Figuring out Maintenance Cals while Lifting

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  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Good advice from ILiftHeavyAcrylics so won't repeat any of that.

    Just need to pick up on the "how do I tell it's working?" part... As someone who's been either at a small deficit or recomping for a year all I can say that you need to think long term.

    The various ways of measuring body fat are a guide but have a margin of error. Tape measure is valuable to track changes month on month but even that can throw some tricks - I've lost fat off my chest and gained muscle on my lats so my chest measurements have stayed the same. In my opinion progress photos are the best way to see changes over time.

    BTW - you can add lean mass and lose fat at maintenance, it's just slow. Everyone's progress will be unique depending on age, genetics, training, diet etc...

    Just keep it simple, find your maintenance calories, train hard, eat well, get enough rest and repeat.

    This is all true. Especially the part about thinking in the long-term.

    I've also seen changes that are frustratingly hard to capture with pictures. :grumble:
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    Some great advice here... Guess my fat gain in the lower belly is because I was eating at tdee instead of below. Also why the scale is going up and down a lot this year... I thought I was doing 15% cut from tdee but on the calculator it was 1718 tdee and with 15% off that I thought I was doing to lose body fat and change my body composition. But I have been eating more then the 1460.....
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Some great advice here... Guess my fat gain in the lower belly is because I was eating at tdee instead of below. Also why the scale is going up and down a lot this year... I thought I was doing 15% cut from tdee but on the calculator it was 1718 tdee and with 15% off that I thought I was doing to lose body fat and change my body composition. But I have been eating more then the 1460.....

    Are you using a food scale?

    1718 is a low TDEE for a person who exercises. That's what mine was when I was completely sedentary.

    eta: especially since you'd have to be eating above TDEE to gain fat
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 11,994 Member
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    Even accounting for newbie gains, women gain muscle slooooowly.

    By SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLY, it can be maybe 2 lbs A YEAR. IMHO, don't fall for the whole "newbie gain" piece....if that scale is moving up, YOU ARE EATING TOO MUCH.

    In the long run, the tape measure is likely the better tool, but in the short run, I would keep a CRITICAL eye on that scale and if it is moving up, then you are eating too much, regardless of any "muscle" gains you are making when lifting heavy.

    I GAINED 5 lbs my first 6 months of weight-training. As soon as I backed off my calories, I lost 5 lbs and have now lost another 5 more. Because, to lose bodyfat, THAT is all calories in v. calories out....the weight-training simply permits me to change my body shape!
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    Some great advice here... Guess my fat gain in the lower belly is because I was eating at tdee instead of below. Also why the scale is going up and down a lot this year... I thought I was doing 15% cut from tdee but on the calculator it was 1718 tdee and with 15% off that I thought I was doing to lose body fat and change my body composition. But I have been eating more then the 1460.....

    Are you using a food scale?

    1718 is a low TDEE for a person who exercises. That's what mine was when I was completely sedentary.

    eta: especially since you'd have to be eating above TDEE to gain fat

    Yes I do I weight and measure all my food!!! Have for 2 years now.

    I set it at exercise 5 days a week as I will always get in 30 min min 5 days a week. If I can I will get 6. I am short too, only 5.2 ft.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    In the long run, the tape measure is likely the better tool, but in the short run, I would keep a CRITICAL eye on that scale and if it is moving up, then you are eating too much, regardless of any "muscle" gains you are making when lifting heavy.

    I GAINED 5 lbs my first 6 months of weight-training. As soon as I backed off my calories, I lost 5 lbs and have now lost another 5 more. Because, to lose bodyfat, THAT is all calories in v. calories out....the weight-training simply permits me to change my body shape!
    .
    See eating 15-1600 I still should be able to lose weight especially what I gained this year and still lose body fat, right.... Since my tdee is 1718....so as long as I'm not eating I should be able to lose body fat or at least change my composition. Yet I am stuck :(
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    Oh and sorry to the OP as I feel like I hacked their thread but there is such great advice on here I didn't want to start a second thread about the same thing
  • Eve_e
    Eve_e Posts: 57
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    Thank you everyone for all of your excellent advice! I've got a lot of new information now, and an overall better understanding of the process. Wish me luck!
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
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    I'm female, 5'5" and 124. BIA scales put me at 10-11% body fat, and a DEXA scan put me at 15.9% body fat.

    I started working with an awesome trainer around the start of February. He initially put me at 2,200 calories to gain a bit. Since we were spending a lot of time doing stability and foundation work, he agreed that I could lower to 2,000 in order to prevent fat gain. We just started a lifting/hypertrophy phase, and he said I'll probably need to start eating more.

    But in general, he said that women will gain at best a pound of muscle per month--and if I'm gaining any more than that, I shouldn't fool myself. I'd be gaining fat.

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