can't build muscle on a calorie deficit?

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Replies

  • katsue_0xo
    katsue_0xo Posts: 4
    Agreed- you are absolutely KILLING your metabolism. Your body will go into more of a survival/starvation mode where it tries to hang on to every bit of fat it can. You stop burning fat- and it can take a year or more to repair. Sure, you will loose a lot- and you'll do it fast. But I guarantee it won't stay off, you will start to gain no matter what you do, and you will feel like crap. Get some good, clean calories- and make sure you are getting enough.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Does anyone know how limited this 'newbie gains' thing usually is? I was reading McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook the other day and I thought he said something like someone new to lifting could grow muscle at a deficit for a couple MONTHS or something. It seems like you could do some not-insignificant changing to a smallish female body within months.

    My understanding is that it pretty much is exhausted within 6 months (rough estimate). From a size perspective, we are only talking about 1 -2 lb max in general (excluding water retention). It is all subjective obviously, but a combination of the definition you get from the small size gains combined with the drop in body fat can make a pretty impressive visual impact within a few months in my opinion.

    ETA: the law of diminishing returns applies to the 'window'.

    This!
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member
    I was watching Prometheus the other day and came up with an even more important question - Can I gain muscle mass while hosting a parasitic alien? What is the calorie equation here? I also want my alien to be the bad-a** HR Giger designed one, not one of those piddly little worm guys from the beginning. Do aliens need a different macro combination that I?
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Does anyone know how limited this 'newbie gains' thing usually is? I was reading McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook the other day and I thought he said something like someone new to lifting could grow muscle at a deficit for a couple MONTHS or something. It seems like you could do some not-insignificant changing to a smallish female body within months.

    A couple weeks, up to a couple months but it still wont be much. Maybe like a pound or two spread out over the whole body probably wont even be noticeable.

    And of course this! (reading from the bottom up)
  • Lindaalthea
    Lindaalthea Posts: 4 Member
    Personally I gain muscle and lose weight until I plateau. Then I lose flat and muscle becomes more lean. When you hit a weight you are happy with you may actually add a few cals to increase muscle....if you are happy with muscle your body will maintain if the deficit isn't too severe.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Does anyone know how limited this 'newbie gains' thing usually is? I was reading McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook the other day and I thought he said something like someone new to lifting could grow muscle at a deficit for a couple MONTHS or something. It seems like you could do some not-insignificant changing to a smallish female body within months.

    A couple weeks, up to a couple months but it still wont be much. Maybe like a pound or two spread out over the whole body probably wont even be noticeable.

    And of course this! (reading from the bottom up)

    I think I liked Sarauk2sf's answer better. While 1 or 2 pounds of muscle over a persons whole body might not be noticeable on its own. It will will definitely help when combined with the overall changes that will happen in the beginning. Not to mention 2 pounds of muscle is no small thing when it comes to additional calorie burning.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I was watching Prometheus the other day and came up with an even more important question - Can I gain muscle mass while hosting a parasitic alien? What is the calorie equation here? I also want my alien to be the bad-a** HR Giger designed one, not one of those piddly little worm guys from the beginning. Do aliens need a different macro combination that I?

    Technically a parasite host could be considered lean body mass. It depends on how fat the parasite is though. And how much muscle the parasite gains in a caloric deficit.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Does anyone know how limited this 'newbie gains' thing usually is? I was reading McDonald's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook the other day and I thought he said something like someone new to lifting could grow muscle at a deficit for a couple MONTHS or something. It seems like you could do some not-insignificant changing to a smallish female body within months.

    I am a 6'3", 230lb, 32 year old male and I put on just over 2lbs of LBM in about 6 months of heavy lifting (deadlifts, squats, rows, bench, etc). It ain't much. Maybe a little more on a younger man with more testosterone. On a woman...it's not even worth talking about.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    You can't gain muscle mass in much quantities as to be any form of noticeable.

    Well I must be some strange human anomaly then... :huh:

    I am lifting heavy, eat a high protein / high fat / low carb diet and I've been building muscle quite nicely thank you.

    You should sell your secrets, you'll make millions because apparently you're rarer than a unicorn. Or you're just mistaken, One or the other, who's to say?
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
    I'm on a 1,000 calories per day deficit and can definitely feel muscles growing larger now from my workouts.

    tracey-jordan-nope.gif
    no

    Agree totally and found this the funniest post I've seen in ages!

    1000 calories a day = starvation, fatigue, muscle loss, hair loss


    To be fair they said 1000 a day DEFICIT. They could have been eating 3000 cals which means at 2000 theyre still at a 1000 calorie deficit. Jus' sayin
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member

    To be fair they said 1000 a day DEFICIT. They could have been eating 3000 cals which means at 2000 theyre still at a 1000 calorie deficit. Jus' sayin

    Deficit isn't what you WERE eating minus what you're eating now!

