Advice needed Moving to a heavier routine - My story

jearle99

Hello Everyone!

Long time reader and MFP user here but a first time posting for me.

I decided the first week in March to make a lifestyle change. I work a desk job in the IT industry and let myself move away from fitness/sports and into a rut of laziness and convenience over the last 5 years.

I started out at 5' 11" 275 pounds and have slowly been chipping away at the weight over the last ~ 3 months. Started off with a lot of walking and hiking and slowly added in strength training once a week and then higher intense cardio.

I have my calories set at 1600 / day which is around ~1000 caloric deficit according to my TDEE. I typically try to eat back as much of my exercise calories as possible and not net lower than 1500 cals. I am by no means extremely meticulous at tracking everything/everyday. However, my food diary gives a decent idea of how I eat and what i eat. My diet is high protein with lower carbs and has been working, im current at 237 lbs and have been losing 1-3 lbs per week on average, more ijmportantly I started out at 40% body fat and am now down to around 30%

However, I am now exercising more and want to move to a more aggressive lifting schedule and am curious what if any changes I should make. I have been lifting 2 times per week for around 75 minutes per session hitting each muscle group (in the 10 rep range) in each workout to get me in a routine and my muscles accustomed to working out. I also play basketball at lunch for an hour each day, hike on one weekend day, walk 18-36 holes, on the weekend, push mow my 1acre yard and fit in 1 session of P90X plyo at some point.

I am not having fatigue issues even while maintaining the 1600 net cals per day, Im assuming due to all the protein im eating and getting enough sleep.

My goal right now is to reach 200 pounds and 20% body fat but I don't want to sacrifice a strength/muscle to get there. Since I still have a ways to go should I stick with the same number of calories? Or increase my caloric intake due to the more aggressive lifting schedule?

I am curious what the community here would recommend. Feel free to ask my any questions.

Thanks,

John

followzyzz

At 1000 deficit and with such an aggressive lifting schedule I'd increase the calories.

jcallejabjj

Trim first then build. Muscle will grow but hidden under the fat. You don't want to start building a lot of muscle and then go on the scale and find that you weigh more.