Lose LBS & Gain Muscle at the same time??? PLEASE HELP!

Sharyn913

My question is--

Is it possible to LOSE WEIGHT, LOSE FAT and GAIN lean muscle at the same time?

Here is some info:

I seem to be at a stall... I go to the gym 5x per week for about an hour each time. I do 30 minutes of free weights and machines rotating upper body and lower body, and than HIIT on an arc trainer which burns between 850-900 cals an hour. I am competing with a girlfriend on how many steps we take each day and according to my pedometer, I generally average between 14,000-16,000 per day. I know the suggestion for a "healthy lifestyle" is 10,000.

Here are my "stats"

I am a 26.5 yo, 5'2" 173lbs (down from a HUGE 196lbs after having my son). 33% BF (down from 39%) and BMI is 32 (down from 36)

My BMR is 1659 and my TDEE is 2319.

My job is extremely sedentary. I sit at a computer for most of my eight hours a day. Although I am getting up constantly and running laps around my office. I wear a pedometer and generally accumulate one mile worth of "laps" I also walk two blocks to the grocery store and walk around just for movement. I have two sets of dumbells (4lbs and 10lbs) and do constant movements through out the day (based on what I worked out at the gym) or do jumping jacks. I still spend most of work sitting though.

I also try to do an evening night walk around the neighborhood which is about half a mile. I find doing that before bed allows me to sleep better.

I met with a trainer at the gym and he suggested my macros be 60% carbs, 20% protein and 20% fat. I think based on how much time I spend doing weights, his proportions are slightly off and I'm on average 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat. I hate whey protein and have tried it numerous times so I struggle with finding high protein foods that are low in sodium.

I usually tried to net 1,300 calories a day. Someone suggested I increase it to 1,600 based on by BMR and TDEE. In two weeks, my weight is still the same.

I feel healthy, I feel more fit, but my clothes still fit the same.

My GOAL is to get down to 150lbs (I would love to reach 130 my preprego weight) but I will be happy at 150lbs and BF below 25%

Please provide suggestions and my diary is PUBLIC!

kdiamond

Ok, so I got tired just reading all of the exercise you do!!!

My opinion - too much working out. Not only are you doing over an hour of regular exercise at the gym 5 times a week, you are also (what sounds like to me) obsessing about moving around all day long, and then walking again after work, etc.. I understand you work 8 hours a day, but most people do, and still maintain good physiques.

Also, I believe your calories are too low to lose weight correctly (i.e., the smart way). You're not even eating what your body needs without the added exercise. You didn't say how old the baby is - I found that with my kids, it took a good 9 months after giving birth to really start shedding the pounds, especially when breastfeeding.

Here is what I would do: keep the 5 days in the gym, lift as heavy as you can during your weights time, keep your HIIT but only 3 times a week (it isn't true HIIT if you can do it every day, it should completely exhaust you), eat 1500 plus your workout calories, and reevaluate in 1 month.

Too much is not always a good thing. :flowerforyou:

erickirb

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

DB_1106

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

^^^This^^^

ninerbuff

Nope. You don't sound like a newbie or a returning athlete. So if you're retaining weight and not losing, it's probably because of your calorie intake not being enough.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

lambertj

You are eating way too few calories, heck i'm 5' 4" and i'm eating at 1700. I disagree with the macro's too, 1 gram of protein per body pound per day especially since you are lifting weight, lots of healthy fat and lower percentage of carbs. Just my opinion though.

DixiedoesMFP

It is my understanding that you can lose body fat and PRESERVE muscle at the same time. Shedding body fat will reveal the muscles underneath, though they won't actually be getting bigger. Pounds may or may not be shed, but measurements should get smaller.

However, I have also read that you can overtrain and that will backfire. Your body needs rest and recovery. Lift heavy for 30 - 45 minutes three or four times a week. Do some cardio that you like a few times a week because it's good for your heart.

Eat at a SLIGHT caloric deficit. 10 - 20% less than your TDEE and 30 - 40% of those calories from protein. 1300 probably truly isn't enough.

Also, I very much dislike whey protein. Eggs (esp. whites), chicken, lean beef, tuna, tilapia, greek yogurt, protein bars, etc. I have also found that baking with whey protein is much more palatable than drinking a protein shake.

