Looking for some advice

adoglover wrote: »

Hello,
I'm looking for a little advice. My starting weight was 331 and after about 6 weeks I weigh 307.
What I've been doing so far:
Stationary bike 5 times a week for 45 minutes
Weights every other day
I keep my calories between 1300 and 1500 a day

What I want to know is:
1. This has been working well, but what I've been reading is that I shouldn't do cardio because I'll lose muscle. Is that true? Or can I lose fat and build muscle at the same time?

Not true, as long as total exercise volume is within reason for your current fitness level, and your calorie deficit is not extreme. I don't know whether you're male or female, but if you're eating 1300-1500 gross calories at 307 pounds, your calorie deficit probably *is* extreme. Losing 4 pounds a week on average pretty much confirms that. Many of us think 1% of current body weight lost per week is about as far as most people should go, and less may be more consistent with strength/muscle gain goals.

Cardio is good for your heart and blood vessels, worth doing. 5 x 45 minutes is not extreme (depending a little on intensity vs. current fitness level: exhaustion to persisting fatigue is counterproductive).

You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, especially as a relative novice to strength training, especially if young and male (but maybe even if not young or male), if faithfully following a good, progressive, well-designed program, and getting good nutrition (especially protein) . . . but the bigger your calorie deficit (faster your loss) the less probable muscle gain becomes.

If I were you, with your goals, I'd eat another 500-1000 calories daily, for a loss rate in the 2-3 lb/week range, tops. If you're short enough that your current weight is a serious health risk in itself, a little faster might be OK, but close medical supervision is a good plan in that kind of scenario.

2. Should 40% of my calories be from protein?

It depends. To best hedge muscle-gain bets, protein should probably be around a gram per pound of lean body mass, or perhaps around 0.8g per pound of healthy goal body weight (use mid-normal BMI for your height, if you don't have a more well-founded goal weight aspiration). 40% of 1300 calories is 130g protein, which would loosely equate to a goal weight around 162 pounds (spitballing it).

3. Is it true that the first 20 to 30 lbs is just water weight and no real amount of fat has been lost?

No. Probably some of both, and could even include some lean mass. Depends on a large number of variables, but zero fat loss is very unlikely. Mostly fat loss is more likely. If your dietary composition has been fairly consistent for the 6 weeks, likely that the first week or two might have higher water weight loss, so if you saw unusually high loss then compared to the later weeks, consider it likely that the extra amount in those weeks is more likely to be mostly water weight adjustment.

4. If I'm doing things righy, how long before I see my body start to change on the outside?

Before *you* see it? Completely unpredictable. Our minds sometimes don't let us see what's happening. I looked fat to myself for quite a while after I wasn't, and I couldn't even see a difference in photos then (a difference that's now very obvious, looking back at the same photos with the benefit of passing time). Depending on starting size, I'd guess that other people often start to see a difference at 25-50 pounds down, if we have a fair bit to lose.

To gauge progress, take photos once a month or so (front, side, back, limited but publically presentable clothing (bathing suit, not undies)): Later you may want to show them off, if proud of progress. Weigh yourself, and use a weight trending app (Happy Scale for iOS, Libra for Android, Trendweight with a free Fitbit account (don't need a device), Weightgrapher, others). Notice how clothes fit: Use the the same pair of jeans, and queue up some in decreasing sizes if you own them, for example. Measure at consistent points on your body with a tape measure (this can be done more accurately with a helper). Sometimes one of these will show progress before others, and it may not always be the same one.

There's a lot of information out there, which makes it confusing, but I'm doing better so far than I have in the past.

Thank you for your help!

Truth in advertising: These are just my opinions.

Wishing you much success!