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how do you decide??

pspetralia
pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
From what I have read you can't be at a deficit if your goal is building muscle. My goal is to both build muscle and lose fat. I have been eating at a deficit in order to lose weight, doing lots of cardio. How do you decide how many extra calories you need to consume in order to build muscle? I have lost 28 pounds and need to lose about 25 more pounds, but I would like to focus more on strength training. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!!

Replies

  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
    Weight lifting isn't only beneficial when building muscle, it's also beneficial when dieting. To avoid spinning your wheels, you should pick a goal. Either muscle gain while limiting fat gain or fat loss while limiting muscle loss. Simply because you pick a goal doesn't mean you are stuck with it forever, you can cycle between them. For women, if your bodyfat is above 24-27%, it's probably better to diet first.
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
    Hmm... my BMI is 28.2, so I guess it is best to focus on losing weight still. Thanks!
  • salemnye
    salemnye Posts: 305 Member
    Well I actually don't follow what MFP has for my calorie deficit. It's like what my BMR is at the lowest point. So what I actually do is eat between my BMR and TDEE and right now (About 2000 a day) I'm focusing on strengthening my leg muscles because I want to run farther and longer and eventually faster.

    So with that in mind if I lose weight while gaining leg muscle I'm one happy camper. If I gain weight while losing inches I'm still a happy camper :) I'd rather be heavier with muscle than skinnier without it :)

    And I've noticed I'm slowly getting more definition in my calves so I'm happy all ready!
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
    Hmm... my BMI is 28.2, so I guess it is best to focus on losing weight still. Thanks!
    BMI doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle mass. You can have two individuals with drastically different BF% and yet have the same BMI. Therefore, BMI is useless for your purposes.
  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
    Well I don't know about that. I have built quite a bit of muscle and lost weight too so I don't see the conflict.
This discussion has been closed.