Losing some fat and building muscle calorie question

BarryWilson1108
BarryWilson1108 Posts: 47 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
hi
I'm a 41 year old male in pretty good condition and cardio fit too. I am trying to lose a little bit of fat around my mid section ( I know you can't spot reduce etc) and build muscle and as such I have been doing alternate days in the gym of full body workouts with weights and the days in between I've been doing a 35 minute treadmill run. My question is - what sort of calorie intake should I be looking at? I'm 41 and approx 83 kilos.

Replies

  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    The likelyhood of doing both simultaneously is really really small. To gain appreciable amounts of muscle requires a calories surplus. To lose fat requires a calorie deficit. If you really want to do both, read up on recomp and be very patient.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    Agree with Mantium999. If you're patient try a recomp http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    Also make sure you're following a progressive, structured full-body routine. Otherwise you'll be spinning your wheels.
  • BarryWilson1108
    BarryWilson1108 Posts: 47 Member
    Thanks for the replies....just to clear things up though - my BMR is 1800 calories without exercise...If I eat those 1800 calories on lifting days with 40% from protein, 30% each from fat and carbs what will the effect on my body be?
  • mich19025
    mich19025 Posts: 55 Member
    Thanks for the replies....just to clear things up though - my BMR is 1800 calories without exercise...If I eat those 1800 calories on lifting days with 40% from protein, 30% each from fat and carbs what will the effect on my body be?

    On a recomp you eat at tdee im pretty sure...bulking above tdee and cutting tdee-x% of calories. Your bmr is the calories needed for your body to function properly so if you choose to eat that as the minimum and then lift, it will mean that you will be burning below your bmr? Do you know what your tdee cals are?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    mantium999 wrote: »
    The likelyhood of doing both simultaneously is really really small. To gain appreciable amounts of muscle requires a calories surplus. To lose fat requires a calorie deficit. If you really want to do both, read up on recomp and be very patient.

    "Simultaneously" caught my eye. Can you build muscle for say 6 hours a day with an adequate protein intake etc even if you then run a calorie deficit over 24 hours ?
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    mantium999 wrote: »
    The likelyhood of doing both simultaneously is really really small. To gain appreciable amounts of muscle requires a calories surplus. To lose fat requires a calorie deficit. If you really want to do both, read up on recomp and be very patient.

    "Simultaneously" caught my eye. Can you build muscle for say 6 hours a day with an adequate protein intake etc even if you then run a calorie deficit over 24 hours ?

    It takes more than 6 hours to repair a microtear muscle. That the first time I heard that. If that were the case I would be the Rock right now and the rock might be 3 times his size if that was his goal.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    mich19025 wrote: »
    ....just to clear things up though - my BMR is 1800 calories without exercise...If I eat those 1800 calories on lifting days with 40% from protein, 30% each from fat and carbs what will the effect on my body be?

    On a recomp you eat at tdee im pretty sure...bulking above tdee and cutting tdee-x% of calories. Your bmr is the calories needed for your body to function properly so if you choose to eat that as the minimum and then lift, it will mean that you will be burning below your bmr? Do you know what your tdee cals are?

    Why would you be eating at BMR? I'm assuming you're at a healthy weight range because your tickers indicates you only have 3 lbs to lose. Do you know your Body Fat %? Based on that and preference I would consider a progressive lifting routine and recomp (eat at TDEE, not BMR) or cut at TDEE - 250 and lift.

    For macro target .8 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight, .35 gram of fat per lb of bodyweight and the rest in carbs. Proteins and fats are minimums so you can go over.

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    It takes more than 6 hours to repair a microtear muscle. That the first time I heard that. If that were the case I would be the Rock right now and the rock might be 3 times his size if that was his goal.

    do you have to be in an overall caloric surplus though ? my hypothetical 6 hours per day repeated over many days ?

    Seems to me a different set of processes are involved and things like protein flux / insulin levels will matter but calorie surplus is something of an artificial construct - there are no bioreceptors for calories.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    It takes more than 6 hours to repair a microtear muscle. That the first time I heard that. If that were the case I would be the Rock right now and the rock might be 3 times his size if that was his goal.

    do you have to be in an overall caloric surplus though ? my hypothetical 6 hours per day repeated over many days ?

    Seems to me a different set of processes are involved and things like protein flux / insulin levels will matter but calorie surplus is something of an artificial construct - there are no bioreceptors for calories.

    I have no clue what you are talking about now.
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