Gaining muscle not losing fat. What am I doing wrong?! Help

44_Maggnum
44_Maggnum Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all! I have been working out for a month in a half now and I have lost 17lbs but I think i hit a plateau. I gained 2 lbs and it's just sitting there. I can tell that I am gaining muscle but the fat isn't coming off. I have been eating really good and I don't know why the fat around my hips and thighs isn't coming off. I'm diagnosed with PCOS in which it messes with my insulin cholesterol blood pressure etc. so I have no idea what I am doing wrong and I do cardio at least 20ins incorporated in the workout everyday and weight/strength training 6 days a week with circuit training as well. I'm 5'10 and I am 193 lbs. can't anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong and is there anyway I can break out of the plateau. Advice and tips appreciated. Thanks.

Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    What are you using to measure your bodyfat %?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Renegade1990
    Renegade1990 Posts: 3 Member
    What's your idea of eating healthy? At one point "eating healthy" for me meant that I was eating only 1400 calories, and during this time I wasn't losing much fat. Now, I focus on my macros. I eat more protein, less carbs, and no sugar (except for the sugar thats in fruits). I eat about 1800 calories a day and am shedding weight like crazy.

    Also, if you want to lose fat faster then doing 20 minutes of cardio is not enough. Over the past few months I started using those Polar Watches than track your heart rate and I think you'd benefit from those. For me personally, I see more results when I do cardio for 30 mins with my heart rate at 170 rather than doing cardio for an hour with my heart rate at 90.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    You're lifting six days a week? Ouch!!! That's not a good idea. Your body needs to rest and recover or you'll burn out fast. (48 hours between lifting sessions is good.) And plateaus are months long, not a few days or weeks. Are you taking measurements or just relying on the scale, because it is a damn liar. :)

    However, if you're in a calorie deficit, you're not gaining muscle. You're probably just retaining water, but there could be a whole bunch of other factors. Give this (and all the links in it) a read, and then a few more reads, and then put it all into practice. Give your body 3-4 weeks to adjust.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Best of luck!
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    I can tell that I am gaining muscle but the fat isn't coming off.

    Or the fat is coming revealing the muscle underneath. Just my guess based off what I've read. If you're truly eating at a deficit you can't gain muscle. Experts, chime in please.

    That's actually completely false. You *can* gain muscle while eating at a deficit. In order to do so, you have to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance, and - of course - do the resistance work necessary to force muscle change.

    How do you do that? Protein. That's where you get nitrogen from. There's no substitute for it. Whether you choose to supplement with protein or simply add in a mix of high protein foods into your diet is up to you. But it *can* be done even while staying in a calorie deficit.

    Helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz3AG-oCXTE
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    17 pounds in a month and a half? Ok ... that's almost 3 pounds per week.

    What is your weekly loss goal?
    What is your daily caloric target?
    How many calories are you eating every day (total)?
    How many calories are you burning?
    How much protein are you eating?
    As already asked ... how are you calculating body fat?
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I can tell that I am gaining muscle but the fat isn't coming off.

    Or the fat is coming revealing the muscle underneath. Just my guess based off what I've read. If you're truly eating at a deficit you can't gain muscle. Experts, chime in please.

    That's actually completely false. You *can* gain muscle while eating at a deficit. In order to do so, you have to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance, and - of course - do the resistance work necessary to force muscle change.

    How do you do that? Protein. That's where you get nitrogen from. There's no substitute for it. Whether you choose to supplement with protein or simply add in a mix of high protein foods into your diet is up to you. But it *can* be done even while staying in a calorie deficit.

    Helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz3AG-oCXTE

    You can gain a SMALL amount of muscle while in a deficit.

    OP, are you tracking your food? Using a food scale?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I can tell that I am gaining muscle but the fat isn't coming off.

    Or the fat is coming revealing the muscle underneath. Just my guess based off what I've read. If you're truly eating at a deficit you can't gain muscle. Experts, chime in please.

    That's actually completely false. You *can* gain muscle while eating at a deficit. In order to do so, you have to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance, and - of course - do the resistance work necessary to force muscle change.

    How do you do that? Protein. That's where you get nitrogen from. There's no substitute for it. Whether you choose to supplement with protein or simply add in a mix of high protein foods into your diet is up to you. But it *can* be done even while staying in a calorie deficit.

    Helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz3AG-oCXTE

    LOL what.

    newbs can see small gains in terms of size- usually taps out around 5-6 months, obese people who start lifting and- and people who used to lift and come back to it.

    And people can get stronger while lifting on a deficit.
    But building substantial muscle on a deficit isn't realistic. Esp as a woman. it's laughable hard to build substantial muscle.

    Eat all the protein you want, but if you aren't eating in a surplus it doesn't mean diddly.
  • TheNoLeafClover
    TheNoLeafClover Posts: 335 Member
    You have recently greatly increased your physical activity. If you are indeed eating at a calorie deficit, the gain you are seeing is water retention. Fluctuations are normal. As for not seeing a reduction of fat where you want to, your genetics will determine that. Have patience. You've lost 17 lb. You are clearly doing something right. If your weight continues to increase rather than go back down again, however, then you should evaluate whether you are weighing and logging your food properly.
  • 44_Maggnum
    44_Maggnum Posts: 3
    For body fat I measure my waist hips and neck to find out my body fat percentage. I eat 1500 cals a day. I'll reply with more in depth details later since I'm at work (restaurant industry so lots of running around) should I be having more calories for my height or it doesn't matter?
  • 44_Maggnum
    44_Maggnum Posts: 3
    See bottom reply

Categories