Help with setting new goals

PhoenixEve

I'm 5'8" (small frame) 135 lbs, and about 21% body fat (waist 27", hips 37") As i'm nearing my original goal, i'm wondering what to do next and where to go from here.

Ideally, i want to get down to 20% body fat (to still have plenty of body fat to be fertile, because i want to have kids soon) and then add on about 5-10 lbs of muscle. I think i'd be really pleased to be about 140 lbs and 20% fat. I think i'd feel a lot stronger than i do right now. I really want to be healthy going into a pregnancy because last time i was not at all (plus it was an ectopic pregnancy, very tragic, and it took a long time to recover health wise).

I'm still pretty new to all this. So if anyone has any advice on how i should adjust my calorie/macro goals once i hit my body fat goal, so that i can slowly start putting on more muscle, and what kind of workouts would be best (i'm currently doing hydraulic resistance circuit training to try to preserve muscle mass on a deficit) i'd really appreciate any advice.

Should i start heavy lifting? (i've never tried it) Should i switch to maintenance calories once i hit goal, or should i be eating extra calories to bulk up? This is probably a silly question to a lot of people here, but i'm really not sure what my new goals should be and i'm so close to my original goal that i need to start planning ahead soon. The fat loss is just the beginning and i have a feeling that it was the easy part. But i'm determined to keep striving for even better things.

I currently eat around 1500 calories (give or take depending on my activity levels... which i track with my fitbit so i stay honest). This is a 500 cal deficit... so maintenance should be around 2000 for me? To build muscle, how much more should i be eating, and what would the macros look like?

bfinup

Switch to a heavy lifting beginners program (starting strength, stronglifts, etc)
Eat 250 calories above maintence to "slow bulk"
Realize you'll gain *some fat* in addition to muscle, but if you keep the surplus low you'll minimize fat gain.

PhoenixEve

Switch to a heavy lifting beginners program (starting strength, stronglifts, etc)
Eat 250 calories above maintence to "slow bulk"
Realize you'll gain *some fat* in addition to muscle, but if you keep the surplus low you'll minimize fat gain.

Thank you. Should i be aiming for a lower body fat % before i start to bulk up then?

My main reason for my fat loss is to lower my estrogen levels (because of uterine fibroids and fertility issues) not for aesthetic reasons, so i don't want it to get too low either... but i'm not sure what levels are safest/best though.

PhoenixEve

Anyone else have any advice? Like how much protein to be aiming for to build muscle? How much fat and carbs? I'm thinking of doing a month of maintenance at 2000 calories before i switch to the 2250, so i don't shock my system too much and so i can get used to eating more food. Is this a good plan?

JenMc14

I would suggest starting a basic heavy lifting program. Continue to eat at a deficit for now, if fat loss is your goal. See what happens after 4-6 weeks, you'll likely lose a bit more fat, but hold on to existing muscle better, which may get your body fat to a place you're more comfortable with. Just feel it out. Are you happy with what you're doing/ Go for it. Are you happy with where you're at, but want more muscle? Then gradually add in calories and go for there.

As for protein, my husband lifts for power, and aims for 1 gram of protein per pound we wants to weigh/or currently weighs. A general rule of thumb of 'average" people is 1 gram per pound of LBM. If you seriously want to gain muscle, you might try aiming for 1 g per pound of body weight and see how you feel.

I am by no means an expert, and my one attempt at a "bulk" ended in a 15 pound gain after crappy holiday binges! So, take my advice for what it's worth. My husband is way into mass and strength gain, though, so I've gained a lot of knowledge from him and I've researched on the ever reliable internets a fair amount. Good luck!