Switching from Weight loss to Muscle gain and Fat loss. Help.

sarah18253

neanderthin wrote: »

Also when you get closer, up your calories to maintenance and increase weight intensity until you start to lose more weight (fat hopefully) then increase to maintenance again, repeat or increase calories and intensity.

Thank you. I have actually upped my calories to a 250 cal deficit per day. I guess I'll try maintenance level on Body Pump days. Although, I'm not quite sure how I should go about increasing the weight I'm using during the workout, because I'm squatting with all the weights the program came with, but at the same time, I don't want my thighs to get bigger, just my butt! Ha, is that possible?

Do I just do more squats?

I'm not sure if this effects anything at all, but I am also a runner, and am currently training for a half, so right now I do 3 hard training runs a weeks.

sarah18253

I'm all of a sudden having terrible feelings of guilt! I hope I didn't just hijack this nice mans post! In all my years using MFP, I don't think I've ever asked for help. I know I read, and Google, and read some more, but when I read his question, I got all excited and just started typing without making sure I was in the "right spot". I'm not sure what proper MFP etiquette is, but If I did hijack your post, I apologize.

abhisheksengupta

Absolutely not Sarah, I just checked after weeks lol. Congrats on your progress!
I can relate a lot. Strength training seems to be working great.

FaizanRaza

For the next 3-6 months literally just stick to a 20% calorie defecit and keep to the program. SL isn't for muscle growth it's for strength so dont expect huge changes any time soon they will be very slow and gradual. To get that perfect 6 pack model body takes 4-8 years if gym training for most success stories. And no simply put your not gaining muscle are the same rate your losing fat. Esspecially not on this program. You just need to keep going and slowly you'll see the effects not quickly like you want

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish

Odd how this post turned out! I would recommend looking at how important strength vs thin looks and abs are for you since you are in a healthy weight range. The lower body fat you go, the harder/longer in general it will be to gain strength.

Abs are 90% about body fat, not strength gain. I use this example all the time: when one of my friends and I would go in the gym and use the ab machine for example, I would use the whole stack of 220lbs for reps, whereas he would only use say 50lbs. But if we take off our shirts, he has visible abs, and mine you could barely see vague outlines of. Unless you have a lot of time and determination to become elite level athlete, abs and strength increase tend to be different directions, just as gaining strength and weight loss are different directions after a while. Cardio and strength training are also somewhat different directions past a certain point as well.

And yes of course, some people have genetic advantages/disadvantages for everything, and where you lose fat is definitely genetic, as is how easy it is to see your abs and what your abs actually look like when you can see them.

kodji67

Can someone please clarify what I think I am hearing here? That one should continue to focus on losing weight until happy with their body fat %, and then focus on slightly above maintenance to develop muscle mass? Or if I'm within 10 lbs of being totally lean would it be advisable to work on muscle now and worry about the last bit of fat after? Please pardon my noob confusion

I am 5'7 female, 135 lbs, and am rather shocked how much belly/love handle fat remains at this weight compared to when I was last here (30.5" waist vs 28"). Of course, my chest and rear have all but disappeared. I don't really want to go too much lower in weight, but I definitely want to cut this fat. I just started using the YAYOG program to help maintain what teeny muscles I may have. (No gym equipment access)

kodji67

Sorry, I just reread this thread and the answers are all here! (Just had to get away from the kids to focus) Thank you!

abhisheksengupta

Hello everyone, I made this post 7 weeks ago, so here's my progress and observations so far.

Like I had mentioned I have had significant fat in certain areas due to my weight loss regime.

When I joined back the gym in January I was 160 lbs, and looked rather thin (shoulders, calves, back etc). So I spent 8 weeks since then on a mini bulk, banking on a beginner muscle gains with fat loss (There's a small window for a beginner when you put on muscle and lose fat simultaneously when you begin serious muscle training).


I did not strictly stick to SL 5x5, I added calf-work and ab-work, increased the reps a little to comfort. After 8 weeks of bulk I gained quite a bit of muscle mass and size (compared to what I was). Roughly 6-7 pounds. Honestly, I like to believe it was some of the muscle I gained back after the rapid weight loss.

My shoulder, bicep, thighs and back hardened and increased in girth. One noticably thing was the body fat now started 'sticking out' everywhere. The belly size increased slightly, but I could touch the newly forming ab muscles.

So I guess by Feb end, I found by myself looking bigger, wider and mentally prepared to begin another cut. I have been cutting for 4 weeks at 1600-1700 calories with weight training and HIIT twice a week. My weight has dropped down to 160 lbs once again, and this time I have to feel and see the difference to compare.
Everything muscle group seems 'harder' and wider with all the leftover fat sticking out. The chest is starting to get a good shape, the belly looks more ugly though lol, with both muscle and fat in that area and it seems to be reducing VERY slowly since I started on the cut.
I guess it all patience now.

Aiming for strength feels great though. I started with 20-25 lbs of squat, deadlift, bench-press. Have progressed to above 140 lbs in all three is 8 weeks. But I guess in terms of losing all the leftover fat, its still a long way to go.

Will keep posting the progress. Good luck to all sharing a similar journey. Cheers.

davidcliff

Nice Work, in the same boat here, though I started at a higher 'weight class'. Main thing I keep reminding myself(about my belly) If it took 20years to grow(belly) it's going to take more than a couple months to transform, but I'll keep working at it.

Good Luck!

abhisheksengupta

davidcliff wrote: »

Nice Work, in the same boat here, though I started at a higher 'weight class'. Main thing I keep reminding myself(about my belly) If it took 20years to grow(belly) it's going to take more than a couple months to transform, but I'll keep working at it.

Good Luck!

Exactly. Just have to keep on believing.