Gaining muscle but havent lost fat
alymcd1
Posts: 35 Member
Hi everyone!
I just got into fitness back in march (before that i just ran...now i no longer do that)
I started a 3 month HIIT program (all body weight stuff) and didnt see much results..i noticed i have gained muscle because i have definitely gotten stronger and my workouts are much easier to me, plus i can feel the muscle underneath! It is awesome.
Since then, i have been doing some hand weight stuff at home for arms, and have started Kayla Itsines BBG. That is as of the past week and a half.
I eat SUPER clean. Super clean. So my diet is the least of my worries. I dont count calories because that is no way for anybody to live and i dont believe in doing that daily. I would like to know though (just so i can get an idea of around how many i SHOULD ideally be eating per day) should i be eating UNDER maintenance or OVER? I have both goals of losing fat AND gaining muscle. I dont exactly want to compromise one over the other but im sure i dont have a choice! I am assuming i should start "cutting" to lose the fat first, then eat over maintenance to gain muscle?
Also, is this normal? Is it normal to gain muscle and not lose fat for a while? Im a short girl and im sure that has something to do with the fat sticking. Its mainly in my stomach. Not too much, but not definitely as slim as i would like to be. Im 100 lbs and 5 feet. I am definitely not a stick, so i do have fat to lose. I just want my hard work to show off in the mirror as well, as i have gotten frustrated with my body time and time again!
ANY kind tips would be appreciated
I just got into fitness back in march (before that i just ran...now i no longer do that)
I started a 3 month HIIT program (all body weight stuff) and didnt see much results..i noticed i have gained muscle because i have definitely gotten stronger and my workouts are much easier to me, plus i can feel the muscle underneath! It is awesome.
Since then, i have been doing some hand weight stuff at home for arms, and have started Kayla Itsines BBG. That is as of the past week and a half.
I eat SUPER clean. Super clean. So my diet is the least of my worries. I dont count calories because that is no way for anybody to live and i dont believe in doing that daily. I would like to know though (just so i can get an idea of around how many i SHOULD ideally be eating per day) should i be eating UNDER maintenance or OVER? I have both goals of losing fat AND gaining muscle. I dont exactly want to compromise one over the other but im sure i dont have a choice! I am assuming i should start "cutting" to lose the fat first, then eat over maintenance to gain muscle?
Also, is this normal? Is it normal to gain muscle and not lose fat for a while? Im a short girl and im sure that has something to do with the fat sticking. Its mainly in my stomach. Not too much, but not definitely as slim as i would like to be. Im 100 lbs and 5 feet. I am definitely not a stick, so i do have fat to lose. I just want my hard work to show off in the mirror as well, as i have gotten frustrated with my body time and time again!
ANY kind tips would be appreciated
0
Replies
-
You're asking what you SHOULD do but it's all up to you. If you're not losing any fat then you're eating at maintenance or higher. That's not a big deal, especially for someone as light as you. It's a perfectly fine approach. But if you want to build more mass you're gonna have to eat the same or more (and train optimally for hypertrophy). And if you want to lose weight you'll have to eat less. But no one can really tell you that. Are you happy with the direction things are going in? Then just keep doing it.0
-
To achieve any specific goals you need to know what you're eating. Lose =deficit. Recomp/maintain = maintenance. Gain/bilk =surplus.
You could guess, sure, but that'd be like stumbling round in a dark room looking for a pea.
Work out your goal. Work out your calories to suit that goal. Get a kitchen scale and accurately weigh, measure and log everything that goes in to your mouth to meet that goal. You can continue to eat "super clean" (whatever that means) but it's not necessary to get results... And please get a proper lifting program!0 -
At 100 pounds, you need to be gaining muscle to change your body composition and HIIT is not going to do it. You need to be lifting heavy and eating to supporting your gains. Sometimes you have to gain a little to lose a little. I am only 5'2" and I am 148 lbs. If I was 100 pounds, I would have no muscle and look sickly. You need to be tracking your food intake which is the point of MFP....if you are not doing this (at least temporarily), you won't have any idea how many calories you are actually consuming. Macros are important. Also you can't gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You have to pick the priority and at 100 lbs....you need to be building, not losing more weight.0
-
TrailNurse wrote: »At 100 pounds, you need to be gaining muscle to change your body composition and HIIT is not going to do it. You need to be lifting heavy and eating to supporting your gains. Sometimes you have to gain a little to lose a little. I am only 5'2" and I am 148 lbs. If I was 100 pounds, I would have no muscle and look sickly. You need to be tracking your food intake which is the point of MFP....if you are not doing this (at least temporarily), you won't have any idea how many calories you are actually consuming. Macros are important. Also you can't gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You have to pick the priority and at 100 lbs....you need to be building, not losing more weight.
thanks for the advice! Do you think if i built my muscle up the fat would fall off naturally?
Everywhere i read its suggested to cut calories but i cant eat only 1200 a day!! (thats my suggest amt for my height and i think its insane)
0 -
Im sorry but from the workouts youve described, i dont think you'll be gaining much muscle. Have you tried anything like strong lifts or nrol ?
