My Skinny Fat plan
franzhaydn
Posts: 44
Hi everyone, so I would like to run my researched ideas past you who have experience!
Getting right to the chase, I am skinny and I have less muscle than I'd like. I have fat, and look fatter than I did 20lbs ago.
My history out of the way, I want to bulk up but not gain fat. I don't care how long it takes. This is my goal.
My plan I'd like some opinion on:
1. Eat mostly protein (my diet is split three ways equally between all three macros now)! Eat 1300 cals a day. Which is my BMR.
2. Do heavy weights low reps on Monday Wednesday Friday.
3. Optional aerobics ONLY AFTER weights not before.
4. Anaerobic training such as HIIT on Tues, Thurs.
My main questions are, should my macro proportions be different? And would doing more aerobics, not anaerobics, hinder muscle gain?
Thanks!
Getting right to the chase, I am skinny and I have less muscle than I'd like. I have fat, and look fatter than I did 20lbs ago.
My history out of the way, I want to bulk up but not gain fat. I don't care how long it takes. This is my goal.
My plan I'd like some opinion on:
1. Eat mostly protein (my diet is split three ways equally between all three macros now)! Eat 1300 cals a day. Which is my BMR.
2. Do heavy weights low reps on Monday Wednesday Friday.
3. Optional aerobics ONLY AFTER weights not before.
4. Anaerobic training such as HIIT on Tues, Thurs.
My main questions are, should my macro proportions be different? And would doing more aerobics, not anaerobics, hinder muscle gain?
Thanks!
0
Replies
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I'm thinking you're not going to be eating anywhere near enough calories to gain any muscle.0
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I'd like to know what research showed you that eating 1300 calories a day would help you build muscle. I'm currently bulking - 5'8; 138 lbs and I'm eating 2200 calories a day. So...yeah.0
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You are going to have a very hard time gaining muscle or cutting on your plan. I think that you need to go out and get a book, set some real workable goals and go from there. It really sounds like you have not thought this out!0
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Hi guys-thanks for your help. Can someone please explain TDEE to me? I've heard it a lot but don't know what it is.
Yeah, I didn't mention that I'm trying to eat more. It's kind of hard. I have a mental block I am slowly working at chipping away. If I don't eat more than my BMR, will I just get fatter?0 -
Read up on these threads:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=sexypants
Also check out "Eat More to Weigh Less"
https://www.facebook.com/EM2WL
http://eatmore2weighless.com/
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less
Also, this group is great:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-0 -
Total Daily Energy Expenditure - the total amount of energy, in calories, your body uses to meet all physiological energy needs. Thus, it includes your BMR, Thermic Effect of Food, exercise activity expenditure and non-exercise activity expenditure. In other words, it's the maximum amount of calories required to relatively maintain your weight.
I'm guessing your body composition suffered from chronically eating too little. If you want to recover lost lean mass, you're going to have to remove that mental block whereby you don't want to gain any more fat. Recomps are slow and really should be done by those who are already satisfied with their body composition but want to tweak it by another 1% or so. If you want to increase lean mass by an appreciable margin, doing a bulk is far more rewarding and less time consuming in the long run.
For someone of your weight, you shouldn't even be eating below your BMR but perhaps 300 calories below your actual TDEE. The reason you likely lost a significant amount of muscle mass was by chronically undereating.0 -
Hi everyone, so I would like to run my researched ideas past you who have experience!
Getting right to the chase, I am skinny and I have less muscle than I'd like. I have fat, and look fatter than I did 20lbs ago.
My history out of the way, I want to bulk up but not gain fat. I don't care how long it takes. This is my goal.
My plan I'd like some opinion on:
1. Eat mostly protein (my diet is split three ways equally between all three macros now)! Eat 1300 cals a day. Which is my BMR.
2. Do heavy weights low reps on Monday Wednesday Friday.
3. Optional aerobics ONLY AFTER weights not before.
4. Anaerobic training such as HIIT on Tues, Thurs.
My main questions are, should my macro proportions be different? And would doing more aerobics, not anaerobics, hinder muscle gain?
Thanks!
you are not going to gain muscle on 1300 calories a day ….
You may get some newbie gains but those will droop off about about a month to month and a half ..
I would recommend eating at about 100 cals a day over your maintenance…or you could eat like +200 on work out days and at about maintenance on non-work out days…
Sorry, you will gain some fat when you are bulking..its pretty much impossible to get your body to contribute 100% of excess energy to muscle growth and not have some go to fat...0 -
If you want to bulk, your going to gain some weight no matter what.
