Longterm Weightloss

tjsingh91

Hi, I'm a 5'11" 23 year old Male looking to get under 200lbs. I Started about a Month ago at 274 and am at about 257 with 17 pounds lost in a month. My question is, If anyone could friend me and see if I am eating enough. Also, at one point should I expect to Plataeu. I go to the gym atleast 5-6 times a week and do mostly cardio (Walk uphill, run, elliptical).

Thanks for any advice.

TimothyFish

I don't friend people, but it sounds like you're eating less than you should. You could afford to raise you intake by 200-500 calories a day.

tjsingh91

Thanks Timothy. Do you suggest any lifting?

ana3067

tjsingh91 wrote: »

Thanks Timothy. Do you suggest any lifting?

Yes. More so than cardio unless you are relying on cardio to increase your food intake.

Liftng4Lis

Can you open your diary?

tjsingh91

ana3067, My main goal is to lose fat over gain muscle. I would like to just keep the muscle i have, but lose the body fat, would you still suggest more lifting than cardio?

Liftng4Lis, I've opened the diary. Thanks!

Phoenix_Down

tjsingh91 wrote: »

ana3067, My main goal is to lose fat over gain muscle. I would like to just keep the muscle i have, but lose the body fat, would you still suggest more lifting than cardio?

Liftng4Lis, I've opened the diary. Thanks!

Yes to lifting. You will greatly benefit from it for fat reduction in a deficit. It helps retain lean mass along with getting a good amount of protein.

tjsingh91

Hey Guys, So im about 2 months in now and 30 lbs down. I have started to lift regularly (3-4) times a week and am really scared that the scale will only go up and I want to drop pounds while gaining muscle. Is this something I should be worried about?

futuremanda

Why are you scared that the scale will go up? Unless you're eating over your maintenance + exercise calories, you won't gain fat.

The lbs you weigh include everything in your body, from fat to bone, muscle, hair, water, food you're digesting, etc. You want to lose fat while preserving and gaining muscle. What the scale says on any given day is not that important.

Sometimes when you start building muscle you hit a "plateau", but it isn't really a plateau (aka making no progress). You are probably still losing fat, but muscle weighs more, and a lot of muscle build can result in some water retention. Muscle also takes up less space, so you may still physically be getting smaller.

Basically, you may hit a short period where the scale is just not a very good tool for measuring your progress. You don't need to change anything, just be patient and keep on.

ana3067

You won't gain weight regardless of your exercise regimen if you eat at a caloric deficit. Exercise doesn't determine weight management. You will not gain muscle unless you eat at a surplus.