When to stop cutting calories? Maintain, bulk.

itisidaisy

Hey everyone. I’ve lost 32 pounds in the last year and a half. I have 5-8 more pounds that I’d like to lose. I still have some belly fat that I’m trying to get rid of

I’m still eating at a deficit right now, but if my goal is also to gain muscle when should I stop eating at a deficit and start eating more so I can get stronger?

I’m 23 & 5’4 by the way.

itisidaisy

My current weight is 125.2 pounds and I have a small frame so I figured I could afford to lose more weight

SteamPug

I’m the same height and weight as you and I’m also looking to lose about 10lb or so more, but I’ve started weight training now anyway. I’m obviously not gonna build much muscle during this time but I’m still getting stronger and that feels good.
So uh, I guess it wouldn’t hurt stop eating at a deficit right now, but I’ve decided to lose a bit more like this first.

itisidaisy

@SteamPug thanks for your reply! I think I’ll keep eating at a deficit for another 5-10 pounds then start eating to maintain. I want the best chance to look lean when I start gaining muscle

sardelsa

Are you planning on running a bulk to gain when you get to goal? Or maintenance/recomp? If you get too lean, recomp to build muscle will be less successful. So if you are planning on that, since you are close to goal then I would start before you get down that low.
On the other hand if you are thinking about putting on weight you want to get to at least 20% bodyfat and below for optimal muscle building.

oocdc2

General consensus on the forums is: you can train (and eat more), or you can lose weight (and eat less), but not both. In my experience, it's been a balancing act for me since I went maintenance--I run and lift, but, even though my clothes fit the same, the weight's slowly been creeping up. (Is it muscle gain? Or, am I eating too much? I just started creatine, so that's not helping, either...)

You may just have to play around with your diet vs. exercise when you decide to train. Good luck!

af240

I'm 5'2 and 124lb so almost the same as you. I'm currently eating at a deficit and lifting heavy to maintain muscle. My initial plan is to do this until I get to around 115 and then assess once I get there. I may try recomp if I'm fairly happy with the way my body looks, or may try a bulk/cut cycle if I think I still need a lot of work on my muscle mass.

itisidaisy

sardelsa wrote: »

Are you planning on running a bulk to gain when you get to goal? Or maintenance/recomp? If you get too lean, recomp to build muscle will be less successful. So if you are planning on that, since you are close to goal then I would start before you get down that low.
On the other hand if you are thinking about putting on weight you want to get to at least 20% bodyfat and below for optimal muscle building.

I’m new to weightlifting, so I’m not sure what I should aim for once I’ve lost the extra 5-10 pounds. I’m just concerned that I’m not losing enough body fat right now so I know I need to lift heavier at some point. I wouldn’t mind gaining weight back if that weight is actually muscle.

itisidaisy

oocdc2 wrote: »

General consensus on the forums is: you can train (and eat more), or you can lose weight (and eat less), but not both. In my experience, it's been a balancing act for me since I went maintenance--I run and lift, but, even though my clothes fit the same, the weight's slowly been creeping up. (Is it muscle gain? Or, am I eating too much? I just started creatine, so that's not helping, either...)

You may just have to play around with your diet vs. exercise when you decide to train. Good luck!

Thank you! I think I’ll eat at a deficit for a little while longer then start upping my calories, but we’ll see how it goes

itisidaisy

af240 wrote: »

I'm 5'2 and 124lb so almost the same as you. I'm currently eating at a deficit and lifting heavy to maintain muscle. My initial plan is to do this until I get to around 115 and then assess once I get there. I may try recomp if I'm fairly happy with the way my body looks, or may try a bulk/cut cycle if I think I still need a lot of work on my muscle mass.

I really like your plan. I’ve been losing fat all over my body and see some changes in the amount of belly fat I have, but it seems to be the hardest place to see significant changes lately. I’m hoping that when I get closer to 118, it’ll be even less noticeable. I dunno. As I’ve lost weight, I’ve learned to take things as they come and assess my goals

Cbean08

If you are looking to do some heavy/intense weight training, then I'd stop losing now and switch to maintenance. I've had a very successful recomp and am currently at 5 foot 9 and 130 lbs. I'd think you'd want to start training now while you still have some weight to lose. Start working the muscles so you don't lose the lean mass you have.

af240

finnick4 wrote: »

af240 wrote: »

I'm 5'2 and 124lb so almost the same as you. I'm currently eating at a deficit and lifting heavy to maintain muscle. My initial plan is to do this until I get to around 115 and then assess once I get there. I may try recomp if I'm fairly happy with the way my body looks, or may try a bulk/cut cycle if I think I still need a lot of work on my muscle mass.