Lift heavy and often make sure your meeting your Macros and you should be fine.0 -
Hi everyone, so I would like to run my researched ideas past you who have experience!
Getting right to the chase, I am skinny and I have less muscle than I'd like. I have fat, and look fatter than I did 20lbs ago.
My history out of the way, I want to bulk up but not gain fat. I don't care how long it takes. This is my goal.
My plan I'd like some opinion on:
1. Eat mostly protein (my diet is split three ways equally between all three macros now)! Eat 1300 cals a day. Which is my BMR.
2. Do heavy weights low reps on Monday Wednesday Friday.
3. Optional aerobics ONLY AFTER weights not before.
4. Anaerobic training such as HIIT on Tues, Thurs.
My main questions are, should my macro proportions be different? And would doing more aerobics, not anaerobics, hinder muscle gain?
Thanks!
you are not going to gain muscle on 1300 calories a day ….
You may get some newbie gains but those will droop off about about a month to month and a half ..
I would recommend eating at about 100 cals a day over your maintenance…or you could eat like +200 on work out days and at about maintenance on non-work out days…
Sorry, you will gain some fat when you are bulking..its pretty much impossible to get your body to contribute 100% of excess energy to muscle growth and not have some go to fat...
aqreed
Unless you are a noob, have muscle memory or are on steroids you cannot gain muscle without gaining some fat.
However, on the plus side, it's easier to lose fat than it is to gain muscle.
also, eating only protein is a really bad idea.0 -
Hi everyone, so I would like to run my researched ideas past you who have experience!
Getting right to the chase, I am skinny and I have less muscle than I'd like. I have fat, and look fatter than I did 20lbs ago.
My history out of the way, I want to bulk up but not gain fat. I don't care how long it takes. This is my goal.
My plan I'd like some opinion on:
1. Eat mostly protein (my diet is split three ways equally between all three macros now)! Eat 1300 cals a day. Which is my BMR.
2. Do heavy weights low reps on Monday Wednesday Friday.
3. Optional aerobics ONLY AFTER weights not before.
4. Anaerobic training such as HIIT on Tues, Thurs.
My main questions are, should my macro proportions be different? And would doing more aerobics, not anaerobics, hinder muscle gain?
Thanks!
you are not going to gain muscle on 1300 calories a day ….
You may get some newbie gains but those will droop off about about a month to month and a half ..
I would recommend eating at about 100 cals a day over your maintenance…or you could eat like +200 on work out days and at about maintenance on non-work out days…
Sorry, you will gain some fat when you are bulking..its pretty much impossible to get your body to contribute 100% of excess energy to muscle growth and not have some go to fat...
aqreed
Unless you are a noob, have muscle memory or are on steroids you cannot gain muscle without gaining some fat.
However, on the plus side, it's easier to lose fat than it is to gain muscle.
also, eating only protein is a really bad idea.
^^^ Great advice above!
Also do you have a specific strength training plan in mind for M, W, F? What type of HIIT program do you have in mind for T, R?0 -
Thank you everyone soooo much! Because I am sedentary, my TDEE is 1400 cals. Therefore, am I fine eating 300 cals below, which is 1100...? I ate 1300 today and I feel sooooo stuffed. But I also burned 238. I don't know if that counts now
you are not going to gain muscle on 1300 calories a day ….
You may get some newbie gains but those will droop off about about a month to month and a half ..
I would recommend eating at about 100 cals a day over your maintenance…or you could eat like +200 on work out days and at about maintenance on non-work out days…
Sorry, you will gain some fat when you are bulking..its pretty much impossible to get your body to contribute 100% of excess energy to muscle growth and not have some go to fat...
aqreed
Unless you are a noob, have muscle memory or are on steroids you cannot gain muscle without gaining some fat.
However, on the plus side, it's easier to lose fat than it is to gain muscle.
also, eating only protein is a really bad idea.
^^^ Great advice above!
Also do you have a specific strength training plan in mind for M, W, F? What type of HIIT program do you have in mind for T, R?
