HELP: Losing Fat and Gaining Muscle- Need Advice!!

33Freya

Please critique my plan.

I need advice from those of you in the “know”.

I did a bodpod scan today to get today’s facts below. If you don't know what bodpod is, look it up: www.bodpod.com.

I am currently 5’10” and 190lbs.

Fat mass 32.1%, 61lbs
Lean mass 67.9%, 129lbs

I have made a plan- a “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely” goal.
June 1 is my goal date (right before my Love returns to me from the military)

I figure 21% body fat at 165 lbs is a good goal, realistically attainable within 6 months.
I want to reduce my fat by 27lbs, and gain 1.9lbs of muscle by June.

My goal is to lose 5lbs per month, and gain around .32lbs of muscle per month.

I will do this by alternating (heavy) lifting days with cardio days (with 1-2 rest days per week) and keeping my calories down between 1200 and 1500/day (with exercise calories as wiggle room, but not necessarily eating all of them back). I will up my protein intake significantly, as I know I need that to support and gain the muscle. My food diary is open, and I know I need to make some serious changes and drop the carbs while upping the protein.

My question for you: What do you think of my plan? Is it possible/advisable to try to cut fat while gaining muscle, or is it better to cut first, gain later? What advice do you have for me?

Thanks in advance for your help :flowerforyou:

pcastagner

my advice:

forget about building muscle for now.

your mission: lose weight safely while preserving muscle mass as much as possible and getting stronger.

just worry about strength and weight loss. When the time comes to build muscle, you'll be able to lift much more weight than you would have been able to after following a "muscle building" program without the diet to back it up. That extra strength will leave you poised to stimulate the crap out of your muscles to take the most advantage of weight gains.


If I could start over, this is what I would do. Unfortunately I tried to do what you are proposing instead, and my main lifts are a joke.

AllanMisner

Instead of alternating, consider cycling between periods when you focus on lifting heavy (compound lifts), HIIT and some low level cardio.

Yes, protein is important, but don't go hog wild on it (it can be turned to glucose and fat just like carbs). Don't create too much of a deficit (not eating exercise calories back) or you risk damaging your metabolism.

You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. If your body becomes accustomed to burning body fat for energy and you're not under eating too much, the protein can be used for muscle growth. The key is to cycle in heavy lifting to keep hormones and metabolism churning.

TR0berts

my advice:

forget about building muscle for now.

your mission: lose weight safely while preserving muscle mass as much as possible and getting stronger.

just worry about strength and weight loss. When the time comes to build muscle, you'll be able to lift much more weight than you would have been able to after following a "muscle building" program without the diet to back it up. That extra strength will leave you poised to stimulate the crap out of your muscles to take the most advantage of weight gains.


If I could start over, this is what I would do. Unfortunately I tried to do what you are proposing instead, and my main lifts are a joke.

Unfortunately, ditto.

gobonas99

my advice:

forget about building muscle for now.

your mission: lose weight safely while preserving muscle mass as much as possible and getting stronger.

just worry about strength and weight loss. When the time comes to build muscle, you'll be able to lift much more weight than you would have been able to after following a "muscle building" program without the diet to back it up. That extra strength will leave you poised to stimulate the crap out of your muscles to take the most advantage of weight gains.

^that. so much that. You cannot build muscle while eating at a deficit. The primary focus for you needs to be to maintain the muscle mass that you have as much as possible (you will NOT be able to maintain all of it though, because you ARE eating at a deficit).

Use your heavy lifting to focus on maintaining the muscle you have (and building the strength of that muscle), while shedding fat. Once you have completed your weight loss, THEN you can focus on actually building muscle (which will mean eating at least at maintenance, likely more). :happy:

33Freya

Thanks ya'll I'm a multitasker at heart but what I'm pulling from your feedback is to concentrate on preserving muscle while losing the excess fat, then build up after that.

pcastagner

Thanks ya'll I'm a multitasker at heart but what I'm pulling from your feedback is to concentrate on preserving muscle while losing the excess fat, then build up after that.

and STRENGTH. low bar squats, overhead press, bench, deadlift, pullups, and such