burning muscle, HELP!
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renzo211
Posts: 25
I need some tips for a lean bulking phase / muscle growth.
I've been using MFP for a while and it really helped me get rid of some fat. As a matter of fact, from 158 lbs, I dropped to an approximate 149 lbs... The downside is that I lost waaay too much muscle. My doc's evaluation shows that in these last 6 weeks, I burnt off around 6lb of muscle, obviously not good. Going back to the positive notes, I did get my BF to 16%, down from 21%. My goal was to start bulking upon reaching 15% but i've decided to give it a head start. This is where I really need your help.
According to the http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/, my TDEE 2236 calories. My previous fat loss diet was 1600 calories a day 35/35/30 macros. Based on that (for a 28 year old male, 5'7, 149 lbs):
What would you all recommend for a clean bulking phase? I'm really afraid to build up all the lost fat. Worse than that, I feel my muscles are getting a bit weaker these past weeks...
I don't want to end up where I started... so I REALLY could use your thoughts on this.
PS: Was planning on a 4 month standard paced clean bulking phase. 2 lbs a months too much?
I've been using MFP for a while and it really helped me get rid of some fat. As a matter of fact, from 158 lbs, I dropped to an approximate 149 lbs... The downside is that I lost waaay too much muscle. My doc's evaluation shows that in these last 6 weeks, I burnt off around 6lb of muscle, obviously not good. Going back to the positive notes, I did get my BF to 16%, down from 21%. My goal was to start bulking upon reaching 15% but i've decided to give it a head start. This is where I really need your help.
According to the http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/, my TDEE 2236 calories. My previous fat loss diet was 1600 calories a day 35/35/30 macros. Based on that (for a 28 year old male, 5'7, 149 lbs):
What would you all recommend for a clean bulking phase? I'm really afraid to build up all the lost fat. Worse than that, I feel my muscles are getting a bit weaker these past weeks...
I don't want to end up where I started... so I REALLY could use your thoughts on this.
PS: Was planning on a 4 month standard paced clean bulking phase. 2 lbs a months too much?
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Replies
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Start lifting....like yesterday!
Why did you cut so hard?0 -
If you have been tracking cals and you are losing weight why would you use a random calculator to tell you your maintenance?
Lift stuff
Eat more than you have been to lose weight.
Track progress and if you gain too fast then back off the cals a bit.0 -
Start lifting....like yesterday!
Why did you cut so hard?
Ive been lifting for the past 2 months as well.
Doc recommended I should. It worked fine the first half, then it slowed down and finally ended up with what I mentioned before.0 -
If you have been tracking cals and you are losing weight why would you use a random calculator to tell you your maintenance?
Lift stuff
Eat more than you have been to lose weight.
Track progress and if you gain too fast then back off the cals a bit.
Well I searched some other threads and some people do recommend other calculators for trial and error. IIFYM was one of them.
Got into an argument with my doc because of the results with all the calorie tracking I was doing so far. I started searching for other advice from friends in the nutrition field and some have agreed on the idea of cutting too much and not consuming enough carbs...0 -
Oh and btw, fro mthe 1600 diet ive bumped it up to 2400, or so MFP tells me as well as IIFYM. You guys recommend this calorie leap or using the maintenance diet before jumping to a calorie surplus?
Getting ahead, the 2400 diet is around 200 more than my maintenenance (2240). Any thoughts?0 -
Lift heavy and be sure to eat plenty of protein and complex carbs
0 -
I need some tips for a lean bulking phase / muscle growth.
I've been using MFP for a while and it really helped me get rid of some fat. As a matter of fact, from 158 lbs, I dropped to an approximate 149 lbs... The downside is that I lost waaay too much muscle. My doc's evaluation shows that in these last 6 weeks, I burnt off around 6lb of muscle, obviously not good. Going back to the positive notes, I did get my BF to 16%, down from 21%. My goal was to start bulking upon reaching 15% but i've decided to give it a head start. This is where I really need your help.
