Fat Loss Vs. Muscle Gain/Strength

Re: Fat Loss Vs. Muscle Gain/Strength

• Lobsters25 member

  

  June 2012

  You would need to eat more because, in simplest terms, your body cannot build muscle from nothing (grammar police-double negative, I know .)  That being said, you'd need the right combination of foods, which includes much more protein.
  
  I have no clue about the body fat %, but I would imagine it depends on the way your specific body is built.
  
  FI directed me toward this article - which seems to have some good info.
  http://jcdfitness.com/2010/02/the-muscle-building-guide-for-women/

  

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• firsttimersluck member

  

  June 2012

  What are you muscle gain goals? Yes, you should increase your calories, but not as much as men tend to unless you're lifting crazy heavy for an hour as added exercise. If you are replacing cardio with weight lifting, then I would keep the same caloric intake, but start swapping out some of your carbs with more protein. 

  Although, to be honest (I don't know how tall you are) but I do think you're not netting enough. Especially if you're wanting to start gaining muscle. 

  
  

  You should already be eating about half your body weight in grams of protein (ie, if you're 140, you should be eating at least 70 grams of protein a day. YES this is higher than what MFP or any of those sights suggest, but it's true) 

  When lifting, you need a bunch more protein to help rebuild the muscles.  If you're really getting into lifting, you should be hitting at LEAST 100 grams of protein a day. That doesn't mean you need to add that many more calories into your day,

  You say you're lifting heavy, but you're lifting high reps. 12-15 is about the highest rep you should be able to get to. 

  Heavy would be only getting to 5. But since you're not used to going THAT heavy, I suggest you try doing pyramids with lifting. Do you know what that is? 

  
  

  Your body fat % question is difficult to answer. You do want a lower bf% for health reasons, not neessarily for vainity reasons. But it looks different on everyone. 

  I'm at 16% bf and you probably wouldn't guess it. I'm 5'8, 140 and have an hourglass figure. I'm NEVER going to look like a stick (or super ripped, just because.. I don't wanna :P ) I know girls that are at 20% that look thinner than me. It's just the way it is with body shape.. 

  But if you're looking at your actual %, make sure you're getting that number from a machine doing actual measuring, not some calculation that is a guestimate. 

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• maribeth721

  

  June 2012 edited June 2012

  @lobsters - Great link! Thank you! This is really helpful information.I am short and curvy, I guess I would define myself as to answer your question (if that was a question lol). I will never be a stick - but I'm ok with that. I don't want to be! I used to refer to myself as "stumpy" looking but FI hates when I say that lol. So I know I will probably always have more body fat than a girl with a smaller frame and I have to learn to be ok with that too.
  
  @firsttimers - I am not sure how to define my goals. I know I went to be stronger and I'd like to look a little more athletic. I am only 5'3" so I definitely suffer from some short girl syndrome. The calories to maintain my weight (according to MFP) are between 1500 and 1600 so I feel it  would be difficult for me to still lose fat by netting much more than 1200 calories. Since fat loss has been my primary goal -and I'm petite- I have never really wanted to go over that. Now that that chapter is sort of coming to a close, I know I need to start netting more. But I wasn't sure exactly how much to net. Thank you for the information on the protein and the carbs. I know I go way over on my carbs (breads, rice, etc, nothing white though) so I know I need to curb that. As far as protein, I don't really eat meat so sometimes I supplement with whey protein to up my protein levels. Thanks for the tip on that as well! The last time I had my BF% measured was at my gym, and it was an actual measurement, not a machine.
  
   Would you mind elaborating a little more on what a pyramid is that you mentioned? Thanks!

  

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• firsttimersluck member

  

  June 2012

  
  

  The pyramid way of lifting is KILLER, but I like that I'm ALWAYS sore after it, which means results.. so .. that's a win :P haha.. You can do it forward or backward, so I'll give you the forward. 

  
  

  Consider a bicep curl. You start with a weight that you KNOW you can do at least 12 reps of. You go until you just can't go anymore (maybe you get to 25 bicep curls before you have to stop, that's fine) 

  Then you set that weight down, and grab the next heaviest (If you started with 10 pounds, you move to 15) and do the same thing.. As many as possible, Then swap for the next highest until you can't do anymore, etc. 

  You stop when you get to the weight that you can only do one on. 

  
  

  Most people like to do the inverted pyramid (I know I do) which is starting with the heavest, and going lighter, but you have to for sure know your body's limits for that.. So the first few times it's best to start with light---> heavy. 

  
  

  
  

  You WILL be sore, so you want to make sure that you're not doing similar muscle groups (ie, most people try to avoid woring out complementary muscle groups when doing a pyramid work out) that particular day.. For example, I wouldn't do biceps and triceps on the same day.. But I might do biceps and hamstrings. 

  It's a really great way to set up your work out if you WANT to lift and learn to lift heavy, but aren't sure as to how to just.. dive into it.  

  
  

  Also, as far as the diet goes.. 

