PLEASE HELP ME

natnicks319
natnicks319 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need your help! I have been tracking calories and macros seriously for about 3 months now. I am a very active highschool/AAU basketball player (that takes care of cardio right?) but I desperately want to burn fat, and gain muscle (like everyone else, I know). Macros: I have bought into the low carb, high protein
fad and eat around 140g of protein a day and no more than 115g carbs. my fats are all over the place (60-85) and I am working to control them. What do I do? Caloric surplus to add muscle, or deficit to burn fat? I practice (basketball) about 6 if not 7 times a week, but I really need to get my nutrition down pat. Should I increase carb intake and are fats that big of a deal? they dont come from icecream, cake or any sugary thing like that.. usually eggs and such. I know I will resistance train 3 times a week but how to refuel my muscles? what am I not doing right? 1 pic shows me about a year ago, and me currently. I weigh "about" 140 and have always weighed 139-145, even from the picture on the left. People do tell me I am getting leaner so should I keep up my current plan? Lift more or eat more? (1797 calories a day). I have soooo many questions, and I read over 10 fitness type pages a day. But I think I need specific advice for ME. I am extremely open-minded so ANY advice helps. THANK you ims7njgxh77r4g.png
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Replies

  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
    Low carb, low fat, low sugar, whatever the diet its total calories that matters.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    If you want to burn fat you need to eat less calories than you burn, regardless of whether you want to gain muscle.
  • joncooper1980
    joncooper1980 Posts: 96 Member
    You have abs!! As a woman this makes you very lean. Now would be a great time to eat a caloric surplus and gain some muscle.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,246 Member
    edited July 2016
    You are not fully grown. You should not be deliberately restricting calories unless you really think it is a great idea to be setting yourself up for a lifetime of dieting.

    For an active older teenager eating less than 2000 calories, heck even 2500, does not sound right to me unless you're short-ish... which doesn't seem likely given you're playing basketball.

    You may want to try spark-teens where they know more about what your body needs as it is still growing.

    Your extra protein consumption (assuming no kidney issues) would be a good idea for an older person in a similar situation. 1g per lb of body weight sounds like a fine target.

    As long as your saturated fats are low and you eat at least 25% of your calories from fat and eat about 26g of fiber (you could even aim for 6 x 80g servings of fruits and vegetables a day), anyway, as long as you do all that... eat carbs and fats to your satisfaction.
  • natnicks319
    natnicks319 Posts: 12 Member
    scoii wrote: »
    Low carb, low fat, low sugar, whatever the diet its total calories that matters.

    so keeping that in mind, am I aiming for a caloric deficit or surplus?
  • natnicks319
    natnicks319 Posts: 12 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    If you want to burn fat you need to eat less calories than you burn, regardless of whether you want to gain muscle.

    do I just lift while in a caloric deficit? Ive just always heard surplus-bulk-build
  • natnicks319
    natnicks319 Posts: 12 Member
    joncooper1980 wrote: »
    You have abs!! As a woman this makes you very lean. Now would be a great time to eat a caloric surplus and gain some muscle.

    would I gain stomach fat by packing calories to add muscle? that will erase abs clean away :'(
  • natnicks319
    natnicks319 Posts: 12 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    You are not fully grown. You should not be deliberately restricting calories unless you really think it is a great idea to be setting yourself up for a lifetime of dieting.

    For an active older teenager eating less than 2000 calories, heck even 2500, does not sound right to me unless you're short-ish... which doesn't seem likely given you're playing basketball.

    You may want to try spark-teens where they know more about what your body needs as it is still growing.

    Your extra protein consumption (assuming no kidney issues) would be a good idea for an older person in a similar situation. 1g per lb of body weight sounds like a fine target.

    As long as your saturated fats are low and you eat at least 25% of your calories from fat and eat about 26g of fiber (you could even aim for 6 x 80g servings of fruits and vegetables a day), anyway, as long as you do all that... eat carbs and fats to your satisfaction.

    thank you sir for the educational words you keep providing me with. I do think about that all the time, I am a teen.. Im still growing right? but by now this stuff is sort of habit. so you are saying surplus correct? throw down the carbs, fats and cals to my satisfaction as long as I lift and Ill grow? you are so very correct, the constant cardio from basketball is eating the little energy/muscle that I do have
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Have you tried Sparkteens? You can sign up here.

    That said, since you are still a kid, you need to just allow your body to grow.
  • natnicks319
    natnicks319 Posts: 12 Member
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Have you tried Sparkteens? You can sign up here.

    That said, since you are still a kid, you need to just allow your body to grow.

    thank you SLLRunner, I have it open in the other tab cant wait to sign up

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