4 Questions..
Sherriediva1
Posts: 345 Member
Hi ya’ll! I’m new to this forum and new to Stronglifts 5x5. I have only completed the first week but I think I will enjoy it. I read the summary (thanks bunches for that), watched the video’s and read the accompanying text. I then read the FAQ post and looked at some Progress Photos (impressive) and I want in! I’m hoping for some advice… A little background and stat’s (I’ll be brief)
Female/43/5’6”/181-184 (fluctuations). I’ve lost 21 lbs in a little over 2 months and according to the hand held BF scanner used at most gyms (I know it isn’t very accurate) I have dropped from 37.9 to 34.3. I eat btwn 1200-1500 calorie a day (1500 usually being special occasions). I have been doing mostly cardio. I weigh less than I have in 5 yrs but I am “squishy” fat as compared to the “plump/smooth” fat I started out as. I am smaller…the inches are coming off, but I am not impressed with the way my body looks. So, now questions:
1. Is my (approximate) BF% enough to let me gain muscle while in a deficit?
2. How much deficit can I get away with?
3. With an approximate TDEE of 2000 and a deficit of say…400 cals do I eat at 1600 every day or only on 5x5 days?
4. How do I determine if I have set my calorie goal/deficit/macro’s correctly and how long do I stay the course before I re-evaluate. (I like to see the # on the scale drop but I’d rather see tape measure results if it makes my body look better!)
I'm including a pic so you can better see where I'm at. I am not looking to take short cuts, just make my journey more efficient! Thanks in Advance for your time/trouble/input!
Female/43/5’6”/181-184 (fluctuations). I’ve lost 21 lbs in a little over 2 months and according to the hand held BF scanner used at most gyms (I know it isn’t very accurate) I have dropped from 37.9 to 34.3. I eat btwn 1200-1500 calorie a day (1500 usually being special occasions). I have been doing mostly cardio. I weigh less than I have in 5 yrs but I am “squishy” fat as compared to the “plump/smooth” fat I started out as. I am smaller…the inches are coming off, but I am not impressed with the way my body looks. So, now questions:
1. Is my (approximate) BF% enough to let me gain muscle while in a deficit?
2. How much deficit can I get away with?
3. With an approximate TDEE of 2000 and a deficit of say…400 cals do I eat at 1600 every day or only on 5x5 days?
4. How do I determine if I have set my calorie goal/deficit/macro’s correctly and how long do I stay the course before I re-evaluate. (I like to see the # on the scale drop but I’d rather see tape measure results if it makes my body look better!)
I'm including a pic so you can better see where I'm at. I am not looking to take short cuts, just make my journey more efficient! Thanks in Advance for your time/trouble/input!
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Replies
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i don't really have answers to any of that, as i've been far more lackadaisical about my own 'journey'. but for whatever it's worth to you, my entry point to sl was similar to yours: i'd been in an aggressive deficit, doing a lot of cardio, and got down to around the last 10 pounds. when i started sl i kept the deficit for a few months. (it was 1200 in my case but i'm under 5'4" and was a few months shy of 49 when i met my first barbell).
my experience was that it worked for a while, i lost those 10 pounds . . . but i hit an early wall with my strength progression. so after four to six months i gave up logging, took up eating again and just went balls-out for the strength because that was more fun and more interesting. i gained the weight back over the next year, but i like the lifting for its own sake so i'm pretty chipper about it
just recently re-focused on trying to bring it back down under 130, but as i mentioned i'm a lot more casual about the whole process than you.
to your specific question #1: i don't think it works quite the way your question suggests. afaik your body can't 'take' fat that already exists and make muscle from it. it may be able to use some of the fat to provide energy for the muscles you already have. but afaik you need protein to build actual new fibres, and that could have been what stopped me so soon in my own strength work.
