Want to gain muscle but lose a little fat...

perezke91
perezke91 Posts: 50 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all!

So last year I was doing 1200 cal/day for 4 days out of 7 and eating whatever I wanted on the other three days, no restrictions. It worked out pretty well I maintained at 123/124 and I felt like I had enough energy.

Recently I have been concerned about the 1200 being to low because of slower metabolism and no muscle gain (I don't know if that true that you don't gain muscle with a deficit, but I feel like I have). I am thinking about increasing a little bit to 1350 calories, but I feel like I won't reach my 124 ish weight. I only need to lose 3 lbs to reach that weight (I know that isn't much), but with increasing I feel like I will go back.

If someone knows what I should be doing or what is best that would be great, because obviously I have no idea. I am 5'4 and 127.2 lbs. Add me if you would like!

Replies

  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    It's called a "recomp". Weight training and eating near maintenance. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you eat a small deficit, like 50-100 calories under maintenance. If you don't have much weigh to lose (like you) you eat right at maintenance. If you need to gain weight but decrease bodyfat percentage, you eat slightly over maintenance (like 50-100 calories over). You can also cycle the calories and eat slightly more on workout days, an advanced technique. I've never done a recomp, but here is some info from a thread I posted yesterday: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1183172-rcomp-question

    It's not a bulk, and it's not a cut. It's sort of in between the two.
  • Lozz68
    Lozz68 Posts: 13 Member
    Well first off, you are talking in terms of scale weight - if you are wanting to focus on gaining a little muscle then you will have to start using other measures to track your progress. For example, i use a tape measure an measure around certain areas - most importantly waist. If my waist is getting smaller but i am maintaining weight on the scales then i know i am losing fat.

    I would start increasing your calories slowly - not all at once, and see what your body does. For real beginners it is sometimes possible to gain muscle while on a deficit. But mostly this is strength gains without actual muscle growth. Long term it is very very difficult to both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time - which i why people do bulking and cutting cycles.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    Sounds like you need to do body recomposition so you need to start weight training. There are literally a million options out there. I've heard the New Rules of Lifting for Women is really good. I worked with a trainer for several months to learn correct form. You should look into the many options and see what may be best for you.
  • perezke91
    perezke91 Posts: 50 Member
    Thanks! I will keep that in mind!
  • perezke91
    perezke91 Posts: 50 Member
    Yeah I will definitely have to start using my measuring tape again! That will probably be better motivation for me anyways. I hate to say it, but I do rely on the scale too much. Thank you!
  • perezke91
    perezke91 Posts: 50 Member
    :smile:
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Well first off, you are talking in terms of scale weight - if you are wanting to focus on gaining a little muscle then you will have to start using other measures to track your progress. For example, i use a tape measure an measure around certain areas - most importantly waist. If my waist is getting smaller but i am maintaining weight on the scales then i know i am losing fat.

    I would start increasing your calories slowly - not all at once, and see what your body does. For real beginners it is sometimes possible to gain muscle while on a deficit. But mostly this is strength gains without actual muscle growth. Long term it is very very difficult to both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time - which i why people do bulking and cutting cycles.

    OP,

    This is great advice, too.

    If you haven't been exercising, your muscles probably don't have much glycogen stored. That will increase initially and cause a little muscle gain in the first month or two of weight training. You will also become stronger and have more energy. But real muscle gain happens after this, and is very, very slow unless you bulk (intentionally eat a few hundred calories over maintenance).

    But I think using the recomp idea I posted above, and increasing calories gradually (maybe by 100 a week or so) as as mentioned above, you can gain a few pounds of muscle and lose a few pounds of fat in 6 months or so by eating at maintenance initially (and then maybe slightly over as you lean out). You'll have to increase calories a bit with every pound of muscle you gain in order to keep moving forward. That would be a successful recomp. But diet has to be perfect...enough protein and fats, and just enough carbs...and micronutrients, too. Not to mention rest. And it will be very slow. You don't want to lose those few lbs of fat quickly, b/c they provide the energy for building muscle. Once they're gone, you will have to eat more.
  • perezke91
    perezke91 Posts: 50 Member
    Well first off, you are talking in terms of scale weight - if you are wanting to focus on gaining a little muscle then you will have to start using other measures to track your progress. For example, i use a tape measure an measure around certain areas - most importantly waist. If my waist is getting smaller but i am maintaining weight on the scales then i know i am losing fat.

