Help me. Gaining more fat than muscle.
chloepaulino
Posts: 35 Member
I’ve gotten into body building. When I first started I was eating about 1800 calories with lots of cardio. Lost fat and muscle. So I bumped it up to 1950-2000 kc-minimum cardio. However, I did the big weigh in today and my weight went from 123 to 124 and gaining about 3 pounds of fat. I’m feeling very discouraged, I don’t know what to do anymore. Yes, I eat clean. Yes, I track my calories/ weigh the food. Now my fat has bounced to almost 27 % body fat. I don’t want to quit, but I do not know what to do anymore. Should I decrease calories back to 1800. Should I stop and try to get my body fat back down to lower then try to start to re bulk.
My goal is to just be in a normal muscle mass for my age and to be able to lift my weight. Does this mean I still have to bulk? Or can I eat maintenance calories and still gain lean muscle?
I will post my tanita machine results down below.
My goal is to just be in a normal muscle mass for my age and to be able to lift my weight. Does this mean I still have to bulk? Or can I eat maintenance calories and still gain lean muscle?
I will post my tanita machine results down below.
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Replies
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How are you measuring this body fat increase?
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Hmm you can try changing up your macros, your workout routine etc. But I'd try not to make too many changes at once otherwise you won't know what's working. Don't worry too much about the fat % readouts. Take progress pics and measurements to gauge your progress. When you've been lifting for a while you'll hit plateaus so you need to change things up to progress3
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Hmm you can try changing up your macros, your workout routine etc. But I'd try not to make too many changes at once otherwise you won't know what's working. Don't worry too much about the fat % readouts. Take progress pics and measurements to gauge your progress. When you've been lifting for a while you'll hit plateaus so you need to change things up to progress
I have upped the protein by about 20 grams.
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You gained 1lb .. in what span of time? Those scales can be fairly inaccurate, water can affect results so I wouldn't put too much stock into the results especially if you have only gained 1lb and it says you have gained 3lbs of fat which means you would have to lose muscle, in a surplus I would say that is very highly unlikely.
How do you feel about your results and your bodyfat? Do you feel very lean and want to put on weight or do you feel happy with your size and just want to work on body composition?
With your stats you could also recomp.. so maintaining your weight to lose fat and gain muscle over time. Make sure you are following a proper progressive lifting program and getting adequate protein (~1g per lb bodyweight)
If you do want to bulk successfully it's not about how clean your diet is, it's about how big a surplus you are in, lifting progress, protein intake and your starting leanness which will make the most difference in terms of how much fat to muscle you gain.9 -
You gained 1lb .. in what span of time? Those scales can be fairly inaccurate, water can affect results so I wouldn't put too much stock into the results especially if you have only gained 1lb and it says you have gained 3lbs of fat which means you would have to lose muscle, in a surplus I would say that is very highly unlikely.
How do you feel about your results and your bodyfat? Do you feel very lean and want to put on weight or do you feel happy with your size and just want to work on body composition?
With your stats you could also recomp.. so maintaining your weight to lose fat and gain muscle over time. Make sure you are following a proper progressive lifting program and getting adequate protein (~1g per lb bodyweight)
If you do want to bulk successfully it's not about how clean your diet is, it's about how big a surplus you are in, lifting progress, protein intake and your starting leanness which will make the most difference in terms of how much fat to muscle you gain.
Maybe I should just recomp. Because I have never been more stressed out in my life obsessing over calories in an extreme manner. Body building is more of a lifestyle, I’m just so stressed. Can you explain what recomping is?
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I can do a lot of body weight exercises easier and have gone up in weights. But I feel fatter, my pants don’t fit anymore and my stomach has gotten bigger.0
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chloepaulino wrote: »I can do a lot of body weight exercises easier and have gone up in weights. But I feel fatter, my pants don’t fit anymore and my stomach has gotten bigger.
This is with only 1lb gain? Are you feeling very bloated? Maybe a food sensitivity issue?
Here is a great thread on recomp
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p17 -
First off ignore that body measuring machine, it will be inaccurate. It sounds like your become obsessive/really stressed over this, so maybe take a bit of a step back as trust me, it's not work sacrificing your mental health for this. You're a beginner, so it's ok not to be perfect right away. You're doing the right thing, eat right, train hard and as long as you really are doing those two properly, you will make progress. Take photos now, and then wait a few months and compare then. But good luck you will make it, but there's no point trying to be perfect from the beginning!8
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All these symptoms with a single lb of weight change? Wow!
Are you measuring at the same point in your monthly cycle? Women tend to retain more or less water at various times of the month.
Are you using a weight trend app?
And... maybe bulking is not a great idea for right now assuming you're already above a BMI of 20 or so.4 -
I have measured in the morning at the same time. I’ve just been using the Tanita machine. Should I just recomp instead of bulk? Eat at maintance and lift heavy)0
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chloepaulino wrote: »I have measured in the morning at the same time. I’ve just been using the Tanita machine. Should I just recomp instead of bulk? Eat at maintance and lift heavy)
I would recommend recomp especially if you are struggling now. It really depends on your goals but bulking doesn't sound like a good fit for you, at least not right now.1 -
Does recoump really work, do you have experience in this? Heard success stories?0
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I personally have only dabbled in recomp, but check out that thread I linked there is a lot of fantastic success stories there. It does take time and requires trust and patience.1
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All these symptoms with a single lb of weight change? Wow!
Are you measuring at the same point in your monthly cycle? Women tend to retain more or less water at various times of the month.
Are you using a weight trend app?
And... maybe bulking is not a great idea for right now assuming you're already above a BMI of 20 or so.
BMI actually has nothing to do with bulking, it is more about bodyfat % unless that is what you meant.
Typically it is recommended for women to start bulking at 20% bodyfat or less. Keep in mind the scale she used may not even be accurate so OP could be quite lower than it said. 5 -
I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%0
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chloepaulino wrote: »I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%
If you truly think you are 27% based on scales, comparing photos online etc. Then I would definitely not bulk.6 -
"I’ve gotten into body building."
Think you are in danger of misleading people unintentionally - that phase suggests physique goals far, far higher than.....
"My goal is to just be in a normal muscle mass for my age and to be able to lift my weight."
There is ZERO need to do bulk/cut cycles to achieve your goal.
Suggest you work on reducing your stress over calories and fat gain and simply eat at maintenance and lift.
It's your training that drives results - focus on that. Optimise your training and everything will fall into place.
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chloepaulino wrote: »I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%
If you truly think you are 27% based on scales, comparing photos online etc. Then I would definitely not bulk.
This, most sources will say a female should not be bulking if over 20-22% BF2 -
chloepaulino wrote: »I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%
If they're all BIA (bio-impediance analysis) scales or similar, they aren't that accurate. People with a bit of experience just taking a look and estimating at a person in a bathing suit are actually more accurate than a BIA. Other methods that are accurate are someone experienced using calipers, bodpod, DEXA, and underwater weighing.4 -
magnusthenerd wrote: »chloepaulino wrote: »I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%
If they're all BIA (bio-impediance analysis) scales or similar, they aren't that accurate. People with a bit of experience just taking a look and estimating at a person in a bathing suit are actually more accurate than a BIA. Other methods that are accurate are someone experienced using calipers, bodpod, DEXA, and underwater weighing.
I’ve paid for an in body scan once about a month ago. The sucker cost 60$ but the results are always more (increased weight, bf, etc.) by about 3 %.
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Inbody is also BIA. Progress photos and measurements are going to be the most helpful to you most likely. I highly doubt you are 27% BF at your BMI. It's possible, but unlikely. It sounds like you are retaining water/bloating, which will skew BIA. Can you throw up some progress pictures? There are people here who are very good at estimating BF visually.
But I agree with everyone that at your weight, just concentrate of eating in your maintenance calorie goal, lift hard and live your life without stress. Check on your measurements and progress photos every six months or so. There's no need to stress as much as you are.6 -
chloepaulino wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »chloepaulino wrote: »I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%
If they're all BIA (bio-impediance analysis) scales or similar, they aren't that accurate. People with a bit of experience just taking a look and estimating at a person in a bathing suit are actually more accurate than a BIA. Other methods that are accurate are someone experienced using calipers, bodpod, DEXA, and underwater weighing.
I’ve paid for an in body scan once about a month ago. The sucker cost 60$ but the results are always more (increased weight, bf, etc.) by about 3 %.
Looking up InBody, it looks more sophisticated than most BIA scales, but I think the underlying principle is still limiting it. Personally, I don't think I could see it as worth $60 when I know places that do DEXA for $40, but it will vary by area.
I agree with everyone else that you can probably just focus on recomp: lifting at maintenance. Even when people do bulking cycles, I think the majority of the weight gained in a cycle is expected to be fat.0 -
Most of my lifting is done while in somewhat of a maintenance mode. You can certainly gain strength, recomping needs a really good program. Have you picked a lifting program? I really like stronglifts or something similar with progressive overload. Just focus on maintaining your body weight and increasing the amount lifted.2
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DancingMoosie wrote: »Most of my lifting is done while in somewhat of a maintenance mode. You can certainly gain strength, recomping needs a really good program. Have you picked a lifting program? I really like stronglifts or something similar with progressive overload. Just focus on maintaining your body weight and increasing the amount lifted.
I was doing different parts of my body different parts of the week.
I just started a new workout plan that I’m going to try for 6 weeks. I don’t have the plan with me currently but I will post a pic tommarow here in the forums. Please let me know if you like my plan when I get a chance to post it.
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magnusthenerd wrote: »chloepaulino wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »chloepaulino wrote: »I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%
If they're all BIA (bio-impediance analysis) scales or similar, they aren't that accurate. People with a bit of experience just taking a look and estimating at a person in a bathing suit are actually more accurate than a BIA. Other methods that are accurate are someone experienced using calipers, bodpod, DEXA, and underwater weighing.
I’ve paid for an in body scan once about a month ago. The sucker cost 60$ but the results are always more (increased weight, bf, etc.) by about 3 %.
Looking up InBody, it looks more sophisticated than most BIA scales, but I think the underlying principle is still limiting it. Personally, I don't think I could see it as worth $60 when I know places that do DEXA for $40, but it will vary by area.
I agree with everyone else that you can probably just focus on recomp: lifting at maintenance. Even when people do bulking cycles, I think the majority of the weight gained in a cycle is expected to be fat.
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Full body routines are generally better.3
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All these symptoms with a single lb of weight change? Wow!
Are you measuring at the same point in your monthly cycle? Women tend to retain more or less water at various times of the month.
Are you using a weight trend app?
And... maybe bulking is not a great idea for right now assuming you're already above a BMI of 20 or so.
BMI actually has nothing to do with bulking, it is more about bodyfat % unless that is what you meant. Typically it is recommended for women to start bulking at 20% bodyfat or less. Keep in mind the scale she used may not even be accurate so OP could be quite lower than it said.
Sometimes people recovering from EDs have issues when they first start regaining weight. I know nothing about the OP except that they appeared to be uncomfortable with single1lb gain during a deliberate bulk.
BMI of 20 is considered to be the low end of normal for most non-asian, not height challenged women and is a frequent minimum milestone to be considered weight restored when recovering. Body fat % is really hard to determine. So I used a BMI of 20 as a quick stand-in for the low end of normal weight.
My point being that unless there exists a health reason for the bulk (in which case it should continue till, at the very least, the person is weight restored), the mind-set seems a bit stressed for a vanity goal bulk.
Everything else you mention is, of course, true and correct. We're just looking at it from different perspectives, I think.
ETA: I also consider very unlikely (though I suppose that out of a large enough sample there will exist AT LEAST ONE person who is EXACTLY there!) that a person with a BMI of 20 will also be over-fat!
In any case, given the stress this is causing, unless there is a reason to be WANTING the increase in weight... lifting at maintenance and re-comping seems to be the most palatable strategy!5 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »chloepaulino wrote: »I have done other machines and bf has been higher or about the same of about 27%
If you truly think you are 27% based on scales, comparing photos online etc. Then I would definitely not bulk.
This, most sources will say a female should not be bulking if over 20-22% BF
The bio-impedance method of determining body fat is bunk at determining body fat and can be influenced, greatly, by factors other than the existence of actual body fat (multi-point bio-impedance is better, but can still be influenced by water retention)
At the end of the day I've yet to be convinced that ANY available method is much more accurate than (a somewhat trained) Mark 1 eyeball! Now to just find a couple of those...
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All these symptoms with a single lb of weight change? Wow!
Are you measuring at the same point in your monthly cycle? Women tend to retain more or less water at various times of the month.
Are you using a weight trend app?
And... maybe bulking is not a great idea for right now assuming you're already above a BMI of 20 or so.
BMI actually has nothing to do with bulking, it is more about bodyfat % unless that is what you meant. Typically it is recommended for women to start bulking at 20% bodyfat or less. Keep in mind the scale she used may not even be accurate so OP could be quite lower than it said.
Sometimes people recovering from EDs have issues when they first start regaining weight. I know nothing about the OP except that they appeared to be uncomfortable with single1lb gain during a deliberate bulk.
BMI of 20 is considered to be the low end of normal for most non-asian, not height challenged women and is a frequent minimum milestone to be considered weight restored when recovering. Body fat % is really hard to determine. So I used a BMI of 20 as a quick stand-in for the low end of normal weight.
My point being that unless there exists a health reason for the bulk (in which case it should continue till, at the very least, the person is weight restored), the mind-set seems a bit stressed for a vanity goal bulk.
Everything else you mention is, of course, true and correct. We're just looking at it from different perspectives, I think.
ETA: I also consider very unlikely (though I suppose that out of a large enough sample there will exist AT LEAST ONE person who is EXACTLY there!) that a person with a BMI of 20 will also be over-fat!
In any case, given the stress this is causing, unless there is a reason to be WANTING the increase in weight... lifting at maintenance and re-comping seems to be the most palatable strategy!
I do agree that bulking is not a good idea for OP and we don't know her history. But I will correct my original statement that BMI has nothing to do with it since you reminded me it does if someone is underweight, especially in more extreme cases, regardless of their bodyfat, it is typically recommended to gain (I say typically since there are exceptions I'm sure). And I have been in a situation where my BMI was 20 but had a very high bodyfat percentage so it is possible!4
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