Lifters? I lost the fat...now ready to gain muscle

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  • dietfree2012
    dietfree2012 Posts: 868 Member
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    Great congrats on hitting your goal weight.

    But I wish people didn't wait until they lowered their weight to start lifting. They could have used some of their fat stores while lifting.

    help me with this idea because i am racking my brain!! i read alot on it but im still confused...i have 25 pounds to lose and i think that i need to lift but....

    1. i dont want my weight loss to stall (scared of this dont know if it will happen)
    2. I dont know where to begin (it seems NROLFW would be best but it seems to aim toward those who dont have fat to lose, so i think anyway from reading on forums)
    3. will it help with my loss if im not gaining muscle...aka...whats the point?

    those are my questions and fears...these are the reasons that i have decided to wait until i lose the fat b4 training..if im 100% off and u can help me feel better about lifting while losing please do!!!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Great congrats on hitting your goal weight.

    But I wish people didn't wait until they lowered their weight to start lifting. They could have used some of their fat stores while lifting.

    help me with this idea because i am racking my brain!! i read alot on it but im still confused...i have 25 pounds to lose and i think that i need to lift but....

    1. i dont want my weight loss to stall (scared of this dont know if it will happen)
    2. I dont know where to begin (it seems NROLFW would be best but it seems to aim toward those who dont have fat to lose, so i think anyway from reading on forums)
    3. will it help with my loss if im not gaining muscle...aka...whats the point?

    those are my questions and fears...these are the reasons that i have decided to wait until i lose the fat b4 training..if im 100% off and u can help me feel better about lifting while losing please do!!!

    1. eat at a caloric deficit and you will continue to lose weight
    2. NROLFW is a fine place to start. Frankly, if you're a complete beginner you can start with ANYTHING and benefit from it. The key is to lift at or close to your limit. Somewhere in the 5-8 rep range. If you can do more than that on your last working set then you're lifting too light
    3. The point is to PRESERVE the muscle you do have. If you lose muscle mass during your weight loss, you will come out with a slower metabolism which will make it harder to keep the weight off.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
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    I am starting New Rules on Monday...make a group???

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
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    Make sure you get around 1g of protein per lb of body weight, and somewhere around .35-.5g of fat. Fill in the rest however you like. These are ballpark numbers. Don't obsess over it.

    This and follow the advice in the book regarding calories. Did you see the nifty spreadsheet for calculating your calories? It's posted in the group.
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
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    Great congrats on hitting your goal weight.

    But I wish people didn't wait until they lowered their weight to start lifting. They could have used some of their fat stores while lifting.

    help me with this idea because i am racking my brain!! i read alot on it but im still confused...i have 25 pounds to lose and i think that i need to lift but....

    1. i dont want my weight loss to stall (scared of this dont know if it will happen)
    2. I dont know where to begin (it seems NROLFW would be best but it seems to aim toward those who dont have fat to lose, so i think anyway from reading on forums)
    3. will it help with my loss if im not gaining muscle...aka...whats the point?

    those are my questions and fears...these are the reasons that i have decided to wait until i lose the fat b4 training..if im 100% off and u can help me feel better about lifting while losing please do!!!

    If your not eating a surplus you will not build muscle. It also takes time, a lot of time. Lifting while losing weight ; you will improve the way your existing muscle looks and behaves. When you are in a deficit and you are exercising you are not only losing fat you are losing muscle as well. Strength training will prevent you from losing large amounts of muscle. Muscle burns more calories at rest so having muscle helps with weight loss. NROLFW is a great place to start so is bodybuilder.com ;) Hope that helps some :)
  • dietfree2012
    dietfree2012 Posts: 868 Member
    Options
    Great congrats on hitting your goal weight.

    But I wish people didn't wait until they lowered their weight to start lifting. They could have used some of their fat stores while lifting.

    help me with this idea because i am racking my brain!! i read alot on it but im still confused...i have 25 pounds to lose and i think that i need to lift but....

