Progress / Time to gain ?

jhaddon7143
jhaddon7143 Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 50 years old.
I was at 230 pounds. 6 foot 1.

Had issues keeping up with the grandkids and it was time to get into shape (other than round).

8 weeks later im down 6 inches off my waist. I am a heck of a lot stronger and look it. And i am down to 211 pounds.

I feel i have lost enough weight. I have hit a wall i feel as far as muscle growth.

I am working out 5 days a week.

So is it time to slowely bulk up ?
I don't want to just up calories. My diet has been lower carb (not keto). When i eat a certain amount of carbs i feel like crap.

Can i do a slow bulk by increasing protein and healthy fats...and some carbs ?

Replies

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    edited October 2018
    Well done on your 19lbs loss.

    Personally, I think it is way too early to bulk, you are still in the middle of the overweight category of the BMI scale so you still have quite a lot of body fat.
    (Correct me if I am wrong, and maybe post a pic or 2 for a bf assessment)

    A couple of options are:-

    1) Slow your rate of loss. Those 19lbs came off fast, look at a pound a week deficit, maximum, until you are within a normal weight range.
    Continue lifting following a proven progressive programme. (Link below)

    2) if you are happy with your weight, move to a recomp and reassess in 6 month. Again follow a proven programme. (Link below)

    Unless you were lifting before these past 8 weeks, a 3x week full body routine would be my pick. Cardio can be done on 2-3 alternate days, and a day of rest and recuperation is always good for the 7th day.

    Aim for 0.8-1.2g of protein and 0.35-5g fat per lbs of LBM or mid range normal BMI. Once your P and F is taken care of the rest of your calories can be made up of any macro mix.

    Cheers, h.
    A selection of lifting programmes:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Probably all you need to know about recomp:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • jhaddon7143
    jhaddon7143 Posts: 57 Member
    Ty for the reply.
    Been looking into recomp.
  • jhaddon7143
    jhaddon7143 Posts: 57 Member
    Yep. Think that's what im going to do
  • jhaddon7143
    jhaddon7143 Posts: 57 Member
    So i went on 5 different sites to figure out maintenance calories...and i got 5 different results. Anywhere from 2200 up to 3150....

    So... i think im going to start out at 2500 and adjust if needed...
  • jhaddon7143
    jhaddon7143 Posts: 57 Member
    Mpf gave me 2610...so ill be starting close
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    edited October 2018
    jhaddon7143 wrote: »
    Mpf gave me 2610...so ill be starting close

    I'm not sure that's not quite what she meant. You should have data for your deficit from when you logged your weight loss. Look at the rate of loss and add back in those calories to calculate your maintenance. I have a hard time believing you are maintaining on 2500 or even 2600 calories a day at 6'1 and 211. To give you an example - I cut at 2500 calories and lose in excess of 1.5-2 pounds a week and I have similar stats to you (height, weight). The only "exercise" I get is lifting in the gym. I don't do cardio and have a desk job.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    In addition to the other great ideas and thoughts you've gotten, what kiind of weight program are you running that has you in the gym 5 days per week? Based on some of the most recent research from Brad Schoenfeld and Erik Helms, the optimum program for hypertrophy is an upper/ lower split hitting each muscle group 2x per week. Something like P.H.U.L. from Layne Norton.

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