Focus on building muscle and ditching the fat?

CaitlinELaird
CaitlinELaird Posts: 106 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

This may seem like a silly question, but as someone who has struggled with disordered eating for almost my entire life, I want to make sure that I get valid information from a place and people I trust.

I am wanting to ditch some of the extra weight that I have on me and work on gaining some muscle and strength, but I am not sure where I should focus. (I'm talking like 6 pack abs and whatnot...) ;)

A little background on me, I am 5' 9" and currently about 166 lbs. I am not overweight, but I am getting close and I don't want to cross the threshold.

I am wondering if I should be focusing on calorie limitation and getting to a lower weight and then focusing on the muscle building from there or what my first steps should be.

Again, I am sorry for asking a question that is probably ridiculous to most. I just want to make sure that it do this right and in a healthy way, and that is not something I have ever learned to do.
Thank you in advance for your words of wisdom.

~ Caitie

Replies

  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    I'm not at that stage yet but I'm sure others will be able to chime in with more detailed information.

    It sounds like what you're looking for is body recomposition. This, as I understand it, is done by eating at maintenance while engaging in a lifting program. The idea being to maintain your current weight but to shift the composition of that weight away from fat and into muscle.

    As I said, there are likely others who'll be in a far better position that I to advise on the details.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Given no physical limitations, there's never any good reason to delay starting strength training :)

    If you like podcasts, check out the latest episode of "Food, We Need to Talk."

    https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1490621476?mt=2

    How Can I Become A Fat-Burning Machine?

    Asked for just one recommendation for lifelong health, our experts all had the same answer: exercise. And there's one type of exercise that may bring the best benefit in the least amount of time.

    Experts include: Wayne Westcott, Sal Di Stefano, and Jackie Shahar.
  • sweetsal64
    sweetsal64 Posts: 23 Member
    Find out where you want to be and follow a slight calorie deficit while keeping protein, fruits, vegetables and water quantities up. You want to eliminate most empty carbs such as sugars, refined flour and alchohol. Focus on eating whole foods with fewer additives. You need to measure all your foods and don't overestimate calorie burn. Most people work out/run off fewer calories than they compute. You need to stay active and limit sitting around if possible. The fat will start dissolving and the muscle will start building simultaneously. Women can build muscle if they put their minds to it!! Good luck and be strong! :) I'm a 55 yo grandma of 13. If I can do it, you can too.
  • RepswithRyan
    RepswithRyan Posts: 171 Member
    Eat 1 gram of protein per pound, lift heavy 3 to 4 times a week, be at a small deficit and you will keep your gains and strength while lowering your bodyfat.

    Best of luck,
    Ryan.
  • kjm3579
    kjm3579 Posts: 3,974 Member
    Check out StrongLifts 5x5 as an introduction to strength training - starts with just the bar and gets heavy fairly quickly. As far as loosing fat, check out Dr. Jason Fung (The Obesity Code). I personally use StrongLifts and follow a mostly carnivore diet.
  • CaitlinELaird
    CaitlinELaird Posts: 106 Member
    I am so sad about how long ago I wrote this and my weight has only increased as I finished off a certification for work that required months of studying and multiple exams.
    Now that I am done with that nonsense, I am going to get back to self care and better habits. I want to stick to this goal too, now that I have more time. :) If anyone wants a friend, I could use some motivation and support.

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