Want to lose weight and gain muscle

janayatoye

I eat pretty healthy, I'm allergic to lactose and yeast so I cook 99% of my meals with the odd Tesco meal deal thrown in there with sushi and fruit and maybe an innocent smoothie if I'm feeling lucky, but most often just water instead. I don't count my calories but I'm trying to reduce my portion size and work out more and have realised that I have quite a bit more muscle than I thought. Now, after seeing that, I want to build that muscle because (I know this is vain, but) it looks damn good. Btw, I'm 19F and 5"3.

I've started doing weight training on the machines at the gym as well as some cardio to round it out. My question is: what else can I do to gain muscles and lose some weight? I'm not currently in a position to count calories because I'm cooking for me and my grandparents and idk how to count that, but as soon as I get my own place (hopefully soon!) I'm going to start. (If I even have to at that point, maybe I'll be able to get more defined muscle mass before I move out)

AnnPT77

Basic standard advice: Use a well-designed progressive program (don't just do some stuff at the gym), get enough protein, eat at least near maintenance or even a small bit above, be patient and consistent. Since you're not counting, I get that you're not counting protein in grams. Maybe rough guess some typical days, adjust if necessary. Consider this for advice:

https://examine.com/nutrition/protein-intake-calculator/
https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

Since you're not counting: Eating a little more protein than you need won't hurt a healthy person, as long as it doesn't prevent your getting enough fats or veggies/fruits. Rough estimating is fine.

If you don't have a program, consider this thread:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Despite the title, it does include some strength programs that aren't just lifting.

You'll know whether you're eating in maintenance or a little above (without counting) if your weight holds steady or increases super slowly (half a pound a week or less on average as a trend, in amongst the normal day to day water/digestive-contents weight fluctuations).

peytank15

As you build your muscle mass your weight is going to increase, however your body fat percentage will go down. So if you're looking to loose "fat" rather than "weight" but still be building muscle, I would recommend cutting out any processed foods, unnatural sugars, or possible alcohol from your diet. Increasing your protein is really important as you start to get more consistant with weight lifting (protein shakes are a great way to do this). But, eating less won't necessarily help you lose weight but rather keep you from gaining the muscle mass you want. Make sure you are still eating a healthy amount for your workload and size. As you gain more muscle you might notice that eating a little more than your normal portion size is actually helping you rather than reversing your progress. If you are cooking for more people than just yourself, I would say to come up with ways to make your portion fit your needs as much as possible, whether that be adding more vegetables or protein, or cutting out the extra carbs. Have you thought about meal prepping for yourself? Counting calories can be beneficial when losing weight, and you'll want to be in a calorie deficit, which basically means you're burning more calories in a week than you are eating. But, like I said before if you are trying to gain muscle you want to make sure you're eating enough to give you energy that you'll use to burn off unwanted fat. If you're not ready to count calories, count chemicals. This means to focus more on avoiding foods that are high in chemicals, typically boxed, frozen, or canned.

What kind of weight training are you doing? And how often? I would suggest getting into a routined schedule that follows a strict program. An example would be a HIT (high intensity program) 3 days a week, with the other 2 or 3 days doing cardio or yoga. There are many free weightlifitng programs that can be found on Youtube! Maybe even look into purchasing a weight training book with structured workouts. It really all depends on what kind of weights you are using and your reps/sets.

Everyone has different ways that have helped them in the gym, and there is no perfect answer! Finding what works for you is the hardest part, but is what makes working out fun. BE PATIENT with your progress, it won't happen over night! As long as you stay constitant in the gym and are on top of your nutrition you will continue to see results!:) I hope this helps.

sydneykaywaters

Losing weight and gaining muscle is easier said than done. Taking enough protein and understanding your workout routine is the key to build muscle. Try to take lean protein and do not ever overeat. However, when you are focusing on protein you tend to forget about fiber which helps you clear your system. So adding enough veggies will surely help you achieve that. I would suggest you try some great recipes which are enriched with therapeutic herbs and spices I found on iahas.com and they worked out well for me. It will not only assist you to achieve your goal, but it will also make you strong from within.

Chieflrg

Unless you are on the extremely obese side and/or extremely untrained you can't really expect to gain muscle while losing weight. It's not that's it impossible, just more unlikely according to current evidence.

You certainly can fain strength and retain muscle in most cases assuming your nutrition and training stimulus is in order .