Is this why I'm not getting results?
Replies
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Also the only way to gain muscle is to do weight training/strength training. There is no such thing as certain foods that "make you gain muscle." Your body can only build it through strength training.
That's not necessarily the whole truth. Not all foods support lean muscle gain the same way, and eating right will lead to more gain at a lower pain (or effort as the case may be). That means that a completely unexercised muscle will, of course, not grow and often atrophy, but in general eating right can help to support modest muscle gain from everyday activities.
Under what conditions do you believe every day activity will build LBM?0 -
Here's what you need to do in a nutshell:
Do:
1. Strength train 3-4x a week, compound exercises (involves multiple body parts: deadlifts, squats, pushups, etc.).
2. Eat as healthy & natural as possible, with more food for strength & less for cardio/ rest. Get protein powder, too!
3. Take measurements of your body weekly; weigh yourself monthly.
4. Get your real TDEE (using Dan's "In Place of a Road Map" thread), minus 20%, & put that number as your daily goal. Eat above that for strength, & up to that on non-strength days.
Don't:
5. Log exercise unless you write it in as 0 calories, because your TDEE is already counting them in for you.
6. Eat back your exercise calories, because your TDEE is already counting them in for you.
You'll notice & feel better once you eat more. I have a small appetite too, but I just eat more & enjoy the food since my TDEE is ~2000. I eat at ~1600 for non-strength & 1600-1900 for strength. Good luck!
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Also the only way to gain muscle is to do weight training/strength training. There is no such thing as certain foods that "make you gain muscle." Your body can only build it through strength training.
That's not necessarily the whole truth. Not all foods support lean muscle gain the same way, and eating right will lead to more gain at a lower pain (or effort as the case may be). That means that a completely unexercised muscle will, of course, not grow and often atrophy, but in general eating right can help to support modest muscle gain from everyday activities.
Under what conditions do you believe every day activity will build LBM?
When Neo was pulled from the matrix.0 -
Also I was told I could lose weight as long as I burn more then I intake which I do
I know some will disagree with me. But, this doesn't work for me either. A friend of mine gave me a tip and it is what has caused me to start losing the weight. Even though it is recommended that 40% of your diet calories comes from carbohydrates, that isn't for everyone including me. I was averaging 9% of calories coming from carbs and could not lose weight at all. I kept losing and gaining the same 5 pounds. once I reduced the carbs, I was able to lose weight.
Am I saying this will work for you? Not at all. But, it is something to look into maybe. Also, if your parents are bringing a lot of frozen food into the house, it could be loaded with sodium. Make sure you are watching your sodium intake,
Your situation appears to be vastly different from the OP's though.0 -
so your burning twice as many calories as your eating??? Even I know that is bad.:grumble:
I dont mean to, I just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.
If you let yourself get overweight and/or have been yo-yo dieting, then you simply can not trust your body to tell you how much food to eat. If your diary were open, we could assist you a little better.
And if your TDEE is 2600, then you probably should be eating somewhere between 1600-2100 calories. The lower your deficit, the less lean body mass and the more fat you will lose.0 -
Everyone is different as to why they even have fat to lose first of all. For me, it was only there from pregnancy, but my hormones got messed up, so I knew it wasn't what I was eating, it wasn't what I was or wasnt' doing, it was that. I since corrected that problem and from being here learned I wasn't eating enough and working out too much. So I cut back my workouts from 6 days a week to 4, then made sure I was eating enough (my TDEE is the same as you) I eat 2000 calories most days (sometimes 2200, sometimes 1700) always neting close to 2000. I have lost fat slowly (about 7-8lbs) 5 in the past month (thankyou thanksgiving)
But that is my story. I am a very active, naturally muscular person (not a professional athlete, though i was a dancer before I had my son)
Just sharing because the more stories you hear from people, the more you will see what you can relate to, what gives you that little moment of "ah ha" to get you on the path you need to be on. Good luck!0 -
I burn about 2610 total including my TDEE and eat at 1350-1400
are you secretly lance armstrong??
what kind of work out do you do that burns over 2500 calories on a daily basis?
She isn't saying she burns that much at the gym, that's her Total Daily Energy Expenditure...so that is what she burns all day long...your bmr plus what it take to live and move, it should include exercise. I'm a woman and 5'9", I have 10-15 pounds to lose and my tdee is about 2300-2500. So it's not that crazy, especially with an active job or if she works out a lot consistently.
