Help me help my husband!

suzmagana

My husband recently got started on MFP but got frustrated and stopped because he couldn't decide on calorie intake.
He is 5'7" weighs 160 but has love handles he HATES.
He wants to lose about 15lb of fat, drop about 2 inches in his waist, and get back up to the lean 165 he was in his 20s.
He is sedentary during the day (desk job) but goes to a total fitness gym on lunch break 3-4 days a week.

Any ideas on calories and protein intake? I always have a hard time using the calorie estimate calculators when looking to lose fat but gain weight overall. Should he try to loss the weight then bulk back up? With his current work out he is getting frustrated that he is seeing the results he wants in chest, arms, back but not in his love handles.

Thanks for any input! I am hoping that if I can get him into MFP too it'll help me out!

savageman69

really depends if hes 160 and no stomach or chest fat...id say eat at maintance and keep working out and lifting heavy and his body should start to recomp....or slow bulk..200-250 over maintance.

If he cant handle gaining a bit of fat while bulking up and gaining muscle tell him to cut 10 or 15lbs now then bulk. Im guess his maintance is some where around 2600-2800...only way to know for sure is try 2500 for 3 weeks and see what direction he heads, gains weight then lower and if he loses then he knows if he wants to add cals

AnvilHead

Point him to the first post in this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Dan lays out all the calculations for calories, macronutrients, etc.

As far as the love handles go, no exercise will reduce them...if he keeps losing the body fat they'll eventually go, but unfortunately that's often the last place fat stubbornly clings to.