Putting on too much bodyfat, not nearly enough muscle...
rosesandsuch
Posts: 39 Member
For reference, I'm a 5'7" 133-136 (fluctuating) lb female, 21 years old.
Been eating 1,530+ calories as opposed to my regular 13-1400, adjusted my macros to what my trainer specified, and I am pretty sure I am just getting fat. My body feels softer, my face looks fuller, my boobs got bigger (a sure sign!) and my clothes still fit but feel "off"... For the first time in at least a year!!
My most recent scan said my body fat went up several percentage points and my muscle mass increased to pretty much nothing. When I voiced my concerns my trainer said gaining body fat is inevitable with building muscle mass, and my problem was probably that I wasn't lifting heavy enough or moving quickly through the exercises, which makes sense.
My question is, is there a way I can limit how much more fat I'm gonna put on during this process? My weight has only gone up by 3 pounds but I feel so bloated and gross. I asked if I should have begun cutting more first but she insisted bulking is the best way to start for me since I am not overweight/overfat and will make cutting easier and faster for me.
Also, how can I push myself to move faster/work harder in the gym? I always start on a good note but I find myself getting distracted or slowing down by the end?? Any little motivational tips (besides the obvious "you won't put on as much bodyfat if you work hard!") would be super great .:sad:
Been eating 1,530+ calories as opposed to my regular 13-1400, adjusted my macros to what my trainer specified, and I am pretty sure I am just getting fat. My body feels softer, my face looks fuller, my boobs got bigger (a sure sign!) and my clothes still fit but feel "off"... For the first time in at least a year!!
My most recent scan said my body fat went up several percentage points and my muscle mass increased to pretty much nothing. When I voiced my concerns my trainer said gaining body fat is inevitable with building muscle mass, and my problem was probably that I wasn't lifting heavy enough or moving quickly through the exercises, which makes sense.
My question is, is there a way I can limit how much more fat I'm gonna put on during this process? My weight has only gone up by 3 pounds but I feel so bloated and gross. I asked if I should have begun cutting more first but she insisted bulking is the best way to start for me since I am not overweight/overfat and will make cutting easier and faster for me.
Also, how can I push myself to move faster/work harder in the gym? I always start on a good note but I find myself getting distracted or slowing down by the end?? Any little motivational tips (besides the obvious "you won't put on as much bodyfat if you work hard!") would be super great .:sad:
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Replies
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Are you trying to bulk?0
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What are your goals? Bulking, maintaining, or cutting? Those seem like cutting cals because I'm shorter (same weight and age) than you and can cut on 1800 calories0
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Are you trying to bulk?
I guess, I don't want to be super ripped or anything, but I know the calories are far too low for that anyway. I just want more lean muscle, but building ANY muscle requires you to put on fat too, I know that...![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
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HAHA! that's awesome! :laugh:Are you trying to bulk?
I'm going to use this as my default answer whenever my wife asks me if her pants make her look fat.0 -
Do HIIT. It burns fat (during and after the workout) while preserving muscle.
I do 15 mins of HIIT on the treadmill 4-5 times a week and it does wonders.
In case you're wondering what it is, it's short intervals (20 sec, 30 sec, 1 min.) of rest (such as a light jog) followed by intense intervals (such as sprints). You should feel like you're dead after those 15/20 minutes. It's super intense but effective.0 -
I'm the same weight but shorter and cut on 1700 cals so I don't think 1530 is bulking for you unless you've done some serious damage to your metabolism.0
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I'm the same weight but shorter and cut on 1700 cals so I don't think 1530 is bulking for you unless you've done some serious damage to your metabolism.
I know I have. It's taken me a long time to get up to this many calories because I ****ed up my initial weight loss several years ago eating too little. I had no idea it was bad at the time, but once I did I slowly began reintroducing calories with no issues along the way. I told her this information, I've been UP to 1,500 for a while actually, the weight gain is relatively recent/unexplained.0 -
My weight has only gone up by 3 pounds but I feel so bloated and gross.
Congrats! You know you're really into fitness when body dysmorphic sets in. Keep up the good work.
Rude and completely unhelpful.0 -
I'm the same weight but shorter and cut on 1700 cals so I don't think 1530 is bulking for you unless you've done some serious damage to your metabolism.
I know I have. It's taken me a long time to get up to this many calories because I ****ed up my initial weight loss several years ago eating too little. I had no idea it was bad at the time, but once I did I slowly began reintroducing calories with no issues along the way. I told her this information, I've been UP to 1,500 for a while actually, the weight gain is relatively recent/unexplained.
It's most likely water weight.0 -
Are you trying to bulk?
I'm going to use this as my default answer whenever my wife asks me if her pants make her look fat.
That is seriously funny!0 -
I'm the same weight but shorter and cut on 1700 cals so I don't think 1530 is bulking for you unless you've done some serious damage to your metabolism.