I use Hasfit's HIIT workouts. I aim to build up to half an hour for T/Th. For MWF I don't split train. I train everything. Then, after weights, I also do cardio. I understand now that I will gain some fat. But if I allow myself to go slowly and bulk over a year or so, gradually, would that minimize the fat gain as well?0 -
More food for thought:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/0 -
Use the online calculators to estimate your TDEE. Then, eat at that TDEE calorie level for several weeks to see if you lose, gain, or maintain. Tweak accordingly. Unless you are a brand newbie to weight training, in order to accomplish your goals, you are going to have to gain scale weight by eating at a slight surplus over maintenance. No way around it. Plus, you said you looked better 20 pounds heavier anyway. Just think how much better you'll look with a few more pounds acquired during weight training!0
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Thank you everyone soooo much! Because I am sedentary, my TDEE is 1400 cals. Therefore, am I fine eating 300 cals below, which is 1100...? I ate 1300 today and I feel sooooo stuffed. But I also burned 238. I don't know if that counts now
you are not going to gain muscle on 1300 calories a day ….
You may get some newbie gains but those will droop off about about a month to month and a half ..
I would recommend eating at about 100 cals a day over your maintenance…or you could eat like +200 on work out days and at about maintenance on non-work out days…
Sorry, you will gain some fat when you are bulking..its pretty much impossible to get your body to contribute 100% of excess energy to muscle growth and not have some go to fat...
aqreed
Unless you are a noob, have muscle memory or are on steroids you cannot gain muscle without gaining some fat.
However, on the plus side, it's easier to lose fat than it is to gain muscle.
also, eating only protein is a really bad idea.
^^^ Great advice above!
Also do you have a specific strength training plan in mind for M, W, F? What type of HIIT program do you have in mind for T, R?
I use Hasfit's HIIT workouts. I aim to build up to half an hour for T/Th. For MWF I don't split train. I train everything. Then, after weights, I also do cardio. I understand now that I will gain some fat. But if I allow myself to go slowly and bulk over a year or so, gradually, would that minimize the fat gain as well?
You are not sedentary. You lift 3 times a week and do HIIT twice. IMO you are not someone I would recommend bulking to bc of your mindset and such fear of calories and fat. It's inevitable. I've been bulking, 4th time, since November and I just increased to 2600 calories. Have I gained fat? Yes. Did I expect to? Absolutely! IMO until you're ok with slowly adding in more calories you would benefit working your way up to maintenance then going from there.0 -
Unless you're 4 feet tall, I sincerely doubt your TDEE is only 1400 calories.0
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Looking to meet and talk with people trying to gain! I'm looking to get into bodybuilding but I keep losing no matter how much I eat. I'm trying to keep it clean, I don't want to eat junk. Any tips would be appreciated! New here add me!0
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Ok, thanks for the great advice. The thing iis, I log my exercise from day to day so MFP tells me my deficit. Therefore I don't think I need to calculate my exercise again into my TDEE.You are not sedentary. You lift 3 times a week and do HIIT twice. IMO you are not someone I would recommend bulking to bc of your mindset and such fear of calories and fat. It's inevitable. I've been bulking, 4th time, since November and I just increased to 2600 calories. Have I gained fat? Yes. Did I expect to? Absolutely! IMO until you're ok with slowly adding in more calories you would benefit working your way up to maintenance then going from there.
I guess did look better 20 lbs heavier -- except my thighs. I'm really wanting to regain the muscle but not the fat. I guess that's my main goal. But like you've said I have a fat phobia :P slow sounds like the way to go.0 -
I believe your TDEE is incorrect. I m 66 years old, barely five feet tall, walk 45 minutes a day and my TDEE is 1890.....your's possibly cannot be 1400 with the exercise you do, unless you are shorter and older than I.0
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Thank you everyone soooo much! Because I am sedentary, my TDEE is 1400 cals. Therefore, am I fine eating 300 cals below, which is 1100...? I ate 1300 today and I feel sooooo stuffed. But I also burned 238. I don't know if that counts now
you are not going to gain muscle on 1300 calories a day ….
You may get some newbie gains but those will droop off about about a month to month and a half ..
I would recommend eating at about 100 cals a day over your maintenance…or you could eat like +200 on work out days and at about maintenance on non-work out days…
Sorry, you will gain some fat when you are bulking..its pretty much impossible to get your body to contribute 100% of excess energy to muscle growth and not have some go to fat...
aqreed
Unless you are a noob, have muscle memory or are on steroids you cannot gain muscle without gaining some fat.
However, on the plus side, it's easier to lose fat than it is to gain muscle.
also, eating only protein is a really bad idea.
^^^ Great advice above!
Also do you have a specific strength training plan in mind for M, W, F? What type of HIIT program do you have in mind for T, R?