I really like your plan. I’ve been losing fat all over my body and see some changes in the amount of belly fat I have, but it seems to be the hardest place to see significant changes lately. I’m hoping that when I get closer to 118, it’ll be even less noticeable. I dunno. As I’ve lost weight, I’ve learned to take things as they come and assess my goals

Same here with the belly fat! I (think) I'm mostly an hour glass shape...though it's hard to tell being so short haha, but I definitely carry more weight in my stomach/love handle area and my arms. I'm also very new to weight lifting, currently been doing the Michael Mathews program going on 3 months and am very pleased with the results I've seen so far.

I totally agree with taking things as they come and assessing goals along the way, especially for people like us who are new to the game but already at a healthy weight looking to improve their physic! As long as we stay mindful and purposeful with our calorie intake and stick to a weightlifting program our bodies will head in the direction we want them to....eventually lol

itisidaisy

@af240

Whoa! That’s the same program I’m using! I felt like I wasn’t doing enough with the program though so I tried going a little heavier on the weights and combining the weightlifting & HIIT with Pilates (specifically a Casey Ho/ Blogilates PIIT program). Then I cleaned up my diet even more and starting seeing better results on the scale.

itisidaisy

Cbean08 wrote: »

If you are looking to do some heavy/intense weight training, then I'd stop losing now and switch to maintenance. I've had a very successful recomp and am currently at 5 foot 9 and 130 lbs. I'd think you'd want to start training now while you still have some weight to lose. Start working the muscles so you don't lose the lean mass you have.

Did you start off around the weight that you’re currently at or higher? I just don’t want to look “puffy” because I didn’t cut long enough to see the right results.

With body recomp, do you essentially stay at the same weight?

AnnPT77

finnick4 wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Are you planning on running a bulk to gain when you get to goal? Or maintenance/recomp? If you get too lean, recomp to build muscle will be less successful. So if you are planning on that, since you are close to goal then I would start before you get down that low.
On the other hand if you are thinking about putting on weight you want to get to at least 20% bodyfat and below for optimal muscle building.

I’m new to weightlifting, so I’m not sure what I should aim for once I’ve lost the extra 5-10 pounds. I’m just concerned that I’m not losing enough body fat right now so I know I need to lift heavier at some point. I wouldn’t mind gaining weight back if that weight is actually muscle.

There's no reason not to start a progressive heavy lifting program while in a deficit, if you're not doing one already.

You may preserve muscle or (as a newer lifter) maybe add a little, especially if your deficit is small (as it should be when you're close to goal), and if you're eating adequate protein.

You may progress more slowly while in deficit, or limit what you can achieve temporarily, but there is no real downside to lifting heavy (with "heavy" - as always - defined with respect to your own current personal capability).

itisidaisy

@AnnPT77 I like the way you think. I don’t want to feel weak so I’ll keep up with weight lifting. I’ve seen a difference in my biceps, but not really anywhere else. I already have strong legs and they’ve gotten stronger, but I think I need to try harder with triceps and the rest of my body.

AnnPT77

finnick4 wrote: »

@AnnPT77 I like the way you think. I don’t want to feel weak so I’ll keep up with weight lifting. I’ve seen a difference in my biceps, but not really anywhere else. I already have strong legs and they’ve gotten stronger, but I think I need to try harder with triceps and the rest of my body.

A well-designed program is a really good thing. In case you haven't already seen it, there's a great thread here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

itisidaisy

AnnPT77 wrote: »

finnick4 wrote: »

@AnnPT77 I like the way you think. I don’t want to feel weak so I’ll keep up with weight lifting. I’ve seen a difference in my biceps, but not really anywhere else. I already have strong legs and they’ve gotten stronger, but I think I need to try harder with triceps and the rest of my body.

A well-designed program is a really good thing. In case you haven't already seen it, there's a great thread here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

Whoaa....all of those links! Thank you!