Gaining on a deficit

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Replies

  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    I disagree with the 99.9%. If she worked hard, she could have put on 2 lbs muscle. But definitely a dirty bulk. OP, get a new trainer.

    Even that would still be 90% - still virtually all fat.

    But the larger point is that the numbers don't add up - the poster in question is clearly eating far more than they think they're eating.

    Yeah I'm gonna have to say that as well. something doesn't add up in the numbers

    OP, what are your stats?
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I disagree with the 99.9%. If she worked hard, she could have put on 2 lbs muscle. But definitely a dirty bulk. OP, get a new trainer.

    Even that would still be 90% - still virtually all fat.

    But the larger point is that the numbers don't add up - the poster in question is clearly eating far more than they think they're eating.

    Yes, I realize that. My point was simply that 99.9% is often used to denote an 'almost none' or as you said 'virtually none' :huh: . 2 lbs muscle for a woman is a good gain, and shouldn't be minimized IMO.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Sure, I get that. But it is already very difficult for a male to gain a pound of muscle per month, so given all the other evidence, I seriously doubt the poster in question gained any muscle whatsoever. I'm comfortable with my 99.9% estimate.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Sure, I get that. But it is already very difficult for a male to gain a pound of muscle per month, so given all the other evidence, I seriously doubt the poster in question gained any muscle whatsoever. I'm comfortable with my 99.9% estimate.

    OK. I'm not willing to place any bets until we have more information. I will say that NO muscle gained whatsoever seems a bit of an extreme opinion based on what we do know, IMO.
  • Shateyn
    Shateyn Posts: 71
    Hmm.. according to the fancy scale I have gained 8 lbs of muscle since September. This is what my trainer told me. My bulk calories were originally 2130 a day and we reduced that to around 1900 when I started gaining a lot of fat.

    I am 5ft5, 146lbs now.

    I was 120 when I started.

    Prior to that I was undereating quite a bit.

    Sigh. All of this stuff hurts my brain. I am incredibly stronger than I was when I started so I know I've gained SOME muscle and strength but I agree the fat seems high!

    The plan for burn phase now is 1200 calories on "light workout" days and 1500 calories on "heavy workout days", plus 30 mins of cardio everyday.
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    Hmm.. according to the fancy scale I have gained 8 lbs of muscle since September. This is what my trainer told me. My bulk calories were originally 2130 a day and we reduced that to around 1900 when I started gaining a lot of fat.

    I am 5ft5, 146lbs now.

    I was 120 when I started.

    Prior to that I was undereating quite a bit.

    Sigh. All of this stuff hurts my brain. I am incredibly stronger than I was when I started so I know I've gained SOME muscle and strength but I agree the fat seems high!

    The plan for burn phase now is 1200 calories on "light workout" days and 1500 calories on "heavy workout days", plus 30 mins of cardio everyday.

    I think the plan you have in place will be a good exercise in seeing where your maintenance calories truly fall. however, will you be eating your exercise calories? if not, it sounds a little low.
  • nklp
    nklp Posts: 62 Member
    Could be hormonal or water-weight - I know I gain weight around my period but I think that's also because I tend to take it easier and eat a bit more!
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    Cutting season ain't till March, at the earliest.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/
  • Carolyn_79
    Carolyn_79 Posts: 935 Member
    I took a look at your photos and just wanted to tell you that I think you look great! A nice transformation in your before and after.
  • luvs_choc8
    luvs_choc8 Posts: 788 Member
    In reviewing your diary, you are eating very healthy, but I am not sure you are posting the correct amounts.

    May I suggest that you take a couple days and deliver all your food as you have in the past and at the same time, measure it with a kitchen food scale and record that amount. Even the pre-packaged food. You may be surprised at the difference.

    Also, you might want to ask Santa for a Fitbit or Body Media which is a "truer" indication of what your calorie burn is for the day.

    Good Luck!!
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    Ooops sorry, thought my diary was public already. It is now. Yes I use a scale for everything that isn't prepackaged.

    So it is always scientifically impossible to gain weight on a deficit? That's what I originally thought but now this is confusing. My scale at home and at the gym both went up the same and said increased body fat (I know those aren't always accurate).

    I have been exercising everyday.

