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Should I stay at maintenance? (Pics)

liliumion
liliumion Posts: 2 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi. I've been using MFP off and on for quite a while now, but I've never actually posted on the forums until now. I was wondering if anyone could give me some objective advice?

I'm 25 years old, 5'8", 155 lbs and I've been eating at maintenance calories for a while now, pretty much for lack of any other direction. I do full body strength workouts 3 times a week, with no cardio, but I have a job where I am on my feet all the time. My primary goal is strength (particularly upper body) but I would like to look more muscular too.

Here is a before and after of about 8 months difference, but the same weight. The one on the right is me right now.
gAQnO.jpggARby.jpg

Does it look like I'm ready to start eating at a surplus, deficit, or just keep doing what I'm doing? Maybe someone could give me a rough estimation of my body fat percentage or something?

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Keep doing what you are doing :)
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    edited March 2015
    If you would like to look more muscular, you should cut some more body fat to reveal the muscle underneath. Then you'd be more defined and carved looking. I'd say you were mid twenties bf.
    You look awesome now, but if you want that look then cutting body fat to sub 20%(losing 5-10lb), then bulking (adding muscle and fat again), and then cutting that fat will make you even more muscular and bring your bf percentage down again.

    Careful when cutting, you need to keep eating adequate protein and lifting to avoid losing muscle. I'd also not cut more than 200 calories off my net to make sure I don't lose hard earned muscle.
  • liliumion
    liliumion Posts: 2 Member
    Springfield1970 wrote: »
    If you would like to look more muscular, you should cut some more body fat to reveal the muscle underneath. Then you'd be more defined and carved looking. I'd say you were mid twenties bf.
    You look awesome now, but if you want that look then cutting body fat to sub 20%(losing 5-10lb), then bulking (adding muscle and fat again), and then cutting that fat will make you even more muscular and bring your bf percentage down again.

    Careful when cutting, you need to keep eating adequate protein and lifting to avoid losing muscle. I'd also not cut more than 200 calories off my net to make sure I don't lose hard earned muscle.
    Thank you so much for your input. That sounds like the best way to go about it. I think last time I tried to lose weight, my calorie deficit might have been set too high, because my workouts really suffered for it. I will try for around 200 like you said.

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