Tips needed please!

ladyslena
ladyslena Posts: 9 Member
edited November 16 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I am a 33 year old female, soon to be 34.

I weigh 123 lb and am 5'7.

I would like to gain another 7 lbs but not sure how to go about this since I have a bit of tummy fat. Everywhere else is perfect, though more muscle will be a bonus. When looking at pics I would guess my body fat, tummy area is only place fat, to be 20-25%.

So do I bulk and add weight now and then lose the body fat. Or do I cut to lose the fat now and then bulk?

I'm sooooooooo confused. Will I get super skinny everywhere? I read that I can't maintain and lose belly fat the same time it's one or the other.

If I bulk will i get much more fat on my tummy making it even harder to lose when it comes to cutting?

If I cut will i fade away lol. nah, when I bulk again after cutting will a lot of fat add back to my tummy. What is the best thing to do?

This last week I started eating a surplus of calories which I think may of been too much. Should I only eat 250 instead of 500 as I just read in maintaining weight thread that women gain less muscle then men? It's so hard when there is a lot of conflicting info out there.

I started strong lifts 5x5 with some ab assistance work.

So what do I do cut or bulk? And can you give me a time frame also?

Sorry for the essay!

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    ladyslena wrote: »
    So do I bulk and add weight now and then lose the body fat. Or do I cut to lose the fat now and then bulk?
    Your choice OP.
    ladyslena wrote: »
    I'm sooooooooo confused. Will I get super skinny everywhere? I read that I can't maintain and lose belly fat the same time it's one or the other.

    Depends where the weight comes off.
    ladyslena wrote: »
    If I bulk will i get much more fat on my tummy making it even harder to lose when it comes to cutting?

    Depends on your calorie surplus, cutting isn't going to be harder... it'll just be a little bit longer.
  • ladyslena
    ladyslena Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you so much for answering I been waiting for any sort of response.

    I think I may go for cutting and see how the weight loss goes then I can bulk when I am leaner if all goes well
  • Micarenee99
    Micarenee99 Posts: 2
    I think you should lose the belly fat first and then focus on gaining the weight because you might gain the weight then when it's time to lose the belly fat you may lose all your progress
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    edited April 2015
    No no.! You're already low low bmi. I was 123lb and 5'7" when I started my bulk and at 133lb my body looked very toned. I managed a clean bulk as in I only ate 250 cals per day more than I needed. I took care of the protein and carbs and lifted. No belly fat. I cut a little after the bulk.

    Result- 15% body fat.

  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    Micarenee99 wrote: »
    I think you should lose the belly fat first and then focus on gaining the weight because you might gain the weight then when it's time to lose the belly fat you may lose all your progress

    Have you ever bulked and cut before?

  • Lady_jane_
    Lady_jane_ Posts: 37 Member
    Since you are just starting out why don't you just track your calories for a few weeks and see what happens? it will take a while to figure out what your true TDEE is, and how your body reacts to a surplus. Don't over complicate it right now. Doesn't sound like you have much to lose anyways, and you state that you want to gain 7 lbs. As you progress with the strong lifts you will need the calories to complete the lifts and get stronger. bulking will lead to you putting on a bit more fat, but it's really not so much that anyone else notices. it's all a bit of trial and error at the beginning.

    Good luck!
  • terizius
    terizius Posts: 425 Member
    I agree with Springfield. Eat slightly above maintenance and lift your tail off! (or your belly.. in this case). Track for a few weeks to a month and regroup if necessary.
  • ladyslena
    ladyslena Posts: 9 Member
    Ok I will go with the advice of Springfield and terius since everything comment I have read from them in other posts (and I've been reading tons) has made sense.

    And they seem to be old heads who know what they are talking about from experience.

    Thank you for all the replies!
  • ladyslena
    ladyslena Posts: 9 Member
    Springfield do you have progress pictures?

    Did you start with belly fat to begin with? My belly fat is more like a pouch. When lying down if I sit up I can see a very very slight and I mean slight outline of abs which must be under the fat.
  • ladyslena
    ladyslena Posts: 9 Member
    Also can you give me the sort of time frame? For cutting I mean.
  • mikeyrs
    mikeyrs Posts: 176 Member
    My thought is you should add healthy fats like nuts, avocado, etc. as well as a variety of beans for an additional source of protein to your diet and reduce your carbs intake so your belly fat is burned more readily. In addition, do planks, situps, and pushups three times a week or so as part of your weekly routine. If you have a smartphone, add the Runtastic suite of Apps for Pushups, Situps, and Squats to it and follow that automated routine. Those Runtastic Apps are really, really good because they're progressive, timed, and deliver pretty quick results.... and you can use those Apps just about anywhere and on any phone platform.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    mikeyrs wrote: »
    My thought is you should add healthy fats like nuts, avocado, etc. as well as a variety of beans for an additional source of protein to your diet and reduce your carbs intake so your belly fat is burned more readily. In addition, do planks, situps, and pushups three times a week or so as part of your weekly routine. If you have a smartphone, add the Runtastic suite of Apps for Pushups, Situps, and Squats to it and follow that automated routine. Those Runtastic Apps are really, really good because they're progressive, timed, and deliver pretty quick results.... and you can use those Apps just about anywhere and on any phone platform.

    Belly fat gets burned when body fat is lowered by eating under caloric needs. It can also be disguised by higher muscle content. Hopefully she will be smart and follow a proper progressive lifting routine.
    You can't spot reduce, you can spot build.

    Protein set at 0.8g per lb of body weight. Fill the rest with any carbs and fats. Have simple carbs and protein after workouts to aid muscle growth. Eat 250 cals over maintenance.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    ladyslena wrote: »
    Also can you give me the sort of time frame? For cutting I mean.

    Aim to gain half a pound a week for as long as you can. 3 months? More?
    The cut should be carefully planned, still eating protein, still lifting at maintenance to preserve muscle.
    I would go for a 1/200 cal deficit, because my body loves to eat muscle and hold fat. So like 10-15% deficit. Which is easy, and the fat slowly melts off a pound or two a month.
  • ladyslena
    ladyslena Posts: 9 Member
    Springfield1970 wrote: »
    ladyslena wrote: »
    Also can you give me the sort of time frame? For cutting I mean.

    Aim to gain half a pound a week for as long as you can. 3 months? More?
    The cut should be carefully planned, still eating protein, still lifting at maintenance to preserve muscle.
    I would go for a 1/200 cal deficit, because my body loves to eat muscle and hold fat. So like 10-15% deficit. Which is easy, and the fat slowly melts off a pound or two a month.


    Thank you! This helps greatly.
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