting weights
great post deb! thanks for the holler. i need you to do a uest post on my blog again and talk about all your great workout ideas! love you!