Agreed. I am a 5'4" 38 year old woman and my TDEE is 2400 calories. You TDEE includes exercise burns, but the OP is not claiming to burn that from exercise alone.0 -
I am not sure what led you to believe you were burning 2600 calories per day, but only really serious athletes who are training intensely every single day for 3-5 hours would burn that much. Your average about-twenty year old female is going to burn around 1400 calories per day simply by existing. That means if your calorie consumption is 1400, you would maintain your current weight. If you ate more than 1400 each day, you would gain, and if you ate less than 1400, you would lose. Females can safely lower their calorie intake to about 1200 calories per day, meaning you have to add exercise to increase your calorie deficit. Maintaining a calorie deficit daily will lead to weight loss.
1 pound of body fat = 3500 calories.
If you wanted to lose 1 pound per week, you need a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day for 7 days. (Example: eat 1200 calories daily, burn 300 in exercise in addition).
When I started this journey I didnt lose so much as an ounce for the first 4-6 weeks or so - BUT - I did lose a combined total of 12 inches if memory serves - partly because I started strength training almost as soon as I started the food changes. However since then the inches have continued to drop and the scale weight is also dropping - I do a weigh-in / measurments every week - the first 6 check-ins only had a 2lbs loss total but there was a 2% bodyfat loss and an 11lb fat mass loss - the reason the scale didnt drop even though I had technically lost 11lbs was I had also gained 9lbs in muscle weight (give or take some water weight as well)
Stick to what you're doing and give it some more time - also if you can get your bodyfat measurements done every week or so you'll probably see losses that you're looking for. Track your measurements - not your scale
Hope this helps.0 -
This is painful to read. So much bro-science and bad info. Hmmmm.
Eat at a deficit if you want to lose. That's kind of all. Burning fat is the result of eating at a calorie deficit. Losing weight s 80% diet. You cannot build muscle and eat at a calorie deficit at the same time. It is literally impossible. It's like saying you re going to drive your car from Los Angeles to New York on an empty gas tank. It cannot be done. Laws of physics proves it. However, you can improve the strength of the muscle you have, and as you lose weight, if you are strength training, the fat will burn, and he muscle will start to show. But, it's not building, per se. If you want to build muscle, you eat at a calorie surplus. This is not bro-science or speculation or my opinion.
This part is my opinion: everyone is not different. Pretty much, the same thing works for almost everyone, with small tweaks. But, in the big picture, we're pretty much the same. Lol. I Cant stand this special snow flake crap.0 -
You are right, you're not over eating. You are under eating!
You need to up your calories and get a whole lot more protein in your diet!
if that the case then I'll try eating fruits or veggies for snacks when I can.
There is little to no protein in fruits and veggies. They are great for vitamins and minerals and for low-cal snack, but for protein you need to be eating meat or eggs.0 -
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If you are gaining muscle, you are eating at a calorie surplus. You will not be able to lose weight eating a surplus, you can't gain muscle eating on a deficit.
^^^^ This is a myth.
You can lose fat and gain muscle. The key is eating the proper amount of protein. If you are currently maintaining your weight and gaining muscle then you are by default losing fat to offset the weight gain of the muscle. I would continue your current routine.
I've been losing fat and gaining muscle for 6 months now. It is possible.0 -
I will be the first to ask- What is your height and current weight?
Do you even NEED to lose 10 pounds? Perhaps you just need to concentrate on strengthening your muscles and building endurance, without worrying about a calorie deficit. Change your body composition, and don't worry about the scale number?0 -
If you are gaining muscle, you are eating at a calorie surplus. You will not be able to lose weight eating a surplus, you can't gain muscle eating on a deficit.
^^^^ This is a myth.
You can lose fat and gain muscle. The key is eating the proper amount of protein. If you are currently maintaining your weight and gaining muscle then you are by default losing fat to offset the weight gain of the muscle. I would continue your current routine.
I've been losing fat and gaining muscle for 6 months now. It is possible.
