I'm a bit confused as to what my goal should be now

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JuroNemo14
JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been doing this thing a year, losing weight that is. The first half year went pretty great, and I lost a substantial amount of weight(12 kg or so was a big deal for me). Most people wouldn't call me fat nowadays, but when I take off my shirt, I still see the moobs, the side tire(this one bugs the hell out of me), and kind of plump legs.

As you can see, there are not many visible muscles in the body visible. The first thing I have done is get a gym membership, and start my first strength based training(my week contains 3 gym days, and 2 running days). But in terms of nutrition, I am kind of confused. I still think I should lose some weight (I weigh 73 kg right now, 1.76 m), but if I eat too little, I won't have a lot of use out of lifting do I?

So, do I continue eating with a deficit, do I maintain the current weight (73 kg, so eating 2200 calories a day), or do I eat a surplus? My main worry is that I either will get more fat(fear of not working out hard enough), or that I'll get that 'buff' look that probably won't fit me all that well, if I eat at a surplus.

What would you guys recommend?

Here is a recent album of my body: http://imgur.com/a/A5BKB

Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Eat at a deficit and lift weights.. so if 2200 is your TDEE with your current program, eat 1700-1800 calories everyday. (not eating exercise calories) and 150-160g in protein. Make sure you put your work in at the gym.
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
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    Right, I got it. Will this be something like gaining muscle mass while losing fat at the same time?
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
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    you would've done that already, that only ever really happens right at the beginning of working out newb gains they call it.

    You still have some way to go fat loss wise before thinking about gaining muscle (you could do it now but you would just put on more fat, your fears are correct) I got down to 63.5 Kg first time around, and was lean, it was far lower than I thought i needed to get down to. And I made sure I lifted 3 times a week even tho I gained nothing I just stayed with some of what I had!

    I'm the same height as you and the same weight, but this was after bulking up, I have the visible muscle, abs are starting to show again and my legs are only just cutting up now so i still have some fat to shift. probably 5kg more.
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
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    So Iron Man, what you and the dude above are saying, is that I should keep eating at a deficit, until my body looks thin enough. Meanwhile, keep lifting 3 times a week?
  • SkinnyFatAlbert
    SkinnyFatAlbert Posts: 482 Member
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    Your goal should be to crush your enemies and see them driven before you.
  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
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    I think that's a good way to go, remember that you can always adjust as you get further along with the lifting program. You don't have to make a decision now that you have to stick to forever, it's all a work in progress. If the way you have been eating has been working for you then stick to it for now, if you feel the need you can eat more or less as time goes by.........
  • odddrums
    odddrums Posts: 342 Member
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    I would agree with them and say yes, that is exactly what they're saying. I'm in the same boat right now, I've never been thinner than I am right now and I'm close to my goal weight, but I still have a gut that's really bugging me. So keep losing and lift weights to maintain the muscle I already have and hopefully when I lose another 10-12 pounds I'll actually start to see it. Then, when I'm actually feeling too skinny, I'll start slowly upping my calories and working out harder.

    Another big thing is to eat more protein. If you start doing this now it will be easier to keep up when you actually want to start building muscle. You'll still need carbs and fat, they give you the energy to work out, but when you up your protein you'll gain muscle faster.

    Last thing, it's very, very slow in gaining muscle. Like gaining a pound a month is considered really fast growth, so keep your calories low and keep lifting heavier for the best results.

    Anyway, I sent you a friend request because we're basically in the same place. keep up the great work!
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
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    So Iron Man, what you and the dude above are saying, is that I should keep eating at a deficit, until my body looks thin enough. Meanwhile, keep lifting 3 times a week?

    Yes, Weights, protein andno bulking until you get lean, if you do lack muscle you will look undersized at this point.
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
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    @Oddrums, you got it buddy
    @Tonystark, thanks dude. Helps having a more driven approach to it all ;)

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