Gaining muscle/toning when at healthy weight

Bear34345
Bear34345 Posts: 5 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi, I'm a BMI of 24 and my body is like skinny fat where basically I still look fat but I'm skinny. I want to get a smaller waist etc and I know id have to tone up to do that. Would I need to gain muscle? Myfitnesspal is telling me I should eat 1,700 calories which is scary because I've always tried to eat small (1,200 calories) since I'm only 4 ft 11. Can anyone help me out with advice thanks

Replies

  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    What goal are you putting in to get that calorie recommendation? Maintain? Gain?
  • Bear34345
    Bear34345 Posts: 5 Member
    Gain. I want to gain muscle but dunno if i should lose more weight first or not
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Bear34345 wrote: »
    Gain. I want to gain muscle but dunno if i should lose more weight first or not

    And are you training now?
    If not you should be. It's a mistake to hold off training while losing weight, there is always a danger of losing muscle while dieting and training well is a huge part of retaining (and possibly improving) your muscle mass.

    Having trouble understanding how you are skinny at that BMI - "I still look fat but I'm skinny".
    Are you using the word to describe a lack of muscle rather than the more usual dictionary definition of unattractively thin?
    Skinny fat (normal weight range but under-muscled) and skinny are not the same thing.

    Posting a picture of yourself would help enormously as different people are going to look and have very different body composition at that BMI.
  • Bear34345
    Bear34345 Posts: 5 Member
    I mean I'm considered a healthy weight. I would say I'm still chubby which is why I wanted to build muscle. I've started training and eating about 150g of protein a day. I'm just confused on how many calories I should be eating, in a deficit, Maintainance, or surplus. I'll try and post some pictures soon, I'm typing this on my computer at the moment and my phone is currently broken :(
  • ExpressoLove11
    ExpressoLove11 Posts: 337 Member
    Have you checked out the recomp thread over in the maintenance forum?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Bear34345 wrote: »
    I mean I'm considered a healthy weight. I would say I'm still chubby which is why I wanted to build muscle. I've started training and eating about 150g of protein a day. I'm just confused on how many calories I should be eating, in a deficit, Maintainance, or surplus. I'll try and post some pictures soon, I'm typing this on my computer at the moment and my phone is currently broken :(

    I would presume "chubby" rules out a surplus so you are down to a choice of maintain or lose.
    A deficit is obviously the quicker way to shed fat but may impact your training results if you go for too large a deficit.

    It comes down to your goal weight and your goal physique which are in your hands to choose.
    Personally I spent a long time making small weight adjustments (a few pounds) interspersed with spells at maintainance to get to the point where I was happy. Obviously I trained throughout, that's the easy decision to make. :smiley:
  • Bear34345
    Bear34345 Posts: 5 Member
    ExpressoLove11 wrote: »
    Have you checked out the recomp thread over in the maintenance forum?

    I have now that you said. Think I might do that :) I'll start eating at maintenance and carry on doing strength training with weights and see what happens, if not I can change it to a bulk and cut cycle maybe.
  • Beccalouise09
    Beccalouise09 Posts: 128 Member
    The best you can do is the best of your own ability is what I was told throughout my life. All I can say to you is if you cut back on takeaways and stick to homemade cookery, you should be fine.

    Do you have sweets and chocolate? If so try to switch those for mixed nuts or fruit salad and try out the low calorie chocolate bars protein bars and shakes. I'm 5ft 3 and small bored and I went through this hell too.

    Hang in there.
  • ExpressoLove11
    ExpressoLove11 Posts: 337 Member
    Bear34345 wrote: »
    ExpressoLove11 wrote: »
    Have you checked out the recomp thread over in the maintenance forum?

    I have now that you said. Think I might do that :) I'll start eating at maintenance and carry on doing strength training with weights and see what happens, if not I can change it to a bulk and cut cycle maybe.

    Great! Recomp has worked wonders for me over the last 18 months. Currently on a small cut to lose some vanity lbs but recomp has been the most enjoyable and sustainable approach thus far 😊
  • Pipsqueak1965
    Pipsqueak1965 Posts: 397 Member
    Recomp is what I have been doing very slowly for years - I'm small (about 5 foot) and can't bear to run a bulk/cut cycle (I hate myself if I put on weight and probably don't train hard enough to really make good muscle gain). However since about 5 years ago when I lost about a stone, taking me to around 103 pounds, I've been eating at maintenance and weight training to gradually improve my shape. It keeps me happy!

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