I don't (think I) want to lose weight!

ArroganceInStep

It's easier to focus on one goal or the other. Trying to do both can lead to a lot of wheel-spinning.

^This 100%.

I notice from your ticker you have lost quite a bit of weight (congratulations on that by the way) already. Was that recently? That may provide some insight into your goals. If you just finished a heavy bout of weight loss and are pretty exhausted from that, you may want to up calorie intake and focus on strength gains as a 'break'. The problem with that is if you want to increase muscle mass, you have to have a calorie surplus (with some small exceptions, and muscle mass increases aren't the only way to increase strength). This surplus means you will have to deal with some fat increases as well, though you can minimize that somewhat. If the thought of gaining weight after all your hard work is unbearable, you may want to continue focusing on decreasing body fat until you reach your goal % (actually ideally you want to get under that, so you can then increase muscle mass and have the resulting fat gain bring you up to your goal instead of over it). What is your split between the macros? I know you said you eat a lot of protein, but what percentages are you targeting? Also what is your strength training routine? How much sleep do you get in general?

This is a relatively technical undertaking, and requires a pretty high level of familiarity with your own body to maximize results. From what I gather you seem to be pretty close to your goals already, so I would strongly suggest taking it slow (as you already admitted) and trying to enjoy it.

mamitosami

It's easier to focus on one goal or the other. Trying to do both can lead to a lot of wheel-spinning.

Very good point, and most of us learn this the hard way. I simultaneously tried to lose weight, build muscle, tone up, etc. and I drove my self nuts. When I got within 5-10 pounds of my goal about 4 months ago, I shifted away from focusing on weight loss and focused more on strength training. I lost weight slower, and am still 2 pounds from goal, but I have arm muscles! I am more toned! It's quite exciting, really. As soon as you free yourself from the burden of a specific weight number, your hard work from exercise will be rewarded.

^^This is EXACTLY what is happening! Thanks for writing this--it helps puts things into perspective.

[/quote]

"I notice from your ticker you have lost quite a bit of weight (congratulations on that by the way) already. Was that recently? That may provide some insight into your goals. If you just finished a heavy bout of weight loss and are pretty exhausted from that, you may want to up calorie intake and focus on strength gains as a 'break'. The problem with that is if you want to increase muscle mass, you have to have a calorie surplus (with some small exceptions, and muscle mass increases aren't the only way to increase strength). This surplus means you will have to deal with some fat increases as well, though you can minimize that somewhat. If the thought of gaining weight after all your hard work is unbearable, you may want to continue focusing on decreasing body fat until you reach your goal % (actually ideally you want to get under that, so you can then increase muscle mass and have the resulting fat gain bring you up to your goal instead of over it). What is your split between the macros? I know you said you eat a lot of protein, but what percentages are you targeting? Also what is your strength training routine? How much sleep do you get in general?

This is a relatively technical undertaking, and requires a pretty high level of familiarity with your own body to maximize results. From what I gather you seem to be pretty close to your goals already, so I would strongly suggest taking it slow (as you already admitted) and trying to enjoy it."

[/quote]

This IS a technical undertaking! I think that's why it's so hard, the amount of research I've had to do is pretty incredible! I have a whole new respect for people who do this sort of strength training and have results now.

I lost the weight 6 months ago, so it's a while ago now, but I've spent the last 6 months trying to lose that 'last' ten-ish pounds, so I'm frustrated. But, having joined MFP and in doing all this research (with the help of a lot of people on here) I have found that all running I was doing was not helping so I changed my focus to heavy lifting, this helped right away, and I lost an inch or so in my waist.

Increasing my calories scares me! You are right--after restricting for so long (it took 6 months to lose the 40 lbs, and I've never eaten at maintenance in order to lose that last 10 lbs). I'm just not sure of the (almost) exact number of calories to eat.

I don't sleep incredibly well, hormones, a little anxiety, worries (I'm a worry wart!). But I am trying to sleep more. I eat 1g of protein for each pound that I weigh and sometimes more (I weigh 160).

Thanks for your replies and your advice, this really helps a lot.

ArroganceInStep

You already posted from bodyrecomposition, here's some more that I posted in another thread

In response to the OPs stall:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adjusting-the-diet.html

Read:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-1.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-2.html

Read:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/lean-mass-or-total-weight-to-set-calories.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-to-estimate-maintenance-caloric-intake.html

Then Read:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

And before you jump straight to a 50% deficit:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

From the fundamentals section, you may want to increase your protein slightly from the already high level you have it at (and I know, that's rough).

Are you getting enough dietary fats in your diet?

Getting more sleep can help with the hunger issues, I know when I don't get enough sleep I'm ravenous (and I already have a pretty beastly appetite).

If you're doing long runs weekly and that's what's triggering your hunger, you might want to try adjusting your food intake around your run. Something like a higher percentage of your daily carbs for the day than usual for the meal preceding your run.

Setting calories can be a tough undertaking. The more accuracy you can get the better off you'll be. Going to a nutritionist, investing in a heart rate monitor that tracks calories, getting a food scale. All relatively un-fun stuff that can give you a greater degree of control over your body.

I will say, if you're losing inches from lifting, I wouldn't worry about weight. Wait until progress fully stalls before trying to move onto something else.

psuLemon

There is a strong possibility that you are under estimating your maintenance calories which means you are under eating. At 160 lbs and 25% body fat here are your calculations.

LBM = 160-(160*.25)= 120
BMR = 370+(9.79759519-*120) = 1545
Maintenance calories at lightly active levels = 1545 * 1.375 = 2125

That is your maintenance calories based on your normal lifestyle, not including exercise. Now add in the fact, you are working out 6 days a week and you become very active in terms of lifestyle (using Katch McArdle). And your caloric needs increase as noted below.

Caloric needs = BMR * Very active = TDEE - Deficit
=1545 *1.725 = 2666 - 250 = 2416


I suspect that you are under eating. I personally have used this method to recomp my body (started at 18, now at 11%). The 2400 calories would be something you eat every day regardless of your workout. Something to consider though.

mamitosami

There is a strong possibility that you are under estimating your maintenance calories which means you are under eating. At 160 lbs and 25% body fat here are your calculations.

LBM = 160-(160*.25)= 120
BMR = 370+(9.79759519-*120) = 1545
Maintenance calories at lightly active levels = 1545 * 1.375 = 2125

That is your maintenance calories based on your normal lifestyle, not including exercise. Now add in the fact, you are working out 6 days a week and you become very active in terms of lifestyle (using Katch McArdle). And your caloric needs increase as noted below.

Caloric needs = BMR * Very active = TDEE - Deficit
=1545 *1.725 = 2666 - 250 = 2416


I suspect that you are under eating. I personally have used this method to recomp my body (started at 18, now at 11%). The 2400 calories would be something you eat every day regardless of your workout. Something to consider though.

See, this is what I was secretly hoping (!), that I could increase my calories! It's scary, and as rtalencar already pointed out, I'm terrified of gaining weight (fat) back! But, I'm definitely willing to experiment. Thank you for doing these calculations for me, I appreciate everyone's input--this means a lot to me. I was getting frustrated and impatient, and you have all contributed to me getting back on track and working seriously at changing my body. I had a KILLER workout this morning!! This will help me get more sleep! I will up my protein a bit and make sure I 'carb up' before my longer runs only... all good tips.

Thanks again everyone, and if you have more input I always appreciate it... it's great to get all these perspectives.