Newbie looking for guidance on losing fat and gaining muscle - possible at the same time?

jtcedinburgh

Hi folks, I'm new here. A few weeks ago, I did a 5-day trek, and felt great afterwards. This spurred me into continuing the walking, and adding regular 5K-or-so jogs, in combination with starting to watch the diet. Last week, I added a Fitbit Charge HR which has, in turn, galvanised my resolve to achieve great things.

I'm ~90Kg, 6'0 and carrying maybe a bit too much around my waist. Not so unusual for a 40-something with a rather lazy desk job. My question is reasonably simple: I'd like to lose the belly whilst adding muscle mass to my upper body (chest/arms/shoulders); do I need to do these things separately - say, weight first, followed by adding muscle second - or can I do both at the same time? I have read that it's difficult to put on muscle mass whilst burning fat, but I want to deal with the belly first before easing back on the walking/running and concentrating on upper-body weights etc.

My current regime is to walk or run a minimum of 10K steps each day (some days 15K+), which for me works out at a daily KCal burn (including idle burn) of ~2500-3200. I'm trying to take onboard around 2000-2200KCal of food each day, which should keep me on track to lose around 1Kg/week. I want to get down to ~80Kg and then switch to putting on muscle, but it'd be great if I could do both at the same time....

Any tips/advice? Am I in danger of overdoing it at this deficit of ~500KCal+/day?

Thanks.

j

SarahPeters3

1 kg a week is alot if you're trying to gain muscle at the same time I would try for around 1 pound a week which is a deficit of 500 calories per day and add in some strength training! If anything the strength training will preserve the muscle you have instead of losing it while trying to lose the fat and having more muscle mass helps burn more fat as well. Good luck!

kshama2001

Definitely strength train while losing weight - it's hard to gain muscle in a deficit but at least you will be preserving existing muscle. And it is easier to preserve muscle than gain it back once you've lost it.

jtcedinburgh

Thanks.

Can I check I'm doing this right then. Let's take yesterday as an example:

My 'maintenance' MFP target (to stay at ~89Kg as I currently am) is 2280 KCal per day
My MFP target to lose 1Kg/wk (before exercise KCal) was 1500 KCal per day
I ate 2191 KCal during the day
I had 1110 KCal from exercise (5K run + two walks, ~12K steps) during the day

Is my deficit here 419 KCal (i.e. my 'lose 1Kg' target of 1500-(2191+1110) = 419 KCal) or is it 1199 KCal (i.e. my maintenance target of 2280-(2191+1110) = 1199 KCal)

Thanks.

jemhh

You're not that heavy to start with, at 6' and 198 pounds. I'd probably just eat at maintenance and lift weights if I were you. As a newbie lifter you'd have a pretty easy time getting some real gains. But do a full body program, not an upper body only program.

RGv2

jemhh wrote: »

You're not that heavy to start with, at 6' and 198 pounds. I'd probably just eat at maintenance and lift weights if I were you. As a newbie lifter you'd have a pretty easy time getting some real gains. But do a full body program, not an upper body only program.

Agreed, you're not too far over weight. Lift heavy (overall body program), slight deficit, and don't expect changes over night.

jtcedinburgh

The problem is I don't have time to dedicate to weights right now - but the running/walking I can fit around other things. I do have some dumbbells which I can and do use, but my running is done very early and the only local gym to me doesn't open until after I have to leave for work; evenings being tied up with kids etc.)

jemhh

Well you need to figure out a progressive resistance full body plan, whether it is with weights (dumbbells) or bodyweight exercises or a suspension system (TRX) or a combination. You aren't going to add much in the way of muscle mass with running, walking, and using the same weight dumbbells long term.

If you have a goal, you need to allot time and resources to meet it or change your goal. Your resources might be buying more weights for home use or going to a gym or spending time researching good bodyweight programs or something else. Your time is something that you have to work out. Lots of us have kids and find a way to workout around spending time with them. You do what you need to do but don't use your kids as an excuse.

jtcedinburgh

Not meaning to use them as an excuse, simply to point out that going to the gym isn't (at present) an option for me. TRX, etc., on the other hand, certainly is.

Back to my question re: deficit, though. Which one is correct?

I_amnr

It is possible if you are new to working out . After your newbie gains ...its extremely hard.
if time at the gym is an issue you can compress your work out by doing drop sets .. I also find I gain more muscle doing drop sets

so lets say you did 4 days as the gym (you could buy a bench and dumbells for your house if there is no way you can make it to the gym) .. chest/tricpes, back/biceps, rest, shoulder and legs
find exercise where you don't need to wait for a spot

for the chest you could start with flat dumbells press..
start with a heavy weight , maybe 80% of your max or a weight where you can do 10 to 13 reps before you COMPLETLY fail.. do 8 reps, then drop the weight by 10 kg and do 10 reps and drop it by another 10 kg and do 12 reps.. with no rest ..

rest for 2 or 3 minutes and do it again

so personally I do 50 kg dumbells, then 40 kg and then 30 kg..

do it 3 times and then move onto incline dumbbell and do the same thing.. You may want to start off with a lighter weight..or some weeks start with incline (I sometimes end up doing 6, 8 then 10 reps depending on how I feel)

then do flys

then do 5 or 10 minutes of triceps

you can get it don't in 45 minutes

on the other hand you can try super setting

10 reps on dumbbell bench press and with no rest do a bent over row or squats

you have to be going at a pace where you are pretty much sweating.. no hanging about what so ever