    I would start increasing your calories slowly - not all at once, and see what your body does. For real beginners it is sometimes possible to gain muscle while on a deficit. But mostly this is strength gains without actual muscle growth. Long term it is very very difficult to both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time - which i why people do bulking and cutting cycles.

    If you haven't been exercising, your muscles probably don't have much glycogen stored. That will increase initially and cause a little muscle gain in the first month or two of weight training. You will also become stronger and have more energy. But real muscle gain happens after this, and is very, very slow unless you bulk (intentionally eat a few hundred calories over miantenance).

    But I think using the formula I posted above, and increasing calories gradually (maybe by 100 a week or so) as as mentioned above, you can gain a few pounds of muscle and lose a few pounds of fat in 6 months or so by eating at maintenance initially (and then maybe slightly over as you lean out). That would be a successful recomp. But diet has to be perfect...enough protein and fats, and just enough carbs...and micronutrients, too. Not to mention rest. And it will be very slow. You don't want to lose those few lbs of fat quickly, b/c they provide the energy for building muscle. Once they're gone, you will have to eat more.

    Yeah I just started getting into a workout routine again. Took a month and half "holiday break" (UGH). I am watching my protein, fat, etc pretty carefully now. I will your recommendation...thank you!
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Your post could have been written by me because I am at the same point. Thank you for posting this. I wanted to lose some vacation weight and at the same time start New Rules for Women. My plan didn't work because I felt wiped out tired this morning. I will need to find my new calorie goal to make this program work. I added about 200 calories today and now I feel better, even energetic. My big question is do I need to eat more each day or only the days I work or just when I feel wiped out or something else?
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Your post could have been written by me because I am at the same point. Thank you for posting this. I wanted to lose some vacation weight and at the same time start New Rules for Women. My plan didn't work because I felt wiped out tired this morning. I will need to find my new calorie goal to make this program work. I added about 200 calories today and now I feel better, even energetic. My big question is do I need to eat more each day or only the days I work or just when I feel wiped out or something else?

    Depends how low your calories are...how much of a deficit you're racking up. I'd keep it very small (50-75 cal under maintenance, maybe) if you want to build muscle. But again, the muscle gain is going to be very slow...maybe 5 lbs in a year. And you have to eat back calories burned in exercise, too. Use MFP to track it and add in rough exercise burns. (They're only an approximation and may be too much or too little, so you see how it works over time and adjust your calories by a small amount after 8 weeks or so if it's not doing what you need.)
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    Because MFP is an approximation, I don't really know. My protein is good, I wonder if I need actual SUGAR and FATS! lol. I think I do, because my energy level needs a boost. I am thinking that maybe I need to increase fast energy boosters. ( ice cream would fit perfectly) My question is of when. Everyday or when I feel the need or just work out days?
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Because MFP is an approximation, I don't really know. My protein is good, I wonder if I need actual SUGAR and FATS! lol. I think I do, because my energy level needs a boost. I am thinking that maybe I need to increase fast energy boosters. ( ice cream would fit perfectly) My question is of when. Everyday or when I feel the need or just work out days?

    I think the idea is to eat 100 calories below maintenance on average, every day (if you can figure out what that is by tracking weight over time for like 8 weeks without changing anything). MFP will take care of carbs, sugar, and fat for you in its estimation. Protein you'll want to go a bit above what it recommends...in the range of 1-1.5g/per lb. Your deficit should be mostly from carbs and a bit from fats (maybe 5g under for fat). But different people have different preferences. I feel like listening to the body as far as macronutrient ratios goes is helpful (but not for hunger).

    But yeah, you could eat at maintenance level on exercise days, and then slightly below on other days. Personally I don't like that, because the body's recuperation schedule varies.
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
    Motivation

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    There are also many many amazing lady lifters out there who have done an inspiring job

    They are my inspiration

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