Gaining muscle/losing fat? Help!!
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I agree with the give it more time comments. I hit many stalls while trying to lose weight and build muscle, however I would usually break them not by changing things but just allowing more time.
I think you can do both at the same time if you have alot of extra weight, but if you don't have alot of excess fat, it will be very difficult if possible at all.
You may also want to try taking up running. A few years ago I couldn't run a mile, now I am training to run my first full marathon. I've discovered that I really enjoy it and it helps me relieve stress etc. (maybe do some races, races are alot of fun, most runners it's all about personal best, not beating the person beside you) It also seems to help melt the fat off for me anways lol.0 -
So, about a month ago I started getting into using free weights more,
I do strength 4 days a week and 2 days a week of HIIT cardio.
I eat around 2000 calories, and I'm 5' and I currently weigh 115lbs, but I'm still pretty flabby.
I seem to be gaining muscle but not losing fat? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've tried to do the TDEE Calculators to see if I'm eating the correct amount, but I'm not sure exactly what my activity level would be?
Can someone pleeeeease give me advice! or if it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?
Please !
When you say you do strength training, what is your actual program? Are you lifting for high reps and low weight or are you lifting for high weight and low reps? Are you doing any kind of steady state cardio? Doing some quick estimations of your TDEE, I think you've overestimated your calorie needs. I would need more information to know that for sure, but it may be a case of too much food and not enough fat burning.
16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist
Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with a Minor in Nutritional Science
ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist0 -
So, about a month ago I started getting into using free weights more,
I do strength 4 days a week and 2 days a week of HIIT cardio.
I eat around 2000 calories, and I'm 5' and I currently weigh 115lbs, but I'm still pretty flabby.
I seem to be gaining muscle but not losing fat? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've tried to do the TDEE Calculators to see if I'm eating the correct amount, but I'm not sure exactly what my activity level would be?
Can someone pleeeeease give me advice! or if it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?
Please !
When you say you do strength training, what is your actual program? Are you lifting for high reps and low weight or are you lifting for high weight and low reps? Are you doing any kind of steady state cardio? Doing some quick estimations of your TDEE, I think you've overestimated your calorie needs. I would need more information to know that for sure, but it may be a case of too much food and not enough fat burning.
I'll do arms and abs on one day which is normally like deadlift, benchpress, and my weight isn't that high- around 35lbs, then i'll do push ups and tricep dips just with my own weight,
and legs are lunges with dumbells and squats with the same weight, the only problem is that i'm doing it at home and buying weight plates is damn expensive! but i'm keeping my reps moderate. about 10ish with 5 sets
i go walking occasionally, but I reckon it probably is to do with the eating, but idk0 -
Are you sure> You haven't stated what you have done to prove you are not losing fat. Did you do before/after measurements?I seem to be gaining muscle but not losing fat? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've tried to do the TDEE Calculators to see if I'm eating the correct amount, but I'm not sure exactly what my activity level would be?0 -
So, about a month ago I started getting into using free weights more,
I do strength 4 days a week and 2 days a week of HIIT cardio.
I eat around 2000 calories, and I'm 5' and I currently weigh 115lbs, but I'm still pretty flabby.
I seem to be gaining muscle but not losing fat? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've tried to do the TDEE Calculators to see if I'm eating the correct amount, but I'm not sure exactly what my activity level would be?
Can someone pleeeeease give me advice! or if it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?
Please !
How did you know what you are gaining but not losing? Are you gaining "weight" on the scale? Do you see any difference on your body? How does your clothes fit?
I am not trying to play expert as I am not one.
But people will ask you these questions anyhow. 0 -
I'm gonna disagree with everyone on here. Do not lower your calories.
It is true a recomp is pretty hard to do, but if you give it time at the calories you are eating (which is probably at or somewhere very close to your maintenance) you will start seeing results with lifting heavy. You are at a low enough weight where losing weight will make you look flabbier. Believe me, I've been there.
