I need a hug and someone to tell me i'm wrong

stephanieluvspb

OK , so I started strength training around 4 months ago and I LOVE IT! I feel so powerful, strong and like I can rule the world! I even grew the courage to start working in the main weights section instead of the women's only part. so here is where I need some hugs and reassurance....I can't build muscle while at a deficit???? what?????? say it ain't soooo! :sad:
I still have another 50 pounds to lose so I definitely don't want to stop losing weight, I'm eating 1600-1700 calories a day and having around a 1 pound a week weight lose. this is making me sad, I didn't expect to be the hulk but do I really need to wait 10 months before seeing any results of my hard work??

mantium999

If you are reducing body fat, even if you are not increasing the volume of your muscle mass, then your hard work is generating positive results. From your post, it looks like what you are doing is working fabulously. Keep on truckin

thesupremeforce

You'll "see results" even if you're only maintaining the muscle you already have. That's the point of lifting while at a deficit (well, and because being strong is cool). Don't sweat it. You're doing the right thing.

Rogiefreida

Keep doing what you're doing, you're doing it right. :bigsmile:

I know it sounds like it's a long ways off, but as you continue to change and shrink and get stronger as you lift and lose, you'll see results (just keep taking progress pictures, it's really cool to watch your body change since you can't really see it looking in the mirror day in and day out).

You may not be building muscle while eating at a deficit, but you're maintaining your muscle mass which is super important. You don't want to lose muscle mass along with fat.

Just keep doing what you're doing.

Chief_Rocka

I doubt you'll lose 50 lbs in 10 months. Assuming you'll love 1 lb every week is awfully optimistic.

Hope this helps.

LAT1963

Of course you can build muscle while eating at a deficit.

Weight-lifters are so superstitious...

mantium999

Of course you can build muscle while eating at a deficit.

Weight-lifters are so superstitious...

Uh oh. DUCK!!! You just opened an MFP sh!tstorm. Yeah, you may want to be prepared to back up that statement, or not return to this thread, because as a general rule, building muscle while in a deficit, even if it can be done, is quite often very minimal and inefficient.

Seems I like commas today

UsedToBeHusky

I doubt you'll lose 50 lbs in 10 months. Assuming you'll love 1 lb every week is awfully optimistic.

Hope this helps.

^^ This. The more fat you lose, the slower you will lose it.

The real sad truth that is doing it the right way.

AliceDark

Your muscles won't get bigger, that's true. But, they will get stronger. (Increasing muscle SIZE and muscle STRENGTH are two different things). So, you'll be able to continue to lift increasingly bigger weights as you lose. Plus, as you continue to lose, you'll strip off the fat that is hiding your lovely muscles right now, so they'll look bigger than they do now because you'll be able to see them. Don't stress -- lifting while you're losing is going to give you fabulous end results! :flowerforyou:

SunofaBeach14

Of course you can build muscle while eating at a deficit.

Weight-lifters are so superstitious...

Uh oh. DUCK!!! You just opened an MFP sh!tstorm. Yeah, you may want to be prepared to back up that statement, or not return to this thread, because as a general rule, building muscle while in a deficit, even if it can be done, is quite often very minimal and inefficient.

Seems I like commas today

In for ducks, and commas, and the inevitable **** storm

aliakynes

You have a good deal of muscle from carrying around 50 extra lbs all the time. You'll be maintaining a lot of that which will start to show once the BF% goes down more.

No worries, your muscles will start to show on your way down the last 50 as you shed the fat around them.

stephanieluvspb

thanks for the hugs and reassurance! I don't mind losing slow, I just want to do it right I'm just sorry I didn't start lifting sooner!

stephanieluvspb

You'll "see results" even if you're only maintaining the muscle you already have. That's the point of lifting while at a deficit (well, and because being strong is cool). Don't sweat it. You're doing the right thing.

being strong IS cool!!

JoRocka

sweetie you're doing fine.

Keep doing what you're doing.

You're going to continue to get stronger. You may see some initial gains- but it's from nuaral adaptations rather than straight up muscle growth.

