Losing Gains

wistrom98

Good afternoon everybody. I have been using this app for about a week now, but have been effectively dieting for almost a month. I lost over a hundred pounds during college doing cardio and after graduation gained much of it back over the next few years. This past February I started strength training and was making wonderful gains (even accomplished my first pullup at 240 lbs) but since I started to diet in order to cut fat and subsequently weight I have lost what I consider to be a large amount of strength. As I didn't lift the first time I was losing weight I am curious...is this an unfortunate side effect of "cutting." If so, how do you mentally handle the aspect of losing strength in the gym? Thanks for the advice and insight.


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wistrom98

Just giving this message a "bump" in hopes that someone will see it and respond.

Padzster

Make sure you're eating enough calories to lose weight but also give your body enough nutrition - therefore correct level of deficit. If you're starving yourself then you will lose strength. Have you used the various calculators to estimate how much you should be eating to lose at a healthy rate?
I've been "cutting" since January but also lifting and definitely getting stronger with more general energy.
Make sure you get plenty of protein as well.

LolBroScience

Yes, to an extent... The amount of the deficit can contribute as to how quickly it will occur.

CaroleC2B

I am by no means a diet expert. In fact I'm just a fat old lady trying to get in better shape. I have been doing a lot of research and I have recently began the paleo eating plan. I won't lie, I am struggling a bit right myself right now, but I am working on it! You may to consider checking out Paleo or Paleo Primal. Fat is an important part of the plan, but it is the healthier fats that they focus on. Many CrossFit Gym people use this plan and they do some pretty extreme workouts. I have been inspired by some of the videos on you tube (my favorite is the CrossFit Women over 60 videos but most videos are younger people like you) There is a Paleo/Primal group here on MFP that very good . There is loads of info on you tube and books as well. Good luck in your journey. You will succeed!
Carole

jamiesillimandunn

You got to eat ! I'm no expert either but have noticed since weight training if your lifting heavy " your max" you have got to set the " diet" or calorie deficit off a little . Def. wouldn't have mfp set to any less than losing .5 lb a week . Your main goal is fueling your body when strength training and in turn your muscle will burn the fat for you at an accelerated rate. eating at too much of a deficit will keep your muscles from forming ...since when dieting ( so I hear) first thing targeted is muscle . Anyone with more knowledge than I please chime in lol.

wistrom98

I weight about 109kg and I consume (on average) 163g of protein a day and about 1,700 calories (on average) a day. Varies a little from non lifting days to rest days but is relatively consistent.

wistrom98

Make sure you're eating enough calories to lose weight but also give your body enough nutrition - therefore correct level of deficit. If you're starving yourself then you will lose strength. Have you used the various calculators to estimate how much you should be eating to lose at a healthy rate?
I've been "cutting" since January but also lifting and definitely getting stronger with more general energy.
Make sure you get plenty of protein as well.

I weight about 109kg and I consume (on average) 163g of protein a day and about 1,700 calories (on average) a day. Varies a little from non lifting days to rest days but is relatively consistent.

ken_m

It's definitely a possibility.

Since you're dieting and you're bound to sacrifice some lean mass, you would naturally draw the conclusion that the loss of that adaptation that allowed you to lift more, i.e., big muscles and stuff, would be the source of your problem.

However, sometimes it can simply be a matter of adjusting your training to suit your change in nutritional habits.

Consider manipulating your routine to increase weight/intensity, but reduce volume. This way you maintain your adaptation and maybe even improve in strength while leaving the hard work of weight loss to diet alone and less reliance on your workouts.

Make sense?

rodduz

Are you low carb, low carb will lead to strength decrease. Muscles simply haven't the energy to work as hard.

Use this to work out your macros:

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Topgun77822

Good morning.

Look at your caloric deficit. I started at 240 chubby pounds. At a 500 Kcal / day deficit I ran into energy problems as well as loss of strength problems in the gym. After a few months, and after about 30 pounds of fat loss I increased my intake to result in a deficit of about 300 Kcal/day. I almost instantly felt better and I started to make very slow gains in the gym. The increased nutrition slowed my fat loss, but I felt so much better....so the trade off was worth it for me. At this point I started to introduce "Refeed" days where I upped by carbs and my caloric intake for the day was about 500 Kcal over maintenance....I did this when I felt low on energy....about once a week. This made a huge difference and did not seem to slow fat loss....in my case it helped. Now at about a year later I lost the fat I wanted to lose.....have the body I want.....and I eat maintenance....or even maintenance plus. My metabolism is much better than it was a year ago and I am able to consume more nutrition. With the extra nutrition I am making the best strength gains of my life.

Make sure you are getting your rest....eat about 1 gram of Protein per pound of bodyweight....get about 20% of your calories from fat....fill the rest with healthy carbs. Train no more than 1 hour 3 or 4 times a week..."heavy", with as much intensity as possible...good form...never sacrifice form for weight.

The reality is if your in the process of aggressive fat loss strength gains will be a sometimes thing...you just have to muscle through it (no pun intended). If your wiling to slow your fat loss it is much easier to get a little stronger at the same time...in my case I wanted the fat gone....and fast.....so I was willing to put up with stalled gym progress....and feeling kind of crappy. Time goes by fast...stick with it.....Let me tell you this....what you will learn along the way will be amazing...enjoy the ride.

Good luck! Just make it happen....you will love what it is like on the other side. Life really is better.

wistrom98

Are you low carb, low carb will lead to strength decrease. Muscles simply haven't the energy to work as hard.

Use this to work out your macros:

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Not intentionally low carb. It would appear as though I average about 160g a day

jeffpettis

Plenty of protein, no more than about a 20% deficit, and above all else make every effort to, at the very least, be lifting the same weight during your cut as you were before. Not being able to make progress happen and even losing a little strength during a cut is common, but you should be doing everything you can to maintain intensity (weight on the bar), but you may have to lower the volume a little (number of sets) to make this happen.

This is why so many people end up losing and gaining the same weight over and over again during cutting and bulking cycles. If your not giving your muscles the same stimulus that was there to build the muscle in the first place you're are pretty much telling your body you don't need that much muscle anymore.

Good luck...

rodduz

Are you low carb, low carb will lead to strength decrease. Muscles simply haven't the energy to work as hard.

Use this to work out your macros:

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Not intentionally low carb. It would appear as though I average about 160g a day

Hmmm, strange as after a quick couple of calculations your macros seem about right.

perhaps change your routine for a week or so. Everybody hits plateaus. I would suggest lowering weight and increasing reps for a week or two, then going back to your original protocol and seeing if you've broken through the plateau. Either this or raise the weight and do less reps. Or do both. Works a treat!

For example... If you're doing mostly 5x5, change to 3x8 or 3x3. You'll burst through the plateau. If you energy levels are just down in general try a refeed. You should have one of these now and again anyway, but your carbs are not that low so it is slightly confusing. Try some of the above, can't hurt as you need to break through that plateau sooner or later...

ken_m

Sorry but this is a huge waste of time. All you're going to get in here is people applying what worked for them to your situation and it's all going to be different.

Be wary of people posting a long diatribe against any specific approach to dieting or training and also don't assume that because someone else had success with a certain methodology that you will too.

That's how we got the paleo diet and scientology