Some questions about strength training while losing fat

LiftAllThePizzas

I'm 43 years old and 6'1" with about 24% body fat right now at 192 lbs. My LBM is about 147. I would like to increase my muscle mass mainly because I want to reduce insulin resistance or minimize the chance of it (I was pre-diabetic 5 years ago but then lost my excess weight) and also I would like to be able to lift heavy things. I'm not looking to get ripped or any of that I just want to be reasonably strong with a reasonable amount of effort.

I started the StrongLifts 5X5 program and I'm not sure how much I should be eating in order to (reasonably) optimize loss of fat as well as gaining LBM. (My diary is public.) Also, what type of reasonable expectation of LBM gain should I have? I have no sense of what men usually weigh or what I should expect me to weigh when I am in great shape with decent muscles... I only know at my 'peak' (out of USAF basic training at 22 years old) I was 155 lbs and a lean mean toothpick, but I don't expect to weigh that again at this age.

I'm not worried or stressed out about any of it (despite how this reads, LOL) but I figure it will be easier to put my eating in the right place first instead of losing lots of LBM only to get skinny fat and then have to build back muscles.

dixiewhiskey

I can't answer your question 100% but check out this link: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

FullOfWin

Eat at maintenance or slightly below (stay same weight or lose weight very slowly) until your lifts stall, and then decide whether you care more about losing more fat or gaining more muscle and eat accordingly. By that time you will be at a point where if you bulk, you should aim to gain about 2lbs per month.

At your height if you want to look musclular and lean somewhere in the neighborhood of 180-190lbs at ~10% body fat should do, and could be reached in 2-3 years.

sunnyheenan

A good place to start is body weight x 15 for your calories distributed 50% protein, 20% carb, 30% fat and adjust from there. The protein at that level will prevent you from losing muscle. With that level of protein make sure you are drinking enough water. (I drink 1 gal/day and I am about half your size). If you are losing more than 1 lb/week then increase your calories but keep the prot-carb-fat ratio. You can adjust the prot/carb/fat ratio to your liking but that gives you at least a place to start.

For reference...I am a drug-free physique competitor and mom of 3. In my offseason to bulk at 0.5 lb/week I will eat about 2400 calories (40 prot/30 carb/30 fat). To lean out for a competition I reduce calories to about 1900 (50 prot/25 carb/25 fat). With those macros I lose very little if any muscle and strength is still through the roof and I lift more than most of the men even though I weigh conisderably less (5'2", 110 lb. competition, 115 offseason at about 8-10% bodyfat).

Hope that helps.

DavPul

Eat at maintenance or slightly below (stay same weight or lose weight very slowly) until your lifts stall, and then decide whether you care more about losing more fat or gaining more muscle and eat accordingly. By that time you will be at a point where if you bulk, you should aim to gain about 2lbs per month.

At your height if you want to look musclular and lean somewhere in the neighborhood of 180-190lbs at ~10% body fat should do, and could be reached in 2-3 years.

I was going to type something but instead I will just cosign all of this here. Its all there

LiftAllThePizzas

Awesome, thanks for the replies. Seems like I am pretty close to what I can be doing at this point and at least won't be screwing myself up and getting skinny fat. 2-3 years is great, I'm in no hurry and it will give me time to keep working at it and have it be "normal" by the time I stop making visible progress.

AnvilHead

Here's a great read that might help answer some of your questions:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

sunnyheenan

Here's a great read that might help answer some of your questions:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

x2! Lyle is AWESOME!