losing weight and gaining muscle????

chewbacakz

But let me add, when I measures out my chicken last night, I was shocked by how much I had to add to get to the rite weight!

chewbacakz

nutmegoreo wrote: »

OP here's a link to a thread that has a pile of links. They address a number of topics, including many beyond what you are asking here. I'm not saying read them all (although if you have the time great). There is specific links for setting your calorie and macro targets, along with exercise calorie burns and logging accurately, all of which can be challenging in the beginning.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read

Thank you very much, I will actually be in a waiting room a lot today, taking children to dentists, so perfect time for reading.

chewbacakz

nutmegoreo wrote: »

OP here's a link to a thread that has a pile of links. They address a number of topics, including many beyond what you are asking here. I'm not saying read them all (although if you have the time great). There is specific links for setting your calorie and macro targets, along with exercise calorie burns and logging accurately, all of which can be challenging in the beginning.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read

Thank you very much, I will actually be in a waiting room a lot today, taking children to dentists, so perfect time for reading.

nutmegoreo

Awesome! I hope you get some answers that resonate with you. You need to make the decisions that make sense to you, but I am a firm believer in educating yourself to make the best choices. Best of luck!

70davis

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_benjammin

I highly recommend upping your protein (and total calories in general) and start consistently strength training in an effort to preserve your muscle.

AliceDark

It's so much easier to keep the muscle mass you have than it will be to lose it, then try to build it back. Unless you're going for a very specific aesthetic look, you might not even need to bulk later if you lose weight the right way now. 1200-1500 calories for a man isn't the right way -- you're setting yourself up to lose your existing muscle mass.

FWIW, especially when you're a new lifter, making strength gains is not related to making mass gains. Just saying that you can lift more this month than last month isn't a good argument that you're not in danger of losing muscle mass.

At what rate are you losing weight now (how many pounds per week)?

SueInAz

chewbacakz wrote: »

@chewbacakz, am I correct that you measure food but not weigh it and that you get your exercise burn estimates from one of the sources I listed above?

Yes, dead on, but I have bought a scale, I did weigh last night's dinner, but that is the 1st. And I have been losing around 2 ta 2.5 lbs a week, last week I lost 4, but that was a 1st.

About 1% of your weight per week is a reasonable rate of loss. Sounds like you aren't as far off as we'd feared probably due to inaccuracy in calorie counts. Your loss on the scale may slow as you start lifting (at least mine did) but most of it will be from fat which is the goal. If you aren't using a tape measure on yourself, start. Sometimes when the scale isn't moving you're shrinking and that's more important in the big scheme of things.

lindsey1979

I think most find losing weight easier than gaining muscle (not just strength). So, the rule of thumb I've seen is to do the best you can to retain as much muscle during your weight loss. You can do this in two ways in particular: (1) eat enough protein (at least 1 g protein per 1 lb LBM) and (2) lift heavy (like a free weight program like starting strength, 5/3/1, etc or if you don't have access to free weights, bodyweight functional work out like the prison workout). This way you'll keep as much of your current muscle (lean body mass) and maximize fat loss.

Then, when you get to where you want with that, you can start cycling between bulks and cuts. Some people also really like calorie cycling during both phases to maximize the recovery/muscle building on workout days and minimize the gaining of fat or non-lifting days. Leangains is a good example. You can do this both during bulking/cutting or just as you lose by adjusting the weekly cal goals. If you're losing, then you'll have an overall weekly deficit (but eat at maintenance or slightly above on lifting days). If you're bulking, then you'll have an overall surplus (and especially focusing on carbs and protein on lifting days to take advantage of the insulingenic response of carbs on recovery). Some are able to successfully recomp, but many find it difficult and opt for cycles of bulking and cutting instead.

Liftng4Lis

Lift heavy, eat at a slight deficit, BOOM!

chewbacakz

OK guys, I get, the point has been well driven in today, lol and I greatly appreciate it. I will do my beat to raise calories, will be difficult ibthink, some days I find I have to force my self to get what I am now, hahaha guess I'll just add more protein shakes, maybe like double serving twice a day. Qnd as far as the lifting, I am doing that and will continue. Thank you all so much.

Now can someone tell me how to post a pic??

nutmegoreo

chewbacakz wrote: »

OK guys, I get, the point has been well driven in today, lol and I greatly appreciate it. I will do my beat to raise calories, will be difficult ibthink, some days I find I have to force my self to get what I am now, hahaha guess I'll just add more protein shakes, maybe like double serving twice a day. Qnd as far as the lifting, I am doing that and will continue. Thank you all so much.

Now can someone tell me how to post a pic??

If you are on the website, there is an icon that looks like a page with the corner turned down just above the box you type in to post. You can use this to upload an image from your computer. I cannot help you if you are posting from your cell phone. I have no idea.

chewbacakz

OK guys, maybe Im incorrectly logging my food or something, but I've tried to increase calories, and not even by much,But I only lost point 3. Lbs this week. I did step up my work out routine to a much more taxing one, and I'm still running plenty.

Not seeing weight loss doesn't make me wanna increase calories though