Losing weight and gaining muscle?
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CaitlinELaird
Posts: 106 Member
Hello,
This may seem like a silly question, but as someone who has struggled with disordered eating for almost my entire life, I want to make sure that I get valid information from a place and people I trust.
I am wanting to ditch some of the extra weight that I have on me and work on gaining some muscle and strength, but I am not sure where I should focus. (I'm talking like 6 pack abs and whatnot...)
A little background on me, I am 5' 9" and currently about 166 lbs. I am not overweight, but I am getting close and I don't want to cross the threshold.
I am wondering if I should be focusing on calorie limitation and getting to a lower weight and then focusing on the muscle building from there or what my first steps should be.
Again, I am sorry for asking a question that is probably ridiculous to most. I just want to make sure that it do this right and in a healthy way, and that is not something I have ever learned to do.
Thank you in advance for your words of wisdom.
~ Caitie
P.S. I posted this on the general health and fitness board, but I also was interested in the specifically female perspective. I’m sorry if this is a repeat for you.
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Replies
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Hi @caitiedid5 !
I am no expert but in my opinion, you don't have to chose 1 or the other.
You should definitely log your food so you can be in a calorie deficit. That's the trusted way to lose weight. And by strength training(exercise in general) you create more muscle which burns more calorie. Win Win
When I started to look at my diet closely and changed what I ate, my body fat % came down. But my body started to look good only after I combined my diet and exercise. Increasing Muscle tone helps! Good luck. Lot's of info out there. Find what sticks!!
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I agree with @weatherking2019: doing both at the same time (also called body recomposition) is doable - even favourable - especially if you're a beginner with lifting. The recommended route is having a slight calorie deficit, less than you would have when you're only trying to lose weight. You need a smaller deficit to have enough leftover to fuel your muscle growth. Goodluck
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Make sure you are eating enough protein to use as 'building blocks' for your new muscle. If you are doing a deficit you will generally need to take that from your carbs if your style is keto/LCHF, or from your fats if you are doing a lower fats style of diet. You may find that you already have a good amount of muscle, it may just be hiding under a bit of pudge. If you actually want to get cut/ripped it can take a fair amount of work for females as we do not have the testosterone levels to build quickly, and we carry more body fat (just a function of nature ). Good luck!
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I would be careful with too much calorie restriction if you have a history with disordered eating. Figure out the macro split for your goal should be and start tracking your food - you might be surprised with how MUCH you'll actually get to eat! Pair that with the right workout and you'll see great change!
I'm always down to chat and have lot's of free tips about this on my Instagram @kristinaouellettefit if you'd like to connect there!
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@kristinaouellettefit, I just checked out your insta, you have such great SMILE!1
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If you're able to be a bit more patient with your weight loss, I would be sure you are eating plenty of protein (closer to 1g/lb of goal weight than not), strength training, while eating in a slight calorie deficit (so shooting to lose .5-1/lb/week average - some weeks will go up, some down, but over time, trend around that).
It's not the "fastest" way to reach a particular goal, but IMO, one of the more sustainable.
If you're working out hard and lifting, it will also be imperative to include a good post workout protein (generally a shake). Not all products are created equal, however, and I've had much better overall results using the quality products I use rather than the cheaper box-store products (they taste and mix better too LOL).3 -
I am so sad about how long ago I wrote this and my weight has only increased as I finished off a certification for work that required months of studying and multiple exams.
Now that I am done with that nonsense, I am going to get back to self care and better habits. I want to stick to this goal too, now that I have more time. If anyone wants a friend, I could use some motivation and support. 4 -
It’s only been a couple of months - not so long. It’s not even the end of the first quarter yet. You can do this! I’ve found strength training consistently on a program, tracking food, and aiming for .8-1.0
grams/protein per lb of body weight per day are transforming my body, even without the scale moving a lot.1
