Eat more to gain muscle?

lily_swenson

So I need to eat more to lose weight if i'm strength training? I am not particularly interested in losing weight BUT I do have a 29% body fat that i would like to lower.. I am a waitress and my calorie goals set by mfp are 2,460..but if I want to get my body fat down don't I want to create a deceit? I'm confused :frown:

BusyRaeNOTBusty

How many pounds a week did you tell MFP you wanted to lose? As long as you didn't tell it you wanted to maintain, a deficit is already included in that number.

RGv2

Outside of noob gains, the morbidly obese, or the returning athlete, yes it is extremely hard to impossible to gain measureable muscle while in a deficit......for guys. It's exponentially harder for women.

With that said.......

When you eat in a deficit you lose Water, Fat, and Muscle. Through a progressive lifting program, while in a deficit, you will work to maintain that muscle so you lose mostly water and fat. Since you're maintaining as much muscle as possible through lifting and losing mostly water and fat.....your BF% will drop.

jjplato

Through a progressive lifting program, while in a deficit, you will work to maintain that muscle so you lose mostly water and fat. Since you're maintaining as much muscle as possible through lifting and losing mostly water and fat.....your BF% will drop.

Well put. If you're trying to lose body fat, I would not recommend eating a surplus of calories. Proper nutrition, especially post-workout, will help you maintain lean mass (muscle) while dropping body fat. There are thousands of opinions on how best to do this, but here's what I do:
- eat plenty of protein (I eat at least 1g per pound of body weight per day),
- have a meal every three hours (5 meals per day, all about the same calorie content),
- drink lots of water (I aim for a gallon a day),
- get plenty of sleep
- don't eat after dark. Give your body a full 12 hours of fasting overnight
- eat at a slight calorie deficit. My maximum deficit is 400 calories per day when I'm trying to lose fat

Whey protein is excellent at promoting muscle growth and preventing muscle breakdown. I have a whey protein shake before and after every workout.

Good luck!

jquijas

The easiest thing to do is not record your exercise on MFP. Eat the 2460 do your workout, go to work and that will create a calorie deficit that you won't really feel. And then everything else that was said is right on the button.