Questions about fat and muscle

joleenl
joleenl Posts: 739 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, (asuming) if you eat a deficit to lose fat (weight) and you have to eat at a surplus to gain muscle and your body can not do both at the same time (with the exception of newbie gains or if you are extremely obese). My question is a what point does your body convert functions from fat burning to muscle gaining?

Here's my situation:

I have been at a plateau for a few months mostly because I have been struggling with my diet and/or over estimating my calorie burn. So what I want to know is, what is my body doing now? Clearly I am either eating at maintenance or in some cases (feels like every weekend lately) over eating which is why there is no weight loss. So am I gaining muscle? Or am losing fat? Or am I just staying the same, just basically gaining strength? My measurements are getting smaller so prehaps gaining muscle? Or maybe my current muscles aren't gaining mass just getting tighter, smaller, and harder? I am really confused about whats going on inside my body. I can see results in clothing, measurements, and in the mirror but the scale doesn't move and I am not sure if I trust the calipers.

More information about me:

35 yo female
5'7"
current weight (this morning) 179.4lbs (I gained a few pounds from vacation last week which I didn't log during)
%BF = 40% taken about a month ago by my PT with digital calipers (I will get my trainer to take my measurement again next week as I just got home from vacation and wanted to get down to pre-vacation weight before doing the measurement)

My diary is open. I know I got to clean it up as in less sodium and less processed food etc.

Work out routine:
weight training with a PT 4 times a week with usaully 30-60 mins cardio after at least 3 of those sessions
Walk to work and back almost daily (4 or 5 days a week): 30 mins (3 km) each way
1-2 hours cardio a week on my own via bike riding, hiking, stairs, or dancing

Thanks in advance for any and all serious replies.

Replies

  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    Anyone?
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
    I went through a similar stage. I was lifting on a consistent basis, my protein intake was about right for my weight, and I found I added a small amount of muscle. Having said that my measurements didn't decrease during this stage. I was probably eating around 200 extra cals daily during this period. I couldn't notice any difference though until I scaled back my intake to shed some of the fat.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    I went through a similar stage. I was lifting on a consistent basis, my protein intake was about right for my weight, and I found I added a small amount of muscle. Having said that my measurements didn't decrease during this stage. I was probably eating around 200 extra cals daily during this period. I couldn't notice any difference though until I scaled back my intake to shed some of the fat.

    Thanks for the reply. This is kinda what I was thinking. I am going to try to get more serious with my eating and cut it back at least a couple hundred calories.

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