Macros, Weight Gain and Frustration

beckty

So, I started with a personal trainer 2 weeks ago. The very first thing he did after looking at my MFP food journal was to bump my calories by nearly 300 per day, to almost 2000, and to increase my protein intake significantly. (My tracking was sketchy for the couple of weeks prior to that, but I’d previously been at about 1700 cal daily and had lost almost 15 lbs since late February) I hadn’t really been hitting my prior protein goal, and that was his biggest focus with my food. Eat. Your. Protein!

So, nearly 1.5 weeks in, I am feeling like I eat all day long. It’s crazy! And….I nearly immediately “gained” 4 lbs. I know I can’t have really gained that. It’s more to do with water/glycogen stores right? He didn’t mention this possibility. I wonder if he even realizes that happens? But he’s not primarily focused on the lbs, as much as sticking to the light cardio and 3 days a week strength training he is getting me into. I wanted to weight train, but it seemed a lot to jump into for someone who’s never lifted. We are working on a “pre exhaustion” type workout, focusing 1 day on legs, 1 day on push and 1 day on pulls. A rotating workout that makes total sense to me. I am fine with that, but trying not to get too worked up about the lbs gained.

Also, really having a hard time balancing out my macros. Going over on fat every day, even though I am not eating garbage. Frustrating. Feel free to look at my diary and make recommendations.

Overall, it’s nice to not feel hungry. But still….I am in this to get fit and lose something like 50 lbs.

heybales

Diary not open. Was curious about the new protein level.

You can overkill it. The most you would need would be 0.82 grams per lb of weight. 0.64 would be realistic though.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/978858-protein-needs-and-calculating

Usually the overkill of protein is done with restricting carbs, that way you get the inefficient conversion of protein in to required carbs, wasting some calories that way.

So you may indeed have gained glucose stores that fast, plus some retained water for lifting. Glucose by itself would be max 4 lbs if about all stores were depleted to totally filled.
But suddenly eating more would see to indicate that.

You might want to confirm your numbers with a good bodyfat stat, which will effect BMR, which effects TDEE, and use an activity calculator specific to what you are doing. And track progress of inches, which with a good workout, may be more meaningful for a while.

He's not turning the lifting in to circuit training by having you run or jump around during intended rest sessions, right? If not, that's lifting category then.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker

Depending on where you are starting, you can actually have a decent deficit right now, and still increase on weight lifting very well.

beckty

Sorry about that! I thought I'd changed diary settings. It's open now. I am at 171 g. of protein, 195 Carbs and 54 fats. (so, 40% carb, 35% protein, 25% fats) I will check out the protein calculation link.

I was asked to do 40 min of cardio 5x's a week at a rather moderate heart rate. Around 130. I'd been KILLING myself on the elliptical, trying to burn more. PT told me that burning at that high of a rate is more likely to burn LBM than fat, and to back off. The weight training is with pure rest between sets. No HIIT at this point, though I think that will come eventually.

There is SO MUCH information on all of this out there. Different routines. Different theories on what works "best" according to a million different opinions. I am doing all I can to totally avoid anything that seems fad'ish, or as so many call it "broscience". But it's hard to sort out, you know?

My body fat calculated to 37% with his measuring thingamabob.

heybales

So that is overkill of protein, to the point it's making your fat lower and easier to go over.
At least 40/30/30 is more reasonable, but still may be over for you. Spreadsheet gives recommendation based on your LBM, since that's what needs the protein.

That's a good balanced routine then, sounds like lower end of Aerobic HR zone, which should allow decent recovery to the lifting prior day, while not tiring out muscles to be used the next day.

And that's why if you are doing lifting - skip the HIIT.
Which frankly if you are lifting properly, you can't accomplish anyway.
At the worst, you kill the repair recovery time the day after lifting.
At the best, you tire out muscles to be used the next day lifting and that fails to be as strong as it could be.

Real HIIT was designed as lifting type response for those ONLY doing cardio as sport, the way to get stronger sport specific, maybe grow more needed muscle. As such it should be viewed as a lifting workout.
Which means don't use the same muscles day after day.
But if lifting, you are already doing that.

The things to remember is that programs designed for lifters or athletes don't translate well for those that aren't, and are eating at a deficit too.
Body is already under stress from eating less even when reasonable deficit, adding more from exercise is counter-productive to weight loss and body improvement. May get some, but not as much as you could get doing it smarter.
Keep that in mind when you read things. Vast majority of trainers and training forget that fact.
Shoot, many of those programs don't work even eating in surplus. Body can only perform so much, at some point the workout isn't getting it's intended results.

Just imagine - how effective would your lifting workout day be for the legs if you did your old-style all out elliptical workout first for 60 min? Can you imagine lifting as much?
For lifting, it's the load that creates the need to make it stronger. But using tired muscles still may feel the same, ugh I can barely finish my set, but because of different reasons. Not because the load was heavy, but just plain tired. Response is to store more glucose in existing muscle for longer session next time.
Response to lifting to failure on fresh muscles is make the muscle stronger for next time, if diet is right, grow more.

beckty

Thanks! This all makes a ton of sense. The PT did tell me that my min protein was 125 g. up to the 170 g. so, I will aim to hit somewhere in the middle most of the time, at least to average that over time. And then I won't sweat the fat being a little high. It was just becoming impossible to get fat that low and still get that much protein.

And it also makes sense why he wanted to be sure I came in to the lifting sessions "fresh". I do a nice cool down cardio on bike or something later, but not before. I'd always heard that you start with your cardio and lift after. Learning quite a bit these days.

I have ZERO interest in HIIT. LIke you said, that's why I am lifting. I am even grateful that the cardio should be no more than a quickly paced walk several times a week.

The lifting though? Gosh, I can't believe what kind of cardio work that is. We did the pre-exhaustion work without machines yesterday because I wanted to learn that in case machines weren't available. So, lying leg/hamstring curls with 25 lb barbell between my feet, wall sits, and shuffles with a band. I was shot, cardio speaking (seriously!), after all of those. So, when it came time for the weited step up's with knee raise, I nearly threw up. I was too lightheaded and couldn't finish. (well, I wanted to, but wasn't allowed) I was completely aggravated by that. But I will keep working. Other than the nausea, the lifting is definitely "the fun part" as he says, and I am looking forward to increasing there.

PT said something about the lighter cardio I am doing along with weight training 3x a week is going to helping to raise my anerobic threshhold. I am not sure I understand all of the purpose behind that.

heybales

Well, you used up all your short term ATP energy stores, and sounds like they weren't recharged yet, so that would make you feel sick. That will get better fast.

Some light cardio just to warm-up the muscle does help lifting, but starting with lighter weights for warm-up sets will do the same thing. Just choice.

Anaerobic threshold, or lactate threshold, the point your body can't flush and use the lactate buildup fast enough, and it starts piling up in the muscle, interfering with muscle contraction.
Go over slightly and you can still go at that pace for a while, go way over and you won't make it long. Either way you'll get that burning in your muscle eventually, like running up stairs and feeling that burning.

Lifting anaerobic will help raise the line slightly, but I'd hardly consider it much of a side effect. Same as lifting can raise your VO2max too. Slightly, but not enough to improve a cardio workout much.
Either thing is great for overall daily use - run up stair easier without the burn for instance. Or use oxygen better so you have a bigger fat burning range before more carb burning comes in to play.
So a measurable effect.

volume77

SAME, I GAINED ABOUT 4 UPPING TO 2000