I'd stick with it a while longer, keep lifting and fueling your lifts. I lost 3% body fat (going from 21 to 18% even though I GAINED 5 pounds) and it took me 8 weeks of eating at maintenance. Now I can eat a lot more and not suffer/starve and still look great.0 -
A few observations. First, after looking at your profile pic, I doubt you are "flabby". You are only 115 and have a great shape. 2nd, I plugged your numbers into the BMR calulator on fat2fitradio.com and gave you a weight loss goal of 5 lbs and a very active (hard sports 6 to 7 days per week) and it gave me a calorie goal for you of 1834. Sound like you are eating at maintenance. You won't lose body fat or will very slowly at maintenance.
Also, you've only been lifting for 4 weeks and the weight your doing is not that heavy. I'd suggest taking a look at a progressive program like Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. You are probably not growing new muscle tissue but developing what you had and it is also taking on some water and glycogen based on your training. That all will make them look bigger and more defined. It is difficult for a women to grow muscle tissue without a calorie surplus and even then it's tough in the absence of testosterone.
Either way, you are not going to see hugely dramatic changes in 4 weeks. You are already pretty lean and in pretty good shape. That last bit of body fat is the hardest. Which raises another question. I know you think you are flabby but I don't see it. Do you know what your body fat % is? Generally it is not recommeded for a sexually mature woman to be at less than 15%.0 -
I'm gonna disagree with everyone on here. Do not lower your calories.
It is true a recomp is pretty hard to do, but if you give it time at the calories you are eating (which is probably at or somewhere very close to your maintenance) you will start seeing results with lifting heavy. You are at a low enough weight where losing weight will make you look flabbier. Believe me, I've been there.
I'd stick with it a while longer, keep lifting and fueling your lifts. I lost 3% body fat (going from 21 to 18% even though I GAINED 5 pounds) and it took me 8 weeks of eating at maintenance. Now I can eat a lot more and not suffer/starve and still look great.
Good to know! I love true stories to back up all those theories and numbers. Thanks!0 -
Are you sure> You haven't stated what you have done to prove you are not losing fat. Did you do before/after measurements?I seem to be gaining muscle but not losing fat? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've tried to do the TDEE Calculators to see if I'm eating the correct amount, but I'm not sure exactly what my activity level would be?
Well I've been taking my measurements every week but they seem to just stay the same, even before I started using weights, and even when I was losing more weight, so i kind of gave up on measurements.
How did you know what you are gaining but not losing? Are you gaining "weight" on the scale? Do you see any difference on your body? How does your clothes fit?
I am not trying to play expert as I am not one. But people will ask you these questions anyhow.
and yeah i'm definitely gaining weight (on the scale) and i know for a fact i've gained muscle but i've still got a fair amount of flab around it!, like when i tense you can see the muscle but over the top i'm jigglyyy0 -
I'm gonna disagree with everyone on here. Do not lower your calories.
It is true a recomp is pretty hard to do, but if you give it time at the calories you are eating (which is probably at or somewhere very close to your maintenance) you will start seeing results with lifting heavy. You are at a low enough weight where losing weight will make you look flabbier. Believe me, I've been there.
I'd stick with it a while longer, keep lifting and fueling your lifts. I lost 3% body fat (going from 21 to 18% even though I GAINED 5 pounds) and it took me 8 weeks of eating at maintenance. Now I can eat a lot more and not suffer/starve and still look great.
Ahh so much confusing information! Haha, I hate that one person says one thing and another says something the complete opposite! haha
That's awesome though! and yeah maybe I should stick it out for 4 more weeks and see how i go, and if i have no improvements maybe lower them? ahh i don't know haha0 -
A few observations. First, after looking at your profile pic, I doubt you are "flabby". You are only 115 and have a great shape. 2nd, I plugged your numbers into the BMR calulator on fat2fitradio.com and gave you a weight loss goal of 5 lbs and a very active (hard sports 6 to 7 days per week) and it gave me a calorie goal for you of 1834. Sound like you are eating at maintenance. You won't lose body fat or will very slowly at maintenance.
Also, you've only been lifting for 4 weeks and the weight your doing is not that heavy. I'd suggest taking a look at a progressive program like Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. You are probably not growing new muscle tissue but developing what you had and it is also taking on some water and glycogen based on your training. That all will make them look bigger and more defined. It is difficult for a women to grow muscle tissue without a calorie surplus and even then it's tough in the absence of testosterone.