Good luck!

joejccva71

Losing fat requires a calorie deficit. Building muscle requires a calorie surplus. Doing both at the same time is not possible without drugs.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I would also suggest that you are consuming too little protein if your goal is to build muscle. You do not seem to be carrying enough excess weight to build muscle on a deficit.

walkner88

Peoples response to this question s kind of funny. If you are talking fat you are probably thinking mostly about the fat stores on your legs stomach sides things like that. If you start doing the proper muscle building exercises the muscle you build will require a huge amount of calories to sustain itself. As the muscles are trying to sustain themselves in between meals they will utilize the energy stores aka fat stores around your body. You will therefore be gaining muscle and losing fat. Now if you want to really bulk up for body building competitions and things like that typically you build then cut, but if you're just trying to get fit and healthy you dont need to seperate the two.

SirZee

Up the protein to around 150 a day.

Also, weight loss is slow, muscle building even slower. Weight loss you should notice after 1-3 months (assuming constant commitment to cal deficit, and controlling estimation errors to the point where they aren't wiping out the deficit). Muscle build is about a pound a month, so that's even slower to notice.

Relax, don't worry too much, keep doing the right thing day in and day out, and look at long term differentials.

tuffytuffy1

I agree with the others that say you should increase your calories. I would try about 1500 calories plus your exercise calories and see what happens. You may even need to up it more than that.

I would also decrease the amount of cardio and do heavy lifting 3 days a week, and cardio maybe 2 days. I am losing weight and changing my body shape entirely by doing heavy lifting/training 2 times a week for 30 minutes with a short HIIT cardio session before weight lifting (5 minutes) and a short moderate cardio session after that (5-10 minutes of walking). I walk another 2 days a week for 2 miles. That's it. I was stuck at a plateau for months and months when I was eating 1250 calories plus exercise caloriers (as MFP suggested) and doing heavy lifting 3 days a week and cardio every other day. I'm seeing more results now with more calories and less cardio. Good luck to you!!!

joejccva71

Peoples response to this question s kind of funny. If you are talking fat you are probably thinking mostly about the fat stores on your legs stomach sides things like that. If you start doing the proper muscle building exercises the muscle you build will require a huge amount of calories to sustain itself. As the muscles are trying to sustain themselves in between meals they will utilize the energy stores aka fat stores around your body. You will therefore be gaining muscle and losing fat. Now if you want to really bulk up for body building competitions and things like that typically you build then cut, but if you're just trying to get fit and healthy you dont need to seperate the two.

So what are you exactly implying? That I can burn my fat around the stomach and lower back when I start to build muscle?

TinkrBelz

You can do both, because I did. My legs are from doing my Zumba classes, I have A LOT of calisthenics in my class and we do cardio in there too.

Find your TDEE here:

http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

You should do TDEE-20% So, mine is 2250-450 (20%) = 1800 calories. Do not eat your workout calories back because your TDEE already took that into account.

I eat a little more than 1gram of protein/body weight. I weigh 126, and I eat around 125-150 grams of protein per day.

I eat around 100 carbs per day. I like this site here.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/#axzz1tS2Cgl87

I have lost all of my weight while doing this and have great muscles. I am not big, but I have nice lean pretty muscles.

Now if you want to get muscular, then yes, you will need a calorie surplus. But if you want to lose fat and rebuild your muscles to look nice and lean, you can do that at the same time.

But if you are under eating, you will mess the whole system up...your body will be afraid that it is not going to get enough food, so it will hold onto the fat.

And, I do "cheat" or "Spike" my calories on Fridays. That is my day off to enjoy foods that I do not eat during the week.<<~~~My disclaimer in case anyone looks at my diary on Fridays.

Sharyn913

Ok, so I got tired just reading all of the exercise you do!!!

My opinion - too much working out. Not only are you doing over an hour of regular exercise at the gym 5 times a week, you are also (what sounds like to me) obsessing about moving around all day long, and then walking again after work, etc.. I understand you work 8 hours a day, but most people do, and still maintain good physiques.

Also, I believe your calories are too low to lose weight correctly (i.e., the smart way). You're not even eating what your body needs without the added exercise. You didn't say how old the baby is - I found that with my kids, it took a good 9 months after giving birth to really start shedding the pounds, especially when breastfeeding.

