Muscle Gain Keeping up with Fat Loss?

[ruining]

I've been hitting the gym for about 8 weeks. I hired a trainer and made sure I was doing things right, as I had never lifted before.

I'm 6'4" and started at 290 lbs at 32% body fat. After 3 weeks, I lost 20 lbs and it hasn't moved since. On week 6, I had my body fat checked again and was at 29%.

I used to consume around 3600-4000 calories per day of fast food, pizza, soda, and a couple of candy bars or four, every day. Now I'm eating around 1200 and lifting 3 days per week and doing cardio 40 minutes, 6 days per week. I've been a little irritated, because after the first 3 weeks, I haven't lost any weight. I've gone down 3 belt notches over the last 3 weeks, but with no weight loss, so I figured that I was just offsetting loss with muscle gain. I'm starting to see muscle in my upper body, which I've never really had before, and I'm increasing weights at the gym and I'm getting much stronger.

I have back problems from a car accident and improper lifting from jr. high and high school while I was working at a transmission shop, and a few days ago it flared up again. I haven't gone to the gym for 3 days this week because of pain and I've lost 3 lbs.

Is it possible that I'm just putting on muscle as fast as I can burn it off? I feel like I'm not making much progress, but that's only because of the scale. Everything seems to be falling in line. Should I be doing something else to lean up? I got rid of carbs, except for one cheat day per week, where I have about 3 slices of super-thin crust pizza that come out to about 170 calories and 14g of carbs, each. Even on those days, I'm only eating 1400 calories and everything else I eat is clean.

[Cue772]

I've been hitting the gym for about 8 weeks. I hired a trainer and made sure I was doing things right, as I had never lifted before.

I'm 6'4" and started at 290 lbs at 32% body fat. After 3 weeks, I lost 20 lbs and it hasn't moved since. On week 6, I had my body fat checked again and was at 29%.

I used to consume around 3600-4000 calories per day of fast food, pizza, soda, and a couple of candy bars or four, every day. Now I'm eating around 1200 and lifting 3 days per week and doing cardio 40 minutes, 6 days per week. I've been a little irritated, because after the first 3 weeks, I haven't lost any weight. I've gone down 3 belt notches over the last 3 weeks, but with no weight loss, so I figured that I was just offsetting loss with muscle gain. I'm starting to see muscle in my upper body, which I've never really had before, and I'm increasing weights at the gym and I'm getting much stronger.

I have back problems from a car accident and improper lifting from jr. high and high school while I was working at a transmission shop, and a few days ago it flared up again. I haven't gone to the gym for 3 days this week because of pain and I've lost 3 lbs.

Is it possible that I'm just putting on muscle as fast as I can burn it off? I feel like I'm not making much progress, but that's only because of the scale. Everything seems to be falling in line. Should I be doing something else to lean up? I got rid of carbs, except for one cheat day per week, where I have about 3 slices of super-thin crust pizza that come out to about 170 calories and 14g of carbs, each. Even on those days, I'm only eating 1400 calories and everything else I eat is clean.

The first weeks of diet/exercise change fluctuates quite a bit with each individual. I don't see how you are getting enough calories to sustain your workouts and build muscle, and I would suggest that you will soon cease strength/muscle gains with the depletion of energy you are describing. A guideline would be at least 1g of protein per pound of lean body weight. do a search on here regarding macro management...there is some great info.

It takes the correct nutrition to truly transform your body for the long haul. You are not getting enough in my opinion.

[billb7581]

1400 cals doesn't seem like enough. You are about the same size as me and I am trying to fine tune my diet. The tipping point for me is up around 3000 calories. I am by no means an expert but you are going to need more cals of protein especially to build any muscle.

[ruining]

Well, my long term goal is to build muscle. I have been getting much hungrier and have considered upping my cal. My short term goal is to drop as much weight as possible so that I can join a training class this summer that requires me to be fit. I'm running on as few calories as possible until I'm around 15% bf, then I'll start my bulk.

Would you have any other advice on how to do this, or just keep on it? I want to have as little ground to make up as possible once I start to bulk, but I won't be accepted into this class as long as I'm overweight.

As far as the macro management, I don't get that stuff at all. I've read the sticky at least 5 times, and my inner moron kicks in every single time.

I try to be 35-50% protein, 15-25% carbs, (no grains) and around 30% fat.

I'm wondering if I up my calorie intake and keep up with this workout routine, If I'll be around 15% by June.

Thanks a lot for the replies, so far.

[latebloomingmom]

you are 6ft 4 and eating only 1400 calories a day?????

[ruining]

you are 6ft 4 and eating only 1400 calories a day?????

I log on myplate. I'm between 1200-1500 every day. I've only hit 1500 a couple of times in the last week. I'm really motivated to get this weight off. Think it's a problem? I've been thinking about upping it to around 2000, but I want fast loss.

[BloodySalad]

I was pretty much in the same boat. I dropped from 300 to 210 and couldn't get any lower. Even though I dropped my calories to below 1000.
The advice I got here was to eat a bit more. It worked, I got over the plateau and now I'm 194 and still going down. Instead of starving myself and getting nowhere, I'm now eating properly and losing weight.

