If your goal is to lose body fat, not muscle.

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LolaKarwowski
LolaKarwowski Posts: 217 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know no one's main goal is to lose muscle (or maybe it is, idk) but what I want to do is start lifting weights and do a little bit of cardio. However, because I want to lose body fat I am unsure if my daily calorie intake is accurate.

Do I need to eat more on the days I lift weights?
If so, how do I determine how much more I should eat? Especially if my plan is to not track calories burned in my weight lifting exercise?
Should it really be 50% carbs, 25% fat, and 30% protein?

Every time I start thinking about lifting, I get to the part where I have a thousand different terms and numbers thrown at me and I get overwhelmed and quit before I even try. I'm trying really hard to understand all of this before I start. So ANY help at all will be greatly appreciated.

Current weight: 135
Height: 5ft 7in

Replies

  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Here's what I would (and do) do:

    Aim for .5lb/week loss
    Get in .8-1g protein per lb lean mass (you'll likely have to adjust your macro goals in MFP)
    Keep lifting

    If you don't want to eat a different number of calories a day, calculate your TDEE and take 15-20% off that number. Here's a good calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    So what is your daily calorie intake? Have you made your mind up on following a specific strength program?
  • keniaclimaco5
    keniaclimaco5 Posts: 31 Member
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    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html

    Jamie provides everything u need in her program. From what moves to do everyday at the gym to what to eat everyday! It works.
  • keniaclimaco5
    keniaclimaco5 Posts: 31 Member
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    Oh and its free.
  • joeboland
    joeboland Posts: 205 Member
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    If you're tracking and have set your macros and calories properly, you should be able to safely lose 1-2lbs of weight per week, with minimal muscle/strength loss. Keep your protein high, and dial your carbs back.

    Currently, my macros are ~190g protein, ~190g carbs, ~50g fat.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    You're actually at a pretty good weight for your height currently. You could comfortably recomp and keep/gain muscle and lose body fat. You wouldn't gain a huge amount of muscle, but you would gain some.

    For a recomp, you would eat at your maintenance calories and lift heavy. You would slowly lose fat and retain your muscle mass. You would see strength gains though.

    As for macros, the best breakdown I've found is the following:
    1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass OR .8 grams per pound of body weight (they are usually pretty close to each other)
    0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight
    The rest of your calories from carbs.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    xcalygrl wrote: »
    You're actually at a pretty good weight for your height currently. You could comfortably recomp and keep/gain muscle and lose body fat. You wouldn't gain a huge amount of muscle, but you would gain some.

    For a recomp, you would eat at your maintenance calories and lift heavy. You would slowly lose fat and retain your muscle mass. You would see strength gains though.

    As for macros, the best breakdown I've found is the following:
    1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass OR .8 grams per pound of body weight (they are usually pretty close to each other)
    0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight
    The rest of your calories from carbs.
    I would also suggest a recomp. Pick a calorie intake level near maintenance. Follow that at least 3-4 weeks. See how things go. Scale up/down, measurements up/down. Energy levels up/down. Then adjust if needed.
  • LolaKarwowski
    LolaKarwowski Posts: 217 Member
    edited May 2015
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    rybo wrote: »
    xcalygrl wrote: »
    You're actually at a pretty good weight for your height currently. You could comfortably recomp and keep/gain muscle and lose body fat. You wouldn't gain a huge amount of muscle, but you would gain some.

    For a recomp, you would eat at your maintenance calories and lift heavy. You would slowly lose fat and retain your muscle mass. You would see strength gains though.

    As for macros, the best breakdown I've found is the following:
    1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass OR .8 grams per pound of body weight (they are usually pretty close to each other)
    0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight
    The rest of your calories from carbs.
    I would also suggest a recomp. Pick a calorie intake level near maintenance. Follow that at least 3-4 weeks. See how things go. Scale up/down, measurements up/down. Energy levels up/down. Then adjust if needed.

    So my BMR is 1,408 calories/day. Yet, MFP has me at 1,520 calories/day (which I'd say is pretty near my maintenance level). Are you saying I should not eat any more than what MFP tells me to eat daily for 3-4 weeks except for the days I lift? How much more should I eat on lifting days? What about my macros? Should I not pay attention to the whole 50% carbs, 25% fat, and 30% protein thing?

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