Building muscle and loosing body fat

You want to look into recomp

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

It can take a lot of time to see progress so you have to be patient.

Also it could be your programming... I would recommend following a proper program vs a body part split (which it sounds like you are currently doing) for best results

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Thanks! While I have dabbled in recomp, I mostly ran bulk/cut cycles to get where I am which took about 4-5 years. I am actually similar in weight to you in my pic, I am 5'7" around 132-135lb.

Nothing wrong with your carbs but your protein is a bit overly high which I would swap for more carbs. You want to have at least 0.8-1g per lb bodyweight protein but over and above that I would rather get in carbs to help your workout performance and aid in muscle building.

There are many success stories in that thread above, and it is great if you are at the weight/general size you want to be just want to add a little here, take away a little there to work on your body composition. It really depends on your goals.

When I bulk/gain (I've done it three times) each time I started off very lean, and gained 10, 12 and 15lbs. My bodyfat does go up. It is a bit uncomfortable especially towards the end. That comes with the territory. It is not a process for everyone.

I don't do a lot of cardio to be honest. I am fairly active day to day. When gaining I do none. When cutting and maintaining I usually do two sessions a week. Nothing too crazy.

You mean how long to lose it after each bulk? I usually only lose a portion, so I sit higher than my starting weight each time. It really depends how much I had to lose and my schedule. I like to cut down really slowly around 0.5lb per week so for me it takes a while.

I gained 0.5lb per week, so an extra 250cals per day above maintenance.

No worries happy to help!

There is a lot of information out there. Some good, most bad. I learned most of what I know from these forums, also from experts like Eric Helms, Bret Contreras, Brad Schoenfeld, Mike Israetel, Lyle McDonald, Layne Norton.

See if anyone in your area offers a bodpod analysis. Much more accurate than a tanita or composition scale.

Hi Viv, since you are at a really good body weight for your height as a female, your best chance of building muscle and bringing down body fat is keep up with your cardio and your split body part routine should be perfect. It will take time so be patient. The most accurate test is a DEXA scan. I'm about to get one done in a few weeks and I'm excited. I've had them done years ago and this time the manufacturer found me on social media and asked if I would write up an article about it so they covered the cost. It turns out it wasn't that expensive at a UC Davis sports medicine facility, but it's still nice that they covered it.

Make sure you eat pretty close to maintenance, maybe slightly under but not too much as your body fat is actually not super high. Pay attention to how you feel with energy at all times. Make sure to get on the higher end of 1-1.2 grams of protein per your current body weight. If you do that and space the protein out along all your meals, and eat up to your TDEE or close, your carbs and fats should usually fall into place nicely. Especially if you are eating simple unprocessed healthy foods.

Make sure to lift heavy enough that you NEED breaks in between sets. Your last couple of reps for each set should be really hard to get out, giving it all you got, yet keeping good form.

Best of luck to you!

Roberta

Just have to be patient. It's kind of tough because to build muscle you need anywhere from the amount of calories you need for maintenance to a calorie surplus; But to lose fat you need a calorie deficit. However, if you stick to a slight calorie deficit (maybe 100/day) while taking in 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, that will be your best bet.