How to eat for muscle gain and fat loss?

flrancho

I've lost a total of 130 pounds, but unfortunately am a bit "skinny fat". Thus, I'd like to recomp - maintain my current weight, build muscle, and loose body fat.

I know a lot of the basics, make sure I eat a lot of protein on days I work out, increase the amount you are lifting at the gym when the old weight becomes too easy, work to the point of failure, if you can do more than 5x5 you're weights are too light.... but how should I be eating?

I maintain at 1650. I'll generally eat this amount on days I don't go to the gym. On days I do, I'll bump my calories up to around 1900 or so for the day. But I recently saw something about eating at a slight deficit to maintain weight, gain muscle, and loose fat, so I'm wondering if I'm eating wrong alternating eating at maintenance and over maintenance? Do I need to have a slight deficit to see muscle gain and fat loss? How many calories should I be cutting if that's the case? Cut on off days, workout days, or both? Anything else - low fat, high carb, high protein..... anything else I might be doing wrong in terms of eating to attain my goals?

mmapags

If you eat at a deficit, even slight, you will struggle to gain muscle. Women, under optimum circumstances, gain about 1 lb of muscle per month. Optimum means a slight calorie surplus, adequate proteins and progressive weight training.

What you sound like you are looking for is recomp. You eat at maintenance, adequate protein and progressive weight training. You will slowly lose fat and gain muscle. The other option is a bulk/ cut cycle where you eat a surplus for 6 months, about 200 or 250 cals over maintenance, build some muscle, then cut calories back down to lose fat while still doing weight training to keep the muscle gains.

Nutritionally, the only keys are enough protein, I like 1 gram to 1.2 grams per lb of lean mass, while building muscle. Some say less so it's up for debate. Adequate fats, .35 to .4 grams per lb and the rest carbs. Low fat can foul up hormones and that would work against you. Carbs are the variable and the least important macro in the equation as long as you have adequate energy for your workouts.

The rest is time and patience.....

sardelsa

If you want to recomp, definitely check out this thread:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

You don't have to eat more protein on workout days unless you prefer it that way, you don't have to lift to failure or anything like that. I would definitely follow a progressive lifting program for best results, take a look at this thread for program options
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

jamesakrobinson

Might be a little controversial but my own experience says that if you're trying to recomp or lean gain then eating like a carnivore will really accelerate it. (keto is also a good choice for either of those)

sijomial

You don't have to cycle calories and/or macros to recomp. Personal preference only.
You could make an equal or better case for eating more protein the day after your workouts but getting an adequate amount daily covers all cases. Protein needs are also lower at maintenance than when the person was losing weight.

There's a lot of awful articles about recomp which appear to be trying to make something normal and simple seem special and complex.