weight lifting - calories?

shiseido_faerie
shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been taking a weight lifting class for women offered at one of the community centres near me.
Basically I took it because I wanted to learn to lift with proper technique before I ventured into the gym all on my own. I'm finding it very helpful, the instructor is a bodybuilder and I feel like she's teaching us a lot. There is a wide age range in the group and so everyone is lifting at different levels, but she's been encouraging me to lift heavier than I think I can, and i'm actually really loving it, I feel great at the end of the workout! In a few weeks the class will be ending. I feel pretty confident about heading into the gym and doing my thing now. But one thing that I don't know is....when you're lifting as a part of your regular routine, how do you determine how many calories you should be eating?? Not so concerned with the number on the scale, more concerned with my measurements. I'd like to build some muscle, lose some inches. I've read several places that if you're wanting to do that then you shouldn't be eating at a deficit, so...do I set to maintenance?? I've scrolled through endless posts trying to find an answer but i'm not seeing it, if someone could point me in the right direction that'd be great!

Thanks!

Replies

  • 215jenn
    215jenn Posts: 110 Member
    Just bumping to see responses later :)
    Grats on the lifting!
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    Bump :)
    Anyone?
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    If you truly want to gain muscle then you have to eat at a calorie surplus. It is very hard for women to gain muscle. However, you stated that you want to lose inches, so I suspect you really don't want to GAIN muscle, but you want to melt the fat around your current muscle. If this is the case, eat at a calorie deficit, lift heavy weights, and watch the muscle emerge!
  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
    If you're not trying to lose weight set to maintainence :) if you want to gain muscle I think you'd have to eat a surplus though!
  • xMonroeMisfit
    xMonroeMisfit Posts: 411 Member
    Maintenance level to just maintain your weight.

    But from what I read in your post you don't mind the scale going up, so i'd eat at a SLIGHT surplus of TDEE and re-eval in a month from there. Take your measurements and measure your body fat.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    ^ there you can add in all your information and set it to the desired goal. It will then tell you how much to eat daily.

    You can eat that amount every day or you can divide it to eat more on lifting days and less on rest days with a cheat day on the weekend ;)

    Good Luck & take lots of pictures!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I feel pretty confident about heading into the gym and doing my thing now.

    ^^^ That is awesome.


    To answer your question... you have very little to lose. You could try eating at maintenance for a month or two and see what happens. I suspect you will see a reduction in inches without a drop on the scale. Which would be cool.
  • sunflowerhippi
    sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,099 Member
    Okay this if from teh New Rules for Women Lifting book method for calories. I am going to copy from my google doc though so ignore format please.

    Weight / 2.2 = Kilograms * 7.18 = Resting Metabolic Rate ... add 795 = X

    Calorie goal = X * correct multiplier below.

    If your BMI is 18-24.9:
    On non-workout days: 1.6
    On workout days: 1.8


    If your BMI is >25
    On non-workout days: 1.5
    On workout days: 1.7

    *if you are also trying to lose lbs, you can subtract up to 300 cals from both days.
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    If you truly want to gain muscle then you have to eat at a calorie surplus. It is very hard for women to gain muscle. However, you stated that you want to lose inches, so I suspect you really don't want to GAIN muscle, but you want to melt the fat around your current muscle. If this is the case, eat at a calorie deficit, lift heavy weights, and watch the muscle emerge!

    I suppose you're right, I would like to get rid of the fat around my current muscle, but I would also get much stronger which I assumed was "gaining muscle"? but maybe that's wrong, pretty new to this stuff. I guess maybe that's just plain old getting stronger!
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    Thanks everyone, i can't wait to check all of this out tonight! :)
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Getting stronger and building muscle, oddly enough are two separate things. Only a calorie deficit, you are unlikely to build any real muscle, same for on maintenance. You need supplies to build anything, and that includes muscles. At a surplus you are possibly able to gain muscle but you will also gain fat. lean gains are pretty much a myth. Where it gets a bit tricky though is weight lifting IS exercise, so it does burn more calories than being sedentary, but how much is more difficult to quantify than with cardio.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    If you truly want to gain muscle then you have to eat at a calorie surplus. It is very hard for women to gain muscle. However, you stated that you want to lose inches, so I suspect you really don't want to GAIN muscle, but you want to melt the fat around your current muscle. If this is the case, eat at a calorie deficit, lift heavy weights, and watch the muscle emerge!

    I suppose you're right, I would like to get rid of the fat around my current muscle, but I would also get much stronger which I assumed was "gaining muscle"? but maybe that's wrong, pretty new to this stuff. I guess maybe that's just plain old getting stronger!

    Gaining or building muscle means that you're actually creating new muscle in addition to what you have and that can't be done at a deficit. To lose body fat but retain muscle mass, eat at maintanence or a slight deficit. You'll still be gaining strength just not new muscle tissue.
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    If you truly want to gain muscle then you have to eat at a calorie surplus. It is very hard for women to gain muscle. However, you stated that you want to lose inches, so I suspect you really don't want to GAIN muscle, but you want to melt the fat around your current muscle. If this is the case, eat at a calorie deficit, lift heavy weights, and watch the muscle emerge!

    I suppose you're right, I would like to get rid of the fat around my current muscle, but I would also get much stronger which I assumed was "gaining muscle"? but maybe that's wrong, pretty new to this stuff. I guess maybe that's just plain old getting stronger!

    Gaining or building muscle means that you're actually creating new muscle in addition to what you have and that can't be done at a deficit. To lose body fat but retain muscle mass, eat at maintanence or a slight deficit. You'll still be gaining strength just not new muscle tissue.

    Thank you for clarifying :)
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    Getting stronger and building muscle, oddly enough are two separate things. Only a calorie deficit, you are unlikely to build any real muscle, same for on maintenance. You need supplies to build anything, and that includes muscles. At a surplus you are possibly able to gain muscle but you will also gain fat. lean gains are pretty much a myth. Where it gets a bit tricky though is weight lifting IS exercise, so it does burn more calories than being sedentary, but how much is more difficult to quantify than with cardio.

    Aha. That makes sense. Thank you for clarifying! So right now, my goal is to get stronger and shed the excess fat that I do have. Once i've done that, I will learn more about gaining muscle.

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