I know I have. It's taken me a long time to get up to this many calories because I ****ed up my initial weight loss several years ago eating too little. I had no idea it was bad at the time, but once I did I slowly began reintroducing calories with no issues along the way. I told her this information, I've been UP to 1,500 for a while actually, the weight gain is relatively recent/unexplained.
It's most likely water weight.
I thought so too but a caliper wouldn't change based on water weight.0 -
In order to pace yourself I would either use your cellphone with a stopwatch app or get a timer or something similar. Set it to the time you want to wait between sets/exercises and get back to lifting when it goes off.0
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I'm the same weight but shorter and cut on 1700 cals so I don't think 1530 is bulking for you unless you've done some serious damage to your metabolism.
I know I have. It's taken me a long time to get up to this many calories because I ****ed up my initial weight loss several years ago eating too little. I had no idea it was bad at the time, but once I did I slowly began reintroducing calories with no issues along the way. I told her this information, I've been UP to 1,500 for a while actually, the weight gain is relatively recent/unexplained.
It's most likely water weight.
I thought so too but a caliper wouldn't change based on water weight.
A body fat caliper is the most unreliable thing in the world. Water retention can make you puffy/bloated which can change those results very easily.0 -
OOPS: was trying to reply to the above post!
Hmm, makes sense! Still doesn't explain the boob growth though ;p I'm ok with having fallen off the wagon a little... somehow...
I'll send my trainer a text in a minute and get some more answers from her. You've been very helpful, thanks!0 -
What is your TDEE? If you're not eating above that then you're not gaining any muscle. And you're also not gaining any fat. As long as you're still eating at a deficit, what you are gaining is water weight.0
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I suspect you've regained your glycogen stores.
I'm 5'8" and I am cutting at 1500-1600 calories. granted I've got almost 30 pounds on you- but that still seems awfully low for bulking.
What I would do for you- is 1.) figure out maintenance for sure. 2.) make friends with a sewing (cloth) tape measure. 3.) Make friends with your scale- regularly.
I suspect you can get some of the results you want from training without really bulking if you are a new lifter without much muscle currently (This is going off the idea that you are a new-er lifter)
In which case- eat at maintenance and lift away- you'll get great results just with that.
If you still feel you aren't gaining enough after 6-8 months when your newb gains where off- then start upping calories for a bulk.0 -
What is your TDEE? If you're not eating above that then you're not gaining any muscle. And you're also not gaining any fat. As long as you're still eating at a deficit, what you are gaining is water weight.
My tdee is hard to gage because I lost so much weight (70 lbs) so it's going to be a lot less than that of a person who has been 133 lbs all her life, isn't that right?
For somebody who was 133 to start with, the lowest it would be (not including gym time) is 1700. With gym time added 3 times a week its something like 1900+ . Weight loss can cut a persons needed intake by several hundred calories, if I am not misinformed?0 -
How are you getting your body fat percentage measured? Most methods are not that reliable, and can be affected by hydration levels in your body, i.e. you can easily get a false high or false low reading from them.
If it's one of the accurate ones (e.g. DEXA) and you used the same method both times, and your weight only changed by 3lb while your body composition worsened, then the cause would either be cycling between undereating and overeating (e.g. being in a cycle of excessive restriction and binge eating), or not doing enough exercise. Or both. note: cardio is not good for protecting lean mass - doing hours of cardio while undereating is likely to worsen your body composition. Fat gain won't be from this, but it often causes rebound binge eating which causes fat gain.
If it's one that uses an electric current then ignore it and choose another method
if it's callipers and not done by the same person each time, or not done by someone who knows how to use them accurately, then find someone who is reliable at using them and have the same person measure you each time.0 -
1) if you aren't weighing your food, you're eating more than you think.
2) if you aren't getting enough protein, and you're burning a lot of calories, you could be losing muscle.
3) you can put on water weight while eating in a deficit. It goes away.
4) you're only 21. It's doubtful you've done that much damage to your metabolic function, if any at all. I'm twice your age, and I went through chemo, which absolutely destroys metabolic function, and I needed 2600 calories to gain on my first real bulk. I maintain on 2100, weigh 127 pounds, and am 5'7".
5) if you're not in a progressive-loading strength training program, you're not going to gain any appreciable muscle.
Saying all of that, put these things in order, and you should see results.0 -
... moving quickly through the exercises,...
Why are you trying to do this?0 -
What is your TDEE? If you're not eating above that then you're not gaining any muscle. And you're also not gaining any fat. As long as you're still eating at a deficit, what you are gaining is water weight.
My tdee is hard to gage because I lost so much weight (70 lbs) so it's going to be a lot less than that of a person who has been 133 lbs all her life, isn't that right?
For somebody who was 133 to start with, the lowest it would be (not including gym time) is 1700. With gym time added 3 times a week its something like 1900+ . Weight loss can cut a persons needed intake by several hundred calories, if I am not misinformed?
:huh: I have never heard this before...0 -
How are you getting your body fat percentage measured? Most methods are not that reliable, and can be affected by hydration levels in your body, i.e. you can easily get a false high or false low reading from them.
