[BrookeDavis]

Hey guys,

Basically, my situation is that I'm a few kilos heavier than I should be, and I really want to drop this fat by christmas. However, I am very, very weak physically.

I'm a vegetarian, and I used to be a really bad one, in that I didn't eat a lot of veg, mainly junk food, and HARDLY any protein whatsoever. I also was the opposite of athletic, and from an early age, hated PE and sports and didn't care about being fit, as I was tonnnes more sluggish and weak than everyone I knew.

I regret both my diet and fitness habits of the past, and this summer want to drop weight, and also become stronger. The dropping weight bit I'm used to, but I heard that you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? Is this true?

What I'm doing right now is cardio and strength training together at the gym, and with classes like pilates and stuff. But will the strength training just help me maintain my weak existing muscles during fat loss rather then help me become stronger? I can hardly do the exersizes that everyone else does in pilates, my core, arms and legs are all very very weak and burn painfully almost straight away.


My diet is quite healthy now, I'm eating more veg, and also more proteins such as eggs, beans, quinoa, and a little bit of my brothers whey protein powder added to fruit smoothies I make.

Will someone help me understand what I need to do, to not just maintain, but GAIN muscle whilst also losing fat, if thats possible? I want to be eating fewer calories than before, not increasing calories (which I hear is what people normally do to GAIN muscle). HELP IM SO CONFUSED.


Thanks!

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

Hi,

Maybe this link would be of help to you: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=2000017

Hopefully that should help you to decide what to eat, and what kind of exercise you should be doing. One thing I would say though is not to get obsessed with numbers on a scale. If you're wanting to gain muscle, then there is a chance that you wouldn't lose weight, but you would look and feel fitter. Focus on how you look and feel rather than the numbers, as it is a much better indication.

[HFerguson]

Losing fat and gaining muscle is nigh on impossible for anyone not on steroids, let alone a woman with 10-17 times less testosterone than the average male. Gaining strength on a caloric deficit is possible for the utter beginner, given neuromuscular adaptation, but muscle gain incredibly unlikely. The important point is that strength is not just a function of muscle mass, but also of your nerves and the ability of your brain to recruit all your muscle fibres. This is what you can train on a caloric deficit, but you can only get so much stronger up to a point through neuromuscular adaptation. The best you can hope for is muscle maintenance or limiting muscle loss on a caloric deficit. You need to lift heavy freeweights several times a week in a decent program, with good form, run a caloric deficit, read the stickies.

[sil3nt_cha0s]

(Original post by HFerguson)
You need to lift heavy freeweights several times a week in a decent program, with good form, run a caloric deficit, read the stickies.

OP is female... what are the chances of her getting into the freeweights area and lifting heavy?

[Javilionaire]

(Original post by BrookeDavis)
Hey guys,

Basically, my situation is that I'm a few kilos heavier than I should be, and I really want to drop this fat by christmas. However, I am very, very weak physically.

I'm a vegetarian, and I used to be a really bad one, in that I didn't eat a lot of veg, mainly junk food, and HARDLY any protein whatsoever. I also was the opposite of athletic, and from an early age, hated PE and sports and didn't care about being fit, as I was tonnnes more sluggish and weak than everyone I knew.

I regret both my diet and fitness habits of the past, and this summer want to drop weight, and also become stronger. The dropping weight bit I'm used to, but I heard that you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? Is this true?

What I'm doing right now is cardio and strength training together at the gym, and with classes like pilates and stuff. But will the strength training just help me maintain my weak existing muscles during fat loss rather then help me become stronger? I can hardly do the exersizes that everyone else does in pilates, my core, arms and legs are all very very weak and burn painfully almost straight away.


My diet is quite healthy now, I'm eating more veg, and also more proteins such as eggs, beans, quinoa, and a little bit of my brothers whey protein powder added to fruit smoothies I make.

Will someone help me understand what I need to do, to not just maintain, but GAIN muscle whilst also losing fat, if thats possible? I want to be eating fewer calories than before, not increasing calories (which I hear is what people normally do to GAIN muscle). HELP IM SO CONFUSED.


Thanks!

Don't bother trying to gain muscle. You say you're very overweight, so just stick to losing fat first. You can complement your fat loss with "heavy" lifting, until you're at a strength at which you feel strong enough. You won't gain much muscle, but you will gain strength, which is better anyway, right?

Have a look into the "Ketosis Diet", it works wonders for people wanting to melt away fat fast.

Good luck and never lose faith! Just think about how you will look after summer

[hahastomp]

(Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox)
Hi,

Maybe this link would be of help to you: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=2000017

Hopefully that should help you to decide what to eat, and what kind of exercise you should be doing. One thing I would say though is not to get obsessed with numbers on a scale. If you're wanting to gain muscle, then there is a chance that you wouldn't lose weight, but you would look and feel fitter. Focus on how you look and feel rather than the numbers, as it is a much better indication.