Its totally up to you if youd rather cut first or bulk first. Nobody can really answer that but you.0 -
TrailNurse wrote: »At 100 pounds, you need to be gaining muscle to change your body composition and HIIT is not going to do it. You need to be lifting heavy and eating to supporting your gains. Sometimes you have to gain a little to lose a little. I am only 5'2" and I am 148 lbs. If I was 100 pounds, I would have no muscle and look sickly. You need to be tracking your food intake which is the point of MFP....if you are not doing this (at least temporarily), you won't have any idea how many calories you are actually consuming. Macros are important. Also you can't gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You have to pick the priority and at 100 lbs....you need to be building, not losing more weight.
thanks for the advice! Do you think if i built my muscle up the fat would fall off naturally?
Everywhere i read its suggested to cut calories but i cant eat only 1200 a day!! (thats my suggest amt for my height and i think its insane)
How do you know this if you don't accurately log your calories?0 -
If you're not going to track the calories, what good is it to know how many you "should" have? That's a null statistic.
There are clean foods that can cause you to gain weight/fat.
I hear cardio burns calories, maybe get you some of that?0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »TrailNurse wrote: »At 100 pounds, you need to be gaining muscle to change your body composition and HIIT is not going to do it. You need to be lifting heavy and eating to supporting your gains. Sometimes you have to gain a little to lose a little. I am only 5'2" and I am 148 lbs. If I was 100 pounds, I would have no muscle and look sickly. You need to be tracking your food intake which is the point of MFP....if you are not doing this (at least temporarily), you won't have any idea how many calories you are actually consuming. Macros are important. Also you can't gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You have to pick the priority and at 100 lbs....you need to be building, not losing more weight.
thanks for the advice! Do you think if i built my muscle up the fat would fall off naturally?
Everywhere i read its suggested to cut calories but i cant eat only 1200 a day!! (thats my suggest amt for my height and i think its insane)
How do you know this if you don't accurately log your calories?livingleanlivingclean wrote: »TrailNurse wrote: »At 100 pounds, you need to be gaining muscle to change your body composition and HIIT is not going to do it. You need to be lifting heavy and eating to supporting your gains. Sometimes you have to gain a little to lose a little. I am only 5'2" and I am 148 lbs. If I was 100 pounds, I would have no muscle and look sickly. You need to be tracking your food intake which is the point of MFP....if you are not doing this (at least temporarily), you won't have any idea how many calories you are actually consuming. Macros are important. Also you can't gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You have to pick the priority and at 100 lbs....you need to be building, not losing more weight.
thanks for the advice! Do you think if i built my muscle up the fat would fall off naturally?
Everywhere i read its suggested to cut calories but i cant eat only 1200 a day!! (thats my suggest amt for my height and i think its insane)
How do you know this if you don't accurately log your calories?
because 1200 isnt a good amount for anyone other than a child to consume in one day.0 -
thanks for the reply! i want to lose the fat but i just dont know how ill cut calories, since im so small they suggest 1200 a day---thats nothin! I think id pretty much be starving myself at that point so im not sure what to do. @DopeItUp
at 5 foot 100 punds you don't have any fat ..
you need to bulk or recomp...0 -
thorsmom01 wrote: »Im sorry but from the workouts youve described, i dont think you'll be gaining much muscle. Have you tried anything like strong lifts or nrol ?
Its totally up to you if youd rather cut first or bulk first. Nobody can really answer that but you.
this too ..
1200 calories + HIIT and body weight exercise does not equal a lot of muscle gain0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »TrailNurse wrote: »At 100 pounds, you need to be gaining muscle to change your body composition and HIIT is not going to do it. You need to be lifting heavy and eating to supporting your gains. Sometimes you have to gain a little to lose a little. I am only 5'2" and I am 148 lbs. If I was 100 pounds, I would have no muscle and look sickly. You need to be tracking your food intake which is the point of MFP....if you are not doing this (at least temporarily), you won't have any idea how many calories you are actually consuming. Macros are important. Also you can't gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You have to pick the priority and at 100 lbs....you need to be building, not losing more weight.
thanks for the advice! Do you think if i built my muscle up the fat would fall off naturally?
Everywhere i read its suggested to cut calories but i cant eat only 1200 a day!! (thats my suggest amt for my height and i think its insane)
How do you know this if you don't accurately log your calories?livingleanlivingclean wrote: »TrailNurse wrote: »At 100 pounds, you need to be gaining muscle to change your body composition and HIIT is not going to do it. You need to be lifting heavy and eating to supporting your gains. Sometimes you have to gain a little to lose a little. I am only 5'2" and I am 148 lbs. If I was 100 pounds, I would have no muscle and look sickly. You need to be tracking your food intake which is the point of MFP....if you are not doing this (at least temporarily), you won't have any idea how many calories you are actually consuming. Macros are important. Also you can't gain muscle and lose weight at the same time. You have to pick the priority and at 100 lbs....you need to be building, not losing more weight.
thanks for the advice! Do you think if i built my muscle up the fat would fall off naturally?
Everywhere i read its suggested to cut calories but i cant eat only 1200 a day!! (thats my suggest amt for my height and i think its insane)
How do you know this if you don't accurately log your calories?
because 1200 isnt a good amount for anyone other than a child to consume in one day.
