confused...
Options
cahors97
Posts: 13 Member
I'm a little confused with the whole calorie deficit and gaining muscle issue. Some say that you won't gain muscle while you're eating at a deficit, which I'm doing in order to lose weight. However, then I'll read something that says that I shouldn't worry about the scale if I'm doing weights because muscle weighs more than fat and I'm gaining muscle. I always try to eat my exercise calories; I might be a little under some days (maybe 100 calories or so, nothing huge). If I'm not gaining muscle because I'm eating at a deficit then shouldn't the scale be going down???
0
Replies
-
well this wont clear it up because you will get both on this post too.
It is very very hard to build muscle at a deficet...you either are a noob to exercise/lifting or very obese even then it's not very much muscle gained at a deficet.
To build actual muscle you need to be at a calorie surplus, lifting heavy and getting in adequate protien.
Muscle is denser than fat therefore taking up less space...so 1lb of muscle will be smaller than 1lb of fat....but 1lb=1lb
If the scale isn't going down there are a couple of reasons...water weight from new exercise....or you are eating more than you think and/or over estimating calorie burns.
Is the exercise new? if so give it 2-4 weeks and the scale will move as the water/gylcogen stores release.
If it isn't new exercise you need to look at your food diary and use a scale to weigh solids etc.0 -
I believe its actually water retention in the muscle that causes your scale weight to go up...
You should rather track your progress by measuring, that is a lot more accurate than the scale Ive found.
Some weeks my scale weight is up but I can see Ive lost cms.0 -
This largely has to do with how overweight you are and how in shape you were to begin with. Overweight beginners can go through a phase of muscle gain and fat loss at the same time. The scale should be going down; unless you are eating at a really small deficit you should be losing faster than you are gaining muscle. Arguably, the muscle gains could noticably slow down your loss. If you have alot to lose then focus on losing the weight while eating plenty of protein and lifting some weights to make sure you try to maintain as much lean body mass as possible. Once you get around your target area then you can more successfully gain muscle at maintenance or a bulk.
If you are not seeing any weight loss then this post might be helpful
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
well this wont clear it up because you will get both on this post too.
It is very very hard to build muscle at a deficet...you either are a noob to exercise/lifting or very obese even then it's not very much muscle gained at a deficet.
To build actual muscle you need to be at a calorie surplus, lifting heavy and getting in adequate protien.
Muscle is denser than fat therefore taking up less space...so 1lb of muscle will be smaller than 1lb of fat....but 1lb=1lb
If the scale isn't going down there are a couple of reasons...water weight from new exercise....or you are eating more than you think and/or over estimating calorie burns.
Is the exercise new? if so give it 2-4 weeks and the scale will move as the water/gylcogen stores release.
If it isn't new exercise you need to look at your food diary and use a scale to weigh solids etc.
great response0 -
I'm a little confused with the whole calorie deficit and gaining muscle issue. Some say that you won't gain muscle while you're eating at a deficit, which I'm doing in order to lose weight. However, then I'll read something that says that I shouldn't worry about the scale if I'm doing weights because muscle weighs more than fat and I'm gaining muscle. I always try to eat my exercise calories; I might be a little under some days (maybe 100 calories or so, nothing huge). If I'm not gaining muscle because I'm eating at a deficit then shouldn't the scale be going down???
Stef covered most of the info.
My 2 cents would have you look at scale weight every 2 weeks but measure every week.
It can take up to 3 days for your body to digest certain meals.
Also post workout you'll be dealing with higher levels of inflammation, causing scale weight to increase.
The muscular water retention or glycogen overcompensation will also alter scale weight.
Personally, I weigh up to 5lbs more post workout so if I were to weigh myself....i'd probably do it in the AM prior to training and after my BM.0 -
What Stef said.well this wont clear it up because you will get both on this post too.
It is very very hard to build muscle at a deficet...you either are a noob to exercise/lifting or very obese even then it's not very much muscle gained at a deficet.
To build actual muscle you need to be at a calorie surplus, lifting heavy and getting in adequate protien.
Muscle is denser than fat therefore taking up less space...so 1lb of muscle will be smaller than 1lb of fat....but 1lb=1lb
If the scale isn't going down there are a couple of reasons...water weight from new exercise....or you are eating more than you think and/or over estimating calorie burns.