I use Hasfit's HIIT workouts. I aim to build up to half an hour for T/Th. For MWF I don't split train. I train everything. Then, after weights, I also do cardio. I understand now that I will gain some fat. But if I allow myself to go slowly and bulk over a year or so, gradually, would that minimize the fat gain as well?
if your TDEE is 1400 then you need to eat over that to gain …try for 1450 and then 1500 and 1550 until you hit 16000 -
Looking to meet and talk with people trying to gain! I'm looking to get into bodybuilding but I keep losing no matter how much I eat. I'm trying to keep it clean, I don't want to eat junk. Any tips would be appreciated! New here add me!
eat more
OP: If you have a regular exercise schedule it is a lot easier to set a calorie target and don't worry about logging exercise cals. (or input as 0) Set your cal target at TDEE (which is not 1400) and assess via measurements, scale and pics in 2 weeks to see if you are gaining too quickly, slowly or just right.
Yes slow weight gain is advantageous to minimize fat gain. 2lb max per month I'd say for a small female.0 -
Eating your BMR is not going to get you to gain muscle or fat. Eating at maintnance or at a very minimal TDEE deficit is.
Exactly what I was thinking. You are not going to bulk up and add muscle unless you are eating at your TDEE or very close to it. In fact, if you were doing a true "bulk" you would eat above your TDEE level. The rest of your plan sounds good though, just increase calories for sure.0 -
[/quote]
Ok, thanks for the great advice. The thing iis, I log my exercise from day to day so MFP tells me my deficit. Therefore I don't think I need to calculate my exercise again into my TDEE.
I guess did look better 20 lbs heavier -- except my thighs. I'm really wanting to regain the muscle but not the fat. I guess that's my main goal. But like you've said I have a fat phobia :P slow sounds like the way to go.
[/quote]
So you can't use the TDEE Method and MFP Method of calculating your exercise calories at the same time.
If you decided to go with TDEE you need to incorporate your level of activity and eat the amount of calories it tells you. Do not track exercise calories with MFP.
If you want to use the MFP Method you need to set your calories to maintenance and eat back ALL or at least most of your exercise calories.
You should not be at a deficit if you want to actually build muscle. If you need to increase to maintenance/TDEE slowly.0 -
Ok, thanks for the great advice. The thing iis, I log my exercise from day to day so MFP tells me my deficit. Therefore I don't think I need to calculate my exercise again into my TDEE.
I guess did look better 20 lbs heavier -- except my thighs. I'm really wanting to regain the muscle but not the fat. I guess that's my main goal. But like you've said I have a fat phobia :P slow sounds like the way to go.
[/quote]
So you can't use the TDEE Method and MFP Method of calculating your exercise calories at the same time.
If you decided to go with TDEE you need to incorporate your level of activity and eat the amount of calories it tells you. Do not track exercise calories with MFP.
If you want to use the MFP Method you need to set your calories to maintenance and eat back ALL or at least most of your exercise calories.
You should not be at a deficit if you want to actually build muscle. If you need to increase to maintenance/TDEE slowly.
[/quote]
Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I will use the MFP way. To be at a deficit doesn't mean you're in the red, though, right? To be at a deficit means that at the end of the day you still have x amount of cals to go?0 -
I haven't thoroughly read all replies so this may have already been mentioned, but..
In terms of exercise, adding aerobic exercise after lifting only serves to create a greater calorie deficit. This means you will have to eat even more on cardio days to gain weight (which is what needs to happen to build muscle).
Also, doing HIIT on the days between lifting can actually hinder muscle building progress because intense anaerobic exercise is demanding on muscle tissue and therefore it is not getting the recovery time needed in order to grow. You need those rest days between lifting sessions for the muscles to repair and grow, especially once the weights get heavier.0 -
What are your stats? You're 18 so just that alone tells me there is no way your maintenance is anywhere near 1400 if you're working out 5x a week. I'm 37 and a mom and my maintenance is 1900. As the others said, if you want to gain muscle you'll have to bulk, i.e., eat more than your maintenance while lifting. You will gain some fat, but there is no way to avoid that...once you gain and build the muscle you want to build (6 months or more) you will cut calories and lose the fat. That's the only real way to do it. Also I would stop doing so much cardio unless you're gonna eat more to support it (seems a waste to me). Good luck!0
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Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I will use the MFP way. To be at a deficit doesn't mean you're in the red, though, right? To be at a deficit means that at the end of the day you still have x amount of cals to go?