Isn't it? You're short,which unfortunately (if you like eating) means you need less calories. 1200 is not unreasonable if you're trying to lose fat. You have no idea if you'd be "starving" or not if you haven't logged a days worth of food at 1200 calories.0 -
thanks for the reply! i want to lose the fat but i just dont know how ill cut calories, since im so small they suggest 1200 a day---thats nothin! I think id pretty much be starving myself at that point so im not sure what to do. @DopeItUp
at 5 foot 100 punds you don't have any fat ..
you need to bulk or recomp...
i do have fat though, mostly in my stomach area.. would you suggest doing more strength training exercises? If i gained more muscle would i naturally lose fat?
0 -
thanks for the reply! i want to lose the fat but i just dont know how ill cut calories, since im so small they suggest 1200 a day---thats nothin! I think id pretty much be starving myself at that point so im not sure what to do. @DopeItUp
at 5 foot 100 punds you don't have any fat ..
you need to bulk or recomp...
i do have fat though, mostly in my stomach area.. would you suggest doing more strength training exercises? If i gained more muscle would i naturally lose fat?
look into starting strength, strong lifts, all pro beginner, new rules of lifting for woman …pick one of those program and run it for three to four months and eat at maintenance level. If you gain muscle you will look better…my guess is that you are skinny fat ...0 -
thanks for the reply! i want to lose the fat but i just dont know how ill cut calories, since im so small they suggest 1200 a day---thats nothin! I think id pretty much be starving myself at that point so im not sure what to do. @DopeItUp
at 5 foot 100 punds you don't have any fat ..
you need to bulk or recomp...
i do have fat though, mostly in my stomach area.. would you suggest doing more strength training exercises? If i gained more muscle would i naturally lose fat?
Gaining muscle means you have to gain weight, including fat. A recomp is when you mostly stay the same weight, add a little muscle and lose a little fat.
Also, I know you think you're gaining muscle already, but strength gains =/= muscle gains. Follow the advice of others and start a heavy lifting program eating at maintenance.
0 -
thanks for the reply! i want to lose the fat but i just dont know how ill cut calories, since im so small they suggest 1200 a day---thats nothin! I think id pretty much be starving myself at that point so im not sure what to do. @DopeItUp
at 5 foot 100 punds you don't have any fat ..
you need to bulk or recomp...
i do have fat though, mostly in my stomach area.. would you suggest doing more strength training exercises? If i gained more muscle would i naturally lose fat?
look into starting strength, strong lifts, all pro beginner, new rules of lifting for woman …pick one of those program and run it for three to four months and eat at maintenance level. If you gain muscle you will look better…my guess is that you are skinny fat ...
i dont have a gym membership which makes it difficult, obviously! I guess ill figure somethin out....
Thanks!0 -
I am also short and on a 1200 plan. I usually do a 200 calorie whole day activity to allow me to eat a little more. But believe me I am not starving myself.
I am no expert but I think that you should be tracking your calories. Sometimes organic, grass fed, non GMO does not mean healthy it just means it's cleaner. Be smart with the food choices.0 -
I am also short and on a 1200 plan. I usually do a 200 calorie whole day activity to allow me to eat a little more. But believe me I am not starving myself.
I am no expert but I think that you should be tracking your calories. Sometimes organic, grass fed, non GMO does not mean healthy it just means it's cleaner. Be smart with the food choices.
I am smart with my food choices, i pretty much live off of fruits, veggies, eggs and grains. No processed foods, rarely any meat or dairy, dont like sweets, dont drink soda/juice.
0 -
I am also short and on a 1200 plan. I usually do a 200 calorie whole day activity to allow me to eat a little more. But believe me I am not starving myself.
I am no expert but I think that you should be tracking your calories. Sometimes organic, grass fed, non GMO does not mean healthy it just means it's cleaner. Be smart with the food choices.
I am smart with my food choices, i pretty much live off of fruits, veggies, eggs and grains. No processed foods, rarely any meat or dairy, dont like sweets, dont drink soda/juice.
You can overeat any type of food. To get results, weigh measure and log your calories regardless of the source.0 -
I am also short and on a 1200 plan. I usually do a 200 calorie whole day activity to allow me to eat a little more. But believe me I am not starving myself.
I am no expert but I think that you should be tracking your calories. Sometimes organic, grass fed, non GMO does not mean healthy it just means it's cleaner. Be smart with the food choices.
I am smart with my food choices, i pretty much live off of fruits, veggies, eggs and grains. No processed foods, rarely any meat or dairy, dont like sweets, dont drink soda/juice.
It doesn't matter what you eat, you still need to know how many calories are in the foods you are eating so you can figure out how many calories you need for recomposition.
As far as gaining muscle vs losing fat, without knowing more I am going to bet that with your diet and exercise you are at a deficit and losing fat in parts of your body and now the muscle starts to show and looks "bigger" even though it hasn't changed. If you want to add a significant amount of muscle you will need to lift and eat more. If you just want to lose fat and gain muscle you will need to do a recomposition. Either way you need to have a good idea of calories in.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions