lose weight first, or focus on muscle?

faradaysdream

I am a 30 year old female weighing about 190. I don't have a specific weight goal., but the toned bodies that I've seen that I would like to emulate one day, seem to weigh around 165. I want to be strong and fit.

So, I've been trying to figure out what I should be eating in terms of calorie consumption and how best to go about this. I can see two scenarios. One being that I focus on weight loss with a deficit and then really focusing on muscle development. Second being, eat more, focus on muscle development and the rest will kind of follow...will it follow?

I set MPR to lose .5 pounds a week...but I was reading another thread where people were saying that you can't gain muscle (at least not as easily) when you're on a deficit. So...should I be eating maintenance?

How should I go about doing this?

I really appreciate all insight. Thanks

addmorecloud

This site has interesting articles relating to this, but I'd like to know people's actual experiences too.

Llamapants86

You can gain muscle with a small deficit, to lose .5 lbs is only a deficit of 250 kcals a day. And just doing diet along puts you at risk of losing the muscle that you have already. I would say that do both at first to see the most results quickly (which is the only way that I personally can stay motivated).

auddii

You can't gain muscle on a deficit, but if you eat at maintenance, it is an incredibly slow process to do body recomposition. Since you have a fair amount of weight to lose (30ish pounds), I could see that taking you 5-6 years to get the body you want. I would go with your original plan of losing .5 a pound a week, and definitely eat enough protein (1g ish per kg of body weight) and lift heavy. That will help you maintain the muscle you have while you're losing fat. Then, when you get down close to goal, you can think about cut/bulk cycles.

^This is mostly just personal preference, but motivation seems to be the biggest problem with sticking to a plan. If the changes are so slow that you can't see them, you may be more likely to give up. I think it's easier to stick with something when you can see changes.

Also, don't go only by the scale, measure and take pictures too. With starting a lifting program, the scale may not tell you what you want, but that doesn't mean that changes aren't happening.

SurfyFriend

Both if your not desparate to lose weight and happy to do it the healthy way.

nm212

I'm in a similar situation. I've been working out like CRAZY! I've been trying to stay below my Calories and I STILL can't lose the weight! What's going on here? I am bottom heavy so I need to lose like 20 lbs to be at a healthy weight for my height !

Any suggestions for me too?

ehmadore

Search for the road map....

brdnw

I started at 285 at a point of no excercise or lifting or anything. I told myself to just focus on lifting for a year to get into a routine and the right mindset without piling too much on at once.

I did that and after a year i started to focus on diet and excercise a bit more. My first year i only lost 20 scale pounds (but had gained alot of muscle mass, so seemingly i lost a bit more fat than the 20 reflected on the scale).

I thought this approach worked well for me, i'm at 194 now and i do alot of cardio and really watch my diet now and it was a pretty easy progression into once i made lifting a daily routine.

TR0berts

Based on what I can see on your profile pic, I'd say you probably don't have to gain much (if any) muscle to really achieve the look I think you want from what you've described.

1/2 lb per week Caloric deficit and lift heavy, a la StrongLifts or Starting Strength (I'd recommend the Practical Programming version of SS - http://www.scribd.com/doc/3382978/Starting-Strength-Logbook-Calculator - substituting lat pulldowns for the pull-ups and chin-ups, if necessary). New Rules of Lifting for Women isn't bad, either. Light cardio - and I do mean light - on your off days isn't a terrible idea.

Keep your protein somewhere between 0.5-1.0 grams per bodyweight - closer to 1.0, if possible, but don't over-worry about it - and you should be fine. If you do those things, I think you'll be happy with your results.

SideSteel

You should be eating in a caloric deficit and attempting to lose weight. Set your macronutrients appropriately and do some resistance training.

klynshoe

I work with a PT and have lost fat weight while gaining muscle. I was 170 lbs, now about 160. I used a calorie-deficit of about a 1 lb per week and have lost inches and gained muscle weight. The trick is regular circuit/strength training and consuming more protein than carbs. I aim for about 140 g of protein per day. Keeping your protein high, while keeping your calories low helps you lose fat weight weight and create that toned body you are looking for. Good luck!

jmiguy

nm212,

I had a friend in a similar situation. It turned out she was skipping breakfast. I encouraged her to start eating breakfast and she started losing lbs again. If you're skipping meals, don't... if you're not skipping meals, try eating more often throughout the day (without increasing your daily calorie intake).

faradaysdream

Based on what I can see on your profile pic, I'd say you probably don't have to gain much (if any) muscle to really achieve the look I think you want from what you've described.

1/2 lb per week Caloric deficit and lift heavy, a la StrongLifts or Starting Strength (I'd recommend the Practical Programming version of SS - http://www.scribd.com/doc/3382978/Starting-Strength-Logbook-Calculator - substituting lat pulldowns for the pull-ups and chin-ups, if necessary). New Rules of Lifting for Women isn't bad, either. Light cardio - and I do mean light - on your off days isn't a terrible idea.

