Maintaining Weight while becoming lean

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LexusAlicia
LexusAlicia Posts: 2 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hey!! Happy holidays everyone!

I would like to maintain my weight of 128lbs while leaning out and keeping my lady curves.
Could someone tell me what is the best solution? I'm new to this!
I'm very active. I'm in the gym and I have a job where I walk around a lot.

Thanks!

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Becoming lean, in my experience, would likely mean you lose some of your "lady curves" (presuming boobs and hips? I go from curvy to rectangle shaped when I'm lean!)

    To lose fat but maintain weight, you would likely want to do a recomp - very slow and steady muscle gain and fat loss,focusing on a lifting program in the gym. You could do extra focus on glute and back work to give the illusion of curves when you're leaner?
  • Longevity100
    Longevity100 Posts: 84 Member
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    I'm happy to help, some questions for you.

    1. What does a typical day of eating look like for you?

    2. What is your height/age

    3. What are you currently doing in the gym?
  • Tabbycat00
    Tabbycat00 Posts: 146 Member
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    I do a lot of reps with lighter weights (10 lbs). It seems to work for me.
  • LexusAlicia
    LexusAlicia Posts: 2 Member
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    Longevity100 wrote: »
    I'm happy to help, some questions for you.

    1. What does a typical day of eating look like for you?
    I'm currently taking in 1400 calories per day
    Breakfast = oatmeal 6am
    Snack = banana n almond butter 9am
    Lunch = salad (w/ a bunch of stuff, little or no dressing depends on my mood) 12/1230pm
    Snack = a protein shake 330/4pm
    And
    Dinner = varies 7-830pm
    2. What is your height/age
    Height 5'1 and 26

    3. What are you currently doing in the gym?
    I'm currently doing a lot of weights and very little cardio
    3 to 4 times a week

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    As you like weights and like curves then suggest you research Bret Contreras' Strong Curves program.

    It's your training that will get you towards your goal - specific foods are an irrelevance.
    Are you really maintaining your weight at 1400 cals? Seems very, very low for someone "very active" and exercising.
  • Spitspot81
    Spitspot81 Posts: 208 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    As you like weights and like curves then suggest you research Bret Contreras' Strong Curves program.

    It's your training that will get you towards your goal - specific foods are an irrelevance.
    Are you really maintaining your weight at 1400 cals? Seems very, very low for someone "very active" and exercising.

    Sorry to but in here, but I too am using weights and maintaining at about 1400 calories....but seeing very little change in my physical appearance. Do you suggest increasing calories in order to see changes??

    Just off to google Bret Contreras
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Spitspot81 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    As you like weights and like curves then suggest you research Bret Contreras' Strong Curves program.

    It's your training that will get you towards your goal - specific foods are an irrelevance.
    Are you really maintaining your weight at 1400 cals? Seems very, very low for someone "very active" and exercising.

    Sorry to but in here, but I too am using weights and maintaining at about 1400 calories....but seeing very little change in my physical appearance. Do you suggest increasing calories in order to see changes??

    Just off to google Bret Contreras
    @Spitspot81

    Over what time period? (Muscle increase isn't a fast process.)

    How are you measuring progress?

    Have you actually tried maintaining on more calories? I would encourage you to experiment to see if you can eat more and maintain, 1400 seems miserly! Are you tiny?

    What does "using weights" actually mean? (Following a program? What's your routine? Is it challenging? Are you improving?)
  • Spitspot81
    Spitspot81 Posts: 208 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Spitspot81 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    As you like weights and like curves then suggest you research Bret Contreras' Strong Curves program.

    It's your training that will get you towards your goal - specific foods are an irrelevance.
    Are you really maintaining your weight at 1400 cals? Seems very, very low for someone "very active" and exercising.

    Sorry to but in here, but I too am using weights and maintaining at about 1400 calories....but seeing very little change in my physical appearance. Do you suggest increasing calories in order to see changes??

    Just off to google Bret Contreras
    @Spitspot81

    Over what time period? (Muscle increase isn't a fast process.)

    How are you measuring progress?

    Have you actually tried maintaining on more calories? I would encourage you to experiment to see if you can eat more and maintain, 1400 seems miserly! Are you tiny?

    What does "using weights" actually mean? (Following a program? What's your routine? Is it challenging? Are you improving?)

    To be honest, here is the point where I answer my own question.

    I was following a bikini guide earlier on in the year, eating about 300 cals more per day, looking good and feeling strong. I went on holiday for 2 weeks, came back a couple of lbs heavier and completely lost all my confidence. Since then I have reduced the weights, done more cardio and dropped the cals. I have felt rotten with little energy.

    A couple of weeks ago I started on the bikini guide again, but xmas has happened since. I am gonna try increasing the calories again as I know that at 1700 cals per day I was feeling good.

    I think I joined in this conversation because the op seemed to be on a similar calorie allowance to me and I wondered if, at such a low level, the body is just burning off the muscle it is trying so hard to build...therefore no progress is being made?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Spitspot81 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Spitspot81 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    As you like weights and like curves then suggest you research Bret Contreras' Strong Curves program.

    It's your training that will get you towards your goal - specific foods are an irrelevance.
    Are you really maintaining your weight at 1400 cals? Seems very, very low for someone "very active" and exercising.

    Sorry to but in here, but I too am using weights and maintaining at about 1400 calories....but seeing very little change in my physical appearance. Do you suggest increasing calories in order to see changes??

    Just off to google Bret Contreras
    @Spitspot81

    Over what time period? (Muscle increase isn't a fast process.)

    How are you measuring progress?

    Have you actually tried maintaining on more calories? I would encourage you to experiment to see if you can eat more and maintain, 1400 seems miserly! Are you tiny?

    What does "using weights" actually mean? (Following a program? What's your routine? Is it challenging? Are you improving?)

    To be honest, here is the point where I answer my own question.

    I was following a bikini guide earlier on in the year, eating about 300 cals more per day, looking good and feeling strong. I went on holiday for 2 weeks, came back a couple of lbs heavier and completely lost all my confidence. Since then I have reduced the weights, done more cardio and dropped the cals. I have felt rotten with little energy.

    A couple of weeks ago I started on the bikini guide again, but xmas has happened since. I am gonna try increasing the calories again as I know that at 1700 cals per day I was feeling good.

    I think I joined in this conversation because the op seemed to be on a similar calorie allowance to me and I wondered if, at such a low level, the body is just burning off the muscle it is trying so hard to build...therefore no progress is being made?
    @Spitspot81
    Bingo!
    You don't really burn off muscle by the way - without actual starvation that's incredibly hard to do.
    You took away the stimulus to grow by reducing your weights and took away the fuel and nutrition to support any potential growth.

    You might find an irregular deficit when you need to drop a couple of pounds helps maintain energy levels better than an everyday deficit. I just regard it as a few thousand calories to nibble away in bits and pieces rather than switching back to dieting mode.
    Best of luck.
  • Spitspot81
    Spitspot81 Posts: 208 Member
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    Thanks so much for that!!! I hope your advice helps the op too!

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