Right. If the calorie number is red, then you are over - which means you would be at a surplus.
Also, another tip is to remember that most people do this kind of cyclical. For example, 8 weeks of eating at or above maintenance and then 8 weeks with a terget to lose 1lb per week - hence the bulk and cut terms that people use.
It's not like you will gain fat forever if you up your calories - you can always lose it. The goal is to end up, over time, with more muscle and less fat.
Also, I didn't see anyone else mention this but you only really need about 1g / lb of bodyweight to support your muscle growth. Higher is optional and you shouldn't do anything drastic like eat 80% protein. A simple way to handle it is eat, at a minimum, 125g of protein every day. This would only be 500 calories. Then eat whatever else you like for the remainder of your calorie goal.1. Eat mostly protein (my diet is split three ways equally between all three macros now)! Eat 1300 cals a day. Which is my BMR.0 -
First off, you look great where you're at! Congrats on taking it to the next level. I'm gonna make a BIG assumption here, you initially said, "gain muscle," which has an entirely different connotation than, "bulking."
My assumption is that you'd like to see more of the muscles you've worked on, not look like a power lifter. If powerlifter IS your goal, cool, forget what I'm about to say.
However, at your size given the former, not latter goal, putting on lean mass is mostly a no brainer. (Not easy) So you've been on a weight loss diet that has apparently led to a loss in muscle and fat. Without looking at your macros I cant tell for sure but the muscle sparing signaling that's missing is more likely coming from your training than your eating.
A guy trying to bulk... on the lines of 5+ kg. is going to gain some fat while doing so. A lady like yourself, who I'm guessing wants to see more definition and maybe a bit more mass, is going to be well served by adding muscle. Remember muscle is hungry, gaining muscle will lead to some fat loss in a person your size if we're focused on performance and strength.
If I were you I'd talk to a trainer and focus on muscular contractions in your lifting routine. It's an often overlooked aspect of resistance training. We think: welp I lifted it, therefore my muscles contracted. Yes, but could you have contracted them harder, with more intention? Probably. Learning to hit those contractions hard is a great plateau killer and should help hit the signaling you need to spare/gain muscle while maintaining/losing fat.
Good luck!0 -
im also trying too gain muscle and not fat so confussing and hard but all this advice is great
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That makes so much sense, and inspiring too! I will definitely be more mindful of how I lift weights now!First off, you look great where you're at! Congrats on taking it to the next level. I'm gonna make a BIG assumption here, you initially said, "gain muscle," which has an entirely different connotation than, "bulking."
My assumption is that you'd like to see more of the muscles you've worked on, not look like a power lifter. If powerlifter IS your goal, cool, forget what I'm about to say.
However, at your size given the former, not latter goal, putting on lean mass is mostly a no brainer. (Not easy) So you've been on a weight loss diet that has apparently led to a loss in muscle and fat. Without looking at your macros I cant tell for sure but the muscle sparing signaling that's missing is more likely coming from your training than your eating.
A guy trying to bulk... on the lines of 5+ kg. is going to gain some fat while doing so. A lady like yourself, who I'm guessing wants to see more definition and maybe a bit more mass, is going to be well served by adding muscle. Remember muscle is hungry, gaining muscle will lead to some fat loss in a person your size if we're focused on performance and strength.
If I were you I'd talk to a trainer and focus on muscular contractions in your lifting routine. It's an often overlooked aspect of resistance training. We think: welp I lifted it, therefore my muscles contracted. Yes, but could you have contracted them harder, with more intention? Probably. Learning to hit those contractions hard is a great plateau killer and should help hit the signaling you need to spare/gain muscle while maintaining/losing fat.
Good luck!
Also, about the 1300 cals thing, that is my BMR and the reason I use that is because I want to input my exercise on an individual basis, rather than guessing my activity level. I say my TDEE is about 1400 because usually I burn about 100 cals in a day. USUALLY. Sometimes more sometimes less.
So yesterday I ate back my exercise calories. And one more ! Let's hope this works.0 -
I just wanted to add that if that picture is you, and it's current, I don't think you should be thinking that you're skinny fat. That term generally refers to normal weight obesity - when someone's bmi is in the healthy range, but their body fat percentage is not. You don't look skinny fat at all. Just going from that photo, you look like you have a healthy level of body fat. Look look normal, in fact a bit healthier/fitter/more athletic than "average". It's fine to have goals to get a little leaner or more defined, but don't go thinking there's a problem where there isn't one!0
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