Hey guys, it has been a long while. However, I’m back and I have a really pressing concern. So, over the past two/three months I’ve been working to grow my muscles. However, I feel as if I am gaining all over. I stopped weighing myself (in order to get better mental health) but today my doctor told me how much I weigh. I’ve gained like 10-13 lbs since, and I know some of it is muscle, but some of it also is not. I have a very specific diet (I do heavy protein, heavy fats, low carb, no artificial sugar and no overdue of natural sugars), and I am just wanting the opinions and advice from those who have already gotten in to weight lifting for glute growth, or for other reasons as well. Feel free to ask me any questions! Also, progress pictures are included, however my profile has more from when I lost around 80 lbs!
Updates
+1 y
HEAVY HEALTHY FATS: AVOCADO, NUTS, ALMOND FLOUR, VEGETABLE OIL, EGG, SALMON, ETC.
How can I lose fats while gaining muscle? Is it normal to gain fat as well?
- Muscle tissue is more dense than adipose (fat) tissue, so a given weight of tissue will add up to less inches on the body. - A pound of muscle tissue burns more calories- even at rest- than a pound of fat tissue. - To get "complete" protein, you must consume foods with "essential amino acids". Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and most of them can be produced by the body. However, the body cannot make some amino acids, so these must be obtained through foods and supplements we consume. These amino acids are called essential amino acids and they are lysine, histidine, threonine, methionine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan.- Out of these nine (9), amino acids are three very important amino acids that are required for muscle development, and these are called BCAAs or Branched Chained Amino Acids. These amino acids have a unique side chain that makes it quite special for muscle building compared to the other amino acids. If you don't already, ask your doctor about taking a protein supplement to help your body build new muscle mass as you do resistive strength training. - Do NOT work the same muscle areas of the body two on consecutive days. If you do shoulder and arm work on Monday, don't do it again until Wednesday or Thursday. It is during those "rest days" that your body is really very busy adding new muscle tissue! - Don't forget to do some sort of cardio work during the week also to increase your body's ability to process oxygen (aerobic capacity) and help burn off some of the adipose tissue. - After you have been exercising to drive up your metabolism, then start to taper your calorie intake. Do NOT use any huge calorie drops: your body will think it is being "starved to death" and will actually hold onto calories to protect itself! - It sounds that you have a good grasp of the need for more protein. If you have rice or corn in your diet, pair either with beans and legumes to get complete protein as mentioned before. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions. Disclaimer: I am a CSST (Certified Senior Strength Trainer) in addition to a Massage Therapist, but the difference between working with seniors vs younger folks isn't huge, mostly just maximum limits of exercise. I would suggest that you stay under a medical or sports doctor's care for proper exercise and dietary guidance. Good luck!
Right... I've downvoted all the bad advice on here, just so you know.
So, in general, it is impossible to simultaneously gain muscle while losing fat. Your body is either in a catabolic (breaking down) or anabolic (building up) state depending on what you've been eating and your level of exercise. Bodybuilders often go through cutting and bulking phases depending on the season. Bulking is when they work out very hard and gain as much muscle as possible, while cutting is trying to lose as much fat as possible while maintaining muscle.
You can refine your diet to gain as least fat as possible, but it's inevitable to gain some fat. For your body to build muscle, it must be in an anabolic state, meaning it has to have consumed more calories than exerted, and any extra "material" that isn't used to build up your muscles will instead be converted to fat for storage.
The only instances I've heard of people losing fat while gaining muscle is with the use of steroids or having a radical diet/exercise routine.
Other than that, you'll just have to pick a couple months of the year to shed the fat. This is done by continuing to do weight training, perhaps more lightly, as well as a lighter diet, combined with a lot of cardio. You do the weight training to signal to your body that the muscle is still necessary and that it should burn fat reserves for energy instead, otherwise it'll attempt to use the muscle for energy.
Well I don't want to have to write a whole research paper, but basically the truth turns out to be that yes, you can gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously.
There are many scientists out there doing research on muscle building and fat loss and gain.
Up until a few weeks ago I believed that you could not gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously. But apparently this is false.
The researchers who are studying muscle and fat find that people gain muscle and lose fat nearly every time they do a study on a group of people. It turns out it is very common. But unfortunately in the fitness world this myth that you can't lose fat and gain at the same time persists.
The way to do it is simple. Lift weights as you normally would have anyways. But reduce your caloric intake. Simple. bing bang boom, thats all it takes. Lift hard and eat less calories. Increase the portion of your calories towards protein as well. It's just that simple.