Why are you giving advice on weight loss when you're overweight love? No offence.

[affleming]

(Original post by hahastomp)
Why are you giving advice on weight loss when you're overweight love? No offence.

because shes lost 93 pounds?

[de_monies]

(Original post by hahastomp)
Why are you giving advice on weight loss when you're overweight love? No offence.

Perhaps because she's probably been successful at losing weight, and is able to then tell others about how she went about it, or what guides she used?

There are people in the gym who are losing weight, and have researched in to these things. They might still be overweight, but their research cuts down on the amount of research that someone else might have to do.

Count yourself lucky to have had someone give you some form of insight. Also, if you notice her ticker, she only does have 10lb to go. I wasn't as heavy as her, but I've got like 8Kg(17.6 lb) to go, and I'd get a BMI of 21.9 as opposed to her 21.7. I was originally at 27.5. Also, she is technically healthy according to her BMI any way

Of course, we know that BMI isn't the be all and end all, but it gives some indication. According to the BMI, I am technically "normal" as well, but I know I've got some weight to lose

[BrookeDavis]

Thanks guys.

Ok to be honest i'm not overweight, just chubby (WAY too much fat in butt/thigh area, but skinny waist). I'm 64kg, 5 ft 6 inches, and want to lose weight for two weddings of close relatives that I have at christmas time. Sorry if my original post was misleading.

It's just that I want to have muscle because more muscle means I burn more calories at rest? And I really am so much weaker than obese and elderly people, and it's probably more worrying than being a bit overweight.

So should I lose the excess weight, and THEN start trying to become stronger? And wont replacing junk food with more protein help my muscle growth, while i'm trying to lose weight now?

[BrookeDavis]

(Original post by hahastomp)
Why are you giving advice on weight loss when you're overweight love? No offence.

I really value the advice of this user. Stop being so patronising, "love".

[The Blind Monk]

(Original post by BrookeDavis)
Will someone help me understand what I need to do, to not just maintain, but GAIN muscle whilst also losing fat, if thats possible? I want to be eating fewer calories than before, not increasing calories (which I hear is what people normally do to GAIN muscle). HELP IM SO CONFUSED.

Pretty simple really, start training properly (do some kind of sensible weight lifting program, preferably using free weights or the better designed machines like Hammer Strength/Magnum/MedX/Pendulum, though you may not have access to these.) For a limited period of time you'll probably enjoy a magical period of newbie gains where you lose fat and gain muscle. Past that period (which varies in length depending on how good your diet/training/recovery/genetics are) not that much you can do apart from eat well and train.

You'll put on strength for the reason HFerguson described (your first strength gains are primarily neural as opposed to muscular in nature.)

If you're a vegetarian, it's quite likely that you're deficient in protein. Try and get to at least 1g/kg per day in protein and preferably closer to 1g/lb of protein and then figure the rest of your kcal around that.

[de_monies]

(Original post by BrookeDavis)

It's just that I want to have muscle because more muscle means I burn more calories at rest?

This is true, but what I do is on three days of the week, do some weights, and on five days of the week, do some cardio. My cardio routine is basically

10 minutes on treadmill, on intervals
30 minutes on crosstrainer, on intervals
10 minutes on rower at a roughly steady pace

I burn around 480 odd calories now. I used to burn around 400 or so

(Original post by BrookeDavis)
And I really am so much weaker than obese and elderly people, and it's probably more worrying than being a bit overweight.

If it makes you feel any better, I saw an old woman doing more than me, which is worse, considering I'm a guy. Every one starts somewhere, and not every one is as physically strong. With time, you can do more and more, bringing out more muscle and hence more calories burned as a result.

Realistically, I don't think any one actually cares about how much you do. It's better to say do 20Kg with good form, as opposed to 80Kg with bad form and risk injury (imo)

(Original post by BrookeDavis)
So should I lose the excess weight, and THEN start trying to become stronger? And wont replacing junk food with more protein help my muscle growth, while i'm trying to lose weight now?

Well, what I'm doing is trying to lose the excess weight, but using weights, but nothing too intense ie: no free weights yet.

Once I get to my target weight, then I might use some free weights. Shouldn't see why replacing your junk food with protein wouldn't help muscle growth, but you might already be eating enough as it is

I'd recommend getting the myfitnesspal app, and recording what you eat every day. It's a real motivator and it really helps you lose weight, by letting you look at progress, setting targets etc....

[gagaslilmonsteruk]

I suggest whatever you do, don't go to the extent where you end up being like Jodie Marsh ...