    1. i dont want my weight loss to stall (scared of this dont know if it will happen)
    2. I dont know where to begin (it seems NROLFW would be best but it seems to aim toward those who dont have fat to lose, so i think anyway from reading on forums)
    3. will it help with my loss if im not gaining muscle...aka...whats the point?

    those are my questions and fears...these are the reasons that i have decided to wait until i lose the fat b4 training..if im 100% off and u can help me feel better about lifting while losing please do!!!

    1. eat at a caloric deficit and you will continue to lose weight
    2. NROLFW is a fine place to start. Frankly, if you're a complete beginner you can start with ANYTHING and benefit from it. The key is to lift at or close to your limit. Somewhere in the 5-8 rep range. If you can do more than that on your last working set then you're lifting too light
    3. The point is to PRESERVE the muscle you do have. If you lose muscle mass during your weight loss, you will come out with a slower metabolism which will make it harder to keep the weight off.

    my mind is continously going back to "start lifting now" so maybe i should...i keep reading on it....i think im going to order the book and begin....just nervous but i think its time.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    Concentrate on waist reduction and bodyfat reduction
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    my mind is continously going back to "start lifting now" so maybe i should...i keep reading on it....i think im going to order the book and begin....just nervous but i think its time.

    Good move! You can do it!
  • jayb0ne
    jayb0ne Posts: 644 Member
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    Here are some universal truths about gaining muscle - although I'm sure someone will disagree with me directly:

    - You'll need to get over the scale number.

    - You can't gain muscle without gaining weight.

    - You can't gain significant muscle in a caloric deficit.

    - When gaining muscle, you'll gain some amount of fat.

    - You can limit the amount of fat you gain by eating clean.

    - If you shy away from the caloric surplus, you'll risk not getting the best growth results from your lifting.

    - To find the right surplus you'll first need to find out your maintenance number. Ignoring the estimates on MFP, find YOUR maintenance level.

    - Well timed nutrition and supplementation will go a long way.

    Think of it in cyclic terms. You're either in a growth phase (bulk) - eating a surplus, lifting to grow - or a fat loss phase (cut) - eating a deficit, lifting to maintain muscle and to ensure as much of the weight loss as possible is fat loss. Try not to half do it and jump between the two. If you're bulking, commit to it for a period - say, 3 months - and embrace the extra weight, accepting that some of it will be fat. Then cut for as long as it takes to get your BF down to where you want it. Lather, rinse, repeat until happy with your muscle mass and/or body shape.

    It's really a game of holding your nerve as the scale number grows and having confidence in your training and nutrition that the weight is going on the right places.

    Feel free to add me if you like. I'm on the same journey :)

    Jay
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    I *finally* reached my goal weight today. (Yippee!!) Now, I want to focus on building muscle. I have read The New Rules of Lifting For Women and am currently working on that program. I love it and am excited about it, so I don't want any new routines. I've been told that I need to eat excess calories to help build muscle. I understand that my weight will go up once I start to gain muscle (which takes a long time), but I'm terrified to up my calories. I don't want to gain any fat....just muscle.

    Any lifters out there have any advice? I already know that I need to keep my eating as clean as possible (and today's food choices have been wretched), but what else do I need to do? I have my macros set at 40/30/30. Again, I'm TERRIFIED to up my calories. I guess I'm just looking for some experienced people to chime in. Thanks in advance! :flowerforyou:

    I'd start with the lifting routine and increase the protein as a way as upping the calories a bit. I wouldn't go nuts about upping the calories too much. You can't just gain muscle though. some fat has to come with it,
  • jayb0ne
    jayb0ne Posts: 644 Member
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    3. will it help with my loss if im not gaining muscle...aka...whats the point?

    If you lose a pound a week and it's half fat and half muscle, you've only lost half a pound of fat. If you maintain your muscle through lifting while in a deficit, that pound you lost will be much closer to a full pound of fat.

