Calorie deficit -> Losing muscle mass. Calorie surplus -> Gaining fat. What to do?

@only__j It's hard to say, to be honest.

Since you have started your training journey a month ago, I have to agree with /@marija321, saying that the difference probably just isn't that huge yet.

I think one also has to point out that weight can fluctuate quite a bit, depending on when you weigh yourself, and factors like recent carbohydrate and salt consumption. After a big, carb rich meal I can easily add around 2 kg of weight within a day (mostly water), which I then will shed just as quickly.

So what helps in getting an accurate picture, is weighing yourself at the same time every day, and using that to calculate a weekly average.

I would also argue that it's hard to lose weight by just skipping meals. After some time the body will tend to adapt, and it will tend to do what it takes to remain at its current weight.

In my experience an easier approach to weight loss, compared to strict calorie counting (let's face it: weighing every meal is annoying), would be dietary change toward more satiating foods. When you are full with fewer calories... Then you have just eaten less.

The easiest modification is probably a change toward fewer simple carbs (less of the sugary, starchy, bready things), as one can easily eat a lot of those. I know I can. A diet with more protein (meat, legumes), fat (nuts and seeds, but increase sparingly, calorie dense), and fiber (long live the salads), tends to provide more satisfaction per calorie. Bending things in this direction will probably skew your diet toward the "more healthy" direction as well, in addition to making you full faster.

That being said, I think it's also fine if you choose to just do nothing for a while longer. As you have tripled your push ups, while maintaining your weight, you are definitely doing something right.
 
@sglemom Not that crazy. Hard to consume? Definitely.

Nutritional Guidelines suggest a daily intake of 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram, or .73 and 1 grams per pound to lose weight. Athletes and heavy exercisers should consume 2.2-3.4 grams of protein per kilogram (1-1.5 grams per pound) if aiming for weight loss.

Not a scientific source but coincides with a lot of resources I've seen over the years.

For 75kg 2.2-3.4 grams of protein/kg results in a range 165 to 255 grams of protein a day. So not that crazy.
 
@sglemom Granted I’m 104kg, but I’m eating 250g as I’m trying to lose weight while powerlifting. It’s less than enjoyable. When losing weight, drop 500 Cals, bump protein to 1.8-2.7g/kg, x4 to figure out calories of protein, determine what you want to eat in terms of macros of carbs and fats, and have at it.
 
@bobfeed123 Could you elaborate on your diet? I'm trying to find ways to eat more protein without eating more calories. Getting an idea of what other people eat could help me deciding on what food items to swap out :)
 
@angelica9000 It depends on whether you want esthetics or performance.

The first thing you want to do is figure out how much protein you want. 1.5g/kg, easy to do, good repair and slight muscle building. 2.0g/kg, takes effort, good repair and optimal build, 2.5g/kg, is a chore, good repair, optimal build, do only if trying to lose weight. So choose your path, figure out total grams of protein (ex: 75kg x 2g/kg = 150g of protein) and multiply that by 4 kcal/g (150g x 4 kcal/g = 600 calories).

Next figure out your calorie goal by determining your TDEE base on your activity level, there’s online calculator’s that help. If you want to lose weight your goal will be 500 Cals less than TDEE per day, if you want to gain, 500 Cals more. So if we assume one is a 75kg, 30 year old male who is 5-9 and exercises 5 times a week, his TDEE would be 2,633. Let’s saying he’s trying to build muscle, so add 500 on that, his daily caloric goal is 3,133 calories.

3,133 calories - 600 Cals protein = 2,533 Cals to fill

600 Cals protein / 3,133 Cals = ~20%

Now decide if you want performance or esthetics. If esthetics I would bump that protein to 2.5g/kg. For me I am trying to lose weight, while building muscle, so I work at a 500 cal deficit and 2.5 g/kg of protein. I am also lifting for performance. So that remaining calories I have after I subtract protein, I like to fill with carbs over fats. If I wanted to just look good, I would keep carbs low which means calories would be lower. (Grams of carbs = 4 kcal per). This is why it’s tough for women to have a performance diet and not go over calories.

Fats would be good fats obviously and be careful on them because they carry 9 kcal per.

If you are truly worried about calories but want to get protein, buy high quality protein (no filler) and mix it with water. You’ll be miserable. You don’t cut protein to meet your caloric goal. I would cut most (not all) fats first (unless I am an endurance athlete or female) then cut carbs next (carefully if I am aiming for performance) before I would ever cut protein.
 
@bobfeed123 This, plus eat nutrient dense foods like kale and broccoli and blueberries. You don’t need to eat a lot of calories to stay fit. You just need to make sure that the calories you eat count. Lean meat, lots of fruit, no processed crap, LOTS of veggies.

Drink a glass of water before the meal and you’ll feel full sooner.

Don’t drink all of your calories, they don’t fill you up and you will crave more.

Get protein from plants and meat first and only use protein shake to supplement.

Also there are a lot of studies that show daily creatine is good for you in general.
 
Fiber content + protein is the only thing that keeps me full throughout the day. So fully agree with this.
 
@izzy1728 I’ve been doing a fitness and weight loss program for the last month that included 30-60 minutes of walking every day plus three moderate cardio sessions of 30-60 minutes and three strength sessions a week. I’m down 3.5 kg for the month
 
@aliaconnors There is a Spanish saying: "La comida reposada, y la cena paseada." In other words, rest after (a typically large Spanish) lunch, and walk after (a typically light Spanish) dinner.
 
@growingchristian16 Need much more fat and some more protein.

When you have a surplus of fat in your diet, your body won't try to conserve as much. That being said, you will gain weight if you don't exercise or cut carbs with this.
 
@growingchristian16 RR is more of a strength routine. Strength is more neural adaptations than muscle mass. It’s amazing on a maintenance diet.

When bulking/cutting it’s better to do a hypertrophy routine because you’re trying to build/keep muscle.

Look up a hypertrophy routine. If you really want to stick with RR, you should do around 8-10 reps instead of 5-8. Adding extra sets helps. If your workout gets too long then adding extra days helps.
 
@growingchristian16 Having previously been in that BF, I can tell you that you need to bulk first before you cut. But it needs to be clean ofc. If you cut first, you’ll have too little muscle to start your bulk with.
 
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