What Should My Priority Be Right Now?

[YvetteMax]

I've joined a gym and I've been going regularly for a week. I look forward to going in order to get stronger.

I'm a bit confused as to what my priority should be because I'm so new and it almost seems like what I'm being told is conflicting. . .

I have pictures of myself in my profile. I'm 45, 5'6 and I put on 5 lbs so I'm 130 now (It's probably water or more fat.) I usually hover in between 123 to 125. I got my measurements and body fat taken today and my BMI is 21 and my body fat is 25.6% I'm told I'm technically fat.

So customarily, people who want to lose fat eat at a caloric deficit and lift heavy I've read. My trainer doesn't want me to lose any weight. I also cannot "lift heavy." Even most body weight exercises are too much for me.

So what do I do? Do I just eat more and stick to doing the body weight stuff and move to heavier stuff when I can? Or should I eat what I normally do? Should I try to get into a calorie deficit situation and do more cardio to get my body fat down?

What should be my priority right now?

[danaflava]

Being 5'6 and 130 with a BF of that likely means you lack muscle. People call this "skinny fat" which DOES NOT mean you ARE fat, but that you don't have much muscle to diet down to. When I dieted a bit, I got to 130 and i'm 5'7 but I lacked much muscle definition in the first place, leaving me to see myself as fat and not lean. Losing more fat wouldn't make me look more fit, just more like a twig. Being an ex-XC runner and a cardio bunny didn't do me justice.

I'm still a beginner in bodybuilding, but after I started my first bulk about a month a half ago I'm making major strength gains in the gym. I have so much more energy, I put more focus into my lifts, and I'm excited to see what I built when I do diet down again. If you're struggling to lift much, maybe work on your nutrition.Of course when we see a high BF percentage we think "i got to lose this fat before I can try to gain!" and I struggle with that thought process too. But you can't eat in a deficit and expect to lift heavy if you can't lift heavy in the first place. But we can't compare our starting point to other peoples results after they've been at it for years. It takes time (and typing this out is actually helping me with my own mental roadblock, lol).

We live in a society where women are supposed to "eat like a bird" and look a certain way. **** that, it messes with our head and keeps us from focusing on ourselves and what we need to do to get what WE want. Muscle doesn't build in a deficit, at least not unless you're starting off overweight already (overweight, NOT high body fat %). Use an app like Myfitnesspal or mynetdiary, track EVERYTHING, weight your food (well most, i don't weigh fibrous veggies ), calculate what you need to eat to gain muscle and be active outside the gym if you can (walk to the store, stand a bit more, etc). Don't let that jerk of a trainer bring you down because we all start somewhere. The first few months of your new routine will be tough, but don't jump in too fast as to hurt yourself. know the difference between a good pain (i.e., soreness, lactic acid buildup, etc) vs bad pain (bone pain, cant function normally etc).

Personally, if this is the first time you've had a fitness routine, i'd stick to bodyweight and very light weights too. You got to know the movements and make that mind-muscle connection before pushing onwards otherwise you might deal with imbalances (kind of like how I am dealing with now >.<)

Get comfortable with being UNcomfortable. It won't be easy, but it WILL be worth it.

[YvetteMax]

Thank you so much for this and understanding "the struggle." I did read a lot and the stickies etc but I'm being told NOT to go into deficit. . .which is EXACTLY what is prescribed to lower body fat. But then I'm supposed to "lift heavy". . .which I can't. So do I just eat and gain weight til I'm "strong?" I'm just so messed up in the head right now LOL

Congrats on your gains! I'm so envious! I am hoping to get there one day.

There is a nutritionist/dietitian associated with my endocrinologist and when I go in, I'll see what she recommends that I eat. I'm on a ketogenic diet so that I can stay off of insulin so I don't really want to change up my diet too drastically without medical supervision.

Thanks for the wise words and encouragement. I appreciate you.

[danaflava]

Absolutely have a chat with the dietitian! Make sure he/she knows that you're looking for gains, not weight loss. One of the keys with weight gain for muscle growth is that the surplus is generally pretty small, so if done right you won't gain much fat (if at all, some people find that as they gain weight they lose body fat %, but thats also under ideal conditions).

If I may ask, are you on keto and staying off insulin for diabetes? Type 1 or 2? Hopefully this is something you brought up to your trainer as well because that can also have a big impact. There are so many factors to consider when trying to gain muscle, its not all the same for everyone. Certain states of health and structure makes everyone's fitness journey different. Not necessarily harder, but just different. I myself have goals to be a dietician someday, but since I am not yet I don't want to offer much nutritional advice since I'm not yet qualified.

I guarantee once you figure out your nutrition and set up your fitness routine, you're going to hit milestone after milestone in no time! Just make sure you set them small at first, baby steps! Don't focus on the end goal too much, just think small challenges that you can reach in a months time which can range anywhere from being able to do a bodyweight squat with good form to being able to squat with some weight on your back.

