Weight Loss Journey

derekriba

It has probably been answered before but I am new to this app. I have been trying to gain muscle while losing fat and it isnt going the way id like. I have been gaining muscle but not losing fat so ultimately im straying farther away from my goals. I am having trouble figuring out what my diet needs to look like in order to do this. Im in a constant battle between figuring out if i am eating too little or too much. Everybody I have talked to believes I am not eating enough but in turn you would assume id be losing weight. Any advice helps!

sollyn23l2

How do you know you're not losing fat? How many calories are you eating per day? Can't really answer your question without some more detailed information on how much you're eating and how much you're training and how tall you are and how much you weigh.

derekriba

I haven't tracked my measurements but just noticing by appearance. I generally eat around 1700-2000 calories per day. I am currently 208lbs at 5'10. When I started going to the gym I was roughly 190lbs

Retroguy2000

If you're gaining weight, you're in a calorie surplus. And vice versa.

Are you sure you're on 1700-2000? Including all drinks, condiments, treats, cheat meals, accurate portion measurements, etc.?

beanfacekilla

Going to your doctor and having blood work and a physical would be wise.

Google "TDEE calculator"
Use it. Get your base calories. I recommend using "sedentary" as activity level.


After you have that number of calories, eat in a calorie deficit.

Let's say 2000 calories is your maintenance number (don't gain, don't lose weight). Eating 1500 will theoretically make you lose 1 lbs per week. Not all fat, but mostly. You can tweak the effectiveness of it with your exercise routine.

If you estimate the calories you burn when exercising and walking, you can eat more calories. But keep in mind, you need to be eating less calories than you burn.

1500 calories = 1lb weight loss per week.
500 calories exercise, now you can eat 2000 (theoretically).

A smart watch can help estimate calories burned if you start a workout and finish it in real time.

Recommendations:

Shoot for 10,000 steps per day. Get a pedometer or smart watch. Park far away. Take the stairs. Each opportunity you have, take the route that accumulates more steps.

Weigh ALL FOOD that you consume. I'm talking EVERY SINGLE THING you put in your body. You don't have to do this forever, but at least for a while until you get educated and knowledgeable about portions/calories etc. This can seem daunting at first, but I promise you'll get more efficient with it and you'll learn long term lessons by doing so.

Monitor your macro nutrients. Protein, fat, carbohydrates.

If you are lifting weights and doing cardio or walking, you'll need protein. .7g-1g of protein per pound of body weight should be ok. Construct your calories with protein in mind first, and then try to keep you fat low-ish. Perhaps 50 or 60g of fat per day is my Recommendation. You can supplement protein powder shakes to help reach protein goals without eating a metric **** ton of chicken/meat every day. Supplement maybe a serving or two of protein powder shake with a banana in a blender perhaps. You'll still need wholesome healthy food as well. Chicken, lean pork, fiber.

Eliminate all liquid calories like soda, milk, alcohol, etc. Unless you're drinking a protein shake, I would just drink water.

Weigh in once a week, at the same time every time. I weigh in when I wake up, right after using the restroom. Enter the number in MFP app and use it to track your progress.

Realize you can't make INSTANT progress. You're not going to see results day to day. You'll see results after weeks, not days. Take progress photos periodically if you desire. They can really highlight the progress you make (or don't make) because when you see yourself every day you won't notice the gradual body changes.



I'm sure I forgot many things. I hope this helps. FWIW, my first thought when I read your post was that you aren't weighing your food and you're snacking or drinking alcohol or something to sabotage your progress. I also thought it seems like you're looking for instant results.

My two cents.