    "I lost a pound of fat" is more impressive than "I lost a pound of weight" :)

    Jay
  • sruffin9834
    Options
    Yep basically this, losing weight is easy, its gaining LBM that is hard.
    [/quote]

    This is a very upsetting statement! Are you serious??? That just ruined my day!:angry:
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    When gaining muscle, you will gain fat. It comes with the territory and you have to accept that.
    It's not as bad as it sounds though, once you feel you are getting bigger than you like, you can stop and focus on "cutting" which is basically losing weight (body fat) while maintaining the muscle you've built. You don't have to keep building muscle and fat for ages. Many people only go up like 10lbs if they want to keep in the same size clothes and stay reasonably slim.

    I've just finished "bulking" to gain muscle. I'm the same weight as I was pre-MFP but around 5-6% less body fat, and I fit into clothes better than I did then too :D My clothes from my lightest weight are now quite tight hence why I've just started cutting.

    Good luck! :)
  • jamaicanlady
    jamaicanlady Posts: 878 Member
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    Here are some universal truths about gaining muscle - although I'm sure someone will disagree with me directly:

    - You'll need to get over the scale number.

    - You can't gain muscle without gaining weight.

    - You can't gain significant muscle in a caloric deficit.

    - When gaining muscle, you'll gain some amount of fat.

    - You can limit the amount of fat you gain by eating clean.

    - If you shy away from the caloric surplus, you'll risk not getting the best growth results from your lifting.

    - To find the right surplus you'll first need to find out your maintenance number. Ignoring the estimates on MFP, find YOUR maintenance level.

    - Well timed nutrition and supplementation will go a long way.

    Think of it in cyclic terms. You're either in a growth phase (bulk) - eating a surplus, lifting to grow - or a fat loss phase (cut) - eating a deficit, lifting to maintain muscle and to ensure as much of the weight loss as possible is fat loss. Try not to half do it and jump between the two. If you're bulking, commit to it for a period - say, 3 months - and embrace the extra weight, accepting that some of it will be fat. Then cut for as long as it takes to get your BF down to where you want it. Lather, rinse, repeat until happy with your muscle mass and/or body shape.

    It's really a game of holding your nerve as the scale number grows and having confidence in your training and nutrition that the weight is going on the right places.

    Feel free to add me if you like. I'm on the same journey :)

    Jay

    Thanks for this. I'm creating a calorie deficit because I have a lot of fat to lose, but I'm also lifting to try to prevent as much muscle loss as possible.
  • bluefever
    bluefever Posts: 93 Member
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    When I did the NROL4W I ate an extra 200cals on lifting days. I lost 3lbs over the whole program but more than 3 inches off my waiste. Don't worry about the extra calories, you are gonna need them and be starving on lifing days.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    Options
    When I did the NROL4W I ate an extra 200cals on lifting days. I lost 3lbs over the whole program but more than 3 inches off my waiste. Don't worry about the extra calories, you are gonna need them and be starving on lifing days.

    You gain muscle? Great job!
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
    Options
    Here are some universal truths about gaining muscle - although I'm sure someone will disagree with me directly:

    - You'll need to get over the scale number.

    - You can't gain muscle without gaining weight.

    - You can't gain significant muscle in a caloric deficit.

    - When gaining muscle, you'll gain some amount of fat.

    - You can limit the amount of fat you gain by eating clean.

    - If you shy away from the caloric surplus, you'll risk not getting the best growth results from your lifting.

    - To find the right surplus you'll first need to find out your maintenance number. Ignoring the estimates on MFP, find YOUR maintenance level.

    - Well timed nutrition and supplementation will go a long way.

    Think of it in cyclic terms. You're either in a growth phase (bulk) - eating a surplus, lifting to grow - or a fat loss phase (cut) - eating a deficit, lifting to maintain muscle and to ensure as much of the weight loss as possible is fat loss. Try not to half do it and jump between the two. If you're bulking, commit to it for a period - say, 3 months - and embrace the extra weight, accepting that some of it will be fat. Then cut for as long as it takes to get your BF down to where you want it. Lather, rinse, repeat until happy with your muscle mass and/or body shape.

    It's really a game of holding your nerve as the scale number grows and having confidence in your training and nutrition that the weight is going on the right places.

    Feel free to add me if you like. I'm on the same journey :)

    Jay

    Good advice :)