muscle at a deficit...

jescamp9481

I am constantly at a deficit to lose weight and I strength train 2 to 3 times a week... 2 questions

1) if I strength train and breakdown the muscle if I dont have the calories to build more and I being detrimental by creating micro tears and not having enough calories to rebuild
2) also I have noticed that I am sore longer then I was when eating at maintenance, is it possible that the muscles just take longer to repair themselves?

any thoughts?

edit to add: I have lost some muscle strength in my quads

fivethreeone

1) No, you will maintain and strengthen the muscle that you currently have.
2) That is possible. It also may be possible that you have changed your routine or that you are not properly warming up and cooling down.

martinel2099

1) No, you will maintain and strengthen the muscle that you currently have.
2) That is possible. It also may be possible that you have changed your routine or that you are not properly warming up and cooling down.

This post+++

In addition to heavy lifting I would also recommend that you watch your macro targets to make sure you are getting adequate protein, fat and carbs into your daily diet.

The point of heavy lifting while eating at a calorie deficit is to maintain muscle mass while eating at a calorie deficit. Muscle is expensive, if you aren't using it your body won't keep it around. Keep lifting while eat at a calorie deficit.

Might want to make sure you are doing your exercises properly. I've been off and on lifting since highschool but I still find myself watching youtube videos weekly to make sure I have proper form. Exercising while not utilizing proper form is a great way to injury yourself and be sore all the time.

ana3067

If you feel you have lost muscle mass/strength in your legs, then you are probably not eating enough protein.

jescamp9481

thanks for the quick responses. it is true I have not been meeting my protein goals I usually average around 75 grams... which is not enough but I find it very hard to eat 1400 calories and get 100 grams of protein unless all I eat is chicken and protein shakes... gonna have to find some way to get more protein

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I agree with fivethreeone.

More protein will help with your recovery. It is normal to lose some strength when you switch to a deficit. It's one of the biggest complaints you hear from lifters when they switch from bulking to cutting.

fivethreeone

thanks for the quick responses. it is true I have not been meeting my protein goals I usually average around 75 grams... which is not enough but I find it very hard to eat 1400 calories and get 100 grams of protein unless all I eat is chicken and protein shakes... gonna have to find some way to get more protein

I eat 1485 calories a day and get 150g protein, usually only one shake a day. It isn't too hard, you just have to be really conscientious about it. Front loading your day with protein is a way that makes it easier. I try to get 50g at breakfast and it makes a good dent in the day.

-salmon
-sausage
-Greek yogurt
-cottage cheese
-Tuna
-egg white omelet
-cheese
-chicken/beef
etc

eta: I took the liberty of checking your diary and your logging is very inconsistent. Consistent logging will also help you to meet your goals.

jescamp9481

thanks for the quick responses. it is true I have not been meeting my protein goals I usually average around 75 grams... which is not enough but I find it very hard to eat 1400 calories and get 100 grams of protein unless all I eat is chicken and protein shakes... gonna have to find some way to get more protein

I eat 1485 calories a day and get 150g protein, usually only one shake a day. It isn't too hard, you just have to be really conscientious about it. Front loading your day with protein is a way that makes it easier. I try to get 50g at breakfast and it makes a good dent in the day.

-salmon
-sausage
-Greek yogurt
-cottage cheese
-Tuna
-egg white omelet
-cheese
-chicken/beef
etc

eta: I took the liberty of checking your diary and your logging is very inconsistent. Consistent logging will also help you to meet your goals.

trying to get a good amount in at breakfast is a great idea!!! thanks for that.

I dont log consistantly becuase when I get done losing weight I would like to not have to log all the time so I allow myself a day here and meal there to see if I have it "figured out"... so far I have it figured out deficit wise but I hadnt thought about missing macros so much... at the beginning it didnt seem to really matter (noob gains and such) but I can see now where protein intake could be a more important target than strictly calories in and calories out

again thanks!