If it's one of the accurate ones (e.g. DEXA) and you used the same method both times, and your weight only changed by 3lb while your body composition worsened, then the cause would either be cycling between undereating and overeating (e.g. being in a cycle of excessive restriction and binge eating), or not doing enough exercise. Or both. note: cardio is not good for protecting lean mass - doing hours of cardio while undereating is likely to worsen your body composition. Fat gain won't be from this, but it often causes rebound binge eating which causes fat gain.
If it's one that uses an electric current then ignore it and choose another method
if it's callipers and not done by the same person each time, or not done by someone who knows how to use them accurately, then find someone who is reliable at using them and have the same person measure you each time.
I can proudly say I no longer eat restrictively (though when I did it was because I had no idea eating so little was bad for you!) and very rarely overindulge on junk. I do, as everybody does, but not as frequently. At the gym I do an hour of cardio MAX, usually only twice a week, sometimes three if I am hiking or doing some other fun outdoor activity (though it's probably over an hour on those days!)0 -
... moving quickly through the exercises,...
Why are you trying to do this?
I didn't mean to get it over with, I just mean going too slowly instead of keeping a steady pace!0 -
... moving quickly through the exercises,...
Why are you trying to do this?
I didn't mean to get it over with, I just mean going too slowly instead of keeping a steady pace!
If you're lifting heavy weights you need to rest in between sets.0 -
What is your TDEE? If you're not eating above that then you're not gaining any muscle. And you're also not gaining any fat. As long as you're still eating at a deficit, what you are gaining is water weight.
My tdee is hard to gage because I lost so much weight (70 lbs) so it's going to be a lot less than that of a person who has been 133 lbs all her life, isn't that right?
For somebody who was 133 to start with, the lowest it would be (not including gym time) is 1700. With gym time added 3 times a week its something like 1900+ . Weight loss can cut a persons needed intake by several hundred calories, if I am not misinformed?
:huh: I have never heard this before...
Yeah, I haven't heard that either.
If you truly want to bulk, then you need to figure out your TDEE. The online calculators are a good place to start, but the only way you're going to figure it out is by trial and error. My TDEE was actually 200 calories higher than all the calculators. You need to maintain your weight for at least a month, I'd say, to be sure that your TDEE is correct. Once you've figured that out, you can increase your calories by 200-400 and do a proper bulk.
I'll just leave these here, cuz they're full of awesome:
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/building-muscle.php
http://strengthunbound.com/bulking-complete-guide-for-beginners/0 -
What is your TDEE? If you're not eating above that then you're not gaining any muscle. And you're also not gaining any fat. As long as you're still eating at a deficit, what you are gaining is water weight.
My tdee is hard to gage because I lost so much weight (70 lbs) so it's going to be a lot less than that of a person who has been 133 lbs all her life, isn't that right?
For somebody who was 133 to start with, the lowest it would be (not including gym time) is 1700. With gym time added 3 times a week its something like 1900+ . Weight loss can cut a persons needed intake by several hundred calories, if I am not misinformed?
:huh: I have never heard this before...
Yeah, I haven't heard that either.
If you truly want to bulk, then you need to figure out your TDEE. The online calculators are a good place to start, but the only way you're going to figure it out is by trial and error. My TDEE was actually 200 calories higher than all the calculators. You need to maintain your weight for at least a month, I'd say, to be sure that your TDEE is correct. Once you've figured that out, you can increase your calories by 200-400 and do a proper bulk.
This^^
When you lose/gain weight, you will need to recalculate your TDEE. So say you weighed 133 this morning, you plug 133 lbs. into the calculator and follow the calories it gives for about 6 weeks, and recalculate then if progress stalls or your are losing/gaining too much.0 -
My weight has only gone up by 3 pounds but I feel so bloated and gross.
Congrats! You know you're really into fitness when body dysmorphic sets in. Keep up the good work.
Rude and completely unhelpful.
I didn't think that was rude at all, and in fact it's very helpful. The point being, 3lbs isn't going to have all kinds of dramatic effects that you are describing, even if it were 3lbs of pure fat. Increased calories will increase your weight (more water retention, more food in digestive system) so that's to be expected. Read the link above guide about bulking, it's got pretty much everything in there. If you pick a path (ie: bulking) then you have to be prepared for the consequences (weight gain and fat gain). If you're not, you're going to have a bad time (and probably make zero progress).0 -
I'm the same weight but shorter and cut on 1700 cals so I don't think 1530 is bulking for you unless you've done some serious damage to your metabolism.
I know I have. It's taken me a long time to get up to this many calories because I ****ed up my initial weight loss several years ago eating too little. I had no idea it was bad at the time, but once I did I slowly began reintroducing calories with no issues along the way. I told her this information, I've been UP to 1,500 for a while actually, the weight gain is relatively recent/unexplained.
Your weight is probably maintaining at this calorie level because you've done it for so long. I'm pretty sure if you gradually increase it you will still maintain. No way you gained fat at 1500
. Probably just glycogen.
Your metabolism will catch up quicker than you think - you haven't F'd it up.0
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