Bulking but seem to be losing fat. Why?

[IsNotMyRealName]

I am 6'1, 205lbs and in the fifth week of a supposed bulk after doing very little lifting for almost a year. I have also changed a lot of my diet to include more protein and overall calories (4 eggs and 90g salmon for breakfast, salmon for a snack, meat & veg lunch with a side of chips or rice, big dinner with lots of meat and veg, three 500ml protein (40g) shakes with full cream milk & cottage cheese drunk throughout the day). I also have taken creatine from the beginning of this bulking stage. I am working out four to five times a week at maximum intensity, doing mostly core exercises. At the moment I haven't seen much physical gain except in my shoulders which are bulging a lot more and feeling a lot harder. Anyway, I weighted myself the other day and despite the major change in diet, increase in calories, and creatine supplement, my weight is roughly the same. This surprised me a bit until I measured my stomach, down from 103cm to 98cm. I have also noticed that shorts and belts are a bit looser too. The rest of my body has stayed roughly the same size. It is all good and well that my waistline is getting, and feeling, smaller, but why am I losing fat during a supposed bulk? And if I have lost 5cm from my gut but everything else has stayed the same, including my weight, does that mean that I have gained in muscle what I have lost in fat?

[matman1813]

Sounds like you're eating at or very slightly below maint. Eat more, get gains.

[n0useforaname]

Please tell me you aren't eating Salmon twice a day, everyday? And how much weight are you gaining/losing a week?

[Marloon]

Please tell me you aren't eating Salmon twice a day, everyday? And how much weight are you gaining/losing a week?

no 1 wants advice from someone like you go away

[fbharoon]

no 1 wants advice from someone like you go away

Lol @ this

[Marloon]

Lol @ this

repped and yes lol

[facestuffed]

I've only been doing this weight training thing for a while. I have had great gains the past seven months. I bulked for 6 months and gained about 30 lbs (17 lbs of that muscle). I have been cutting for the past month and have also maintained strength while cutting about 2-3% body fat.

My guess is this. When you first start weight training you get great easy gains. Your muscles react quick and well to their new stimuli for the first sum odd months you start. I think you cleaned up your diet and so you may be eating as many meals or meal size but there are less calories. Also, you're burning way more calories now by lifting 4-5 days a week. You need to add those additional calories to your meals. The hardest part when beginning with bulking is nutrition. Nutrition is extremely important and takes a while to get down. You've probably gained a little bit of muscle mass while being on maintenance level (what you're taking in now) because of these noobie gains. You need to figure out your mainenance level cals and learn how to get a rough estimate of cals on what you eat. THIS TAKES TIME and is kind of hard. What helps is eating nearly the same type meals in the same order every day. I eat 6 meals a day because it helps the hunger but that's not necessary. I'd say your maintenance is where you're at now. So what you want to do is up that by 500 extra calories. You can do this easily by eating a serving of nutella and 3-4 tenderloins before bed. Any way you can add it just do it. You need that surplus to bulk.

Also, many beginners think you have to constantly be at the gym working out 2 hours a day and going to the gym 6 days a week. This will not help! Your muscles are new to this and need the time to recover. I would lift only four days a week and only go at most 2 days in a row. This will help your muscles keep a ton of the muscles you gain. And don't stay at the gym for more than 45-an hour. If you're a hardgainer like me, if you didn't have a huge meal before lifting your muscles will start using the protein from those muscles to provide energy for your workout. Make your work outs shorter. Sounds like it would be the negative but it's not. My lifts are never more than 45 minutes. Make sure you eat a meal before you lift and directly afterwards with adequate protein/carbs/fat each meal. (always have atleast 30 grams of protein per meal). And make sure you're eating at least 1x your body weight in protein per day. I weigh about 159 and get about 180-200 grams of protein a day.

Hope this helps. Take advantage of having these easy gains and eat more! You won't regret it but don't eat too much like i did when I first started. Your body can only make so much muscle per day so eating any more than it requires will turn to fat. Just eat 500 cals above your maintenance which I think you figured out, only lift 4 days a week, shorter lifts, and eat right and you will start to gain.

[Marloon]

I've only been doing this weight training thing for a while. I have had great gains the past seven months. I bulked for 6 months and gained about 30 lbs (17 lbs of that muscle). I have been cutting for the past month and have also maintained strength while cutting about 2-3% body fat.

My guess is this. When you first start weight training you get great easy gains. Your muscles react quick and well to their new stimuli for the first sum odd months you start. I think you cleaned up your diet and so you may be eating as many meals or meal size but there are less calories. Also, you're burning way more calories now by lifting 4-5 days a week. You need to add those additional calories to your meals. The hardest part when beginning with bulking is nutrition. Nutrition is extremely important and takes a while to get down. You've probably gained a little bit of muscle mass while being on maintenance level (what you're taking in now) because of these noobie gains. You need to figure out your mainenance level cals and learn how to get a rough estimate of cals on what you eat. THIS TAKES TIME and is kind of hard. What helps is eating nearly the same type meals in the same order every day. I eat 6 meals a day because it helps the hunger but that's not necessary. I'd say your maintenance is where you're at now. So what you want to do is up that by 500 extra calories. You can do this easily by eating a serving of nutella and 3-4 tenderloins before bed. Any way you can add it just do it. You need that surplus to bulk.

Also, many beginners think you have to constantly be at the gym working out 2 hours a day and going to the gym 6 days a week. This will not help! Your muscles are new to this and need the time to recover. I would lift only four days a week and only go at most 2 days in a row. This will help your muscles keep a ton of the muscles you gain. And don't stay at the gym for more than 45-an hour. If you're a hardgainer like me, if you didn't have a huge meal before lifting your muscles will start using the protein from those muscles to provide energy for your workout. Make your work outs shorter. Sounds like it would be the negative but it's not. My lifts are never more than 45 minutes. Make sure you eat a meal before you lift and directly afterwards with adequate protein/carbs/fat each meal. (always have atleast 30 grams of protein per meal). And make sure you're eating at least 1x your body weight in protein per day. I weigh about 159 and get about 180-200 grams of protein a day.

Hope this helps. Take advantage of having these easy gains and eat more! You won't regret it but don't eat too much like i did when I first started. Your body can only make so much muscle per day so eating any more than it requires will turn to fat. Just eat 500 cals above your maintenance which I think you figured out, only lift 4 days a week, shorter lifts, and eat right and you will start to gain.

cool story bro!

[facestuffed]

cool story bro!

I'm still a noob. Got a long way to go.

[n0useforaname]

repped and yes lol

You have a very poor reading comprehension, I honestly feel bad for you.

[Marloon]

You have a very poor reading comprension, I honstly feel bad for you.

LOL look at ur spelling above then

[IsNotMyRealName]

I think you cleaned up your diet and so you may be eating as many meals or meal size but there are less calories.

This. I'm eating less **** like chocolate so this could very well be the reason. I'll start by eating a couple of Nutella or peanut butter sandwiches a day. Thanks for your reply.