Have a feed up day. Eat what you like. Hell, pig out for 24 as a treat if it raises your morale. Then go low carb, stay 500 below maintenance and see how you get on with that for a few weeks. You should lose between one and two pounds a week. Carb up every one or two weeks if you're lifting, otherwise don't worry about it. If that doesn't work out, drop down another couple hundred cals. Make sure that you never go below 1000 of maintenance though.
If that doesn't work, then try a keto diet.
Keep track of all your calories. Use a website like fitday.com and make inputting your stats a habit. If you don't understand macros, don't worry - just get started and as long as you put in your stats properly, it will work it all out for you. Then you can adjust as you see necessary.

[rangerNY]

There are people WAY more knowledgeable than me that I bet will chime in, but 1500 calories at 6'4" and 270 is likely starvation mode. You're really going to struggle to lose fat that way. There are all kinds of ways to calculate what your daily caloric requirement is. Every last one of them will tell you that even for weight loss you need to each much more than that.

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Choose advanced options and select the Katch-McCardle formula since you know your bodyfat percentage. I bet you come up with 2800+ per day, even for fat loss.

[ruining]

I was pretty much in the same boat. I dropped from 300 to 210 and couldn't get any lower. Even though I dropped my calories to below 1000.
The advice I got here was to eat a bit more. It worked, I got over the plateau and now I'm 194 and still going down. Instead of starving myself and getting nowhere, I'm now eating properly and losing weight.

Have a feed up day. Eat what you like. Hell, pig out for 24 as a treat if it raises your morale. Then go low carb, stay 500 below maintenance and see how you get on with that for a few weeks. You should lose between one and two pounds a week. Carb up every one or two weeks if you're lifting, otherwise don't worry about it. If that doesn't work out, drop down another couple hundred cals. Make sure that you never go below 1000 of maintenance though.
If that doesn't work, then try a keto diet.
Keep track of all your calories. Use a website like fitday.com and make inputting your stats a habit. If you don't understand macros, don't worry - just get started and as long as you put in your stats properly, it will work it all out for you. Then you can adjust as you see necessary.

Wow, man! Nice work on the transformation! My only concern is that if I'm running 500 below maintenance, I won't be able to drop the body fat % that I need to by June. I see that you've dropped over 100 in around 7 months. (?) I'll start giving it a shot and see what happens. Any idea what your bf% is right now?

[starbuck72]

You also didn't say how you had your bodyfat done. Seriously, I eat 1500 cals a day. Well, more sometimes, but it depends on food you eat. Up your protein and veggies. Really.

And if you are weighing yourself, muscle weighs more than fat. If you are doing mostly weight training with little cardio, the weight won't come off as quickly but the inches will. Screw the scale. They lie anyway.

And fast loss? Please. Did it take you 2 months to put it on? Be realistic, guy. Look at 2 pounds in a week, that's pushing it. You want to keep it off or wear a bikini next month? Lose it gradually. It won't kill you. What should keep you motivated is the fact that you are doing something to improve yourself. If you want it to stick, make your 'diet' something you can live with forever. Not until you fit into your bikini, or tankini, or whatever it is you boys are wearing nowadays.

[ruining]

There are people WAY more knowledgeable than me that I bet will chime in, but 1500 calories at 6'4" and 270 is likely starvation mode. You're really going to struggle to lose fat that way. There are all kinds of ways to calculate what your daily caloric requirement is. Every last one of them will tell you that even for weight loss you need to each much more than that.

Choose advanced options and select the Katch-McCardle formula since you know your bodyfat percentage. I bet you come up with 2800+ per day, even for fat loss.

Thanks a lot for the link. It says Maintenance 3294, Fat Loss 2635, Extreme Fat Loss 2160. Pretty good estimate, there with 2800. I'll start shooting for 2500 and see what happens and work from there.

[rangerNY]

Thanks a lot for the link. It says Maintenance 3294, Fat Loss 2635, Extreme Fat Loss 2160. Pretty good estimate, there with 2800. I'll start shooting for 2500 and see what happens and work from there.

No problem. Glad to help. Just keep in mind that when you bump up the calories, initially you might see some weight gain for a week or two. That's pretty normal and to be expected. Don't panic. Just stay the course in the gym, make sure you're making your calories count, and the downward trend will kick back in. Starbuck is right, too. You don't "need" to be at any weight or bodyfat by June. You might want to, but shooting for "Biggest Loser" style rapid and dramatic weight loss is a losing proposition in the long run.

[salatheel]

Your definitely not getting enough calories. I can understand your mindset. It's easy to get caught up in restricting calories to the point where it becomes detrimental. At your size I would look to take in 3000 calories minimum. Shoot for 300-350g protein minimum. Keep your metabolism stoked by eating 6-8 small meals per day. A meal can be something as easy as a protein bar or shake. Take in less carbs as the day goes on. The only exception would be right after working out if you lift at night. Get use to eating cleaner foods. Chicken, fish, brown rice, salads,broccoli, ect... You can do it! Your on your way!