^_^

Thank you so much for this and understanding "the struggle." I did read a lot and the stickies etc but I'm being told NOT to go into deficit. . .which is EXACTLY what is prescribed to lower body fat. But then I'm supposed to "lift heavy". . .which I can't. So do I just eat and gain weight til I'm "strong?" I'm just so messed up in the head right now LOL

Congrats on your gains! I'm so envious! I am hoping to get there one day.

There is a nutritionist/dietitian associated with my endocrinologist and when I go in, I'll see what she recommends that I eat. I'm on a ketogenic diet so that I can stay off of insulin so I don't really want to change up my diet too drastically without medical supervision.

Thanks for the wise words and encouragement. I appreciate you.

[YvetteMax]

I'm a type 2 diabetic and yes I did tell the trainer. He also knows I'm on keto and he's like. . . .Isn't that for losing weight? I had to explain to him that it was actually created for epileptics.

I've been doing keto for going on 3 years now. My A1C numbers are like those of a non-diabetic so my primary doc begrudgingly is okay with it. My liver and kidney functions are good and my bad cholesterol is only a little bit high. She says the trade off for the stellar A1C numbers makes it worth it. So I've upped my calories a little bit for now but haven't changed my macros. I'm hoping that I don't have to stop keto because I sure don't miss injecting myself!

[wishitcouldlast]

I'm a type 2 diabetic and yes I did tell the trainer. He also knows I'm on keto and he's like. . . .Isn't that for losing weight? I had to explain to him that it was actually created for epileptics.

I've been doing keto for going on 3 years now. My A1C numbers are like those of a non-diabetic so my primary doc begrudgingly is okay with it. My liver and kidney functions are good and my bad cholesterol is only a little bit high. She says the trade off for the stellar A1C numbers makes it worth it. So I've upped my calories a little bit for now but haven't changed my macros. I'm hoping that I don't have to stop keto because I sure don't miss injecting myself!

Keto is great for diabetics so hopefully keep it up. If you had to increase calories could always go with fatter meats (Beef instead of chicken, Pork instead of turkey, extra cheese on things, and etc) for the extra calories.

if you are new to lifting I would suggest having a bit of a surplus and lifting whatever your trainer tells you to if you trust them. You will make great gains at first and even if you gain weight a good majority of it can be muscle if you stay within 100-250k of maintenance.

Hopefully this helps! best of luck

[danaflava]

That's amazing and very impressive! Keto isn't an easy diet for most, and many people don't do it properly, but it sounds like you have and going off insulin is even more of a reason to be proud. That takes discipline, and that type of determination I know will transfer over to fitness

I have read your other post too, and safe to say you need to ditch that trainer you have now and find one with more experience and understanding. Preferably find a trainer who also went to college for a degree in the science field, probably biology, kinesiology, dietetics... they'd be able to give you much more guidance than a trainer who bombards you with negativity and negligence. Having a trainer you click with and feel like you can trust 110% to guide you in fitness is important!

I'm a type 2 diabetic and yes I did tell the trainer. He also knows I'm on keto and he's like. . . .Isn't that for losing weight? I had to explain to him that it was actually created for epileptics.

I've been doing keto for going on 3 years now. My A1C numbers are like those of a non-diabetic so my primary doc begrudgingly is okay with it. My liver and kidney functions are good and my bad cholesterol is only a little bit high. She says the trade off for the stellar A1C numbers makes it worth it. So I've upped my calories a little bit for now but haven't changed my macros. I'm hoping that I don't have to stop keto because I sure don't miss injecting myself!

[ProYeo]

I got my measurements and body fat taken today and my BMI is 21 and my body fat is 25.6% I'm told I'm technically fat.

Don't invest too much in those numbers. Especially the BF. If an impedance meter was used (an electronic scale or hand held gadget), they are next to useless. Just about every gym has/uses them because they exist and they have numbers, I guess. Really, the best way to gauge progress is in the mirror. A scale is good for knowing your weight... but the goal isn't always to lose weight.

To be able to lift heavy, you need proper fuel and to develop muscle. To do that, you need the right amount of fuel and you need protein. A moderate surplus allows for that. You need more calories than what your body uses in order to grow muscle. Gaining some fat during the process is just how our bodies work, you can't gain just muscle. You can control it to some extent, but you have to learn your body in order to do that. There are plenty of calculators out there that give you an idea of the calories your body needs... but they are just a tool, a starting point. As you progress, you learn your body and you see what maintenance is, or what's too much, etc.

Using myself as an example, last year when I was bulking and trying to put on muscle, I was up over 4000 calories. As a girl at 5'2" with a weight in the 130s at the time, you won't find any calculator that says to eat what I was - but that is what it took and I had to learn that through trial.

So yeah, in my opinion, being in a deficit and losing right now won't do you any favours. Working in a surplus and starting to develop muscle and strength would be my suggestion.