Weight loss help!
Ja5_n123
Posts: 6
Hi, I'm a 29 year old female, 5 ft 2 inches, 115lbs. I changed my workout routine 4 months ago, starting at 108lbs. I wanted to lose weight and tone up but have ended up putting on 7lbs and the inches have gone up too whilst eating between 1300-1500 calories. How do I lose the fat to get from 115lbs to 100lbs?
I work out 3-4 days a week doing 30min weight training and 35min cardio, mixture of HIIT and steady. I now eat 1500-1600 calories a day, 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat, but I just seem to be gaining fat & muscle rather than losing fat and inches. What am I doing wrong?:sad:
I work out 3-4 days a week doing 30min weight training and 35min cardio, mixture of HIIT and steady. I now eat 1500-1600 calories a day, 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat, but I just seem to be gaining fat & muscle rather than losing fat and inches. What am I doing wrong?:sad:
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Replies
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i doubt very much that you gained weight on 1300 -1500 cals. do you weigh and measure everything using scales?0
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Yes I measure everything and generally plan out each meal so my macros are equal.0
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Most likely you are just gaining muscle. But if you are gaining fat too, then your body is probably in starvation mode which causes it to just hold onto everything it can until the famine is over. Allow yourself to eat a bit more. Protein is your friend.0
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Yes I gain muscle easily. According to calorie calculators I should be eating around 1400-1500 to lose weight based on my activity level so won't eating more make me gain more muscle and fat?
I have also tried eating at 1200 calories but that just leaves me feeling hungry whilst eating more than 1500-1600 leaves me bloated.
Also, can the body still gain muscle in starvation mode?0 -
I think it can. If you are working your muscles, they have to rebuild themselves. If you were not working out, your body would be eating muscle during starvation.
You probably just need a good balance. I am having trouble losing inches too, but I think its because I'm gaining muscle at the same rate of losing fat, which makes my body either stay the same or go up a bit (my thighs are an inch larger than they used to be). That probably makes it take longer to hit the balance where Ill start losing, but once I tip the scale hopefully the fat will just melt away. Fingers crossed.
Maybe someone else will log on who can give better advice. I know being shorter makes the calories lower and stuff, which I cannot speak to.0 -
Is it weight you're wanting to lose or body fat? There is a difference.
Personally, you need to change your macros.....I'd go with a 40p/40f/20c or 30p/35f/35c. You also need to work out and make sure you are eating enough, calories wise a day to support your lifestyle.
Hope that helps!0 -
Most likely you are just gaining muscle. But if you are gaining fat too, then your body is probably in starvation mode which causes it to just hold onto everything it can until the famine is over.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.Protein is your friend.
Yes.0 -
I want to lose body fat and weight, so I guess that means a bit of muscle too, but want to look lean and toned (don't we all
).
When I was at 108lbs I felt like I was flabby and not toned so I upped my weights but this has just made me bigger and not toned as the fat is still on top. As I put on muscle easily I have noticed that when I eat more protein I get bigger, but I still eat around 100-130grams of protein a day.
Should I just do weights once a week and concentrate on cardio?0 -
Just because you're losing body fat, doesn't mean you have to lose muscle. If you eat right and train correctly, you can lose body fat whilst gaining lean muscle.
I saw a fat loss specialist, sorted out my nutrition and did PT sessions with them. Dropped 9.1% body fat in 8 weeks and gained around 7kg of lean muscle.
My honest advice to you is look at quality of works outs oppose to quantity.
Start and do weights 3 times a week, 35-45mins sessions! Cardio isn't really needed however, I would put in a spin class or something like Body Attack class just so that I was running about for a bit!
Use the fit2radio website to calculate your TDEE. A lot of the time, people don't eat enough nor do they choose the best choices to support their goals.
PM if you want anymore advice!I want to lose body fat and weight, so I guess that means a bit of muscle too, but want to look lean and toned (don't we all ).
When I was at 107lbs I felt like I was flabby and not toned so I upped my weights but this has just made me bigger and not toned as the fat is still on top. As I put on muscle easily I have noticed that when I eat more protein I get bigger, but I still eat around 100-130grams of protein a day.
Should I just do weights once a week and concentrate on cardio?0 -
I just wanted to say starvation mode doesn't exist.
If you eat 100 calories a day you will lose weight, you won't hold onto anything.
Anyway, you can only really gain muscle by eating at a surplus and weight training of some sorts (of course some people may be prone to 'newbie' gains) it is very doubtful that you would have gained 7lbs of muscle in 4 months.
I am 5"4 and eat 1450 calories a day to lose weight, and you are 5"2 and are eating 1500-1600, although you have some people your height eating 2000 a day to lose weight, maybe you should try lowering your calories slightly and see how that goes for a few weeks.
to lose body fat, it is usually advised to eat at a deficit, while doing resistance training and eating lots of protein to preserve as much muscle as possible.