  Have you considered swapping out some stuff? The bread you're eating can make a difference.. If you love bread and you're not ready to give it up, something like Silver Hills bread is a FABULOUS choice. 

  Quinoa is sooo much better for you than rice, and you can use it exactly the same. 

  
  

  I am not a meat eater either. In fact, this plateau I've been stuck at for MONTHS has been killing my ego, and after much research I have decided to transition to a vegan. 

  Protein is so easy to get outside of meat, though. With no meat in my diet, I still consume a good 100grams a day from quinoa, lentils, legumes in general, nuts, etc. 

  
  

  And I know you don't want to hear it because I also struggle with messing with my caloric intake, but you HAVE to up the cals woman. To maintain, you need to be nettings 1,500ish. You don't want to maintain, you want to GAIN. At least up it to 1,500 for a while to see how things go. If you're eating the right things and working out, your gain will be in muscle, not in fat. Don't be afraid of the word "gain" !! As you build muscle, your body will naturalls continue to burn off that extra fat because it realizes what you're doing and wants to make room for that woman-beast muscle  

  
  

  
  

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• firsttimersluck member

  

  June 2012

  and.. uh.. wow.. sorry for the essay -__-

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• maribeth721

  

  June 2012

  Hahahaha. No worried! It's what I wanted. I appreciate it very much. I like the pyramid idea a lot and will definitely start incorporating that into my lifting routine. I love quinoa, I eat it a few times a week actually but I know my bread/pasta needs an adjustment. Thanks for the tip on the bread. I am really struggling with the calorie increase idea. It is like ingrained in my brain that eating more = fat/weight gain. I know I need to get over that and just try it out and see what happens. But it's scary stuff!! Especially after you've lost weight/fat and you desparately don't want to put it back on!
  
  Firsttimers, you always give really good adivce to posts on here so I always look forward to hearing your responses. Thank you again!!!

  

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• MerAndTrick member

  

  July 2012

  OK - Forgive the LOOOOONG Response - I'll Try to answer each question individually...

  
  

  What does different Body Fat % mean/ look like?

  This website is a good article:

  http://team4orce.com/blog/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages/

  
  

  
  

  What should I eat to put on muscle and drop body fat %?

  Short answer: MORE!  1200 is WAAAY too low to put on ANY muscle in fact you are probably LOSING muscle at that caloric intake which is why you've lost weight.  Straight cutting calories, without balancing how many, of what and with what exercise, is NEVER a good way to lose "good" weight.

  Long answer:  Still MORE!  But what you are eating is the important part.  If you are HONESTLY trying to increase muscle you need to eat between 1.5-2 grams of protein for every existing lean pound of muscle you have.  That means, if you are 150lbs, and you estimate based on looking at the pics in the above list you're 25% body fat, that means you have 112lbs of lean muscle mass so you will need 169-224 grams of protein a day.  (150lbs actual body weight * (100% - 25% body fate percentage) *1.5-2 grams of protein a day).  Seems like a lot?  Thats because compared to the Standard American Diet (or SAD) it is.  Federal guidelines recommend 46 grams/ day for women aged 17-70!  That means SIGNIFICANTLY upping your protein intake... Your body can only absorb 35-50 grams of protein per sitting (everyones a little different)... so to get app 200 grams of protein per day, you need to have 3 meals all with about 50 grams of protein plus either another meal or a protein shake.  That takes care of the BUILD muscle portion.  To loose fat you need to cut back on foods that create an insulin response in your body this is because the NUMBER ONE regulator of fat storage is insulin.  More insulin = more fat stored in your body.  Insulin responses are higher in high-glucose/carb/sugar foods.  So if you REALLY want to cut down on body fat, you need to cut back on these foods.  Eliminate all grains, sugars, etc.  Stick to the occasionaly (like once daily) sweet potato, or some brown rice, nromally eaten right after training/ exercise.

  
  

  
  

  What should my exercise look like?

  You're lifting weights "heavy" enough to do 12-15 - that's not heavy.  Heavy is something you can only lift 3-5 times, MAXIMUM.  Now Pyramid setting is a GREAT way to add strength.  So find a weight you can only do 3-5 times.  Do that weight for the 3-5 weights.  Wait 15 seconds only then immediately drop weight to the next lowest and do the maximum you down.  Do as many possible at that weight.  Drop again.  So on a so forth.  

  You should lift 3-5 times a week to put on muscle... no more... no less.  Less and you aren't lifting enough to force your body to adapt.  More and you are not allowing your muscle or CNS to recover.

  You should squat 2-3 times a week.  Squatting is the MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE EXERCISE you can do.  It strengthens the LARGEST muscle groups in your body, is excellent for developing core stability and balance, and overall will show you the fastest gains.

  
  

  
  

  Is there anything else I should do?

  Add 2000mg+ of Vitamin D per day this will help in fat metabolism.  Research and talk to your doctor about adding 500mg of slow-release niacin taken before bed.  Outside of that, nothing.

  
  

  
  

  HAPPY LIFTING!!!

  
  

  Counting Down the Days...

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