Only newbies will have muscle gains at maintenance intake, unless you are talking about for the week where you have over days (to gain muscle) and under days to burn fat. And your assumption that if you lose fat and don't lose weight by default its muscle. Could be water retention in the muscles due to working out, or could be an increase in bone density too.0 -
I am not sure what led you to believe you were burning 2600 calories per day, but only really serious athletes who are training intensely every single day for 3-5 hours would burn that much. Your average about-twenty year old female is going to burn around 1400 calories per day simply by existing. That means if your calorie consumption is 1400, you would maintain your current weight. If you ate more than 1400 each day, you would gain, and if you ate less than 1400, you would lose. Females can safely lower their calorie intake to about 1200 calories per day, meaning you have to add exercise to increase your calorie deficit. Maintaining a calorie deficit daily will lead to weight loss.
1 pound of body fat = 3500 calories.
If you wanted to lose 1 pound per week, you need a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day for 7 days. (Example: eat 1200 calories daily, burn 300 in exercise in addition).
Hope this helps.
This isn't true. I weigh 140 pounds and on days when I do a 45-minute run, I burn about 2500 calories, according to my BodyMediaFit (and not very far off from MFP estimates...which is 1960 without exercise...so adding about 450 calories to that...that would come to about 2400).0 -
So I guess losing weight and losing fat are total different things when I thought they were the same. I mean when someone says they want to lose weight you dont think ''oh they wanna lose muscle'' no thats silly.
Also I was told I could lose weight as long as I burn more then I intake which I do, but my diet isnt the best. No I don't eat fast food or bags of chips everyday. But I dont and cant eat salads everyday either. Since I still live with parents sometimes just have to eat what they bring home. Which is mostly frozen foods.
So I thought a calorie is still a calorie no matter where I intake it from either from unhealthy foods or healthy foods. As long as I still burn more then I ate at the end of the day.
But after 3 weeks now only muscle gain and no weight(fat) loss. So how do you lose fat? I don't want to just lose weight I couldn't care less about what the scale says, I just want to get thin and lose my fat. I'm afraid my diet is holding me back when I still have a calorie deficit of 800-1200 almost everyday. Am I doing this right? Very confused! Thank you!
I burn about 2610 total including my TDEE and eat at 1350-1400
Is this enough to lose fat?
With a deficit that large a large % of your loss will be muscle. the smaller your deficit the higher the % of fat loss vs. muscle loss. On top of a small deficit, you need to ensure you are getting adequate protein (more than MFP recommends) and you should be taking part in a heavy lifting strength training routine to help preserve muscle during weight loss.
so its better to have a calorie deficit of 700-800 then 1000+?
If you only have 10 lbs to lose total, and you lose those 10 lbs with 1000 cal deficit or even 700 or 800 cal deficit, you will not be able to go to maintenance and keep the weight off, you will have to continue at a reduced calorie diet. We call this a yo-yo, even when it's done with healthy choices.
The solution is a lower deficit. 250 cal max, IMO. It takes longer, but you end up with a better body composition and when you're done you can eat more calories. It ends up being shorter in the long run than spending years restricting cals because you gain at 1501 cals but not 1499. If you don't believe this can happen to you, ask any woman on this site. Its happened to at least half of them at some point.0 -
I am not sure what led you to believe you were burning 2600 calories per day, but only really serious athletes who are training intensely every single day for 3-5 hours would burn that much. Your average about-twenty year old female is going to burn around 1400 calories per day simply by existing. That means if your calorie consumption is 1400, you would maintain your current weight. If you ate more than 1400 each day, you would gain, and if you ate less than 1400, you would lose. Females can safely lower their calorie intake to about 1200 calories per day, meaning you have to add exercise to increase your calorie deficit. Maintaining a calorie deficit daily will lead to weight loss.
1 pound of body fat = 3500 calories.
If you wanted to lose 1 pound per week, you need a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day for 7 days. (Example: eat 1200 calories daily, burn 300 in exercise in addition).
Hope this helps.
This isn't true. I weigh 140 pounds and on days when I do a 45-minute run, I burn about 2500 calories, according to my BodyMediaFit (and not very far off from MFP estimates...which is 1960 without exercise...so adding about 450 calories to that...that would come to about 2400).
I've been medically tested and my RMR is in the 2000s........I'm a 22 year old female but I'm also almost 6ft tall. To lose 2lbs a week I'm supposed to eat 1916 calories a day BEFORE I work out. I don't use the MFP calculations because they are much much lower than my actual testing.0 -
1 pound of body fat = 3500 calories.
