how to lose gut and build muscle

[may24]

First post, and i am asking for advice.
I am 33 years old and what i would describe as skinny fat, meaning i have a slim build but have a gut that I am trying to get rid of. I have been working out 6 days a week for 3 weeks now using Fawnia's weight training for beginners routine (that can be found on this site but i was unable to post the link) I have also started eating much better and am down about 5 pounds. I am 5'9 and about 170.
My question is, i want to lose the gut but dont want to become a skinny rail so i also want to increase muscle. So how do i do that? should i take a protein supplement or do i need to lose weight in the gut and then begin to build muscle? Should I really be counting calories or should i try to eat alot of protein to help build the muscle?

Thanks for any help.

[bixbysnyder]

Either magic, or,

do i need to lose weight in the gut and then begin to build muscle?

this.

[may24]

Either magic, or,



this.

Thanks for the quick reply.

So should I continue with Fawnia's beginner weight training routine, or just do all cardio for now to lose the fat?
So you are saying I need to become the skinny rail again, and then start bulking up with muscle?

[PeterGibbons316]

Start bulking. If you are a n00b you might be able to lose fat at the same time which would be win/win and save you some time. If you can't, you can always cut later which will be much easier once you have a solid foundation from your bulk.

[may24]

Start bulking. If you are a n00b you might be able to lose fat at the same time which would be win/win and save you some time. If you can't, you can always cut later which will be much easier once you have a solid foundation from your bulk.

This is what I was thinking.
But heard that you cant build muscle and lose weight at the same time, which sounded stupid to me.
What I am struggling with, is to build muscle "they" say you need to eat lots and take in lots of protein. But to lose weight you need to cut calories, so what I am really looking for is diet advice, do i cut calories while weight training to try and lose fat?
I do the beginners workout, that takes me 45-1 hour and then do 22 minutes of cardio on the bike, one day a week i just do cardio 45 minutes bike 15 stair master.

[bixbysnyder]

So you are saying I need to become the skinny rail again, and then start bulking up with muscle?

Start bulking. If you are a n00b you might be able to lose fat at the same time which would be win/win and save you some time. If you can't, you can always cut later which will be much easier once you have a solid foundation from your bulk.

Yea, it's definitely easier to cut after bulking than the other way around, just most people here are afraid of that so I figured you'd be more interested in losing the gut first. If you're at a pretty low BF% anyway, which it sounds like you are, and if you don't care about getting slightly fatter and more muscular before you get thin... yea, bulk then cut.

[bixbysnyder]

to build muscle "they" say you need to eat lots and take in lots of protein. But to lose weight you need to cut calories

Why does it sound stupid that you can't do both at the same time, when you understand exactly why you can't do both at the same time?

There are some approaches that claim to allow it by messing with timing and stuff around when you work out, but it's much easier to focus on one and then the other imo.

Here's a good resource to better answer your question, if you're curious: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...ng-fat-qa.html

[PeterGibbons316]

This is what I was thinking.
But heard that you cant build muscle and lose weight at the same time, which sounded stupid to me.
What I am struggling with, is to build muscle "they" say you need to eat lots and take in lots of protein. But to lose weight you need to cut calories, so what I am really looking for is diet advice, do i cut calories while weight training to try and lose fat?
I do the beginners workout, that takes me 45-1 hour and then do 22 minutes of cardio on the bike, one day a week i just do cardio 45 minutes bike 15 stair master.

It's hard to make a recommendation because you are doing so much right now and have some conflicting goals.

To build muscle, you have to eat more than you currently are. Muscle has mass associated with it which means you will gain weight. To reduce weight you need to eat less than you currently are. So it should be very clear as to why you typically can't do both at the same time.

Luckily though as a n00b without much of a strength base established you can continue to eat less while lifting and build some muscle while reducing fat at the same time. Start counting your calories and keeping a log. Also you need to be eating a lot of protein - 1g/lb of lean body mass at a minimum. With any luck your strength will increase while you start to lose the fat around your midsection (and everywhere else as well).

I'm not familiar with your program, but hopefully you are lifting heavy with all muscle groups.