Keep your protein somewhere between 0.5-1.0 grams per bodyweight - closer to 1.0, if possible, but don't over-worry about it - and you should be fine. If you do those things, I think you'll be happy with your results.

That's actually what I just started doing

I have been lifting heavy for this last month...although, I've just been doing the machines at the gym...I will start doing free weights eventually...it's just a matter of being comfortable for now. But I've been doing 220 leg presses and 80 pounds for arms...I haven't been calorie tracking until this last week...I haven't lost any weight this month...but I have went down about 5 inches. I'm glad I'm on the right track.

nm212

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the feedback. I will try to eat more protein and less carbs....and maybe smaller meals more often throughout the day.

cdahl383

I had the same question myself just a few months ago. Here's my approach.

Lose weight until I get somewhat lean (i.e. some muscle definition, maybe 15-18% bodyfat), then level off for a couple of weeks, then start eating a small surplus to try and add muscle.

My thought is that if I just eat more now I'll just look even fatter and the muscle I have now won't be as visible anyway with the extra weight. So I'd rather shed the bodyfat now, then focus on adding more muscle with a "clean slate" so to speak.

I figure if I need to lose 25-35 lbs I'll give myself until sometime next winter, then in late winter/early spring start eating more and set my goals towards adding muscle. It's a long term commitment, but its also realistic.

I'm also lifting heavy at the moment to maintain my current muscle mass as I lose weight. I'm losing around 1-2 lbs a week so far and all my lifts have gone up since I started a few months ago and my measurements are all getting better (smaller waist, larger chest/arms, etc)

faradaysdream

Brilliant! I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. I was just...not sure if I could be doing it more efficiently. Thanks everyone for your wonderful insight

Chevy_Quest

@Cdahl383 - This is good advice - I need to follow it

I had the same question myself just a few months ago. Here's my approach.

Lose weight until I get somewhat lean (i.e. some muscle definition, maybe 15-18% bodyfat), then level off for a couple of weeks, then start eating a small surplus to try and add muscle.

My thought is that if I just eat more now I'll just look even fatter and the muscle I have now won't be as visible anyway with the extra weight. So I'd rather shed the bodyfat now, then focus on adding more muscle with a "clean slate" so to speak.

I figure if I need to lose 25-35 lbs I'll give myself until sometime next winter, then in late winter/early spring start eating more and set my goals towards adding muscle. It's a long term commitment, but its also realistic.

I'm also lifting heavy at the moment to maintain my current muscle mass as I lose weight. I'm losing around 1-2 lbs a week so far and all my lifts have gone up since I started a few months ago and my measurements are all getting better (smaller waist, larger chest/arms, etc)

yogamoods

You will gain muscle as you make your muscles work more. This is not an 'either/or' question. You will lose weight as your energy balance is negative (meaning, you burn more than you consume). If you burn more energy by being physically active, your muscles will be working more, and you will grow lean muscle mass at the same time that you use up your fat stores. I suggest that you concentrate on eating right (a balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables, protein and good carbs) and be physically active, increasing your physical activity gradually.

By the way, a body fat % of 15% is a hard (but GREAT) goal for a woman. That's the body fat % of a woman who is very fit and athletic. At 5'3 and 117 lbs (I run 5 times per week and lift 4 days a week), my body fat % is about 18. Most commercially available scales don't provide accurate readings. Just my two cents.

RobinsEgg

Faraway - you don't have to eat more to get muscle development - you just have to have adequate protein as several other respondents mentioned. You can have your calorie deficit still and lose weight at the same time. As others mentioned, be sure to eat a protein-rich breakfast and eat throughout the day. Eat carbs before your weight-lifting work-out and have some (not tons!) protein after.

I am set to lose 1.5 lbs a week and I do that consistently. I have reshaped my body and lost inches (quite easily I might add) by doing goblet squats using a 15 lb weight, and overhead dumbell presses. This is 3 x week. Those are my only weight-lifting exercises! I also get in a cardio walk once a week.

Good luck to you!

lessofme43

I started with both eating better and cardio exercise, and have consistently lost 1 lb/week for 6 months, that's 26 lbs so far. My starting weight was close to yours, but i am a little older (43, if that makes a difference). I have been mostly brisk walking with weights 4-5 days a week and it's working for me. I recently joined a challenge of push-ups and planking that I'm enjoying and will eventually add more of these type (wall sits, lunges, sit ups, squats, etc.) of exercises to my routine as I get stronger. I am content to lose weight and gain strength slow and steady, others want results more quickly...I'm in this for the long haul, so for me the changes have to be gradual if it's gonna be permanent.

ttknowles01

I currently have my goal set at losing 1 lb/week. My workouts consists of both cardio and strength training with weights (currently using 20 lb dumbbells....I need to seriously up the weight lol). I am slimming down but still toning in the process (noticing more muscles in legs and arms). I would try both and see how it goes. Good luck :-). Oh and I am 5'4ish, 36 years old, and currently weigh 195 lbs