If you wanted to lose 1 pound per week, you need a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day for 7 days. (Example: eat 1200 calories daily, burn 300 in exercise in addition).
Couldn't of put it better myself!0 -
According to your ticker you are trying to lose about ten pounds which means you do not have a lot to lose. The less you have to lose the harder it is and less of a deficit you should have. if your TDEE is actually 2600 you should take about 500 cals off that. If you are trying to lose too much to fast with that little lose you may end up sacrificing muscle or slowing your metabolism.
Without knowing your height, weight and activity and what dieting and workouts you have been doing before now it is hard to give helpful advice.
The illusion of gaining muscle is usually a combination of added water in the muscle tissue and a loss of body fat that make muscle appear larger. It IS possible to gain a small amount of muscle when first starting out even on a calorie deficit. And though it is a small amount (1 or 2 pounds over the first couple months) it can seem large if you have a small frame and the muscle gain is concentrated in one area.
^^^^THIS
Modest deficit from your TDEE. Eat above your BMR, but less than your TDEE. No more than 500 cal deficit. a larger deficit can be counterproductive ..as you are likely seeing0 -
why do so many people think about salads so much. are they a secret key to something?0
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Honestly, and I'm sure it has already been said, but you are not eating enough. The body will not deplete its fat stores in one day. If you eat at a deep calorie deficit, you will lose muscle, regardless of how much training you do. If your goal is to burn fat and preserve muscle, then you have to eat at a calorie deficit within 300 calories of your TDEE.0
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I am not sure what led you to believe you were burning 2600 calories per day, but only really serious athletes who are training intensely every single day for 3-5 hours would burn that much. Your average about-twenty year old female is going to burn around 1400 calories per day simply by existing. That means if your calorie consumption is 1400, you would maintain your current weight. If you ate more than 1400 each day, you would gain, and if you ate less than 1400, you would lose. Females can safely lower their calorie intake to about 1200 calories per day, meaning you have to add exercise to increase your calorie deficit. Maintaining a calorie deficit daily will lead to weight loss.
1 pound of body fat = 3500 calories.
If you wanted to lose 1 pound per week, you need a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day for 7 days. (Example: eat 1200 calories daily, burn 300 in exercise in addition).
Hope this helps.
This isn't true. I weigh 140 pounds and on days when I do a 45-minute run, I burn about 2500 calories, according to my BodyMediaFit (and not very far off from MFP estimates...which is 1960 without exercise...so adding about 450 calories to that...that would come to about 2400).
Truth^^
I must be super-woman or something to be approaching 40 and burning more than an "average about-twenty year old female." It's amaaaaaaaaaaazing. (and I have a desk job
) 0 -
Honestly, and I'm sure it has already been said, but you are not eating enough. The body will not deplete its fat stores in one day. If you eat at a deep calorie deficit, you will lose muscle, regardless of how much training you do. If your goal is to burn fat and preserve muscle, then you have to eat at a calorie deficit within 300 calories of your TDEE.
^^ Great advice! :bigsmile:0 -
So I guess losing weight and losing fat are total different things when I thought they were the same. I mean when someone says they want to lose weight you dont think ''oh they wanna lose muscle'' no thats silly.
Also I was told I could lose weight as long as I burn more then I intake which I do, but my diet isnt the best. No I don't eat fast food or bags of chips everyday. But I dont and cant eat salads everyday either. Since I still live with parents sometimes just have to eat what they bring home. Which is mostly frozen foods.
So I thought a calorie is still a calorie no matter where I intake it from either from unhealthy foods or healthy foods. As long as I still burn more then I ate at the end of the day.
But after 3 weeks now only muscle gain and no weight(fat) loss. So how do you lose fat? I don't want to just lose weight I couldn't care less about what the scale says, I just want to get thin and lose my fat. I'm afraid my diet is holding me back when I still have a calorie deficit of 800-1200 almost everyday. Am I doing this right? Very confused! Thank you!
I burn about 2610 total including my TDEE and eat at 1350-1400
Is this enough to lose fat?