According to the http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/, my TDEE 2236 calories. My previous fat loss diet was 1600 calories a day 35/35/30 macros. Based on that (for a 28 year old male, 5'7, 149 lbs):
What would you all recommend for a clean bulking phase? I'm really afraid to build up all the lost fat. Worse than that, I feel my muscles are getting a bit weaker these past weeks...
I don't want to end up where I started... so I REALLY could use your thoughts on this.
PS: Was planning on a 4 month standard paced clean bulking phase. 2 lbs a months too much?
Hmmm I don't believe your doctor's analysis - you lost 9lb right and 6lb was muscle? So that means you lost 3lb of fat/water/whatever? Then how could that cause you BF% to drop from 21 to 16%??0 -
I need some tips for a lean bulking phase / muscle growth.
I've been using MFP for a while and it really helped me get rid of some fat. As a matter of fact, from 158 lbs, I dropped to an approximate 149 lbs... The downside is that I lost waaay too much muscle. My doc's evaluation shows that in these last 6 weeks, I burnt off around 6lb of muscle, obviously not good. Going back to the positive notes, I did get my BF to 16%, down from 21%. My goal was to start bulking upon reaching 15% but i've decided to give it a head start. This is where I really need your help.
According to the http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/, my TDEE 2236 calories. My previous fat loss diet was 1600 calories a day 35/35/30 macros. Based on that (for a 28 year old male, 5'7, 149 lbs):
What would you all recommend for a clean bulking phase? I'm really afraid to build up all the lost fat. Worse than that, I feel my muscles are getting a bit weaker these past weeks...
I don't want to end up where I started... so I REALLY could use your thoughts on this.
PS: Was planning on a 4 month standard paced clean bulking phase. 2 lbs a months too much?
Hmmm I don't believe your doctor's analysis - you lost 9lb right and 6lb was muscle? So that means you lost 3lb of fat/water/whatever? Then how could that cause you BF% to drop from 21 to 16%??
My bad! I forgot to include that the 9lb loss, that you can see in my sig, was once I started to log in MFP. Before I was using my own calculations through a simple excel sheet. I believe I started logging in MFP when i was around 18.5% BF. I believe this would make the numbers a bit more real.
These past days that I talked to my doc, my BF jumped up somehow, even though I kept the same diet. I have been a bit careless with my water consumption. He's convinced that this is the reason why the numbers.
After all this time, starting to get a little hesitant.0 -
I need some tips for a lean bulking phase / muscle growth.
I've been using MFP for a while and it really helped me get rid of some fat. As a matter of fact, from 158 lbs, I dropped to an approximate 149 lbs... The downside is that I lost waaay too much muscle. My doc's evaluation shows that in these last 6 weeks, I burnt off around 6lb of muscle, obviously not good. Going back to the positive notes, I did get my BF to 16%, down from 21%. My goal was to start bulking upon reaching 15% but i've decided to give it a head start. This is where I really need your help.
According to the http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/, my TDEE 2236 calories. My previous fat loss diet was 1600 calories a day 35/35/30 macros. Based on that (for a 28 year old male, 5'7, 149 lbs):
What would you all recommend for a clean bulking phase? I'm really afraid to build up all the lost fat. Worse than that, I feel my muscles are getting a bit weaker these past weeks...
I don't want to end up where I started... so I REALLY could use your thoughts on this.
PS: Was planning on a 4 month standard paced clean bulking phase. 2 lbs a months too much?
Hmmm I don't believe your doctor's analysis - you lost 9lb right and 6lb was muscle? So that means you lost 3lb of fat/water/whatever? Then how could that cause you BF% to drop from 21 to 16%??
My bad! I forgot to include that the 9lb loss, that you can see in my sig, was once I started to log in MFP. Before I was using my own calculations through a simple excel sheet. I believe I started logging in MFP when i was around 18.5% BF. I believe this would make the numbers a bit more real.