Because no- you cannot build SIZE on a deficit.

But- that doesn't mean you're wasting your time- the opposite actually- what you're doing is getting stronger- and maintain the muscle mass you have (or getting your 'base' muscle if you had absolutely zero).

If you don't lift while you're losing weight- you can inadvertently drop muscle AND fat- weight loss isn't always fat loss. And if you are loosing weight without lifting- you may wind up just a smaller version of the you now- rather than a trimmed up- fierce toned looking version.

Keep it up- don't worry about a time line- just keep lifting and kicking a##.

oh and HUGS!

fivethreeone

Good job for starting to lift!

You cannot build muscle MASS in a deficit, but building muscle mass is not the same as building muscle strength. You will asbolutely become stronger and your muscle will absolutely become more trained, so that as the weight comes off you'll find a defined body underneath the fat. Keep at it!

stephanieluvspb

I doubt you'll lose 50 lbs in 10 months. Assuming you'll love 1 lb every week is awfully optimistic.

Hope this helps.

I do think the cup is half filled but I see what your saying and I'm ok with losing slow. just the fact my butt is off the couch and pumped to go to the gym is great! lol

stephanieluvspb

sweetie you're doing fine.

Keep doing what you're doing.

You're going to continue to get stronger. You may see some initial gains- but it's from nuaral adaptations rather than straight up muscle growth.

Because no- you cannot build SIZE on a deficit.

But- that doesn't mean you're wasting your time- the opposite actually- what you're doing is getting stronger- and maintain the muscle mass you have (or getting your 'base' muscle if you had absolutely zero).

If you don't lift while you're losing weight- you can inadvertently drop muscle AND fat- weight loss isn't always fat loss. And if you are loosing weight without lifting- you may wind up just a smaller version of the you now- rather than a trimmed up- fierce toned looking version.

Keep it up- don't worry about a time line- just keep lifting and kicking a##.

oh and HUGS!

thank you!!!! I love kicking *kitten* :happy:

TN42

Of course you can build muscle while eating at a deficit.

Weight-lifters are so superstitious...

Going to need a source for that. With what energy is their body going to be building muscle with? Obviously, if they're losing weight, then there is an energy deficit. There is so little energy that the body is taking it out of storage, how does the body magically find the energy to now build muscle?

That's not to say you can't get stronger, but strength gains are only sometimes related to muscle gain. More often, particularly in novice trainees, they are due to neuromuscular adaptations.

LAT1963

Of course you can build muscle while eating at a deficit.

Weight-lifters are so superstitious...

Uh oh. DUCK!!! You just opened an MFP sh!tstorm. Yeah, you may want to be prepared to back up that statement, or not return to this thread, because as a general rule, building muscle while in a deficit, even if it can be done, is quite often very minimal and inefficient.

Seems I like commas today

I didn't say it was efficient...

There's no reason to not-lift while in a deficit trying to lose fat. You will at least reduce muscle loss and at best make small gains.

And yes, weightlifters *are* superstitious. That's why there are so many products out there trying to take advantage of weight lifters, promising greater bulk for the effort or whatever. There's a whole industry out there that spends its time generating superstitions among weight-lifters in order to sell them some new "nutritional supplement" and make them fear they'll lose their gains if they stop using said product.

There's too much financial conflict of interest, with trainers endorsing certain products & dealing in them, etc...it's to their advantage to foster a belief in financially favorable disinformation.

And of course not all trainers. But it doesn't have to be all trainers--just enough of them to spread confusion.

JoRocka

thank you!!!! I love kicking *kitten* :happy:

I know right!!! who doesn't love that!

JoRocka

Of course you can build muscle while eating at a deficit.

Weight-lifters are so superstitious...

Uh oh. DUCK!!! You just opened an MFP sh!tstorm. Yeah, you may want to be prepared to back up that statement, or not return to this thread, because as a general rule, building muscle while in a deficit, even if it can be done, is quite often very minimal and inefficient.

Seems I like commas today

I didn't say it was efficient...

you're right- you said it couldn't be done at all.