Why You’re NOT Losing Weight with Strength Training (and How I Fix)

Unlike popular belief it’s very difficult to start losing weight purely from strength training when you’re new to working out. Regardlless which workouts the person followed, how hard they trained and how much more protein did they ate -  I get frequent DMs from folks complaining that the number on the scale barely budged and what they can do about it. If you are a beginner lifter looking for a clear path to start losing weight today without overtraining or excessive dieting - this article is for you.

In this post, we’ll discuss why that is, what you can do to start seeing results right away, and I’ll summarize my best advice that I give new clients who want to get stronger and lose body fat at the same time. Let's go!

I will walk you through why strength training alone often does not result in effective and fast weight loss, what can help you get results quickly and map out a practical plan you can follow to get both strength and fat loss without burning out.

What strength training actually does (and what it does not do)

Strength training builds muscle. That sentence sounds obvious, but it is the foundation of the whole discussion. Muscle increases your resting energy expenditure. Think of muscle as an engine or a furnace. The larger that furnace, the more calories your body uses while you sleep, work, and live your normal life.

However, if you are new to lifting, your basal metabolic rate (think: furnace that runs to keep the body alive) starts out small. When you begin training, you slowly enlarge it. That process takes time. Early week-to-week improvements might look dramatic in confidence and movement quality, but caloric impact is modest at first. A beginner who adds 5 kilograms to a squat weekly or goes from knee push-ups to full push-ups has made important progress. That progress does not automatically translate into a daily calorie burn large enough to create visible weight loss within a few weeks.

Why the scale doesn't budge

• Caloric deficit is the main driver of fat loss. No amount of strength training will make significant fat loss happen unless you are in a sustained calorie deficit.
• Body recomposition hides changes. Beginners often build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Muscle gains can offset fat loss on the scale, so your weight may not change even though your body looks and feels different.
• Strength sessions burn fewer calories than most people expect. Because lifting involves sets and rests, the steady calorie burn from continuous cardio is usually higher per minute than lifting.

Cardio versus strength training: different tools for different jobs

Cardio is the faster way to increase calorie burn in the short term. A 30 minute run, uphill walk, bike ride, swim, or rowing session can burn 300 to 500 calories depending on intensity. Do that a few times a week and you will create a sizeable weekly energy deficit.

Strength training does not usually match that immediate calorie burn in-session. Many people overestimate how many calories they burn while lifting. For most trainees, especially beginners and intermediates, the in-gym calorie burn might be in the 100 to 300 calorie range per session. The real long-term value of strength work is the muscle you build that raises your baseline calorie needs.

The long game: why both matter

If you only do cardio, you can lose weight fast at first. That initial loss often plateaus when your body adapts or when you reach a hunger threshold that makes further restriction unsustainable. If you only do strength training, you will build muscle and strength, but your total weekly calorie burn from training may not be enough to cause notable weight loss.

My recommendation is to treat both as complementary. Use strength training to build an engine and cardio to create the short-term deficit that moves the scale while your muscle growth compounds over months.

How I program strength and cardio for fat loss and strength gains

I coach many women who are new to powerlifting or strength training. Here is the practical setup I use when the goal is both strength and fat loss:

1. Start with strength training 2 to 3 times per week. Focus on the main compound lifts and progressive overload. Prioritize going close to failure on main lifts and true effort on accessory work.
2. Add cardio 2 to 3 times per week. Keep these sessions manageable: 20 to 40 minutes per bout depending on your schedule and recovery. Mix steady state and interval work based on preference and recovery.
3. Protein and recovery matter. Eat enough protein to support muscle repair. Ensure sleep and stress management so you can progress in both your lifting and cardio.
4. Be patient. If you do not have the energy to recover from both immediately, start with strength training alone for 4 to 12 weeks and then add cardio gradually.

Here is a sample week I often recommend:

• Monday: Strength (full body emphasis, heavy)
• Tuesday: Cardio (30 minutes steady state or intervals)
• Wednesday: Rest or active recovery
• Thursday: Strength (accessory focus, technique)
• Friday: Cardio (30 minutes) or optional conditioning
• Saturday: Strength (light to moderate intensity)
• Sunday: Rest or walk

If you are short on time, two strength sessions and two cardio sessions per week will still make impressive progress. That combination creates a realistic extra calorie burn and gives you enough practice to get stronger.

