Muscle vs fat...confused
zsaoosh
Posts: 402 Member
If I eat over maintenance then I will gain muscle while lifting but also a little fat. If I eat below then I am supposed to loose fat but maintain my muscle if I lift. I seem to not loose fat unless I eat a strict 1300 cals but everyone tells me to eat more because I only have about 5 lbs of fat to lose. I haven’t lost for a month, since I started lifting. What should I eat to maintain my muscles and loose fat? Here are my stats.
Cardo - 3 hours at least a week
Weights - 3 days a week
Cals 1350 (don’t eat back but eat pretty clean)
I am 135 pounds and 5'6.5''
At 152 lbs I was 33% bf, pretty high so I was told to eat less
Thank you so much for your help! Any success stories of your own would be great motivation as well.
Cardo - 3 hours at least a week
Weights - 3 days a week
Cals 1350 (don’t eat back but eat pretty clean)
I am 135 pounds and 5'6.5''
At 152 lbs I was 33% bf, pretty high so I was told to eat less
Thank you so much for your help! Any success stories of your own would be great motivation as well.
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Replies
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So using this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation
Your BMR is 1424.
Lets say you are a "moderate" exerciser.
Your TDEE is 2202.
Most people recommend 10-20% off TDEE for weight loss.
You should be eating 1760 calories.
Your are eating way too little. I'd suggest slowly ramping up to at least 1700. With this method you would NOT eat exercise calories. Add 200 calories a week. Stay there for a month or two. You might see some initial gains as your body gets used to this higher number but by 2 months you should start to see fat loss (which might not show up on the scale, pictures and my own feeling are the best way for me to judge progress).0 -
Hi!
If you eat more than maintenance cals, while you lift, you will gain fat and muscle. When you drop the cals. down, while lifting, you will loose fat and try to hold on to all the muscle that yo have build, but you will loose some. I, personally, think that 1300 clas. is too little. Try to increase the cals. with 200-300 cals. a day and see how things go for a few weeks. Then you can adjust up or down as fits your goals.
I did New Rules of Lifting for Women- finished couple a months ago-6 months program and never lifted before. When I started I was 145lbs. 23. 5% body fat and I'm a little over 5'8". When I was done with the program I was 150 lbs., 21% body fat and what do you know, still 5'8" and a little bit.
I also when from size 8 jeans to size 6. I didn't eat that clean or always stick to my cals. 0 -
So using this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation
Your BMR is 1424.
Lets say you are a "moderate" exerciser.
Your TDEE is 2202.
Most people recommend 10-20% off TDEE for weight loss.
You should be eating 1760 calories.
Your are eating way too little. I'd suggest slowly ramping up to at least 1700. With this method you would NOT eat exercise calories. Add 200 calories a week. Stay there for a month or two. You might see some initial gains as your body gets used to this higher number but by 2 months you should start to see fat loss (which might not show up on the scale, pictures and my own feeling are the best way for me to judge progress).
Per the bod pod a month and half ago my BMI was 1185! This was due to my bf%. Off of that, what should I eat? I am not up too 1500...gonna try that for a while.0 -
Per the bod pod a month and half ago my BMI was 1185! This was due to my bf%. Off of that, what should I eat? I am not up too 1500...gonna try that for a while.
A BMI of 1185 is impossible, that's not how the BMI scale works. Maybe you mean BMR estimate, but that's still pretty low, you'd have to be really short or something for it to be that low.
Either way you slice it, I think we will all agree that eating 1300/day or even 1300 net for that matter is too low if you want good strength training results.0 -
Per the bod pod a month and half ago my BMI was 1185! This was due to my bf%. Off of that, what should I eat? I am not up too 1500...gonna try that for a while.
A BMI of 1185 is impossible, that's not how the BMI scale works. Maybe you mean BMR estimate, but that's still pretty low, you'd have to be really short or something for it to be that low.
Either way you slice it, I think we will all agree that eating 1300/day or even 1300 net for that matter is too low if you want good strength training results.
I mean BMR. I asked if it was right and the lady said that it was due to my body fat %. I was technically obese when I was 152 in a size 10! Skinny fat I guess its called. Crazy. But my body didnt need much to live off of. I dont know what it is now though.0 -
1185 still seems REALLY low.0
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I read up on the bod pods. They can overestimate body fat by 5%. So, I would double check that BMR estimation using the Katch McArdle equation.