Disclaimer: i'm no expert - people are probably going to be correcting me, but this is what I have read upon and learnt over the past few months and its working for me.0 -
I saw a fat loss specialist, sorted out my nutrition and did PT sessions with them. Dropped 9.1% body fat in 8 weeks and gained around 7kg of lean muscle.
it took you 8 weeks to gain 15 pounds of lean muscle?0 -
I just wanted to say starvation mode doesn't exist.
If you eat 100 calories a day you will lose weight, you won't hold onto anything.
This is completely absurd.0 -
I did indeed. Worked hard, changed my nutrition and it paid off. Good luck with your journey on here!0
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Hey,
Check out this book.....it's pretty interesting and very insightful in what to do (and not do):
https://www.philrichardsperformance.co.uk/index.php/ultimate-fat-loss-manual.htmlI just wanted to say starvation mode doesn't exist.
If you eat 100 calories a day you will lose weight, you won't hold onto anything.
Anyway, you can only really gain muscle by eating at a surplus and weight training of some sorts (of course some people may be prone to 'newbie' gains) it is very doubtful that you would have gained 7lbs of muscle in 4 months.
I am 5"4 and eat 1450 calories a day to lose weight, and you are 5"2 and are eating 1500-1600, although you have some people your height eating 2000 a day to lose weight, maybe you should try lowering your calories slightly and see how that goes for a few weeks.
to lose body fat, it is usually advised to eat at a deficit, while doing resistance training and eating lots of protein to preserve as much muscle as possible.
Disclaimer: i'm no expert - people are probably going to be correcting me, but this is what I have read upon and learnt over the past few months and its working for me.0 -
Thank you for the link, I will give it a read and maybe I could also gain 15lbs of lean muscle in 60 days.0
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I did try eating 1250-1350 calories for about a month and this did not work either, I pretty much stayed the same.0
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I saw a fat loss specialist, sorted out my nutrition and did PT sessions with them. Dropped 9.1% body fat in 8 weeks and gained around 7kg of lean muscle.
it took you 8 weeks to gain 15 pounds of lean muscle?
This is not correct! A man, eating at a surplus, with everything exactly right (diet, weight routine, plenty of rest and sleep) can't gain almost 2 pounds of muscle a week.
A woman, under optimal conditions, could only gain around a half a pound a week. And that is not going to even remotely happen while in a calorie deficit.
When people say they lost x amount of fat and "gained" x amount of LBM on a diet, they really didn't gain any muscle, they have really only changed the proportions of fat to muscle.0 -
Hey guys,
A lot of people don't realise how critical the role of hormones is when it comes to eating well and getting the most out of your training. Most people will want to either lose or gain but getting your body to work optimally is the key.
Must admit when I first started doing weights, I even thought.....3 sessions a week isn't going to cut it but, the results spoke for themselves.
Research says that it takes around 21 days for you adopt a new behaviour.
So, from what I've learnt, eat as clean as you can. Eat good, interesting food and fill yourself up on good green leafy vegetables to help detoxify your body. It's hard, I know...I've been there myself but you have to realise that what you put into your body, will either help build you or break you. You are in control of what you eat and what you do...it's figuring out what advice out there is worth listening to, that's the tricky bit!
There's another good book called The Cortisol Connection which is worth reading too! Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cortisol-Connection-Stress-Makes-Health/dp/089793492X0 -
This is not correct! A man, eating at a surplus, with everything exactly right (diet, weight routine, plenty of rest and sleep) can't gain almost 2 pounds of muscle a week.
A woman, under optimal conditions, could only gain around a half a pound a week. And that is not going to even remotely happen while in a calorie deficit.
When people say they lost x amount of fat and "gained" x amount of LBM on a diet, they really didn't gain any muscle, they have really only changed the proportions of fat to muscle.
Thank you, I was waiting for someone to jump in here..0 -
So, should I eat more or less? My TDEE is around 1650 based on exercise 3-4 times a week. I burn around 600 calories according to my Polar in each workout0
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You just have to make sure you are in a deficit. I'm not going to tell you to eat more or less. I will tell you that you must make absolutely sure that you are accurate with the amounts you log, and that means measuring everything.
Also, if you are using what MFP tells you to eat you must make sure that you are not logging and eating back calories that you didn't actually burn in the first place. Most calories burn estimate are just that, estimates. I have also learned not to fully trust the calories burned given by most heart rate monitors.
Trial and error. Stick with a calorie goal for about two weeks. Make sure everything is accurate and see what happens. If you maintain your weight, lower your calories by about 20%. If you are gaining weight, still only lower them by 20% and see what happens. Once you find your true maintenance level you should be able to figure it out from there.
Bottom line is, if you are not losing weight you are not in a calorie deficit.
Good luck....0 -
Not without lots of steroids. Physically impossible for a woman to gain that kind of muscle mass that quickly. That's pushing the limits of what a man can gain, with 10 times the testosterone.
I saw a fat loss specialist, sorted out my nutrition and did PT sessions with them. Dropped 9.1% body fat in 8 weeks and gained around 7kg of lean muscle.
it took you 8 weeks to gain 15 pounds of lean muscle?0
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