These past days that I talked to my doc, my BF jumped up somehow, even though I kept the same diet. I have been a bit careless with my water consumption. He's convinced that this is the reason why the numbers.
After all this time, starting to get a little hesitant.
I see! That makes more sense (you hurt my brain!) - I'm afraid I don't have much advice apart from eat at a slight kcal xs, lift heavy, maintain a good protein intake 0 -
SighLift heavy and be sure to eat plenty of protein and complex carbs
Hehe, well it is somehow advice. :P0 -
Keep it 'clean' - small surplus not eating clean. 1lb a week gain should be enough for a guy, maybe less and use a progressive lifting programme if you're not already. (Starting strength, Stronglifts 5x5, wendlers 5/3/1 are all good IMO)0
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Oh and btw, fro mthe 1600 diet ive bumped it up to 2400, or so MFP tells me as well as IIFYM. You guys recommend this calorie leap or using the maintenance diet before jumping to a calorie surplus?
Getting ahead, the 2400 diet is around 200 more than my maintenenance (2240). Any thoughts?
Personally, I'd have at least a week at maintainence, if anything, it lets you see if that IS your actual maintainence number.0 -
Your muscles feel weak because they're glycogen-depleted. Also, you liver glycogen is probably low as well. If you bump up your carbs and H2O, along with a good weight workout program, you'll gain both weight and strength. I would not be so quick to maximize weight gain at this point. Seems like a maintenance diet may be better and see where you stabilize weight-wise. You may end up liking the way look and feel at your maintenance weight.
The TDEE you mentioned of 2236 calories/day seems reasonable.
You should consider using a good protein powder and creatine in your diet to enhance your training results. If you don't want to supplement creatine, it's present naturally in red meat so eat some beef or bison!
Good job on burning off the flub!0 -
He means you have actual measurable results from a specific intake, which gives you a data set to work from and work out what your ACTUAL deficit was.If you have been tracking cals and you are losing weight why would you use a random calculator to tell you your maintenance?
Lift stuff
Eat more than you have been to lose weight.
Track progress and if you gain too fast then back off the cals a bit.
Well I searched some other threads and some people do recommend other calculators for trial and error. IIFYM was one of them.
Got into an argument with my doc because of the results with all the calorie tracking I was doing so far. I started searching for other advice from friends in the nutrition field and some have agreed on the idea of cutting too much and not consuming enough carbs...
Anyway, aim for gaining 0.5lbs a week, eat 150g protein minimum per day. Carbs and fats aren't too important.0 -
Oh and btw, fro mthe 1600 diet ive bumped it up to 2400, or so MFP tells me as well as IIFYM. You guys recommend this calorie leap or using the maintenance diet before jumping to a calorie surplus?
Getting ahead, the 2400 diet is around 200 more than my maintenenance (2240). Any thoughts?
Personally, I'd have at least a week at maintainence, if anything, it lets you see if that IS your actual maintainence number.
Im going with this for a week. Kind of felt it was the way to go as well! thank you!0 -
Your muscles feel weak because they're glycogen-depleted. Also, you liver glycogen is probably low as well. If you bump up your carbs and H2O, along with a good weight workout program, you'll gain both weight and strength. I would not be so quick to maximize weight gain at this point. Seems like a maintenance diet may be better and see where you stabilize weight-wise. You may end up liking the way look and feel at your maintenance weight.
The TDEE you mentioned of 2236 calories/day seems reasonable.
You should consider using a good protein powder and creatine in your diet to enhance your training results. If you don't want to supplement creatine, it's present naturally in red meat so eat some beef or bison!
Good job on burning off the flub!
Thanks for the tip! I was being told the same thing alos regarding low carb intake... I've setup this coming week as a stabilizing diet to see if a regular carb intake will revitalize my muscles ( i was below minimun i believe).
It has been around 4 days and my calves still feel depleted and hurt
. Even so, I feel very optimistic with the changes in my diet and work out routine. 0
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