Either way, you are not going to see hugely dramatic changes in 4 weeks. You are already pretty lean and in pretty good shape. That last bit of body fat is the hardest. Which raises another question. I know you think you are flabby but I don't see it. Do you know what your body fat % is? Generally it is not recommeded for a sexually mature woman to be at less than 15%.
Oh why thank you! :glasses: umm well before i started using weights my body fat % was i think around 24%![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
i basically had no muscle, and still don't have a huge amount obviously but its getting there. yeah, i definitely need to invest in more weights! and
also, as a side note im 20 years old and have basically never had muscle definition or any kind of fitness bone in my body before i started this! haha
UGhhh this is so confusing! Shoud I just lower my calories then? everyone says something different :sick: :frown: :sad:0 -
You can not build muscle mass and lose fat at the same time. they are complete opossites so you would be working against yourself. Just keep doing what you are doing if you said you are building muscle and make sure you keep your protein high and then cut after a few weeks of bulking. If you are worried about getting to big. then Bulk for two weeks then cut 1. I do this right before my comps0
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I recommend new rules of lifting for women to everyone, it's only like 15$ has a lot of good info!0
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A few observations. First, after looking at your profile pic, I doubt you are "flabby". You are only 115 and have a great shape. 2nd, I plugged your numbers into the BMR calulator on fat2fitradio.com and gave you a weight loss goal of 5 lbs and a very active (hard sports 6 to 7 days per week) and it gave me a calorie goal for you of 1834. Sound like you are eating at maintenance. You won't lose body fat or will very slowly at maintenance.
Also, you've only been lifting for 4 weeks and the weight your doing is not that heavy. I'd suggest taking a look at a progressive program like Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. You are probably not growing new muscle tissue but developing what you had and it is also taking on some water and glycogen based on your training. That all will make them look bigger and more defined. It is difficult for a women to grow muscle tissue without a calorie surplus and even then it's tough in the absence of testosterone.
Either way, you are not going to see hugely dramatic changes in 4 weeks. You are already pretty lean and in pretty good shape. That last bit of body fat is the hardest. Which raises another question. I know you think you are flabby but I don't see it. Do you know what your body fat % is? Generally it is not recommeded for a sexually mature woman to be at less than 15%.
Oh why thank you! :glasses: umm well before i started using weights my body fat % was i think around 24% i basically had no muscle, and still don't have a huge amount obviously but its getting there. yeah, i definitely need to invest in more weights! and
also, as a side note im 20 years old and have basically never had muscle definition or any kind of fitness bone in my body before i started this! haha
UGhhh this is so confusing! Shoud I just lower my calories then? everyone says something different :sick: :frown: :sad:
I wouldn't lower my calories much if at all. You are not growing new mucsles but what you are experiencing is neuro musclular adaptation. It a good thing. Basically, your muscle tissues are perking up from the workouts for lack of a better term and are filling with water and glycogen. That is why you are seeing a slight weight gain. As muy friend Cris Anderson said on another thread, think of your muscles like a sponge and they are now absorbing water and glycogen and swelling up. This is not bad at all. It's goodYou did not gain fat in all likelihod. You starting BF is not bad. You lifting is maintaining your muscle tissue. If you really want to lose fat, reduce your calories by 300 or 400 and keep lifting. You'll lose mostly fat and a little muscle tissue but not much and you'll get leaner. An alternative is you can keep eating at maintenance and lifting. You will lose mostly fat doing this and probably little to no muscle. It will take longer this way but you have the best chance of keeping all your muscle mass. BTW, you'll see some difference is 4 weeks but again, it won't be dramatic. This is a change you are making for your life. It can't be rushed if you want the change to be permanent! Best wishes!0 -
, although most days I don't hit my 2000 cals and struggle to hit protein
^^^^
This is your problem - you ned to hit your macros and eat enough0 -
A few observations. First, after looking at your profile pic, I doubt you are "flabby". You are only 115 and have a great shape. 2nd, I plugged your numbers into the BMR calulator on fat2fitradio.com and gave you a weight loss goal of 5 lbs and a very active (hard sports 6 to 7 days per week) and it gave me a calorie goal for you of 1834. Sound like you are eating at maintenance. You won't lose body fat or will very slowly at maintenance.
