Putting on muscle on LOW calorie diet

Nikki_Cherry
Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I am desperate to loose fat. I'm 5"5 and around 9 stone 4 (128lbs) which I know isn't heavy, but I'm spilling over my jeans. Ideally I'd like to loose around a stone to get back to my weight pre-kids.
My question is I've started weight training (again) and I'm unsure if 1200cals a day is enough to put on any muscle?? Im eating at least 135gs of protein a day but low carbs and fat

Any advice is appreciated :)
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Replies

  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    No, it's not.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    Why so?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Nikki_Cherry wrote: »
    Why so?

    Because you need some fuel for your body so you can build muscle. Also, it's possible that you don't even have a stone to lose.

    Additionally, if you took a more moderate approach, it's possible that you could gain a bit of muscle and lose fat subsequently.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    I disagree I think a stone is about right.....I was around 8 1/2 stone when I felt in the best shape. 1200cals doesn't sound like alot but i don't feel hungry and my protein is high. I guess I'm just impatient!!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2018
    Nikki_Cherry wrote: »
    I disagree I think a stone is about right.....I was around 8 1/2 stone when I felt in the best shape. 1200cals doesn't sound like alot but i don't feel hungry and my protein is high. I guess I'm just impatient!!!

    Do you know your body fat? Because your pic looks like low 20s, grant it, it's a side view and doesn't so much.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    No i dont. But I would guess at around 25-30%
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    edited January 2018
    (My profile pic is from last year when I was much thinner!!)
  • YogiJear
    YogiJear Posts: 118 Member
    body-fat-percentage-chart-men-women.jpg
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2018
    Unless you carry a ton of weight on your lower body, 25% is probably realistic.

    So at @ 25%

    Weight - 128
    Fat Mass - 32
    Lean body mass - 96

    @ 20% body fat
    =96 / (1-.20) = 120

    @ 16 % body fat
    =96 / (1-.16) = 114

    So a stone might be possible if you maintain your muscle and hit 16% body fat which is super lean for a women.

    This assumes you don't gain or lose any muscle.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    Nikki_Cherry wrote: »
    (My profile pic is from last year when I was much thinner!!)

    Do you have a current pic? I showed the math above.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    edited January 2018
    Better pic below
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    manwithmustache wrote: »
    body-fat-percentage-chart-men-women.jpg

    Going by this I'm definitely up near 30 if not more
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    Nikki_Cherry wrote: »
    20180108_143703_1516302333614.jpg

    25qar6o.jpg
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    you would be better to focus on recomp - building lean muscle while losing fat - its a slow process - but eat at maintenance and lift heavy *kitten* (i.e. do something like stronglifts, wendler) - at your current height/weight - the likelyhood of losing a stone in a healthy/sustainable manner is going to be hard
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    9 stone 4 is 130lbs. You are a healthy weight for your height so strength training is ideal.
    You can't build muscle on low cal but your protein intake is good.
    For your height you are not eating enough at 1200, not even sure how you're hitting that protein and getting all the other macros you need for that little calories.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    I only say a stone because i felt best at around 8 1/2. It's more about loosing fat/toning but i don't feel like thats possible while maintaining my current weight iykwim
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    it is possible - but it isn't going to be an overnight solution
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    Nikki_Cherry wrote: »
    I only say a stone because i felt best at around 8 1/2. It's more about loosing fat/toning but i don't feel like thats possible while maintaining my current weight iykwim

    It's possible, just incredibly slow. I'm about your height and weigh 137 (bulking) and wear a size 2 US at around 20% body fat right now.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    You look slim in your photos. A recomp would be the best idea. A good lifting programme will help you tighten up/ lose inches.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    edited January 2018
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    You look slim in your photos. A recomp would be the best idea. A good lifting programme will help you tighten up/ lose inches.

    Do you think??!! I honestly feel like I look flabby and overweight. But I agree a recomp fits with what my PT friend said.....that I should worry about measurements/inches not weight. I've just always been lighter!!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Yes I think! You're being too hard on yourself. Don't worry about the scale number. Eat at maintenance cals and lift heavy things :smiley:
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Ideally if you want to put on muscle more than you want to lose weight, you can eat maintenance and lose fat and build muscle, but if time is of the essence for fitting back into your jeans, losing fat first and maintaining the muscle you have until you reach goal weight is your best bet.

    When you lose a few pounds while continuing to lift you might find that losing more scale weight is not as important as it is to keep working body composition. The scale number is just that, a scale number. I managed to stop 6 pounds shy of goal weight.

    I think you look great in your pics, the recomp option is a great option for you. 1200 calories is going to get difficult to manage, saying from experience and being shorter than you. Good luck which ever you choose.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited January 2018
    Part of the problem I think is your perception, because there is no way after looking at your more recent photo I ever would have thought you were as much as 30% BF or more. And I don't see anything spilling over anything :lol:

    I would say at most, keep cutting for more like half a stone, then switch to recomp. You can always cut a little more down the road if you really want.

    Here are a couple of threads that may help:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2018
    If you want to get rid of the fat, then a recomp is the slower choice and there would be nothing wrong with doing a cut. But 1200 calories is probably not ideal. You'd be better off with a smaller deficit and a solid progressive overload lifting program.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Yes I think! You're being too hard on yourself. Don't worry about the scale number. Eat at maintenance cals and lift heavy things :smiley:

    I think my maintenance is around 1400 from what I can work out??? I'm going to try and research how I should be splitting my calories like protein/carbs/fat wise
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2018
    Nikki_Cherry wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Yes I think! You're being too hard on yourself. Don't worry about the scale number. Eat at maintenance cals and lift heavy things :smiley:

    I think my maintenance is around 1400 from what I can work out??? I'm going to try and research how I should be splitting my calories like protein/carbs/fat wise

    It would be very doubtful for a young person who works out to have such a low TEE.

    Have you done any logging in the past?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Nikki_Cherry wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Yes I think! You're being too hard on yourself. Don't worry about the scale number. Eat at maintenance cals and lift heavy things :smiley:

    I think my maintenance is around 1400 from what I can work out??? I'm going to try and research how I should be splitting my calories like protein/carbs/fat wise

    I am 5'5", 127 lbs 45 yrs old and barely lightly active and I maintain @ 1800 cals, and lost weight slowly at 1500 cals. If you are logging inaccurately it might seem like you need to go that low, but can't imagine that calorie level is right.
  • kathleennf
    kathleennf Posts: 606 Member
    Nikki- I will chime in since I have been working on this exact same thing for a while. I am older than you- 55- so it might be a little faster for you. I have been doing weight training for about 4 years now. Current weight 132, ideal weight IMO about 137. My maintenance is about 1620 calories. I eat back all exercise calories. When I am home and able to go to the gym 3 days per week I have been increasing my calories to 1745 which I jokingly call "mini-bulk" - it should result in weight gain of 1/2lb per week but it doesn't, though I admit that I do not actually eat all my calories, I try to always stay under. Anyway using this system in the past year I have LOST 1.4lb overall, but dropped my % body fat so that my calculated lean body mass is actually UP about 0.8lb. (I was thinking of increasing my calories since I had unintentionally lost weight- but am happy with the increased muscle so I didn't. Yet.) Also my pants are too loose now, the ones I just bought last year. So there you have it. IMO 1200 calories is too low. You will lose weight but probably not gain muscle.

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