Gaining Muscle, but Not Losing fat :-(

lovelymusiclady

Hi all,

I've been at this fitness thing for about 6 months now. I've been tracking what I eat with MFP with their recommended calorie intake. I've also amped up my exercise routine. Hitting the gym 5 days a week now (45 min cardio + 20 min strength training).

I've noticed my body has gotten very muscular. I feel strong and more energetic. However I haven't seen much loss in fat. I know at first you gain weight due to muscle gain. However, I feel like after 6 months I should start seeing fat come off.

Anybody have a similar experience?

acampbe2umd

How are you measuring fat loss to know that you're not losing fat?

jemhh

Are you attempting to eat in a caloric deficit?

3bambi3

Frankly, if it's been six months and you haven't lost weight, you aren't eating in a deficit.

How many calories are you eating? Do you weigh and measure your food? How are you calculating your calorie burns? What kind of lifting are you doing?

Also, while some 'newbie gains' may be possible if you are new to exercise, you aren't gaining enough muscle to off-set any weight loss you would see with a proper calorie deficit. A woman eating a perfect diet with perfect training would only be able to gain about a pound a month of muscle. And that's while eating at a calorie surplus.

kes840

Similar situation here. I've been lifting and tracking (but not restricting calories) over the last 6 months, and I've lost inches but not weight. What does your tape measure say? If you are losing inches, you're building muscle, which is a very good thing. The muscle burns more calories, plus looks and feels good!

Now that I'm stronger, I'm going for a modest calorie deficit (300-400/day) through a combination of restricting calories and adding walking. I don't want to lose the muscle I worked so hard for by going too fast, but I do want to SEE it.

Escloflowne

You've probably lost fat to show the muscle under or you're not counting your calories correctly and you're eating too much...I'm thinking it's the first though.

DanSTL82

If you're gaining muscle and not losing fat, that means that you are eating over your maintenance every day. Set your MFP app to lose 1 or 2 lbs a week, and stay under that calorie goal. If this is what you have been doing, then you have simply been tracking your calories incorrectly, and/or overestimating the calories you're burning during exercise and eating all those back (thus going over your needs). It would be literally impossible for you to gain muscle and keep the fat if you are at a -3,500 or -7,000 weekly deficit.

drachfit

feeling stronger is great. keep it up.

apparently the calorie targets are too high for you. reduce your calorie intake and the weight should start coming off.

if you are not losing weight, you are not in a calorie defecit. plain and simple.

tillerstouch

Honestly with 20 minutes of lifting I doubt you've built that much muscle. I'm currently in a small calorie surplus and doing a very intense heavy lifting program. I've added 20 pounds to my squat and about 45 pound to my deadlift but I've had minimal gain in weight.

I would agree with the following:

EQComics wrote: »

If you're gaining muscle and not losing fat, that means that you are eating over your maintenance every day. Set your MFP app to lose 1 or 2 lbs a week, and stay under that calorie goal. If this is what you have been doing, then you have simply been tracking your calories incorrectly, and/or overestimating the calories you're burning during exercise and eating all those back (thus going over your needs). It would be almost impossible for you to gain muscle and keep the fat if you are at a -3,500 or -7,000 weekly deficit.

3bambi3 wrote: »

Frankly, if it's been six months and you haven't lost weight, you aren't eating in a deficit.

How many calories are you eating? Do you weigh and measure your food? How are you calculating your calorie burns? What kind of lifting are you doing?

Also, while some 'newbie gains' may be possible if you are new to exercise, you aren't gaining enough muscle to off-set any weight loss you would see with a proper calorie deficit. A woman eating a perfect diet with perfect training would only be able to gain about a pound a month of muscle. And that's while eating at a calorie surplus.