lose fat, gain muscle

10manda86

Hi, I have been a member here for over a year but now is the time I am actually taking this very seriously!
Ok, this will probably initiate a rant by a number of people but I'm looking for advice...
I am 174cm tall (5 10') weigh between 80-83kg. My body fat sits at around 32%. I am 27 yrs old
I aim to lose 10% body fat, weight doesn't matter as much how I look and feel.
My calculations have me sitting at around 1500-1600 cals per day to lose. I have been eating ultra-low carb because it makes me feel good. I find I am eating a lot of protein as part of this diet!! But as far as cals go, I struggle to get over 1200 although I do not feel hungry ever!!! I drink 2litres of water or more a day.
I go to the gym 5-6 times a week, where I do 10min cardio, then 20ish mins lifting weights, 10 mins cardio and then 10mins stretching out.
My question is, will I build the muscle I am looking for to burn fat and look fit with this routine???
Suggestions? Can I build muscle and still maintain ultra low carb??
Cheers, and add me as a friend if you like

kwedman488

If you're wanting to gain muscle and lose fat, weight lifting without cardio is much more desirable for you. I would recommend doing about 45 minutes of intense (and I mean intense for YOU, not what others find intense for themselves; perspective) weight lifting focusing on 2 or 3 different muscle groups 3-4 times a week with some stretching before and after. What I've been doing is P90X but I'm a cardio bunny, so I sub insanity for the plyometric and kenpo videos. Lifting weights will allow you to maintain the muscle mass you have while you slim down the fat if you eat at a deficit. As you lose body fat it will reveal more of your muscle that you have worked hard to maintain, so that if you decide that you want to gain more muscle mass, you can eat at a surplus until you decide going back to cutting to remove the fat that you also enevitably gained-but you'll have more muscle than the last round. Or you can go to maintenance and maintain the physique you desire. But from personal experience I have found lifting to be much more mentally and physically rewarding than just cardio-I just throw it in because I like it and I have a huge appetite.

I also eat a lot of protein-which is good, don't feel bad about it. If it helps you feel better than stick with it. My diet is 50% protein and it's been helping me slim down a lot. If you're having a hard time getting to 1600 calories, just make the foods you eat already more calorie dense, like eating 2% yogurt instead of 0%, or less lean meats, or cook up some hard boiled eggs to eat; the options are endless and there are other topics on this site that go more in depth with that if you want more ideas.