Eating to maintenance and wanting to gain muscle.

jenniferb_00

I was wondering, If i were to eat enough calories to maintain my weight, and if i were to add strength training, would i notice a difference? Or would i have to eat more calories? And if so how much more?

Pretty much my wight is already pretty low, im 117 and 5'3. Although i could lose a few more pounds of fat (my goal is 113lbs) i do feel that i am missing a lot of lean muscle which would explain why i appear to have a decent about of body fat (especially stomach and thighs)

jenniferb_00

cdahl383

My understanding is you need to be in a calorie surplus to gain muscle at a substantial rate. You can probably gain a small amount in a deficit or at maintenance if you're a newbie to weight training, but beyond those types of gains, your body really needs to be at a surplus to gain if that's your goal.

From what I've read/gathered it seems like you only need to be eating around 250-350 calories more per day over your maintenance, so you're gaining around .5-1 lb per week. Otherwise you'll just end up putting on fat over time that you'll end up having to lose later.

It's also important to have a good intake of protein. There are varying amounts out there, from 1 lb per 1 lb of bodyweight, to per 1 lb of LBM, or 1 lb per kg. I'm trying to drop some weight right now without losing any muscle and I'm eating around 150-175g of protein per day and I weigh 203 lbs and I haven't noticed any drop in strength or size yet after losing 8 lbs. I've actually gone up on several of my lifts.

I'd say eat a little above maintenance, eat a sufficient amount of protein (.7-1g per lb of bodyweight unless morbidly obese which you're not), lift heavy and push yourself every week to do a little more reps or heavier weight, and you should see some good results. The better your nutrition/diet during the process the better the results. I'm eating better than I did in the past and I've seen results faster now (i.e. less weight dropped but clothes fit better already, smaller stomach, bigger muscles, etc).

I'm no fitness/bodybuilder expert, just saying what has worked best for me. I'd do some additional research and see what else you can learn about the process that might work better for you as well.

jenniferb_00

I have never actually attempted wight training before. Im newly considering it seeing as i feel simply losing fat is not going to get me the results i want. Im not looking to gain a whole lot of mussel. Just enough to look somewhat toned, not even super toned, just not flabby.

Thanks for the advice. Ill pay closer attention to my protein intake for sure and definitely do some more research. I just want to ensure i don't gain any fat back...thats the last thing i want to happen.

Huffdogg

You'll get a little. No sense lying to you about that. But the alterations to your physique from even a basic amount of beginner strength training are often so dramatic that you'll never even notice it, and a higher amount of LBM means a higher resting metabolic rate, meaning that it's easier to cut the fat back off.

jenniferb_00

As i said im not looking to gain a whole lot of muscle, just enough so i don't look so flabby. But i'm not shooting for the stars here.

jenniferb_00

That sounds like a lot of protein though...Is it possible to get that much protein from food alone? Would a s supplement of some sort be helpful?

I_mustacheU4pancakes

If you want to gain muscle then lift weights and eat
At a small but significant surplus. No surplus=no gains.
Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing nor does existing fat
Turn into muscle.
Look up a good strength routine and work with your calories until
You're gaining about .5 pounds per week.
Good luck.

Barbellgirl

Jennifer, Cdahl gave you good advice. I'm actually trying to do the very thing you are asking about, except that I'm lifting heavy. If you want to learn more about how I'm approaching it, look for a thread in the gaining weight section called "Female Bulking Advice Needed."

That may sound like a lot of protein but if you have some at every meal (including breakfast) it's not that hard to hit. If you have a hard time hitting it though, a protein powder is a convenient way to add some additional protein to your diet.

jenniferb_00

Thanks everyone. Ill definitely look into that thread.

helpfit101

If you want to gain muscle then lift weights and eat
At a small but significant surplus. No surplus=no gains.
Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing nor does existing fat
Turn into muscle.
Look up a good strength routine and work with your calories until
You're gaining about .5 pounds per week.
Good luck.

^^ this is not true.

You will gain muscle eating at maintenance, if you are a beginner. Hell you can gain muscle eating at a deficit as a beginner. Even if you've been lifting for a while you will. At some point it will level off though. At that time you need to eat at a slight surplus to gain muscle.

Having said all that. You are female. Your muscle gains will be harder to come by. If you want quicker results you could eat at a slight surplus (0.5-1lbs/week). Then later cut if back off.

jenniferb_00

Well i cant lie that makes me feel better. I would feel rather uncomfortable going into a surplus of calories at the moment. I would prefer to if anything eat to maintenance and see some results, even if not a terrible amount.