Also, you've only been lifting for 4 weeks and the weight your doing is not that heavy. I'd suggest taking a look at a progressive program like Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. You are probably not growing new muscle tissue but developing what you had and it is also taking on some water and glycogen based on your training. That all will make them look bigger and more defined. It is difficult for a women to grow muscle tissue without a calorie surplus and even then it's tough in the absence of testosterone.
Either way, you are not going to see hugely dramatic changes in 4 weeks. You are already pretty lean and in pretty good shape. That last bit of body fat is the hardest. Which raises another question. I know you think you are flabby but I don't see it. Do you know what your body fat % is? Generally it is not recommeded for a sexually mature woman to be at less than 15%.
Oh why thank you! :glasses: umm well before i started using weights my body fat % was i think around 24% i basically had no muscle, and still don't have a huge amount obviously but its getting there. yeah, i definitely need to invest in more weights! and
also, as a side note im 20 years old and have basically never had muscle definition or any kind of fitness bone in my body before i started this! haha
UGhhh this is so confusing! Shoud I just lower my calories then? everyone says something different :sick: :frown: :sad:
I wouldn't lower my calories much if at all. You are not growing new mucsles but what you are experiencing is neuro musclular adaptation. It a good thing. Basically, your muscle tissues are perking up from the workouts for lack of a better term and are filling with water and glycogen. That is why you are seeing a slight weight gain. As muy friend Cris Anderson said on another thread, think of your muscles like a sponge and they are now absorbing water and glycogen and swelling up. This is not bad at all. It's goodYou did not gain fat in all likelihod. You starting BF is not bad. You lifting is maintaining your muscle tissue. If you really want to lose fat, reduce your calories by 300 or 400 and keep lifting. You'll lose mostly fat and a little muscle tissue but not much and you'll get leaner. An alternative is you can keep eating at maintenance and lifting. You will lose mostly fat doing this and probably little to no muscle. It will take longer this way but you have the best chance of keeping all your muscle mass. BTW, you'll see some difference is 4 weeks but again, it won't be dramatic. This is a change you are making for your life. It can't be rushed if you want the change to be permanent! Best wishes!
All of this.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is bone density. New trainees (especially women) will see an increase in bone density for the first few months of training. This is a good thing (especially given the propensity for osteoporosis later in life).0 -
Lots of great info folks. I have nothing to add. But give yourself time and I second the recommendation for The New Rules of Lifting.0
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wait - what do you mean by strength training?0
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So, about a month ago I started getting into using free weights more,
I do strength 4 days a week and 2 days a week of HIIT cardio.
I eat around 2000 calories, and I'm 5' and I currently weigh 115lbs, but I'm still pretty flabby.
I seem to be gaining muscle but not losing fat? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've tried to do the TDEE Calculators to see if I'm eating the correct amount, but I'm not sure exactly what my activity level would be?
Can someone pleeeeease give me advice! or if it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?
Please !
We all have different bodies, so we have slightly different metabolisms, so each body can accumulate fat in a different way , so other war around same for loosing fat. Just you need to be patient till visible weight loss. You can do body fat analyse so it will tell you how is your body is transitioning. Continue to workout and careful about food.
0 -
So, about a month ago I started getting into using free weights more,
I do strength 4 days a week and 2 days a week of HIIT cardio.
I eat around 2000 calories, and I'm 5' and I currently weigh 115lbs, but I'm still pretty flabby.
I seem to be gaining muscle but not losing fat? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, I've tried to do the TDEE Calculators to see if I'm eating the correct amount, but I'm not sure exactly what my activity level would be?
Can someone pleeeeease give me advice! or if it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?
Please !
We all have different bodies, so we have slightly different metabolisms, so each body can accumulate fat in a different way , so other war around same for loosing fat. Just you need to be patient till visible weight loss. You can do body fat analyse so it will tell you how is your body is transitioning. Continue to workout and careful about food.
FYI, this thread is three years old.0
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