Gaining muscle but havent lost fat
Replies
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Thanks for the tips! After i tracked my calories for the day yesterday i realize that im eating at about 1200/day. I Think i need to up my calories because i am eating too little, especially since yesterday was a workout day! I think that could be why i havent lost fat..
Are you losing weight, gaining weight, or staying the same in general?
The same, based on progress pics.0 -
Post a current pic. That will show a more accurate bodyfat/muscle ratio.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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brianpperkins 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)
Unfortunately, accurately tracking your calories is the only way to know for sure whether or not you're losing, maintaining, or gaining. Like TrailNurse, I would suggest starting a lifting program and tracking your calories to eat over maintenance to gain muscle. You will gain some weight and maybe a little unwanted fat but when you change your goal to losing weight and change your diet, it will be much easier because of that muscle you have gained. More muscle you have=more calories your body burns. Trying to both gain muscle and cut fat at the same time is a little like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. Also meat/dairy aren't bad for you as long as you're eating the right amounts of them and if you're trying to gain muscle those foods will definitely be needed for a protein source in order to gain muscle.
Thanks for the tips! After i tracked my calories for the day yesterday i realize that im eating at about 1200/day. I Think i need to up my calories because i am eating too little, especially since yesterday was a workout day! I think that could be why i havent lost fat..
How would you not lose fat if you are eating too little?
the body goes into starvation mode and holds on to fat
That is not true.0 -
brianpperkins 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)
Unfortunately, accurately tracking your calories is the only way to know for sure whether or not you're losing, maintaining, or gaining. Like TrailNurse, I would suggest starting a lifting program and tracking your calories to eat over maintenance to gain muscle. You will gain some weight and maybe a little unwanted fat but when you change your goal to losing weight and change your diet, it will be much easier because of that muscle you have gained. More muscle you have=more calories your body burns. Trying to both gain muscle and cut fat at the same time is a little like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. Also meat/dairy aren't bad for you as long as you're eating the right amounts of them and if you're trying to gain muscle those foods will definitely be needed for a protein source in order to gain muscle.
Thanks for the tips! After i tracked my calories for the day yesterday i realize that im eating at about 1200/day. I Think i need to up my calories because i am eating too little, especially since yesterday was a workout day! I think that could be why i havent lost fat..
How would you not lose fat if you are eating too little?
the body goes into starvation mode and holds on to fat
Kudos, havn't seen starvation mode in a while...
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Post a current pic. That will show a more accurate bodyfat/muscle ratio.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I've lost a bit of weight in the past few months but not too much, and it's really discouraging!0 -
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
It's easier to blame a fictional "mode" than to accept reality.0 -
brianpperkins wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
It's easier to blame a fictional "mode" than to accept reality.
If youre going to disrespect me then there is no reason to comment on my post. That is what i have been told for YEARS by so many people, articles, websites, etc. If you think what i have learned is incorrect there are better ways of letting me know. I am not afraid of accepting so called "reality", i have learned differently than you (and i guess so have thousands of other people on this site) so please get off of this page unless you can be decent.0 -
No it does not.
You have probably gained some water weight from exercise and as you say you have lost some weight, you have likely lost some body fat - which is most likely why you can feel your muscles more. Its very unlikely you have gained any muscle.
If I were you I would recomp. Eat at maintenance, get on a good progressive lifting routine (look at body weight workouts such as You Are Your Own Gym and Convict Conditioning if you cannot get to a gym and do not have equipment at home), and up your protein - based on what you say you eat, your protein seems very low.
Recomping is where you lose fat and gain muscle (slowly) but stay more or less the same weight.
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No it does not.
You have probably gained some water weight from exercise and as you say you have lost some weight, you have likely lost some body fat - which is most likely why you can feel your muscles more. Its very unlikely you have gained any muscle.
If I were you I would recomp. Eat at maintenance, get on a good progressive lifting routine (look at body weight workouts such as You Are Your Own Gym and Convict Conditioning if you cannot get to a gym and do not have equipment at home), and up your protein - based on what you say you eat, your protein seems very low.
Recomping is where you lose fat and gain muscle (slowly) but stay more or less the same weight.
Thank you for the advice
Every website has a different "maintenance" goal so it gets a bit confusing! 0 -
Are you sure you're 100lbs?Post a current pic. That will show a more accurate bodyfat/muscle ratio.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I've lost a bit of weight in the past few months but not too much, and it's really discouraging!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Are you sure you're 100lbs?Post a current pic. That will show a more accurate bodyfat/muscle ratio.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I've lost a bit of weight in the past few months but not too much, and it's really discouraging!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Im pretty sure... last time i weighed myself (a couple months ago before really getting into exercise i was around 97-100) so im gonna go ahead and assume im still there... im only 5 feet tall btw.0 -
No it does not.
You have probably gained some water weight from exercise and as you say you have lost some weight, you have likely lost some body fat - which is most likely why you can feel your muscles more. Its very unlikely you have gained any muscle.