Why I do not recommend a pure diet deficit at the start

I rarely put new trainees into a strict calorie deficit through diet alone. Here is why:

• Many people fall into the normal BMI range and are not dramatically overweight. Extreme dieting in that group can make them miserable.
• Severe calorie restriction at the same time as learning to lift makes recovery and progress much harder. You will feel weaker, more sore, and more likely to quit.
• Combining modest cardio and strength creates a more sustainable path to fat loss without sacrificing energy for training.

The train and the bike: a metaphor that helps

I sometimes describe strength training as a train and cardio as a bike. The train takes forever to gain momentum. Strength adaptations are slow but powerful over time. Once the train has momentum, it carries you far and fast. Cardio is like a bike. It gets you moving quickly and creates fast calorie burn early on, but it is easier to plateau and harder to scale indefinitely without burning yourself out.

Which is better? The answer is both. If you enlarge the "engine" first with strength training, then use cardio to accelerate fat loss, you will reach a sustainable result faster and with less total fatigue than trying to outrun the bike alone.

I asked AI to make an image combining a bike and a trian for your entertainment.

Measuring progress: the right metrics

Scale weight is a blunt tool. It does not capture the nuance of recomposition, water shifts, or daily variance. I suggest a combination of methods:

• Weekly photos taken under similar lighting and clothing. Photos are the best visual tracker of changes in body shape.
• Daily weigh-ins averaged across the week for a stable read on weight without becoming obsessive.
• Strength numbers and performance. Use progress in your primary lifts as an indicator that you are building muscle.
• How your clothes fit and how you feel.

Beginners frequently tell me they are frustrated because the scale does not move even though they fit into smaller jeans and people comment on their shape. That is body recomposition. Celebrate strength and aesthetic wins even when the number on the scale is stubborn.

Common mistakes I see and how to fix them

Here are the errors I correct the most with trainees:

• Expecting immediate weight loss from lifting alone. Fix: Add consistent cardio sessions and monitor calories if needed.
• Overdoing cardio early and burning out. Fix: Prioritize strength first or alternate strength and cardio to protect recovery.
• Obsessing over single weigh-ins. Fix: Use weekly averages and photos.
• Not progressively overloading cardio. Fix: Make cardio a progressive discipline. Increase intensity or duration to keep burning the same or more calories as you adapt.
• Neglecting protein and recovery. Fix: Aim for a protein target that supports muscle growth and sleep that supports recovery.

Realistic timelines and expectations

Muscle growth is slow. Noticeable changes in composition often take months rather than weeks. If your goal is to get stronger and leaner, aim for steady, measurable improvements over six months to a year.

Short-term aggressive strategies can produce quick weight loss but are often unsustainable and can cost you muscle. A slow but consistent approach that pairs strength with targeted cardio yields the best long-term results.

My simple checklist to get traction

When a new client asks me for a condensed plan, I give them this checklist. Follow it faithfully and you will almost always see progress.

1. Strength sessions 2 to 4 times per week. Focus on main lifts and progressive overload.
2. Cardio sessions 2 to 3 times per week. Keep sessions steady and progressive.
3. Aim for enough protein to support muscle repair. Prioritize whole foods and balance.
4. Track with weekly photos and weekly averaged weigh-ins.
5. Be patient. Give strength training time to increase your baseline metabolism before expecting dramatic scale changes.

Final thoughts

For vegan powerlifter strength training beginner women, the path to losing weight and gaining strength is about smart planning and realistic expectations. Strength training builds the long-term engine. Cardio creates the short-term deficit. Nutrition and recovery determine how well you can juggle both. Use photos and averaged weigh-ins to measure progress and focus on strength milestones rather than short-term scale fluctuations.

If you follow a balanced program that blends strength and cardio and you track wisely, you will get stronger and leaner without burning out. Small changes compound. The train may take time to get going, but once it does, it will carry you further than the bike ever could.

Quick recap

• Strength training alone rarely produces rapid weight loss for beginners.
• Combine 2 to 4 strength sessions with 2 to 3 cardio sessions for the best balance.
• Track with photos and weekly averages, not daily scale anxiety.
• Prioritize protein, sleep, and progressive overload in both lifting and cardio.

Use this approach consistently and you will see the results you want: stronger lifts, better shape, and long-term sustainable fat loss.