Calorie needs during a lifting program...?

aamberrr

Hey guys!

This is my first post here. A little background: I'm a female, I've been following New Rules for Women for the past few months (but recently have put that on hold and started lifting with my future in-laws for the summer since I'm a teacher and they're beasts), my goals are to get stronger/gain muscle, but also burn fat.

I know a lot about nutrition and the foods I should be eating, etc., but I'm always thrown by my calorie needs since I'm trying to lose fat AND gain some muscle.

SO: According to New Rules and the formulas they use, on a nonworkout day I burn 2,141 calories, and on a workout day I burn about 2,425 calories. The author suggests not eating at a deficit or surplus to begin. However, I also use the myfitnesspal app to track my food. I have it set for me to lose about 1lb. per week, so it has my calories automatically set to 1,610 per day. Most days, when it takes my workout calories burned into account, I end up eating less than that number (So on a workout day, I may eat actually 1,800 calories, but my net calories is less that 1,610 because of burning some).

Annnyways. I haven't really tried eating 2,400 calories in a day, and feel a little apprehensive to do so. But would this actually be to my advantage? I have noticed some changes in my body, but my weight really hasn't changed. I DEFINITELY still have a decent amount of stomach fat on me that needs to go.

So what are your opinions? Is my body trying to hold onto fat because I'm eating too little? (It feels weird saying that about a 1,600-1,800 calorie diet, btw.) So should I up the calories to 2,000-2,400 per day? Or should I keep sticking with the 1,600? OR I was thinking maybe on lifting days eat ~2,000 and on days that I just do cardio or on my off day, eat the 1,600?

Thoughts/opinions? Thanks

Hendrix7

my goals are to get stronger/gain muscle, but also burn fat.

Forget about trying to lose weight and build muscle at the same time.....it's almost impossible and even if it was possible it would so difficult to get the diet right it's not worth even attempting it. Even if you were in a calorie excess the amount of lean muscle gain you can make as a female is not that much anyway.

I would eat at a small calorie deficit, say 300 calories. You can still gain strength in a calorie deficit so just focus on that and dropping the bodyfat %.

for me the whole 'eating back burned calories' approach is too complicated and too inaccurate anyway. I eat the same calories every day (TDEE method)

I DEFINITELY still have a decent amount of stomach fat on me that needs to go.

This will never go if you are in a calorie excess, may as well get lean first then you can think about trying to add muscle later on.

aamberrr

I DEFINITELY still have a decent amount of stomach fat on me that needs to go.

This will never go if you are in a calorie excess, may as well get lean first then you can think about trying to add muscle later on.

Wow, why didn't I think of this? Haha, it seems so obvious now that you said it. Thanks.

Hendrix7

It's always better to try and do one thing at a time and do it properly, Rather than trying to do 2 things at once and not really achieve either.

aamberrr

It's always better to try and do one thing at a time and do it properly, Rather than trying to do 2 things at once and not really achieve either.

Good point. Especially when the two things you're trying to do are pretty much mutually exclusive, haha.

chrisdavey

great advice above