If I were you I would recomp. Eat at maintenance, get on a good progressive lifting routine (look at body weight workouts such as You Are Your Own Gym and Convict Conditioning if you cannot get to a gym and do not have equipment at home), and up your protein - based on what you say you eat, your protein seems very low.
Recomping is where you lose fat and gain muscle (slowly) but stay more or less the same weight.
Thank you for the advice Every website has a different "maintenance" goal so it gets a bit confusing!
If you have been losing slowly you are at a slight deficit doing what you are doing. Add some protein in and you will likely hit maintenance. Based on your pic, you can cut a bit more if you want - but I would still get on a progressive loading lifting routine and up protein.
Estimates of maintenance are just that - estimates, based on averages. Your actual results are a much better gauge for you.0 -
brianpperkins wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
It's easier to blame a fictional "mode" than to accept reality.
If youre going to disrespect me then there is no reason to comment on my post. That is what i have been told for YEARS by so many people, articles, websites, etc. If you think what i have learned is incorrect there are better ways of letting me know. I am not afraid of accepting so called "reality", i have learned differently than you (and i guess so have thousands of other people on this site) so please get off of this page unless you can be decent.
So you've believed bovine excrement for years ... it was, is, and shall always be wrong. Starvation mode is patently illogical ... a body storing, or even gaining, fat due to a deficit ... creating matter out of nothing ... violating the basic conservation of energy. You claiming it is "a very common thing" is crediting the impossible and illogical rather than owning your bodily processes.0 -
You didn't have much to lose to begin with so don't expect weight loss to be fast. I agree with many others that you need to start a progressive lifting program (many have been suggested), forget everything you have heard about weight loss, starvation mode, and muscle gain; and then go read the stickies in the welcome section. After that look at the group "Eat, Train, Progress" for even more tips on how to get started with a lifting program and how to set up the right nutritional goals. When you start lifting your body will change but no the fat will not just melt away, it takes a lot of hard work to lose fat and gain muscle so you will need to be patient because it won't happen overnight.
Good luck.0 -
brianpperkins 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)
Unfortunately, accurately tracking your calories is the only way to know for sure whether or not you're losing, maintaining, or gaining. Like TrailNurse, I would suggest starting a lifting program and tracking your calories to eat over maintenance to gain muscle. You will gain some weight and maybe a little unwanted fat but when you change your goal to losing weight and change your diet, it will be much easier because of that muscle you have gained. More muscle you have=more calories your body burns. Trying to both gain muscle and cut fat at the same time is a little like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. Also meat/dairy aren't bad for you as long as you're eating the right amounts of them and if you're trying to gain muscle those foods will definitely be needed for a protein source in order to gain muscle.
Thanks for the tips! After i tracked my calories for the day yesterday i realize that im eating at about 1200/day. I Think i need to up my calories because i am eating too little, especially since yesterday was a workout day! I think that could be why i havent lost fat..
How would you not lose fat if you are eating too little?
the body goes into starvation mode and holds on to fat
No, it does not.
The only thing that happens in starvation is the body loses a lot of weight, fast, in unhealthy ways.0 -
Thanks for the tips! After i tracked my calories for the day yesterday i realize that im eating at about 1200/day. I Think i need to up my calories because i am eating too little, especially since yesterday was a workout day! I think that could be why i havent lost fat..
Are you losing weight, gaining weight, or staying the same in general?
The same, based on progress pics.
No, not based on pictures, based on the scale. This is all about math, calories in, calories out, weight gain, and weight loss. If you are eating 1200 calories and losing weight that means you are in a deficit. If you are eating 1200 calories and gaining weight that means you are at a surplus. If you eat 1200 calories and stay the same then you are at maintenance. Once you find your baseline you can adjust your calorie intake and burn to change your body.
In the meantime you can estimate your base calorie needs and adjust your calorie intake to match your goals (subtract 5-10%). You might want to start a resistance training program if you haven't already to keep what muscle you have while you are eating at a calorie deficit.
Weigh yourself for a few weeks, count your calories for a few weeks and post back the results so others can help you adjust to meet your needs.
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Looking at your physique, I believe you're more than that. More like 110lbs or even a little more.
Are you sure you're 100lbs?Post a current pic. That will show a more accurate bodyfat/muscle ratio.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I've lost a bit of weight in the past few months but not too much, and it's really discouraging!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Im pretty sure... last time i weighed myself (a couple months ago before really getting into exercise i was around 97-100) so im gonna go ahead and assume im still there... im only 5 feet tall btw.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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So,..you want to lose fat and build muscle but you also don`t want to ,,count calories'' because its no way for somebody to leave.Well if you don`t count them say bye bye to your dreams man.Its not the food, you can eat all clean but if you eat like 700-1000 calories over + maintenance then you will not lose any fat.You will gain muscle and fat its not the clean food is how much you eat it.0
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@alymcd1 here's an interesting article on " starvation mode " http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/0
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Looking at your physique, I believe you're more than that. More like 110lbs or even a little more.
Are you sure you're 100lbs?Post a current pic. That will show a more accurate bodyfat/muscle ratio.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I've lost a bit of weight in the past few months but not too much, and it's really discouraging!
