I recently dropped 30 lbs through diet adjustments. Nothing trendy, just cutting back on prepared and processed foods and most importantly: portion sizes.
5 weeks ago I started a strength training program. Progressive overloading using compound barbell exercises: back squat, press/bench press, and deadlifts. I've never felt stronger!
The thing that's confusing me is that the scale is no longer changing. I feel like I'm eating pretty well, lots of fibre, fruits, and proteins. A lot less carbs than I used to eat.
Is this adage of "muscle weighs more than fat" actually true? And is it keeping my body weight around the same mark because of it? I'm lifting some seriously heavy weights at 5 weeks for a novice -- I'm 5'9" 202lbs and yesterday I squatted 195, benched 175, and deadlifted 215. Today is a rest day and tomorrow I'll be adding 5lbs to each (hence the progressive overloading).
I can't tell if I'm still eating too much since my target weight is definitely under 200 at my height and body type. But I've never done strength training so I don't know how much muscle mass will change my expectation of a target weight because my previous experience was as a lean, aerobically fit twenty-something.