Weight training whilst at a calorie deficit

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punkeson
punkeson Posts: 37 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys, just wondered what everyone's experiences are of weight training on a calorie deficit?
I'm a 40 year old woman, 5 foot 7, 143lb, and I've been heavy lifting for about 18 months now and love it. My body has changed so much - scale weight hasn't changed at all and I've definitely lost a lot of fat and put on some muscle. However I still have about 6 pounds to lose, which is all around my tummy. So in the last couple of weeks I made a decision to focus on losing this last stubborn bit of fat. I was planning on doing this by slightly decreasing calories and adding 15 minutes of cardio at the end of each weight session (I didn't do any before) for the next few weeks and then reassess.
This has worked well so far, however today I felt I had a disappointing workout. I couldn't match the number of reps I could a couple of weeks ago and am giving myself a hard time over it! I did a lower body day yesterday which went well - maybe I should have had a days rest in between - or maybe this was just a lousy workout - or maybe the calorie deficit is catching up with me.
I'm always reading how you should always chase strength, and this has worked really well for me so far - but if I'm at a deficit is this still realistic?
The other significant info is that I don't track macros or calories (I had an eating disorder as a teenager and I feel that monitoring everything so strictly would lead to me getting obsessive over it). However I eat clean and gets lots of protein, including a protein shake each day whether I train or not.
Thanks in advance
Tina x

Replies

  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
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    My advise, first, stop worrying about the weight. Start tracking your measurements. Second, you may not be eating enough. If your workouts have gradually become more intense but you haven't changed your food intake or even lowered it, you might be struggling because your body doesn't have enough fuel to power you through your workouts. It may seem counter intuitive to eat more to lose more but it might be what you need. You should google TDDY and use one of the free apps to determine how many calories your body really needs. You might be surprised.
  • AnabolicKyle
    AnabolicKyle Posts: 489 Member
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    It sucks, you have less energy and are more injury prone due to fatigue.

    Keep it up I am sure you will drop those last few pounds.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    edited January 2016
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    You will lose a little muscle with weight loss, but don't stress it. Everyone is looking for that magic way to lose fat without losing muscle. And when you get down to just the last few pounds its such a delicate balance, you have to just experiment to find out what works best for you. I wish there was a simple answer, we'd all be doing it. However, a bad workout doesn't mean that you have lost strength , there are way too many factors involved in having a good or bad day in the gym.
    If you wanna lose the last few pounds, you'll have to eat at a deficit and sacrifice a little muscle, that's just the way it is. Find your balance that you can live with.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I wouldn't automatically connect this to the deficit. Most people have bad lifting days every once in awhile. That's normal. As a woman, you also have the added complication of the hormonal changes that happen throughout your cycle. Some women are more affected by this than others. Once or twice a year it hits me really hard while most of the time it's a minor blip. Here are a few articles about that:

    * http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/period-periodization-harnessing-the-power-of-your-cycle
    * http://www.optimumh.co.uk/influence-of-menstrual-cycle-on-strength-training-and-timing/
    * https://www.t-nation.com/training/hormone-cycle-and-female-lifters

    Other than that, I'd say that while maintaining strength on a cut is a goal and often achievable while only having a minimal calorie deficit, losing a little isn't anything to be scared of. Once you increase calories again, you'll likely easily regain that strength. Right now I'm cutting from now until the end of May and while I'd be overjoyed to see my strength stay the same, I'm being realistic about the fact that it might wane a bit, and I'm fine with that. Sometimes you have to give up something in order to achieve something else and right now my "something else" is fat loss.

    Good luck to you.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
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    Your lifts will suffer. Mine did. I started 5x5 last Fall and really did not stick to my deficit. Probably was at maintenance calories. I lost & gained the same 3-5 lbs for months. But my lifts did increase. I really wanted to lose fat so I got a Fitbit to help pinpoint TDEE, set MFP to lose .5/lb week & stuck with it for 4 months. I also switched to PHUL & have stuck with that adding 1 HIIT or KB cardio session a week. I lost 9.5 lbs since Oct 1 (17 total since Jan 1 2015). I'm very happy with how I look but my lifts are lagging. Track protein & make sure you meet it or you can lose too much muscle in deficit. You can always reverse diet/recomp after you lose the fat. That's my plan.
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
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    Can you elaborate on how you're reducing your calories?