    Deficit is how many calories below what your daily expenditure is

    i.e If your TDEE = 2500, you consume 1500 in calories to get your 1000 calorie deficit

    Her TDEE could be 3000 if she was a bricklayer or spent a few hours per day in the gym but it's unlikely!

    I would guess her TDEE = 2500 and she consumes 1500 a day
  • Donners185
    Donners185 Posts: 329 Member
    I'm on a 1,000 calories per day deficit and can definitely feel muscles growing larger now from my workouts.

    tracey-jordan-nope.gif
    no

    Agree totally and found this the funniest post I've seen in ages!

    ^ This. Made me lol!!! Hell no!
  • m60kaf
    m60kaf Posts: 421 Member
    I love the concept that you can just eat the right amount so your body fat turns to muscle from perfectly balance training sessions - but the fact is it just doesn't work.

    If you see 'more muscle' on defecit it is the existing muscle showing

    I have been overweight and it is a difficult concept for me to accept that to put muscle on I have to eat more - in my mind that just makes me fat - but to gain you need excess

    The key is the food has to be clean -- I eat 'too much' but rarely refined carbs
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    This thread explains things perfectly.

    I started lifting heavy around 8 weeks or so ago and assumed I was gaining muscle but having read through several of these threads in the last few weeks I came to understand that I was gaining strength and stripping fat and I am more than happy with that. Gaining muscle is not as important to me as seeing the muscle I have already got. My body shape seems to be changing very rapidly and I am so glad I took the advice offered on MFP regarding lifting heavy it is changing my life. Even improved a back condition I have suffered with for years, oh boy I feel so much stronger.

    Just wanted to thank all the guys n gals that know what they are talking about for taking the time to inform people like me who are still learning. :flowerforyou:
  • ephemerata
    ephemerata Posts: 82 Member
    My goal is to have a soft but toned pin up style figure (I would have said feminine but muscular chicks are feminine too and I didn't want to offend)

    love you for that. <3 it's awesome to see people being inclusive and not pinholing one body type into a ridiculous definition of femininity.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member

    Just wanted to thank all the guys n gals that know what they are talking about for taking the time to inform people like me who are still learning. :flowerforyou:

    This ^^^

    I know a lot more now than I did 3 months ago thanks to some on here.

    It does take a fair bit of investigative work to decide who to ignore and who to listen to but i think I know enough now to be able to do that. Those that are most assertive are not necessarily the most knowledgable!
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member

    To be fair they said 1000 a day DEFICIT. They could have been eating 3000 cals which means at 2000 theyre still at a 1000 calorie deficit. Jus' sayin

    Deficit isn't what you WERE eating minus what you're eating now!

    Deficit is how many calories below what your daily expenditure is

    i.e If your TDEE = 2500, you consume 1500 in calories to get your 1000 calorie deficit

    Her TDEE could be 3000 if she was a bricklayer or spent a few hours per day in the gym but it's unlikely!

    I would guess her TDEE = 2500 and she consumes 1500 a day

    Ignore me, it was a total blonde day, *duh*
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member

    To be fair they said 1000 a day DEFICIT. They could have been eating 3000 cals which means at 2000 theyre still at a 1000 calorie deficit. Jus' sayin

    Deficit isn't what you WERE eating minus what you're eating now!

    Deficit is how many calories below what your daily expenditure is

    i.e If your TDEE = 2500, you consume 1500 in calories to get your 1000 calorie deficit

    Her TDEE could be 3000 if she was a bricklayer or spent a few hours per day in the gym but it's unlikely!

    I would guess her TDEE = 2500 and she consumes 1500 a day

    Ignore me, it was a total blonde day, *duh*

    Lol I would have ignored it but now you have just brought it to my attention again!
    :wink:
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
    My goal is to have a soft but toned pin up style figure (I would have said feminine but muscular chicks are feminine too and I didn't want to offend)

    love you for that. <3 it's awesome to see people being inclusive and not pinholing one body type into a ridiculous definition of femininity.

    I agree! There is more than one idea of feminine and it's good to know that people can realise this. Personally, I'm with you. I have an hourglass figure with curves and I love it. I just want the curves to be a bit smaller that's all. Thanks for the OP. It answered a lot of questions I had!
  • Bealach_Bug
    Bealach_Bug Posts: 52
    Great thread, its answered a lot of my questions. Thanks Guys
  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
    Bump. Running late for work and really want to read this later. Great comments so far.
  • Glitter969
    Glitter969 Posts: 77 Member

    Just wanted to thank all the guys n gals that know what they are talking about for taking the time to inform people like me who are still learning. :flowerforyou:

    This ^^^

    I know a lot more now than I did 3 months ago thanks to some on here.

    It does take a fair bit of investigative work to decide who to ignore and who to listen to but i think I know enough now to be able to do that. Those that are most assertive are not necessarily the most knowledgable!

    Ditto

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