Is the exercise new? if so give it 2-4 weeks and the scale will move as the water/gylcogen stores release.
If it isn't new exercise you need to look at your food diary and use a scale to weigh solids etc.0 -
Great info.0
-
well this wont clear it up because you will get both on this post too.
It is very very hard to build muscle at a deficet...you either are a noob to exercise/lifting or very obese even then it's not very much muscle gained at a deficet.
To build actual muscle you need to be at a calorie surplus, lifting heavy and getting in adequate protien.
Muscle is denser than fat therefore taking up less space...so 1lb of muscle will be smaller than 1lb of fat....but 1lb=1lb
If the scale isn't going down there are a couple of reasons...water weight from new exercise....or you are eating more than you think and/or over estimating calorie burns.
Is the exercise new? if so give it 2-4 weeks and the scale will move as the water/gylcogen stores release.
If it isn't new exercise you need to look at your food diary and use a scale to weigh solids etc.
great response
+1
I had noob gains immediately following my weight workouts when I started it, and I had a 2-3 pound weight gain the first couple of weeks. It is not the same as "bulking up." Once you start dropping fat, your muscles will appear bigger, but you will actually be smaller.0 -
Thank you everyone. That all definitely helps. I am very new to exercise, even newer to any sort of weights, and fairly overweight (230 and 5'6"), just for some background. I always start a program, see no results, and get frustrated and give up. I'm trying really hard to stick with this because, honestly, what choice do I have? Keep gaining and stay unhealthy? That's just not an option. It still gets frustrating when I see no results on the scale, or very little, because I feel like I struggle so much with losing weight. I've had bloodwork done and it's all normal, though thyroid levels are on the low side of normal. I've had another baby since having them tested so I need to have it done again. I'm going to stick with it, and this sort of feedback helps a lot. Thank you!!0
-
well this wont clear it up because you will get both on this post too.
It is very very hard to build muscle at a deficet...you either are a noob to exercise/lifting or very obese even then it's not very much muscle gained at a deficet.
To build actual muscle you need to be at a calorie surplus, lifting heavy and getting in adequate protien.
Muscle is denser than fat therefore taking up less space...so 1lb of muscle will be smaller than 1lb of fat....but 1lb=1lb
If the scale isn't going down there are a couple of reasons...water weight from new exercise....or you are eating more than you think and/or over estimating calorie burns.
Is the exercise new? if so give it 2-4 weeks and the scale will move as the water/gylcogen stores release.
If it isn't new exercise you need to look at your food diary and use a scale to weigh solids etc.
Stef hits it again...QFT right here!0 -
(230 and 5'6"), just for some background.
I started at 5'6" and 240 lbs. Don't give up. But also, you might want to make sure you're not eating at too big of a deficit. Making too drastic of changes all at once can leave you grumpy and feeling frustrated.
My advice is to calculate your TDEE using a calculator like this http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and then pick the TDEE-20% or TDEE-25% as your total calories to eat per day. Very likely that will give you 1700-1800 calories per day to eat. And then eat that every day for the next few months. Not adding back in any calories if you exercise. Just learn how to eat 1700-1800-ish every day.
And then for now, don't worry so much about adding a lot of exercise or how much protein you're getting. Just focus on making better choices every day with food, but also staying as close to the 1750 (or whatever the calculator tells you) every day. Try it for a couple months. Just logging food. And see how things go.
That's my suggestion
[Edited for clarity]0 -
nice answer, Stef.
OP, you don't need much more info than Stef's answer.0 -
You can strengthen muscle on a deficit, but you can not build muscle at a deficit, unless you have large stores of body fat to draw upon for energy. Building muscle requires tremendous amounts of energy.0
-
well this wont clear it up because you will get both on this post too.
It is very very hard to build muscle at a deficet...you either are a noob to exercise/lifting or very obese even then it's not very much muscle gained at a deficet.
To build actual muscle you need to be at a calorie surplus, lifting heavy and getting in adequate protien.
Muscle is denser than fat therefore taking up less space...so 1lb of muscle will be smaller than 1lb of fat....but 1lb=1lb
If the scale isn't going down there are a couple of reasons...water weight from new exercise....or you are eating more than you think and/or over estimating calorie burns.