Here is what I would do: keep the 5 days in the gym, lift as heavy as you can during your weights time, keep your HIIT but only 3 times a week (it isn't true HIIT if you can do it every day, it should completely exhaust you), eat 1500 plus your workout calories, and reevaluate in 1 month.

Too much is not always a good thing. :flowerforyou:

Thanks girl! My son is 3. The HIIT does exhaust me, but my cardio is only 20-30 mins a day so I'm exhausted and than good shortly after that!

Sharyn913

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

Are you suggesting I focus primarily on cardio right now to get the weight off, and than start strength training again?

joejccva71

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

Are you suggesting I focus primarily on cardio right now to get the weight off, and than start strength training again?

You should always do weight resistance training even when doing cardio. The idea is to retain LBM while dieting so you can have good body composition.

DixiedoesMFP

If you just do cardio to get the weight off (without strength training) the end result won't be nearly as pretty - you'll be saggy and loose, even with the lower number on the scale.

Sharyn913

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

Are you suggesting I focus primarily on cardio right now to get the weight off, and than start strength training again?

You should always do weight resistance training even when doing cardio. The idea is to retain LBM while dieting so you can have good body composition.

I'm sorry for sounding ignorant, but I just seem to be doing something wrong. The advice is a little scattered.

Should I maybe do (3) 45-60 minute cardio sessions at the gym (say M/W/F) and then on Thursday maybe 10-15 and do strength training those two days?? Working my muscles each just once per week?

Decrease carbs, increase protein?

AlsDonkBoxSquat

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

Are you suggesting I focus primarily on cardio right now to get the weight off, and than start strength training again?

You should always do weight resistance training even when doing cardio. The idea is to retain LBM while dieting so you can have good body composition.

I'm sorry for sounding ignorant, but I just seem to be doing something wrong. The advice is a little scattered.

Should I maybe do (3) 45-60 minute cardio sessions at the gym (say M/W/F) and then on Thursday maybe 10-15 and do strength training those two days?? Working my muscles each just once per week?

Decrease carbs, increase protein?

No, if you're full body lifting every session, continue lifting 3 days a week (no more as you need rest days). Some of the newest studies suggest hiit cardio is optimal for fat burning, but do whatever. Continuing to lift and eating at a moderate deficit will help to preserve the lean mass you have while you reduce your fat stores. Once you get down to a point where you want to add lean mass you increase your eating to a surplus allowing your body to add weight (both lean mass and fat stores), then you go through another cycle of moderate deficit while you once again decrease bf% while trying to preserve lean mass.

davidb611

check your sodium intake...I realized i was eating way too much sodium and cut it in half and lost 2 pounds in a week! plus i have read that sodium retains water.

Spanaval

In your shoes, here's what I'd do.

Weight lifting 3 days a week.
HIIT for 20 minutes or so twice a week, followed by some steady cardio for another 20 or 30 minutes.
Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, more if possible on lifting days.
Eat at 20% less TDEE on the days you don't lift, 10% less or so on the days you do lift (or maintenance).

600racer

Losing fat requires a calorie deficit. Building muscle requires a calorie surplus. Doing both at the same time is not possible without drugs.

How is it that I am losing weight and building muscle at the same time without drugs? Granted weight loss is slow but it is steadily going down and muscles are getting stronger and bigger.

joejccva71

Losing fat requires a calorie deficit. Building muscle requires a calorie surplus. Doing both at the same time is not possible without drugs.

How is it that I am losing weight and building muscle at the same time without drugs? Granted weight loss is slow but it is steadily going down and muscles are getting stronger and bigger.

If you are a beginner at lifting you can get some small gains, but they are minimal. Also if you are morbidly obese, you can use fat stores as energy "calories" to put on maybe a lb or 2 of muscle gains but again this is minimal and will stop unless you start feeding your body a surplus of energy that exceeds output.

Also you can still gain strength on a calorie deficit, and when you lose bodyfat your muscles appear to be bigger. This doesn't mean you are actually gaining muscle mass.

cobaltis

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

Ageed, simply put, lift to prevent muscle loss, lose the fat, then build the muscle

joejccva71

very very hard to do. Much easier to cut (lose weight) and try to maintain lean muscle through diet and exercise, then once you lose enough fat, go into a bulking phase where you try to add muscle with minimal fat gain.

Ageed, simply put, lift to prevent muscle loss, lose the fat, then build the muscle

Exactly bro.

iamladibeast

bump