Crazy4Healthy

I'm actually your exact weight and height. I started out losing weight and incorporated weight training about 4 months in. It took me about 10 months to lose and I've been lifting for 1.5 years. I'm just now going into my first bulk (eating at surplus). While you may not see significant gains in actual muscle mass, you will see significant changes in body composition simply by lifting weights. You do need to lift heavier though, I mean heavy for you, and continue to increase your weights. When lifting, 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps should exhaust your muscle (to about failure). When you can do 8-10 easily, increase your weight. There are tons of programs out there to get you started. I started with New Rules of Lifting for Women and it was extremely helpful and made a huge difference. There is also stronglifts and starting strength.

If it helps, take a look at my pics. I went from 157 and I'm currently at 117 (was down to 113). I went from 34% BF to 17%.

Start lifting, eating at maintenance is still going to be better than a deficit and I agree on getting the protein (my diary is also open). I'm bulking now because I'm addicted to what this has done for my body and I want a bit more muscle, but that is a personal choice.

Good luck to ya...

jenniferb_00

Wow, thats impressive. Im not looking to take it as far as you have, more from lack of personal interest and desire. Thank you for the advice theough. Ill take a look at "New Rules of Lifting for Women" program and see if i can figure somehting out.

I was thinking of changing my goal to 115 instead of 113, even if i decide to lose the couple pounds later on. So once i start maintaining 115 i should probably get to this muscle building!

Thanks again!

I_mustacheU4pancakes

If you want to gain muscle then lift weights and eat
At a small but significant surplus. No surplus=no gains.
Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing nor does existing fat
Turn into muscle.
Look up a good strength routine and work with your calories until
You're gaining about .5 pounds per week.
Good luck.

^^ this is not true.

You will gain muscle eating at maintenance, if you are a beginner. Hell you can gain muscle eating at a deficit as a beginner. Even if you've been lifting for a while you will. At some point it will level off though. At that time you need to eat at a slight surplus to gain muscle.

Having said all that. You are female. Your muscle gains will be harder to come by. If you want quicker results you could eat at a slight surplus (0.5-1lbs/week). Then later cut if back off.

Its not true yet you just said everything i said.
Obviously beginners gain small amounts of muscle on a deficit
Or maintenance but do you think arnold,Ronnie Coleman,or even any
Of the crossfit competition womens competitors got big eating
At maintenance?
NO.

jlapey

I think you could benefit greatly from joining this group. At the very least read at the posts with the red pins.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

tomcornhole

If you want to gain muscle then lift weights and eat
At a small but significant surplus. No surplus=no gains.
Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing nor does existing fat
Turn into muscle.
Look up a good strength routine and work with your calories until
You're gaining about .5 pounds per week.
Good luck.

^^ this is not true.

You will gain muscle eating at maintenance, if you are a beginner. Hell you can gain muscle eating at a deficit as a beginner. Even if you've been lifting for a while you will. At some point it will level off though. At that time you need to eat at a slight surplus to gain muscle.

Having said all that. You are female. Your muscle gains will be harder to come by. If you want quicker results you could eat at a slight surplus (0.5-1lbs/week). Then later cut if back off.

Its not true yet you just said everything i said.
Obviously beginners gain small amounts of muscle on a deficit
Or maintenance but do you think arnold,Ronnie Coleman,or even any
Of the crossfit competition womens competitors got big eating
At maintenance?
NO.

Yup, you can gain at maintenance. Unless I am fictional. I do time my meals to maximize gains and it is a painfully slow process. But if your goal is a body recomp (lose fat, gain muscle) it most certainly can be done. It is inefficient, though. Good thing to do at goal weight. I went from 185 lbs and 16% BF to where I am now which is 185 lbs and 12% BF. All the while eating at maintenance. Probably just should have done a bulk / cut. Much more efficient.

kdiamond

More or less what you want to do is recomp. There are some really good articles on this, google it.

I did a recomp for 3-4 months and lost 3% body fat and gained no actual weight. I also lifted heavy. I didn't necessarily put on muscle (slightly) but exposed more of my own lean muscle underneath. Basically I became firmer and more defined.

ElliottTN

I'll probably get fired at for saying this but eat at maintenance and get into a lifting program. Don't worry about eating you burned calories back from lifting. From cardio, sure but not from lifting. Don't expect overnight results like you would from just dropping weight. Have fun and work hard. Oh and yeah, get your protein in.

sijomial

Yes you can gain muscle at maintenance - it's called recomp.

It's what I've been doing this year, the downside is that it is slow progress so you need to be patient and accurate with your calorie intake.

The first thing you will notice as a newbie is strength gains, this doesn't equate directly to actual muscle gains though.

Factors in your favour: new to lifting, young.
Factor against: you're a woman (sorry but it makes a huge difference).
Factors you can influence: eat enough protein, do a structured beginner weight lifting routine with mainly compound lifts and progressive overload.

Would recommend getting your bodyfat measured and take tape measure recordings before you start so you can track progress.

Good luck and have fun!

cdahl383

It's not too hard to get your protein in, you just have to do a little extra planning with your meals for the day. The only supplement I take is protein powder (ON 100% whey natural chocolate).

I usually have cereal/OJ/protein shake for breakfast, then a healthy lunch at work, then a snack between lunch and dinner at work, then dinner, and then at night another snack. Every meal contains a decent amount of protein. You can get a lot of protein in from dairy products if you're not lactose intolerant. Fat free greek yogurt (15g only 150 cal), lowfat cottage cheese, lowfat string cheese, etc. Even whole grain breads have 5g in each slice, so if you make a PB or lunchmeat sandwich, you'll get around 20-30g of protein right there.

The best route to go is get most of your protein from foods, and healthier foods at that. If you fall a little short, then you can make a protein shake or make some homemade protein bars for a snack to help boost it up a little for the day. I see no purpose in slamming 3-4 protein shakes a day when you could get most of your protein from real foods.

I've had the best luck as far as results go with lifting heavy and lower reps. I try to do between 6-12 reps on my sets. If I get up to 12 reps and its pretty easy, I go up to the next weight. As long as I can do 6 reps with good form, then I stay at that weight and push myself a little harder each time. Get up to 10-12 reps again and move up the weight again, etc.

I think you'd have to workout like crazy and eat at a surplus for a long time to get all big and bulky. Women seem to worry about this a lot, but I rarely see a "bulky" looking woman at the gym that just works out at a moderate level. The extreme bodybuilding types workout much harder and have a super strict diet.

If you're just looking to tone up and put on a little muscle, I think upping your protein, eating healthy around your maintenance or slightly higher will get you there. Just be patient and don't overtrain. Give your muscles 1-3 days to recover depending on how hard you hit them each workout.

Also, carbs are important for your muscles as well. I'm not a fan of low carb diets. I try to eat some carbs before I lift and I find I have much more energy and a more effective workout that way. Basically, if you're eating an overall healthy diet, you should be getting enough carbs/fats/proteins to accomplish what you're looking to do.

Good luck!

SJackson50

I've been eating at a deficit...and my muscles look pretty fantastic, IMO.
You don't want to look like Arnold or any bodybuilder, right? You just want your muscles to show and lose excess fat. Get your protein in and add weight training. You will be pleased with your body.
Good luck!

3laine75

If you want to gain muscle then lift weights and eat
At a small but significant surplus. No surplus=no gains.
Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing nor does existing fat
Turn into muscle.
Look up a good strength routine and work with your calories until
You're gaining about .5 pounds per week.
Good luck.

Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing - no, it uses your protein intake paired with energy from carbs and stored fat.

No fat doesn't turn into muscle but the fat is burned to help fuel the muscle recovery/ building process.

No surplus does NOT equal no gains. If I have gained muscle and strength at a calorie deficit (with optimum protein + good meal timing) then the OP certainly can at maintenance.

cdahl383

If you want to gain muscle then lift weights and eat
At a small but significant surplus. No surplus=no gains.
Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing nor does existing fat
Turn into muscle.
Look up a good strength routine and work with your calories until
You're gaining about .5 pounds per week.
Good luck.

Muscle doesn't just build itself from nothing - no, it uses your protein intake paired with energy from carbs and stored fat.

No fat doesn't turn into muscle but the fat is burned to help fuel the muscle recovery/ building process.

No surplus does NOT equal no gains. If I have gained muscle and strength at a calorie deficit (with optimum protein + good meal timing) then the OP certainly can at maintenance.

^ This is true. You can definitely gain muscle at a deficit since your new to weight lifting, etc. For optimal results you really do need additional calories and more protein, but it can still be done without that, though it will be a slower process. If you've lifted for a while and already have substantial LBM gains then you definitely need to be in a surplus to gain any significant amount of muscle.

ajkolb

What exactly is your question? I'm your size, but I'm a bodybuilder. I average 1400 cals a day; 26/20/8 per meal at 6 meals a day. Again, it depends in your goals.

j6o4

You can get newbie gainz while eating at maintenance or a deficit but after that is over, you will need a caloric surplus to build muscle.