Is the exercise new? if so give it 2-4 weeks and the scale will move as the water/gylcogen stores release.
If it isn't new exercise you need to look at your food diary and use a scale to weigh solids etc.
This response says it all
and loss is not linear, i can sit for a week with virtually no movement then bang one day it just drops (for various reasons)
Weigh your solid foods, measure the liquids don't rely on what the packaging says a portion is (it's usually wrong, the caloric and nutritional info for the weight they quote is right though you just need to tweak the input to your diary to the correct weight
Eat back a good portion of the exercise calories as well (most exercise measurments will be inflated even heart rate monitors can be off 20% so maybe 50 % - 75% )
Good luck on the journey0 -
I share your confusion! I've been working out for about a year and have been keeping a diary of all food and exercise activity since that time. All was good through the Holidays having lost about 30 lbs. and increased strength. Then, about a month ago, my weight started creeping upward - I've only re-gained about 3-5 lbs. (fluctuates-water weight?) but I cannot drop the weight I've re-gained, let alone continue toward my goal weight.
I tried to "jump start" the weight loss by doing a low carb diet - similar to the Atkin's Induction Phase - while still working out (weights and cardio) but I've actually GAINED more weight! Frustrating!
It's been suggested that my body may be in starvation mode trying to hang onto calories. OK, I get that, but at some point, it seems "starvation mode" should end and start tapping into the reserved fat cells for sustenance.
Any insights/suggestions would be appreciated.0 -
I share your confusion! I've been working out for about a year and have been keeping a diary of all food and exercise activity since that time. All was good through the Holidays having lost about 30 lbs. and increased strength. Then, about a month ago, my weight started creeping upward - I've only re-gained about 3-5 lbs. (fluctuates-water weight?) but I cannot drop the weight I've re-gained, let alone continue toward my goal weight.
I tried to "jump start" the weight loss by doing a low carb diet - similar to the Atkin's Induction Phase - while still working out (weights and cardio) but I've actually GAINED more weight! Frustrating!
It's been suggested that my body may be in starvation mode trying to hang onto calories. OK, I get that, but at some point, it seems "starvation mode" should end and start tapping into the reserved fat cells for sustenance.
Any insights/suggestions would be appreciated.
No, just... no. There is no 'starvation mode' where your body holds on to fat cells. if you are truly eating at a deficit, you will lose weight. If you aren't losing weight, you aren't eating at a deficit. You don't need to eliminate a macro, like carbs, to do it, either. Just buy a food scale and weigh all of your solid foods, and measure all of your liquids and make sure you are accurately eating at a deficit. Buy a good quality heart rate monitor with a chest strap to be as accurate as possible for your calorie burns.
Consuming excess sodium and adding weight work that micro damages muscles will cause temporary water retention but that should go away after a few days. if it hasn't, follow the above instructions. Eat at a 500 calorie per day deficit to aim for a 1 pound per week weight loss.0 -
Thanks for the info!0
-
Thanks for the info!
welcome! :flowerforyou:0 -
This may be a dopey question, but when talking about a deficit, please clarify: Does that mean one burns more calories per day than he/she takes in? That seems quite difficult if, for example, an adult male takes in 2,000 per day, he would have to burn 2,500 calories per day for weight loss.
Or, does deficit refer to daily calorie intake against one's daily calorie goal? Using the same example above, the adult male's daily goal is 2,000 calories, he would have to target 1,500 calories (2,000 less 500) to realize weight loss?
Thank you!0 -
This may be a dopey question, but when talking about a deficit, please clarify: Does that mean one burns more calories per day than he/she takes in? That seems quite difficult if, for example, an adult male takes in 2,000 per day, he would have to burn 2,500 calories per day for weight loss.
Or, does deficit refer to daily calorie intake against one's daily calorie goal? Using the same example above, the adult male's daily goal is 2,000 calories, he would have to target 1,500 calories (2,000 less 500) to realize weight loss?
Thank you!
It means burn more calories than you take in. Keep in mind that you burn calories sleeping in bed, while you're exercising, or just sitting on the couch watching TV. So in your example, an adult male can take in 2000 calories per day, and if he burns 2000 calories just doing his normal day-to-day activities, he would only have to do 500 calories of exercise to lose weight.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.9K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.4K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions