Lose fat, gain muscle Noob

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JennyRATL
JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Me: 43, 5'8'ish, currently hovering around 142. Slim everywhere but mid-section. I want to lose the chubby spare tire and tone up the tummy, arms and booty. I set MFP up as wanting to lose a pound a week, 10 lbs total loss. Calories set at 1410, which I can usually stay under. I go to the Y 2-3x a week, where I do 30 min of mod to intense cardio and a series of weight machines. The days I can't get there, I do weights at home and other stuff, strength-oriented. Try and do a spin class once a week.
So my question is this...what should I focus on first? Cardio for fat burning? More intense weight training to burn fat and tone? Keep going with a mix of both?

TIA

Replies

  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    Do you want to gain muscle or do you want to lose fat?

    Those two goals (for the most part) work against each other as to lose fat, you need a calorie deficit and to gain muscle, you need a calorie surplus.

    If you want to strengthen what you already have, use a progressive overload strength training program along with your calorie deficit to lose the fat covering your current muscles.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you#latest
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
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    sammyliftsandeats wrote: »
    Do you want to gain muscle or do you want to lose fat?

    Those two goals (for the most part) work against each other as to lose fat, you need a calorie deficit and to gain muscle, you need a calorie surplus.

    If you want to strengthen what you already have, use a progressive overload strength training program along with your calorie deficit to lose the fat covering your current muscles.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you#latest

    Thanks! This is really what I'm getting at....
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    JennyRATL wrote: »
    sammyliftsandeats wrote: »
    Do you want to gain muscle or do you want to lose fat?

    Those two goals (for the most part) work against each other as to lose fat, you need a calorie deficit and to gain muscle, you need a calorie surplus.

    If you want to strengthen what you already have, use a progressive overload strength training program along with your calorie deficit to lose the fat covering your current muscles.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you#latest

    Thanks! This is really what I'm getting at....

    Keep in mind if you work on gaining muscle with a calorie surplus fat will come with it. Typically you dont want to work on muscle building until youre happy with your body fat %.

    You could do a recomp eat just barely under maintenance calories and take advantage newbie lifting gains. But recomps are a slow process and not for everyone.
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
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    I think for now I'll keep doing what I'm doing, which is a mix, but up the strength a bit. I've fallen victim to the "all cardio, all the time" myth of weight loss. I'm certainly not interested in bulking or taking in more calories, but might add a bit more protein here and there.

    Thanks!
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I'd say you should just eat at maintenance and do a true recomp, but with your strength training maybe a slight deficit is best. Once you are on a program with free weights, a recomp would be good.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    JennyRATL wrote: »
    I think for now I'll keep doing what I'm doing, which is a mix, but up the strength a bit. I've fallen victim to the "all cardio, all the time" myth of weight loss. I'm certainly not interested in bulking or taking in more calories, but might add a bit more protein here and there.

    Thanks!

    Adequate protien is important for retaining muscle. I would highly recommend getting on an established lifting program (one using compound lifts would be best).

    Also dont ever worry about "bulking" getting bulky is actually very diffcult. As a 21 year old male, eating a calorie surplus i never got bulky. I just slowly added some muscle.
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
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    Thanks, sorry, I was using the term bulking (maybe incorrectly) to mean not upping my calories to support lifting. Just focusing on a workout balance rather that focus on only weights.
    I'm not worried about getting "too big" as I hear some women say. I just want to firm up what I've got!
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
    edited May 2019
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    Okay, so I am going to resurrect my own aged thread.....sorry.

    I'm *still* clueless about what I should be doing right now!

    I am currently at 140-145 lbs and don't know my BMI (will check later today at home). I'm carrying flab around my middle and upper thighs and now, God forbid, in my arms. :#

    Let's assume my BMI is higher that deemed healthy for my age (I am going predict that I am somewhere around 28ish% + right now following a 6 month period of inactivity due to a calcaneus fracture/surgery). I have MFP currently set at goal weight of 125lbs, lightly active, .5lb loss a week = 1620 cal/day. If I alter those to "Maintain current weight," cals go up to 1870.

    I've been reading up on recomp and some of what I read says to set that goal to "Maintain current weight" and go by body fat % as a goal before starting to recomp after losing fat/weight.

    I do 30-45 min of cardio and 30-40 min of strength work 2-3x a week at my gym depending on my schedule, filling in the other days with walking and/or strength stuff at home. I can usually stay in a calorie deficit when I put my mind to it. I'm not in a huge rush because I'm not keen on going lower than 1500-1600 cals a day, frankly.

    I know muscle weighs more than fat, so I honestly don't care if the scale moves down to that arbitrary 125 lbs that I weighed 20 years ago that I picked if I'm losing the flab but gaining muscle.

    So my questions:

    Should I dump the 125 goal weight and focus on recomp, knowing I could still weigh my current 140+/- but look badazz and start using that 1870 cals/day plus/minus on rest/training days? Should I wait to see what my BMI is before deciding? What BMI should be my goal before recomp? What BMI do I aim for?

    Should I keep focusing on losing fat first and keep my cals lower and keep my current workout routine before focusing more on lifting?
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    BMI is pointless. It is basically saying you weigh X per inch. The formula is
    ..... 703 x weight (lbs) / [height (in)]^2
    or
    .... weight (kg) / [height (meters)]^2

    2 people standing next to each other. Both are 5'8", both weigh 142bs, both are same gender, both have a BMI of 21.6 (Which is normal). One has 14% body fat, the other has 25% body fat. Guess which one has more muscle, and definition.

  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
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    Okay, my terminology bad. Replace BMI with Body Fat %
    Same questions.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    As to wondering what kind of workout... Try reading something like this (See if your local library can get it for you)
    https://www.stephaniebuttermore.com/womens-specialization-program

    Or wander over to Fitocracy.com, register, and then look at some of their groups (Curvy Girls & Pinups, For Women Only, Lady lifters, Fit Angels, etc), ask for help in the general list.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    JennyRATL wrote: »
    Okay, so I am going to resurrect my own aged thread.....sorry.

    I'm *still* clueless about what I should be doing right now!

    I am currently at 140-145 lbs and don't know my BMI (will check later today at home). I'm carrying flab around my middle and upper thighs and now, God forbid, in my arms. :#

    Let's assume my BMI is higher that deemed healthy for my age (I am going predict that I am somewhere around 28ish% + right now following a 6 month period of inactivity due to a calcaneus fracture/surgery). I have MFP currently set at goal weight of 125lbs, lightly active, .5lb loss a week = 1620 cal/day. If I alter those to "Maintain current weight," cals go up to 1870.

    I've been reading up on recomp and some of what I read says to set that goal to "Maintain current weight" and go by body fat % as a goal before starting to recomp after losing fat/weight.

    I do 30-45 min of cardio and 30-40 min of strength work 2-3x a week at my gym depending on my schedule, filling in the other days with walking and/or strength stuff at home. I can usually stay in a calorie deficit when I put my mind to it. I'm not in a huge rush because I'm not keen on going lower than 1500-1600 cals a day, frankly.

    I know muscle weighs more than fat, so I honestly don't care if the scale moves down to that arbitrary 125 lbs that I weighed 20 years ago that I picked if I'm losing the flab but gaining muscle.

    So my questions:

    Should I dump the 125 goal weight and focus on recomp, knowing I could still weigh my current 140+/- but look badazz and start using that 1870 cals/day plus/minus on rest/training days? Should I wait to see what my BMI is before deciding? What BMI should be my goal before recomp? What BMI do I aim for?

    Should I keep focusing on losing fat first and keep my cals lower and keep my current workout routine before focusing more on lifting?

    Your BMI is 21.5 (68 inches @ 140 pounds) and perfectly WELL within good range. Focus on getting your body shape the way you want it. Rather than flail around with a random program, get a routine going with progressive lifting. Look at this thread and choose a lifting program. The latest New Rules of Lifting program for women is called Strong and it's the one I am using - it also includes some interval (not HIIT - regular intervals) cardio work but the focus is on strength. I have committed to the gym 3 days a weeks, and on most of the off days I am walking a few miles. I am on a slight deficit but you could just eat at maintenance (figure that out here: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/). Do that for 6 months. If you are still unhappy with "flab" do a slight deficit (no more than 250 calories a day). Good luck!
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
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    Maxxitt wrote: »
    Your BMI is 21.5 (68 inches @ 140 pounds) and perfectly WELL within good range. Focus on getting your body shape the way you want it. Rather than flail around with a random program, get a routine going with progressive lifting. Look at this thread and choose a lifting program. The latest New Rules of Lifting program for women is called Strong and it's the one I am using - it also includes some interval (not HIIT - regular intervals) cardio work but the focus is on strength. I have committed to the gym 3 days a weeks, and on most of the off days I am walking a few miles. I am on a slight deficit but you could just eat at maintenance (figure that out here: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/). Do that for 6 months. If you are still unhappy with "flab" do a slight deficit (no more than 250 calories a day). Good luck!

    Sorry, I used BMI when I should have said Body Fat %.

    Thanks for the info. I actually have the original NROLFW book, but haven't started it yet as I have been focused on calorie deficit and just getting 2-3 workouts in addition to my PT.

    I like the idea of eating at maintenance, 'cuz I looooooove to eat! :p

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