With a deficit that large a large % of your loss will be muscle. the smaller your deficit the higher the % of fat loss vs. muscle loss. On top of a small deficit, you need to ensure you are getting adequate protein (more than MFP recommends) and you should be taking part in a heavy lifting strength training routine to help preserve muscle during weight loss.
so its better to have a calorie deficit of 700-800 then 1000+?
Well yes but it would be even better to make that 250-500. Is you BMI already in the healthy range? If so and these are just "vanity" pounds then you need to work on losing a half to at the most one per week. A pound is roughly 3500 calories so to lose one pound a week it would be a 500 calorie deficit a day, 250 for a half pound. One reason you want to lose slower is that you will lose less muscle mass and it will be the fat leaving your body. The muscle is ood, it helps you burn more and look leaner. Worry more about you body fat percentage and less about the number on the scale. Be patient, you will get there.
thank you, my BMI for 140 5'2 is about 25.3 so just a tad above healthy weight. Which I'm hoping to get down to0 -
I will be the first to ask- What is your height and current weight?
Do you even NEED to lose 10 pounds? Perhaps you just need to concentrate on strengthening your muscles and building endurance, without worrying about a calorie deficit. Change your body composition, and don't worry about the scale number?
im 5'2 140 a little above my healthy weight so losin 10 or 20 at the most will put me in the right spot.0 -
If you are gaining muscle, you are eating at a calorie surplus. You will not be able to lose weight eating a surplus, you can't gain muscle eating on a deficit.
^^^^ This is a myth.
You can lose fat and gain muscle. The key is eating the proper amount of protein. If you are currently maintaining your weight and gaining muscle then you are by default losing fat to offset the weight gain of the muscle. I would continue your current routine.
I've been losing fat and gaining muscle for 6 months now. It is possible.
Only newbies will have muscle gains at maintenance intake, unless you are talking about for the week where you have over days (to gain muscle) and under days to burn fat. And your assumption that if you lose fat and don't lose weight by default its muscle. Could be water retention in the muscles due to working out, or could be an increase in bone density too.
Uh no.0 -
so your burning twice as many calories as your eating??? Even I know that is bad.:grumble:
I dont mean to, I just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.
I found i actually had to "make myself" eat more. I felt very full at first but your body will adjust. Have something small every 3-4 hours. You wont be as full cuz of the portion size and your metabolism will start to kick in, thus burning more and helping that full feeling go away.0 -
so your burning twice as many calories as your eating??? Even I know that is bad.:grumble:
I dont mean to, I just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.
I found i actually had to "make myself" eat more. I felt very full at first but your body will adjust. Have something small every 3-4 hours. You wont be as full cuz of the portion size and your metabolism will start to kick in, thus burning more and helping that full feeling go away.
i should try that, but im not sure what low calorie snacks i can take with me and eat quickly. especially when im at school0 -
so your burning twice as many calories as your eating??? Even I know that is bad.:grumble:
I dont mean to, I just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.
I found i actually had to "make myself" eat more. I felt very full at first but your body will adjust. Have something small every 3-4 hours. You wont be as full cuz of the portion size and your metabolism will start to kick in, thus burning more and helping that full feeling go away.
i should try that, but im not sure what low calorie snacks i can take with me and eat quickly. especially when im at school
Still not thinking of this right.
Why low calorie? You are trying to eat more to fit your level of activity.
This is opposite of the mythical advice usually given that if you eat smaller meals frequently you speed up your metabolism and still not be hungry.
You need more DENSE snacks. Small so you don't feel full, but full of calories.
Like Almonds? 1 serv about 170 calories. Good fat source.0 -
so your burning twice as many calories as your eating??? Even I know that is bad.:grumble:
I dont mean to, I just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.
I found i actually had to "make myself" eat more. I felt very full at first but your body will adjust. Have something small every 3-4 hours. You wont be as full cuz of the portion size and your metabolism will start to kick in, thus burning more and helping that full feeling go away.
i should try that, but im not sure what low calorie snacks i can take with me and eat quickly. especially when im at school
Still not thinking of this right.
Why low calorie? You are trying to eat more to fit your level of activity.
This is opposite of the mythical advice usually given that if you eat smaller meals frequently you speed up your metabolism and still not be hungry.
You need more DENSE snacks. Small so you don't feel full, but full of calories.
Like Almonds? 1 serv about 170 calories. Good fat source.
so your saying I should eat more calories in a day?0
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