[ruining]

You also didn't say how you had your bodyfat done. Seriously, I eat 1500 cals a day. Well, more sometimes, but it depends on food you eat. Up your protein and veggies. Really.

And if you are weighing yourself, muscle weighs more than fat. If you are doing mostly weight training with little cardio, the weight won't come off as quickly but the inches will. Screw the scale. They lie anyway.

And fast loss? Please. Did it take you 2 months to put it on? Be realistic, guy. Look at 2 pounds in a week, that's pushing it. You want to keep it off or wear a bikini next month? Lose it gradually. It won't kill you. What should keep you motivated is the fact that you are doing something to improve yourself. If you want it to stick, make your 'diet' something you can live with forever. Not until you fit into your bikini, or tankini, or whatever it is you boys are wearing nowadays.

I had my body fat taken with an Omron HBF-306CN Fat Loss Monitor. Not super reliable, but the losses should be pretty accurate. I had two different monitors on two different days and they both read 32% before training. I've been eating chicken breasts, turkey, and ocasionally ground beef, (not often) and a ton of veggies. I've been eating really clean over the last couple of months.

It took about 2 years to get fat and I know it will take a while to get fit, but I don't care how I look, really. I'm trying to get in to a new career that requires me to be really fit. I have 5 months left to get as fit as possible and I'm just looking for the most improvement possible in that amount of time. I'm very realistic about it, I just need to do the best I can and I'm here for advice that will make me the best that I can be by my deadline. If it's not good enough by then, I'll have another shot in another 3 months. Thank you.

[BloodySalad]

Any idea what your bf% is right now?

No idea. And even if it is lower than I might guess, I screwed up, lost too much too fast and am now stuck with a load of unsightly loose skin which ruins any lean look effect.
And that's something else that you should consider if you get the urge to lose to much too fast as I did.

I'm hoping my skin will tighten up but there's no guarantee. And even if it does, would I take the risk again and lose so fast? No. I'd be losing sensibly as I'm doing now and as you've been advised to do here. Take your time and do it properly. You may be desperate to lose it as quick as possible but it's seriously worth doing it the right way rather than screwing up and either stalling for weeks or months, ending up looking like crap or doing some damage by not taking on the proper cal load and nutrients.

[TheLulz69]

Hello, i'm on a similar case.

According to my scale Im at 27%bf... Weight is 196lbs for 5'9" and muscle mass is 80lbs (or this is what bioimpedance test says). I'm not sure if these numbers are "nice" or im just a weakened skinnyfat guy lol.

I started cutting 2 weeks ago and dropped 3 pounds so far, I'm using BCAA to avoid catabolization, and creatine for energy questions Hope to get to 10-12% around July, and then start bulking. My daily intake is around 1600-1700kcal.

I'd say BCAA intake is important while cutting.

[BigMech]

I'm 6'6" and during my weight loss I was working out 5 days a week, 2+ hours day, half cardio, half lifting, and eating between 2200-2500 calories a day. I was losing an average of 3 lbs a week for over a year on that program. Now I'm up to a little over 3,000 calories a day, and I'm still very slowly losing weight.

I think around 2,200 a day would be a good target for your goals, and the amount of exercise you are doing. 1,400 is just too low.

[bassing68]

Well, my long term goal is to build muscle. I have been getting much hungrier and have considered upping my cal. My short term goal is to drop as much weight as possible so that I can join a training class this summer that requires me to be fit. I'm running on as few calories as possible until I'm around 15% bf, then I'll start my bulk.

Would you have any other advice on how to do this, or just keep on it? I want to have as little ground to make up as possible once I start to bulk, but I won't be accepted into this class as long as I'm overweight.

As far as the macro management, I don't get that stuff at all. I've read the sticky at least 5 times, and my inner moron kicks in every single time.

I try to be 35-50% protein, 15-25% carbs, (no grains) and around 30% fat.

I'm wondering if I up my calorie intake and keep up with this workout routine, If I'll be around 15% by June.

Thanks a lot for the replies, so far.

same problem, tried to gaim muscle and lose belly fat...near impossible. Sometimes old school thoughts are best. Your long term is to build muscle but maybe u need to consider lose fat first and concentrate on that. Take it from me, pride gets in the way very easily but it really ios the fastest way

[polishedball]

toss out the scale and buy a flexible sewing tape measure. I still though unpopular believe you can add muscle and cut fat. My journal with some prog pics http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...edball+journey

[billb7581]

I started at the same exact size as you. I lost 14 pounds in 3 weeks eating 3000 calories, with little cardio and All Pro's simple beginner routine.

[ruining]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies. I've started consuming 2300 calories per day since seeing your responses, and have started losing again. I had my BF% checked a few days ago and was still right at 29%, so no change there, and I was still right around 270lbs. Over the last few days, I've lost another 5 lbs to 265, so we'll see if I start making improvements again.

I also contacted my wife's friend from church because she's a dietitian, and she gave me some advice on macros and calorie intake.

I'll be going with 2300 calories per day with 45% carbs, 35% protein and 20% fat. After hearing it from her, it's starting to make sense. Just too much like story problems. I hate story problems.

Thanks again!