I think the majority of people will disagree with me. And then I'll have to go to a fuckin research project on the shit. Which I don't feel like doing. So good luck I guess. You got a lot more voices who are saying the opposite as me, so i'm sure this isn't convincing. Oh well fuck it lol.
First off, you look amazing! Way to go on your journey, I can def see your hard work paying off!
You might be at the point where you lost water weight, and are now touching the fat. At this point, people start losing hope. But dont fret! You might want to start going even harder, this might be adding more weight or doing more reps or maybe trying out new techniques.
I dont know you weight routine, but you are on a good start right now! Your eatting habits sound good, so it might be you are needing to go grind harder. And I hate to say its but we women have to try harder to gain muscle mass love. Not only do our bodies love to hold fat harder then men, but we lack tesertone needed to see significant changes quicker. This results in us having to start pushing if you are looking for some real muscle mass.
If you looking at arms I'd def consider things like pull up machine (that's what I call it. Dont knowing it has an actual name) also try for reps and build your endurance and start to slowly progress to more weight. You want to sculpt the muscle and it requires that you go steady and progress enough to not hurt yourself.
For leg, the stair master is a great way to continue to lose the fat, gain endurance AND start stretching and tearing those muscle fibers. Especially near the calves and upper thighs! Then, leg press, that. is. amazing. you can def grind your way on that and it will help your thighs and the booty as well!
You can also try things like burpies and lunges! Those REALLY stench those muscles and helps sculpt the body as well.
And if you EVER need assistance DONT kind asking a gym member or even a trainer at your gym for some pointers, a lot of people would love to give you tips!
If the programs kit are too expensive for you, they’re also available on eBay. Without the gear, only the dvd and schedule set. But still worth it at a good price.
These 2 I purchased that worked
-insanity no gear necessary. Full burning cardio (woo! You’ll drop 15 pounds on your 2nd day from this program 🥵🥵🥵) But look at the results
You can’t lose weight, and gain weight at the same time. You can bulk by keeping yourself at a caloric surplus and focusing on weight training. Or you can cut, by keeping yourself at a caloric deficit and focusing more on cardio. Alternating between the two is how you maintain body fat percentage while building muscle. If your goal is to build muscle I would suggest getting a calorie tracking app, setting the goal to gain weight, and focus on your macros while getting your daily exercises done. But it sounds (and looks) like you are on the right track.
You need to do them in succession trust me I tried doing them at the same time for years and it never worked.
If you want to lose fat you work on losing fat, that's cardio a good diet and a workout full of supersets and lots of reps of lower weights.
After you burn away the fat you then switch to building the muscles you're looking for. Takes longer but it will change your entire figure forever so even if you quit the gym you still won't revert back to how you were before immediately
You are awesome. Keep on keepin on, a body in motion stays in motion.
For specific workout plans it can be complicated but in my opinion it shouldn't have to be. Figure out what works for you IN A WAY THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY MAINTAIN FOR... EVERRRR.
For the physical part I'd suggest focusing on cardio cardio cardio. Walk/job/run, bike, hike, etc. Mix in some basic body weight exercises like lunges & squats.
But don't overlook diet and sleep. Sleep is super underrated. 8 hours/night, as much as possible! It's when our body literally *recovers*... physically and mentally. Don't cut corners there.
Diet is even more complicated than the rest. Get blood work done if you can, to rule out any issues that might be specific to you. But in general, keep it simple: calories consumed - calories burned = weight gain, weight loss, or somewhere in the middle close to neutral.
Good luck. Don't overthink it. Just keep rockin the shiz outta that shiz.
This if good advice overall but do not do heavy cardio if you're trying to make your butt bigger. That will make you lose more of your butt as it's made mostly of fat and cardio will burn that off. Do a healthy balance between cardio and strengths exercises with a heavy focus on your lower body to help build muscle there. You look great by the way.
Look at Optavia. My wife lost 40lbs on it and weighs the same as before she had our 3 children. She’s tried everything. I thought she looked great before. Now I’m like. She’s out of my league. I’m going to start it in new year. It’s kind of pricey but if I can do what she did. Yeah... she used to run, diet, fast, workout. she just followed their plan religiously and it melted off. Kind of pricey but I’ll do it now.
she dropped the weight and is now working out. Like other people said that’s the best way.