    It's normal for strength workouts to not be as good when eating a deficit. It's also normal to not recover as quickly. However, it's temporary! For now shift your focus to maintaining your deficit. Keep lifting, but adjust the volume of your workouts so you don't get burned out. Keep the intensity of your lifts in the 3-5 rep range and make sure you work every muscle group 3x per week.

    Since you've been lifting consistently for 18 months you may be at a point in your training when your gains start to level off anyway. When you're happy with your weight and are ready to eat maintenance again, maybe look into starting a more intermediate program.
  • punkeson
    punkeson Posts: 37 Member
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    Hey guys thanks for you replies, you've been so helpful!
    I checked my TDEE as suggested and I was surprised that it was 2100 calories per day - I expected it to be something like 1500! I'm thinking of maybe tracking my eating for a week just so that I can get an idea of what I'm consuming a day.
    So far I've been reducing calories by stricter portion control, cutting out midweek alcohol and treats, and having less carbs. Going forward I think I will stick to these strategies but up my carbs on lifting days, and then go back to lifting 3 days a week with a day off in between. I'd rather lift 3 times a week and really nail it than try to get in 4 sessions and not perform so well.
    Thanks again everyone x
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    There's a thing where people assume you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you believe you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you'll get weaker in a deficit.



    There's this other thing where you believe with adequate recovery, volume, frequency, sleep, hydration and nutrition you can continue to get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll believe you can get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll get stronger in a deficit

    Basically you added in 15 mins of cardio extra, this will lead to (eventually) you building extra work capacity and recovery abilities. However, in the short term you've just increased the stuff that your body has to recover from and you may notice the extra sketchy session here and there. It's no biggy, just get every other aspect of your training (all the important stuff you do outside the weightroom) on point and you'll ride out the odd bump and get stronger.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,338 Member
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    jimmmer wrote: »
    There's a thing where people assume you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you believe you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you'll get weaker in a deficit.



    There's this other thing where you believe with adequate recovery, volume, frequency, sleep, hydration and nutrition you can continue to get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll believe you can get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll get stronger in a deficit

    Basically you added in 15 mins of cardio extra, this will lead to (eventually) you building extra work capacity and recovery abilities. However, in the short term you've just increased the stuff that your body has to recover from and you may notice the extra sketchy session here and there. It's no biggy, just get every other aspect of your training (all the important stuff you do outside the weightroom) on point and you'll ride out the odd bump and get stronger.

    "You are what you constantly tell yourself you are."

  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    JustMissTracy wrote: »
    jimmmer wrote: »
    There's a thing where people assume you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you believe you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you'll get weaker in a deficit.



    There's this other thing where you believe with adequate recovery, volume, frequency, sleep, hydration and nutrition you can continue to get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll believe you can get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll get stronger in a deficit

    Basically you added in 15 mins of cardio extra, this will lead to (eventually) you building extra work capacity and recovery abilities. However, in the short term you've just increased the stuff that your body has to recover from and you may notice the extra sketchy session here and there. It's no biggy, just get every other aspect of your training (all the important stuff you do outside the weightroom) on point and you'll ride out the odd bump and get stronger.

    "You are what you constantly tell yourself you are."

    I knew there was a reason I was super-awesome! :D
  • punkeson
    punkeson Posts: 37 Member
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    jimmmer wrote: »
    There's a thing where people assume you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you believe you'll get weaker in a deficit.

    Then you'll get weaker in a deficit.



    There's this other thing where you believe with adequate recovery, volume, frequency, sleep, hydration and nutrition you can continue to get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll believe you can get stronger in a deficit.

    Then you'll get stronger in a deficit

    Thank you, I love that! x

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