26 yo, and I started tracking activity and calories/macros again this week and I want to make sure I’m doing everything right so I’m not slipping back into old habits. My goals are to lose fat and build lean muscle.
Calories: 1300
Carbs: 114 g
Protein: 130 g
Fat: 36 g
I’m at the gym 4-6 days a week. I run 3-4 days (2-4 miles), incline walk/stairs on days I don’t run (20-45 minutes), and alternate between lifting heavy/low reps and lifting lighter/high reps.
Let me know if I should be doing anything else or making any changes
@blessedhope0318 It looks good in theory but at your activity level (esp the lifting) you’ll prob be super hungry at 1300cals. Running doesn’t make me hungry at all but lifting makes me ravenous. Plus you’ll need more calories than that to build muscle
@blessedhope0318 I'm 5'1" and at a similar activity level as you (running 4-5 days a week and strength 3-4 days a week) that i have been maintaining for a few months now, but I'm around 137 and trying to lose some fat. I will say that 1300 is really low for me and i struggle to be consistent with at that number- the only number i can consistently stick to is 1600. I also try to get 120g of protein/ day.
However, I think this a good plan if you can stick to it.
Don't get frustrated if you need to increase calories and be at a smaller deficit, it took me a long time to finally come to terms with that.
@blessedhope0318 You will not be able to build muscle at just 1300 cal. For reference, I am just under 5 feet tall, 27 years old, my weight is between 115 and 120, my body fat percentage is between 17 and 20%. 1300 cal is less than my basal metabolic rate. Your BMR is the number of calories that your body needs to stay alive. I have a high muscle mass because I’ve been lifting for a long time so mine might be 100 cal or so higher than yours, but you’re still cutting it dangerously close to not even giving your body enough calories to sustain basic life functions.
You have a high activity level, your total daily energy expenditure is probably pretty close to 2000 cal, which means you’re in a 700 cal deficit. Well technically you can do that for a while and not end up with any long-term health impacts, it’s going to be extremely difficult to maintain and it is also going to actively work against your goal of building muscle. Really large deficits like this or not necessary and they’re not effective for body recomposition. I dropped 10% body fat in a year eating at absolutely no less than 1700 cal with a similar activity level to yours. I know we are conditioned to think that the less calories the better, but that’s definitely not true for body recomp. Your body needs calories to build muscle.
@rodneys Out of curiosity, does what I do for most of the day make a difference? I sit at a desk for a good part of the day so I’m fairly sedentary, and the gym is really the only time I get to be active.
@blessedhope0318 I have an office job too. What you do during the day does matter, but just because you have a sedentary job does not make you a sedentary person. If you said that you had an active job, the only thing that would changes you would need to eat even more calories. I know that it can be confusing on TDEE calculators, but sedentary means that you do not exercise.
@blessedhope0318 You’re welcome, I hope it helps. The only other thing I forgot to add is don’t focus on the number on the scale too much. Goal weights are not always helpful when you are focusing on recomposition. Muscle is denser than fat, and can offset fat loss on the scale. Especially because you’re not at a particularly high starting weight, you may see little or no change on the scale. When I started lifting, I actually gained weight despite losing body fat percentage. Measurements can be thrown off by this too, but some people still utilize that as a way to gauge progress. I personally just focused on how it was feeling and progress pictures
@blessedhope0318 Sounds good to me! What foods are you eating where you are able to get 130g of protein with 1300 calories? I eat 1400 calories and only get to about 70 grams of protein.
@trills26 I drink vegan protein shakes before the gym, and I’m trying to incorporate more lean meat/fish, beans, and tofu. This is just my starting point though so I may have to adjust my calories/intake based off how the first few weeks go!
If you eat at a slight deficit (eg 1800-1900) you can lose weight but muscle gain will be slow.
If I were you I'd pick between getting to your GW fast or building muscle. If you go for your GW. At your deficit you're losing more than 1lb per week, so you should take less than 4 months to hit your GW. Once you're at your GW, eat at around your TDEE and recomp. You can recomp at a slight deficit but both weight loss and building muscle will be slow!
I know you probably want to hit your goals asap so you are being aggressive, but your motivation won't last. Instead focus on using your motivation to build sustainable habits. Instead of aiming to hit your dream body in 6 months aim to hit it in 2 years. You'll have wayyy higher chances of success.
@johndoesoetoro I was so intimidated when I first started, especially because I had just had my second baby and I was working out on a military base so most of the people were really fit. I started doing weights on the machines and slowly started utilizing free weights. I just recently started using the benches to press and the squat racks. It helps to have someone workout with you in case you need a spotter! Most of the gyms I’ve been to have really helpful staff, which helps when you don’t know how to use a machine. I also use Pinterest to create workout plans to rotate through!
@johndoesoetoro I started just with using the machines at the gym. As I figured out some of my goals, I moved to different machines or used dumbbells. Eventually I
I started with barbells and just focused on form for a really long time. Some people find videos like Caroline Girvan very helpful with getting started as well. Good luck!
@blessedhope0318 This sounds similar to what I followed before, even down to the age and stats, though I had more lifting than running days in my program. It was effective in the first few months for losing weight, even without strictly adhering to the calorie limit (I did most of the time). Eventually the progress slowed because my workout consistency dropped and my lifestyle grew more stressful. Ultimately though your body and lifestyle can be very different from mine!
Since then I've read through other girls' experiences and based on those stories, I think it's worth trying a lower calorie deficit if possible, and still manage to lose weight and build muscle. It's less stressful on your body and more sustainable. That's also the approach I'm following this time around even though I know a tried and true method for my body.
@blessedhope0318 The protein seems higher than you really need. I’d personally start with bumping up your calories 100-200 per day and lower protein to 100 g. 5’1 and 112 here, 5-6 workouts a week.