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Anonymous
(45 Plus)
+1 y
No diet that I've ever heard of involves "heavy fats", so cut that out. But muscle gain will equal weight. That's why some people think they aren't loosing any weight, when they really are, it's just replaced with muscle, which weighs more than fat. But in your case, it could be a bit of both?
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3 Reply
Asker
+1 y
Heavy fats being healthy fats like avocado, low carb nuts, dairy, etc. It’s Keto.
Why do you think some of that 10 lbs has to be fat? Like you said muscle is much heavier than fat.
I dont know that much about exercising or weight lifting yet so I see a personal trainer every Sunday. He has told me once that biulding muscle will burn fat cause the more muscle you have the more calories your body burns basiclly to do nothing.
You’re doing great, my recommendation would be to focus on trying to speed up your metabolism. Some of the top things you can do for that I make sure you get enough sleep and enough nutrition. Fiber is important part of the diet as well, as your profile for carbs and fats and proteins sounds pretty good on the macros.
The very act of lifting weights itself does that. You'll gradually lose fat across your whole body while gaining muscle over an extended period of time. Combine a proper workout routine and appropriate weights with proper nutrition for the best results.
To build muscle, you need high intensity, which means low reps per set and split each muscle group for a certain workout. The energy that you consume (which is good), is gonna fill muscle tissue instead fat tissue. You need some carbs however to preserve glycogen in your muscles after workout. I can't tell you how much to eat compared to now, because it's per person, metabolism, fat distribution etc. Go to nutritionist to prepare your "menu". I do assume however that if you build more muscle simultaneously to eating the same amount of calories, some fat will reduce.
As I have found over years trying to do the same thing. This is not a level playing field. So many things are against you, specially when you are a woman even more problems. Like for me , I have an extremely low iron level, the doctor gave iron tablets which should have sorted it , but only highlighted my name
do fewer fats then, that might be the issue. but if you are working on slow-twitch muscles you will gain more weight sometimes and you won't look like you are gaining muscle since slow-twitch isn't as defined.
Carbs go on as fat if you don't burn them out straight away. Eat 5 or 6 slightly smaller, protein rich meals per day and avoid artificial sweeteners. If you need to make something sweeter, use raw honey instead of sugar.
If you reduce your carb intake your body will used stored energy (which equates to fat) to repair muscle after you work out, this increases muscle while decreased at. Protein is key
Legs and booty has grown in good proportion, I’m sure you can see your gains. Carry on with the consistency and bin those scales - they help no one at all. You’ve got this though, you’re doing really well 👌
How do you feel? Are you OK with the way you are? Don't get to hung up on numbers, just stay healthy. Looking at the photographs, doesn't seem like your in bad shape.
Muscles weigh more than fat so that would explain some of your weight gain. But if you feel like some of it is fat as well, I would suggest you have another look at your diet, as that's where any extra fat is coming from.
One by tracking your food write down what you eat, also eat 4 or 5 small meals a day so you don’t over eat. Also the treed mill. Though I run daily myself.
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Anonymous
(36-45)
+1 y
You can't actually lose fat while gaining muscle. If that is your goal you need to focus on two approaches that cycle between catabolic and anabolic modes
You look good the way you are except that your wearing different socks in each feet 😂
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Anonymous
(25-29)
+1 y
You looked better with the weight, now your skin will sag out and you will look 10 years older than you are. The best laid plans of mice and men huh?
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5 Reply
Asker
+1 y
I have no loose skin actually, and even if I did, it’s not about looks... it’s about my health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Opinion Owner
+1 y
Your skin will listen though, just because it hasn't does not mean that it will not. Once it sags out it will be too late. As to the "its about my health" line, no one seriously believes that. You grew up in a society that rejected your body therefore you did as well. This is rationalized as "health" but the very notion itself originates in the fact that society has a bias reflected in the "health" notions. You cannot escape this, it is inherent to society, and no amount of rationalization or excuses can bypass this fundamental fact.
Asker
+1 y
It will not because I’m extremely active and workout. I won’t be losing much more weight anyways, not enough for my skin to get extremely loose. I was lucky in the my stomach has always been flatter; therefore I didn’t have lose skin when I lost my weight. Not that it matters, but since I’m an epileptic, it is about my health.
Opinion Owner
+1 y
You still do not understand how this works. The damage is done. The skin does not listen right away but 5 years from now it will be sagged horribly. Repeating the same old line does not make it true, you did this because society told you to, not because of your health, and you are afraid to admit the truth to yourself because it will show you out to be a shill.
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