    My bulk was 2 months and I gained 20 lbs. I was eating 1900-2100 calories a day. Before my bulk I was really skinny-fat, very little muscle mass and I was eating around 1400 calories a day.

    Thanks everyone.

    Something does not add up here. I believe you're having issues with counting accurately if you gained 20lbs in 2 months on 2000 calories a day. Especially on a weight training program. If you're applying the same calorie counting technique, you're likely eating too many calories right now. Be wary and accurate when measuring high calorie foods like peanut butter and avocados.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Hmm.. according to the fancy scale I have gained 8 lbs of muscle since September. This is what my trainer told me.
    Fire both of them. If your trainer is telling you that you've put on 8 pounds of muscle in barely 2 months, (s)he is an idiot. A 21 year old male geared up on steroids would have a tough time gaining that much.
    My bulk calories were originally 2130 a day and we reduced that to around 1900 when I started gaining a lot of fat.

    I am 5ft5, 146lbs now.

    I was 120 when I started.
    As I posted earlier, the math doesn't work out. 20 pounds in two months on a 2000 calorie diet means a TDEE of around 800, which is impossible. You are eating more than you think.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Your numbers definitely do not add up to have gained 20 lbs in just 2 months.

    Let's be generous with water weight and say you gained 6 lbs of water with 14 lbs of actual total body mass gained (2 lbs of lean mass and 12 lbs of fat mass). So that's 14 lbs in 8 weeks - or a 1.75 lb gain per week which equals to a 875 calorie daily average surplus. Even with these estimates, it's obvious you: a) do not have a 1125 calorie TDEE and b) were not eating 2000 calories on your bulk.
  • MstngSammy
    MstngSammy Posts: 436 Member
    Bump for info
  • Shateyn
    Shateyn Posts: 71
    I should clarify: during the build phase the calorie goal was 2130 AND eating exercise calories back. I know MFP overestimates calories burned so I didn't eat quite as much but some days were pretty high. I kept gaining ridiculously fast and thought, this is absurd so I bumped back to 1900 and hung around there, and continued to gain.

    In Sept when I started I was 17% body fat. Now I am 30%. Is that a crazy increase for a 2 month "build phase"? I really had to be assertive to get started on the burn phase because I said, I gained 3 pant sizes, enough is enough. I will say I am a lot stronger but damn... I don't know what to think right now.

    I guess I'll just wait and see how burn phase goes...
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I should clarify: during the build phase the calorie goal was 2130 AND eating exercise calories back. I know MFP overestimates calories burned so I didn't eat quite as much but some days were pretty high. I kept gaining ridiculously fast and thought, this is absurd so I bumped back to 1900 and hung around there, and continued to gain.

    In Sept when I started I was 17% body fat. Now I am 30%. Is that a crazy increase for a 2 month "build phase"? I really had to be assertive to get started on the burn phase because I said, I gained 3 pant sizes, enough is enough. I will say I am a lot stronger but damn... I don't know what to think right now.

    I guess I'll just wait and see how burn phase goes...

    Wow, 17 to 30% = 26 lbs of fat. Something is not adding up here. Your trainer said you gained 8 lbs of muscle too? That's pretty much impossible. Dump the trainer. I can not say this enough times.
  • Shateyn
    Shateyn Posts: 71
    I feel so stupid now. I have an apt to discuss it next week. I even made a post when I started about how if you want to gain muscle you can't be afraid to gain some fat too. That is true, but not this much fat. Ugh. I hate to start drama at the gym but I guess I need to. The part that angers me is I kept saying, my weigh isn't going to get up to __ right? and he'd say no that's not likely and the my weight would be there and I'd say ok I can deal with this but it's not going to get up to __ right? Same thing, until I finally said "burn phase now please".
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    OP none of your numbers add up. Your TDEE simply isn't 1550 if you are working out as much as you say, you cannot have gained the amount of weight you say you did on the calories you say you ate even if your TDEE WAS 1550, you can't have gained the body fat you claim to have gained based on the weight you said you gained, and you cannot possibly be gaining on the amount of calories that you say you are eating now (barring major medical issues).

    I think your method measuring and calculations are all way off and you are eating more than you think you are. Fire your trainer and spend some time researching TDEE and various calculators, margin of error in nutrition on prepackaged food, etc. Also make sure your food scale is accurately calibrated. Best of luck, I know it's very frustrating.

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