2. depends what you want to get away with ;-) i did lift for four months or something on only 1200 calories, but i now think that it severely limited me. a year later i tried going back to 1200 for a while and there was just not no way anymore. my body just went 'are you freaking kidding me?' and wasn't even willing to talk about it. it wasn't happy with 15/1600 either, to tell the truth, so i quit keeping close track again.
3. tbh, i think you should eat on the days when you lift. but that could just be me. when you're doing the work, the work itself is not about losing weight. it's about being strong. so eat to fuel yourself so you'll be strong or there's kind of no point. just my experience though.
4. when you start to lift your weight may go up a few pounds due to water retention/delayed onset soreness. it's happened to many of us and it's a sign you've got your body's attention and it's reacting to the new stuff. so i'd give it a couple of weeks at least, but the main guideline i use is just how i feel. if i feel tired too much of the time, i'm not eating enough. if i feel good and i can lift, then i assume that i'm doing it right. it takes a while to get used to your own body and what the different metrics mean, so give yourself that time if you can. it's worth it in the long run.2 -
Thanks for taking the time to read my post @canadianlbs. This morning I flexed my arm and could actually feel muscle! I like that feeling way too much to stop now... I'll probably struggle most with getting enough protein but am mentally adjusting my grocery list to include tuna and extra chicken.
Upping my calorie goal makes me nervous 
, but I always heard this while in the Navy : there's nothing to it but to do it! 0 -
Sherriediva1, I recommend you read this article. It's so thorough and really helps you determine what actions to take based on your own personal goals. http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-best-way-to-lose-weight-fast-and-keep-it-off/1
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1. You can't gain much muscle while in a deficit. Supposedly, there are "newbie gains" but I didn't experience them. It'd been years since I'd lifted weights when I started SL and it was mostly machines & DBs so I think I was still a newb. But, lifting while in deficit (and eating enough protein-important!) will help you preserve muscle. So when you lose the fat you will have a better body composition. Building muscle really requires a calorie surplus.
2. I'd say eat as much as you can and still stay on deficit plan. You need energy for your workouts and a too steep deficit may lead to bingeing. Also, if you lose too quickly you may end up with loose skin. I only lost 21-22 lbs and have lost most of the fat from my abs but I have some loose skin over my belly button. I'm 47 so my skin's elasticity isn't what it used to be.
3. If you use the MFP method (NEAT) and set your weight loss goal, log your workouts you will eat more on training days. Your deficit is built into the eating goal. If you move more your goal increases.
4. See my answer to Number 2. I don't remember on which forum the info is on, probably Weight Loss or maybe Eat More 2 Lose More, but somewhere there is a guide for if you have X amt. of weight to lose set goal for X.
really, it comes down to what you can sustain. The best diet is one you can stick to.
Congratulations on your weight loss so far and I hope you enjoy SL!1 -
I meant Eat More To Weigh Less^^0
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1. It depends. Some newbie lifters can get what people call "newbie gains" while others don't. Worse case: you start lifting and don't gain any muscle mass, but you retain what you do have.
2. That depends how much you have to lose. I wouldn't go more than 500 per day, resulting in 1 pound per week. If you're happier with a slower loss, go with 250 deficit per day (0.5 pounds per week).
3. If you go with the TDEE method, you eat the same amount everyday. It takes into consideration that some days you will burn more than others, but it averages out in the end. If you follow the MFP method, put in a goal of 0.5 to 1 pound per week, eat those calories, log your workouts, and then eat part of or all of your exercise earned calories. MFP burns are notoriously high, so I would recommend starting with half of them, then evaluate your progress and increase/decrease as necessary.
4. I'd recommend setting your goal then evaluating every 2-3 (max of 4) weeks. That's usually long enough to see a slight change, but not so long that you keep going on the same path and not get the results you want.2 -
Sherriediva1, I recommend you read this article. It's so thorough and really helps you determine what actions to take based on your own personal goals. http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-best-way-to-lose-weight-fast-and-keep-it-off/
That was a great article thanks!!
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