ETA: I also have a high BF % (skinny fat). I am 5'7, roughly 155 lb and my BMR is 1388. Yours does sound very low.0 -
Based on those calculations I should be eating about 2000 cals a day. Sounds awesome to me, but I am kind of scared to raise them that high. I am fit and strong and have been training hard for years now. I have also maintained a reasonable weightloss during that time, but haven't lost the last bit. I worry that I am not typical of others who's bodies are being shocked by the introduction of calorie control and hard exercise. But then I guess we all worry that we are somehow 'different', that it is harder for us than others...0
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Based on those calculations I should be eating about 2000 cals a day. Sounds awesome to me, but I am kind of scared to raise them that high. I am fit and strong and have been training hard for years now. I have also maintained a reasonable weightloss during that time, but haven't lost the last bit. I worry that I am not typical of others who's bodies are being shocked by the introduction of calorie control and hard exercise. But then I guess we all worry that we are somehow 'different', that it is harder for us than others...
do not be afraid. according to my calculations I'm supposed to eat 2300 to maintain. It seems crazy, but think that reccomended calories for women per day = 2000 and that takes into account only 30 minute of moderate exercises. If you work hard, you are supposed to eat a lot.0 -
Women are supposed to eat 2000 cals? I was told that men are supposed to eat 2000-2200 and women are 1600-1800. There is so much info out there LOL And its crazy how different all of it is.0
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Women are supposed to eat 2000 cals? I was told that men are supposed to eat 2000-2200 and women are 1600-1800. There is so much info out there LOL And its crazy how different all of it is.
Daily recommended values used by the FDA are based off of 2000 calories/day for women and 2500 calories/day for men.
More reading here:
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1349&page=280 -
Based on those calculations I should be eating about 2000 cals a day. Sounds awesome to me, but I am kind of scared to raise them that high. I am fit and strong and have been training hard for years now. I have also maintained a reasonable weightloss during that time, but haven't lost the last bit. I worry that I am not typical of others who's bodies are being shocked by the introduction of calorie control and hard exercise. But then I guess we all worry that we are somehow 'different', that it is harder for us than others...
do not be afraid. according to my calculations I'm supposed to eat 2300 to maintain. It seems crazy, but think that reccomended calories for women per day = 2000 and that takes into account only 30 minute of moderate exercises. If you work hard, you are supposed to eat a lot.
I have a BMF and my average TDEE (maintenance including exercise) is 2600 a day. I can definitely eat that without gaining.0 -
If I eat over maintenance then I will gain muscle while lifting but also a little fat. If I eat below then I am supposed to loose fat but maintain my muscle if I lift. I seem to not loose fat unless I eat a strict 1300 cals but everyone tells me to eat more because I only have about 5 lbs of fat to lose. I haven’t lost for a month, since I started lifting. What should I eat to maintain my muscles and loose fat? Here are my stats.
Cardo - 3 hours at least a week
Weights - 3 days a week
Cals 1350 (don’t eat back but eat pretty clean)
I am 135 pounds and 5'6.5''
At 152 lbs I was 33% bf, pretty high so I was told to eat less
Thank you so much for your help! Any success stories of your own would be great motivation as well.
Based on your stats, you don't need to be in a deficit anymore. For skinny-fat people, a change in body composition by adding muscle mass should be the main concern since low levels of LBM is the main reason for the high BF% & for you to build muscle means eating a little bit above your maintenance. The reason: our muscles need more calories just to sustain itself & if you're working out hard, you need to eat more to support your body from it aside from your muscles. Eating way too low will just make your body cannibalize our muscle tissue because of lack of energy supply.
Personally I don't buy into that "you can lose fat, gain muscle at the same time" unless you're just new to weight lifting. We can't avoid any fat gains when building muscle but we can minimize it by doing weight lifting & interval training.0 -
If I eat over maintenance then I will gain muscle while lifting but also a little fat. If I eat below then I am supposed to loose fat but maintain my muscle if I lift. I seem to not loose fat unless I eat a strict 1300 cals but everyone tells me to eat more because I only have about 5 lbs of fat to lose. I haven’t lost for a month, since I started lifting. What should I eat to maintain my muscles and loose fat? Here are my stats.
Cardo - 3 hours at least a week
Weights - 3 days a week
Cals 1350 (don’t eat back but eat pretty clean)
I am 135 pounds and 5'6.5''
At 152 lbs I was 33% bf, pretty high so I was told to eat less
Thank you so much for your help! Any success stories of your own would be great motivation as well.
Based on your stats, you don't need to be in a deficit anymore. For skinny-fat people, a change in body composition by adding muscle mass should be the main concern since low levels of LBM is the main reason for the high BF% & for you to build muscle means eating a little bit above your maintenance. The reason: our muscles need more calories just to sustain itself & if you're working out hard, you need to eat more to support your body from it aside from your muscles. Eating way too low will just make your body cannibalize our muscle tissue because of lack of energy supply.
Personally I don't buy into that "you can lose fat, gain muscle at the same time" unless you're just new to weight lifting. We can't avoid any fat gains when building muscle but we can minimize it by doing weight lifting & interval training.
Thank you! I feel so alone when I say I am obese but thin LOL Finally someone that understands! It makes since. I will continue to lift and eat healthy 0
