Leaning out questions:

Goal_Seeker_1988

Okay I hate posting under the forums because people on here can be extremely agnorant but I am desperate for a few answers!
Here's my situation I am 5'7" CW 145 I don't need to lose anymore weight however I do need to drop body fat and increase muscle mass. I've kept 85lbs off for over 3 years. I still have fat. I admit that. My bmi is healthy however it's @ the high end of the healthy range. I am switching from the gym to home workouts here is my plan:

90 days~Jillian Michaels Body Revolution begins on March 4th ends on June 1st
90 days~Les Mills Pump begins June 10th ends on September 8th
90 days~Chalean Extreme begins September 16th ends on December 14th
90 days~P90X begins on December 23rd ends on March 24th
90 days~P90X2 begins on March 31st ends on June 28th
60 days~Insanity begins on July 7th ends on Sept. 4th

My question: How many calories should I aim for to drop body fat and increase muscle mass? Currently I am @ 1550 calories a day. I recently got my Polar FT4 HRM so I will be using it during my workouts and eating the extra calories that I burn. I have my macros set @ 40/30/30 carbs/protein/fat. Should I change it?

I've been "playin" around with the calorie thing. Since I started working night shift I am not as active @ work so I changed it to stationary. Also I have it set to lose half a lb. a week. Should I change it to maitance?

I am really confused bout how many calories I should consume during the leaning out dropping body fat and increasing muscle mass phase. The whole eat this much thing has been confusing for the past 2 years. Which is probably why I haven't dropped any body fat. Also do I eat more protein then carbs during this phase? Is it too late to do this? I mean since I've kept 85lbs off for over 3 years should I have done this sooner?

Hope someone can give me some answers.
Thanx in advance,
Emily

cutie2b

It's never too late to build muscle. They've shown even 85 year olds can build muscle and become healthier. You aren't close to 85 yet, so go for the building muscle!

I am not an expert, and there are a lot of other people on here with more experience. I have heard a lot of people say it's impossible to build muscle in a depleted environment (diet) except in special circumstances. With all the exercise, I would eat at maintenance + some of the exercise calories. Women build muscle slower than men so be patient, but you have to have calories/energy/vitamins/minerals for your body to repair and build muscle. I'd look at eating a lot of protein (30% of calories). And since insanity and some of those workouts can burn up to 1000 calories, I would think you'll probably end up eating between 2300-2800 calories per day (maybe even more depending on your body). I'd also listen to your body. If you are hungry at night with your tummy rumbling, eat more and increase your calories more.

Why don't you eat at maintenance for a week to see how that goes since you are not interested in losing more weight anyway? Then, start adding in the exercise. I'd probably just listen to your body and adjust things as you go.