[hahastomp]

(Original post by affleming)
because shes lost 93 pounds?

She's probably lying.

[Joe909]

(Original post by BrookeDavis)
Hey guys,

Basically, my situation is that I'm a few kilos heavier than I should be, and I really want to drop this fat by christmas. However, I am very, very weak physically.

I'm a vegetarian, and I used to be a really bad one, in that I didn't eat a lot of veg, mainly junk food, and HARDLY any protein whatsoever. I also was the opposite of athletic, and from an early age, hated PE and sports and didn't care about being fit, as I was tonnnes more sluggish and weak than everyone I knew.

I regret both my diet and fitness habits of the past, and this summer want to drop weight, and also become stronger. The dropping weight bit I'm used to, but I heard that you can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? Is this true?

What I'm doing right now is cardio and strength training together at the gym, and with classes like pilates and stuff. But will the strength training just help me maintain my weak existing muscles during fat loss rather then help me become stronger? I can hardly do the exersizes that everyone else does in pilates, my core, arms and legs are all very very weak and burn painfully almost straight away.


My diet is quite healthy now, I'm eating more veg, and also more proteins such as eggs, beans, quinoa, and a little bit of my brothers whey protein powder added to fruit smoothies I make.

Will someone help me understand what I need to do, to not just maintain, but GAIN muscle whilst also losing fat, if thats possible? I want to be eating fewer calories than before, not increasing calories (which I hear is what people normally do to GAIN muscle). HELP IM SO CONFUSED.


Thanks!

You can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, anyone who tell you otherwise either hasn't tried it or is a miracle case that defies the law of thermogenics.

To lose weight = Calorie Surplus

To gain muscle = Calorie Deficit.

You can however gain STRENGTH and lose fat at the same time, which is what I'm doing currently. Your best friend will be this forum: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

Also google Intermittent Fasting and Leangains by Martin Berkhan.

Please, please please don't listen to all this broscience in these forums, no one knows what they're talking about seriously.

[Joe909]

(Original post by Javilionaire)
Don't bother trying to gain muscle. You say you're very overweight, so just stick to losing fat first. You can complement your fat loss with "heavy" lifting, until you're at a strength at which you feel strong enough. You won't gain much muscle, but you will gain strength, which is better anyway, right?

Have a look into the "Ketosis Diet", it works wonders for people wanting to melt away fat fast.

Good luck and never lose faith! Just think about how you will look after summer

Keto is stupid. Its dangerous, makes you feel like **** and means your workouts suffer.

At the end of the day its about the calorie deficit, a calorie is a calorie, doesn't matter it its from carbs fats or protein. People just use Keto as a way of giving themselves a bigger deficit because a modern diet is 60% carbs.

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

(Original post by hahastomp)
Why are you giving advice on weight loss when you're overweight love? No offence.

I'm not overweight thank you. My BMI is very much normal. Unless you have something positive to contribute to the thread I suggest you leave.

Also, you don't necessarily have to be stick thin to know how to lose weight. Just like a doctor doesn't have to have cancer to be able to help a patient with it.

[HFerguson]

(Original post by Joe909)

Please, please please don't listen to all this broscience in these forums, no one knows what they're talking about seriously.

Sorry but what exactly qualifies you to post here, why is it that everyone else posts broscience but what you post is legit? What qualifications do you have? I've never even seen you post here before. No offence.

(Original post by Joe909)
Keto is stupid. Its dangerous, makes you feel like **** and means your workouts suffer.

At the end of the day its about the calorie deficit, a calorie is a calorie, doesn't matter it its from carbs fats or protein. People just use Keto as a way of giving themselves a bigger deficit because a modern diet is 60% carbs.

Other than keto being dangerous, I couldn't agree more wih this. It's different for different people, but my workouts suffered a lot and I felt like **** a lot of the time. However, a lot of people can go into keto without realising it. I did keto with <50g of carbs per day - felt like ****, workouts suffered. I only managed that for 3 weeks. I ran another caloric deficit for several weeks with about 100g carbs per day, had my urine tested at the end of one day and turns out I was in ketosis without even realising it. My memory also suffered a lot on keto - slowed recall, short term memory was raped - both improved amazingly when I upped the carbs. Other people probably don't get it as bad, but I don't like keto.

[Llamageddon]

(Original post by hahastomp)
She's probably lying.

if you follow this forum for any semblance of time you'll find out that she clearly isn't.

[Javilionaire]

(Original post by Joe909)
Keto is stupid. Its dangerous, makes you feel like **** and means your workouts suffer.

At the end of the day its about the calorie deficit, a calorie is a calorie, doesn't matter it its from carbs fats or protein. People just use Keto as a way of giving themselves a bigger deficit because a modern diet is 60% carbs.

Oh dear...