Gain muscle, lose a little fat?

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lilawolf
lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all. I a 5'9 lady and I am down to 27.5 body fat percentage and 162lbs. My goal is to get down to 22-24%, so 6-10 more pounds of fat. Currently I aim to NET around my BMR of ~1550. I am set to sedentary because of my desk job, and log and eat back my exercise. I try to get 100g net carbs or less and over 100g of protein a day.

Here is my plan to finish getting lean and mean:
Eat when I'm hungry focusing on protein and limiting simple carbs (but not veggies or low glycemic fruit)
I will not be able to count calories because I will be in China eating unidentifieable food.
I will be in a fairly active new job (12 hours a day too!) so that will be a more calories burned

2 days a week: P90x
1-2 days a week: Heavy lifting at the gym (8-10 reps to muscle failure)
1-2 days a week: 30 day shred (thank you 20 minutes)
1-2 days a week: swimming or zumba or kickboxing or tae bo
1-2 days a week: Rest

Is this too much cardio to maintain and gain muscle? Should I be eating about what I am now or really bump up my cals? Maintenance for "active" would be 2200 cals for me. Should the P90x be classified as cardio, strength training, or a mix?

Trolls are hilarious, but I would appreciate a little real advice mixed in with the sarcasm. Yes, I will go make a sandwich now ;-) Right after I take my raspberry ketones...

Replies

  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    Familiar thread looks familiar

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/752941-p90x-for-the-win
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    My only replier so far looks pretty familiar too. Is it bad that I am trying to get a few more opinions? I do appreciate yours, but others may have ideas as well.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    You could bump your original thread so other would be repliers know what's already been suggested. Just sayin'
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    Listen to the noob.
  • nml2011
    nml2011 Posts: 156 Member
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    If you are wanting to gain muscle then don't be scared of simple carbs;

    Post workout along with your protein and in the evenings is best.

    If you are in China then smash that white rice especially with your evening meals!!

    I would also do the heavy lifting 3 times a week and if you have the energy then the cardio!
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Thanks to Determinednoob for some great links. He thinks I have F***arounditis, and maybe I do. I will have to make a more concerted effort to get to the gym 2-3 days a week to lift and worry less about the cardio stuff.

    I am still a little confused (though I haven't quite finished reading through all of the links). It seems many guys do a buff/cut cycle with lots of calories and lifting, then a calorie cut and maybe a little cardio. I've been told that you can't build much muscle on a calorie deficit, so how do I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? Or do I need to do a cycle? More cals on lifting days, less on others? Month one way, then a month the other?

    Also to nml2011, that sounds really backwards to me. Don't I need some simple carbs before my workout for fast fuel then protein to recover after? Simple carbs in the evening before bed seems like it would invite fat gain.

    Thank you all for your input
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    Thanks to Determinednoob for some great links. He thinks I have F***arounditis, and maybe I do. I will have to make a more concerted effort to get to the gym 2-3 days a week to lift and worry less about the cardio stuff.

    I am still a little confused (though I haven't quite finished reading through all of the links). It seems many guys do a buff/cut cycle with lots of calories and lifting, then a calorie cut and maybe a little cardio. I've been told that you can't build much muscle on a calorie deficit, so how do I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time? Or do I need to do a cycle? More cals on lifting days, less on others? Month one way, then a month the other?

    Also to nml2011, that sounds really backwards to me. Don't I need some simple carbs before my workout for fast fuel then protein to recover after? Simple carbs in the evening before bed seems like it would invite fat gain.

    Thank you all for your input

    If you are total noob to heavy lifting then eat at maintenance until your lifts stall or you have lost as much fat as you want. You will gain a little size and lose fat. This will ast somewhere around 3 months, maybe a bit less based on what you have already been doing. If you get to a stall and still need to lose fat, decrease cals into deficit. If you lose all the fat before stalling, increase into a surplus.

    I am not sure where you saw simple carbs before bed. In general nutrient timing does not matter for body composition assuming you are eating throughout the day before working out. Nutrients you have consumed before your workout will still be being released into your blood before, during, and after your workout. If you train fasted, you might want a little something beforehand for energy and to get the protein synthesis moving.

    When to cut or bulk can be up to you based on how you feel about your appearance. The normal rule of thumb I see for men is cut to 10-12%bf and bulk to 15-16% For a woman the numbers would be higher. Probably around cutting to 16-18 and bulking to low-mid 20s.

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