weightlifting and eating

rgohm
rgohm Posts: 294 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just started a weightlifting class for women at my community college. I have never lifted before and I was wondering if any of you eat more calories when you lift if so, how many? I have my settings at lightly active even though I consider myself to be embarrassingly sedentary, due to an article on here about weight loss/muscle loss. My goal is to lose fat not muscle. I know MFP doesn't count calories lost during lifting but I am just wondering what other people do. Before I workout I eat a healthy snack and after I work out I also eat a healthy snack as advised by the teacher. I count these snacks as part of my allotted 1810 calories a day.

Replies

  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    Just be sure to hit your daily protein needs (aim for 0.85g/lb of LBM). Your caloric deficit shouldn't really matter unless you go so low your body can't pull enough energy from your fat stores alone.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    In, interested in the answer.
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
    I am just starting and use small weights (5 and 10 lbs). I log the calories burned, but I keep my calorie intake counts the same.
  • mumtoonegirl
    mumtoonegirl Posts: 586 Member
    I upped my calories a bit when I moved to strength training but the biggest change was around protein, I really upped them and assured I had a solid lean protein at each meal, lots of water and a post workout protein to help with recovery.
  • allana1111
    allana1111 Posts: 390 Member
    I am just starting and use small weights (5 and 10 lbs). I log the calories burned, but I keep my calorie intake counts the same.

    How do you know how many calories burned from free weights? I never know how to figure that
  • rgohm
    rgohm Posts: 294 Member
    mumtoonegirl I am assuming you only upped your intake of protein on the days you lifted?
  • denny712
    denny712 Posts: 14 Member
    You actually can log your calories burned during weight lifting. If you look under the cardio listing there is one for strength training. That being said, it's not very many. I only burn about 90 calories for 30 minutes of strength training.
    However, strength training is crucial to your weight loss goals! The more lean muscle you can build, the more efficient your metabolism will become. It's lean muscle that will turn your body into a fat burning machine, not just cardio alone.
    You should eat something small that involves protein and a good carb about a half an hour prior to your strength training session and the same thing shortly afterwards. You will probably find that your body is more hungry the day after you lift weights. This is because your body needs protein to repair those muscles. So make sure you're having a decent quantity of good, lean protein the next day to help feed that muscle repair.
    Good luck!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    You're still trying to lose weight right? Continue eating at a deficit. If you start to notice you don't have the energy to lift or are having a hard time recovering you can consider making your deficit smaller, or perhaps just smaller on the days you lift.


    And if you want to give yourself exercise calories for lifting enter strength training under cardio.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    mumtoonegirl I am assuming you only upped your intake of protein on the days you lifted?

    No, you want to be eating about .08 - 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass.

    protein minimum = 0.8 * weight * (1 - body fat percentage)


    If you don't know your body fat percentage, just guess based off something like these pictures.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Just be sure to hit your daily protein needs (aim for 0.85g/lb of LBM). Your caloric deficit shouldn't really matter unless you go so low your body can't pull enough energy from your fat stores alone.
    This. Don't worry about timing, because it's irrelevant, just hit your daily goals. Stick to a reasonable deficit, get enough protein and fat. Make sure you eat enough carbs to keep your glycogen stores full for lifting performance. Keep it simple, because there's no reason to complicate it.
  • ironchick84
    ironchick84 Posts: 27 Member
    You can track your calories burned strength training. It can be found in the database, search strength training. I weight train and i consistently lose on 1740 calories. I would probably up your calories a bit and hit your protein. Remember you WILL see the scale go up a bit in the beginning don't fret. It happens. Rely less on the scale and more on your tape measure. You will be TONS happier in the long run. I only weigh in once a month with my trainer and im much happier now that im doing that.
  • rgohm
    rgohm Posts: 294 Member
    Denny712 what kind of foods are the best for protein? Any suggestions? I realize eggs and steak, things of that nature. I also did notice I was really hungry the next day but I didn't realize it would have been connected to the lifting! Thanks!
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    mumtoonegirl I am assuming you only upped your intake of protein on the days you lifted?

    No, you need the protein on off days too - for recovery.

    You should manage a few months at deficit (and still get strength gains) before having to up your calories, if that's what you want to do.
  • livelifelift
    livelifelift Posts: 16 Member
    mumtoonegirl I am assuming you only upped your intake of protein on the days you lifted?

    No, you want to be eating about .08 - 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass.

    protein minimum = 0.8 * weight * (1 - body fat percentage)


    If you don't know your body fat percentage, just guess based off something like these pictures.

    http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/

    Thank you!

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