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Im pretty sure... last time i weighed myself (a couple months ago before really getting into exercise i was around 97-100) so im gonna go ahead and assume im still there... im only 5 feet tall btw.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
i have to kinda agree on this, not that you look bad or anything at all! i'm 5 foot too, and currently around 103-105pounds and you look around how i look when im in the 115-123 range. i would def go with recomp because that's what im doing and it helps a lot! just eat at maintenance & start strength training and do some cardio every now & then if you feel like. plus bloating & water weight def throw off your scale & how things fit and how we see ourselves in the mirror. but just log as accurately as you can and set up a workout routine you like and you'll see results in a matter of months. 0 -
70kgLeanMass wrote: »So,..you want to lose fat and build muscle but you also don`t want to ,,count calories'' because its no way for somebody to leave.Well if you don`t count them say bye bye to your dreams man.Its not the food, you can eat all clean but if you eat like 700-1000 calories over + maintenance then you will not lose any fat.You will gain muscle and fat its not the clean food is how much you eat it.
You can lose fat and/or build muscle without tracking. I have not tracked in over a year and have maintained over that time. I can easily cut not tracking also. I agree however that its not whether your food is clean or not, and in the OPs case, she will not as she is not getting enough protein and is not lifting.
That being said, I have a high maintenance so have a lot more 'wiggle room' - the OP has a much lower TDEE so it makes it harder to do without tracking.0 -
I dont count calories because that is no way for anybody to live
Super judgmental. "No way for anybody to live." You realize you're insulting a huge number of people?
There's a difference between building muscle and getting stronger. I really doubt you were building significant muscle doing the exercises you described. I can eat "clean" and gain weight. I can eat "clean" and not get enough protein. If gaining muscle is one of your goals, you will need to know if you're at/above/under maintenance and how many grams of protein you're getting. Right now you have no information.
Based on your scale picture as compared to other 5'0 women (I used MyBodyGallery.com for comparison shots), I would guess that you weigh 110-125 lbs. You don't know your current weight. You don't know how much you're eating. No one can tell you what you should be doing until you know what you're doing right now.
Get a body weight scale. Try doing what you want to do with just that. If you're still not seeing results, get a food scale.0 -
Oh, wait...I missed the fact that you have not weighed yourself in months. I agree with the above - get a scale. Not tracking and not weighing yourself gives you very little data to go on. I also agree (and this is not being mean or judgy - just honest) that it is likely that you are heavier than 100lb based on your pics. Get a scale and take it from there.0
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I get the dislike of the idea of weighing/measuring food, but it's very easy and fast once you get the hang of it, especially with MFP. Most of the foods you regularly eat will be loaded up for you, so as far as that goes, it takes like a minute or less.
It does take a bit more time and experimentation to learn which foods (in which amounts and proportions) will support your goals and keep you full, that's true. But I think you have to decide what is more important to you. It's fair enough if you don't want to weigh/measure food, but that will mean you probably won't look the way you want to.0 -
christinev297 wrote: »@alymcd1 here's an interesting article on " starvation mode " http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
I am saving this link and giving it out every time someone says "starvation mode." Thanks!
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Okay. You don't track calories "because that's no way to live," yet wonder why you're not losing fat? You think it's impossible to overeat on "clean" food? You think you're 100 pounds but haven't weighed yourself in a long while? You think starvation mode is a thing, that our bodies somehow magically retain fat in a calorie deficit even though people starve all over the world and aren't fat? OP, I'm really sorry, but you need to budge on a few things. Give a little and get a little; we're trying to help.
Your body looks kind of like mine did before I started lifting. I suggest you invest in a food scale, eat at maintenance and try to get into a heavy weights program. I don't care about my scale weight very much anymore, since it fluctuates naturally and doesn't represent my fitness level, but maybe for you buying a scale would give you a good baseline to work from.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.
I don't know if you are getting enough protein since you don't eat meat or dairy.0 -
because 1200 isnt a good amount for anyone other than a child to consume in one day.
I'm 5'4 1/2 and when I started I was around 215 lbs. I'm now at 171 and have eaten 1,200 calories a day for quite a while. It's perfectly fine for me, and has been very effective. If you're being honest with logging and working out and looking at the content of what you eat then it will work. I eat some of the calories I burn back, so many days I eat between 1,300-1,400 calories, but I also do pretty intense workouts.
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Oh, wait...I missed the fact that you have not weighed yourself in months. I agree with the above - get a scale. Not tracking and not weighing yourself gives you very little data to go on. I also agree (and this is not being mean or judgy - just honest) that it is likely that you are heavier than 100lb based on your pics. Get a scale and take it from there.
Yep, this^^ is a receipe for disaster OP.
Start weighing your food AND yourself (Also, start taking body measurements).
Then i suggest (as others have said), start lifting heavy weights and eat at maintenance (to do a body recomp).
I use this lifting program http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ (Scroll down to near the bottom of the page for info on women starting the program "Does StrongLifts 5×5 work for women?").
Check it out! 0
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