midwestj

i'm 5-10 220 21% bf

I'm wondering if 2300 calories is enough for me to maintain and build lean mass through weight training while still losing body fat

almeeker

It all depends on what those calories consist of and how many calories you burn on a given day. To burn fat and gain muscle your pie chart needs to have high protein, low carbs and low fats, but the absolute correct proportions vary person to person. After you log your food intake scroll down to the bottom and take a look at the pie chart. I aim for 40% carbs, 40% proteins and 20% fats, but again every body is a little different in that department, you have to find what works right for you.

midwestj

I've been eating all whole and natural foods. I have been getting about .7-.8g prot/lb of body weight. I just want to maximize my results without losing energy and without impairing muscle gains. I know I will naturally lose some muscle from fat loss, but muscle gains from weight training can still eclipse the muscle lost. How many calories do I need to be eating to lose weight but still gain muscle.

tandoorichicken

Another thing to consider: In a healthy state the body tries to regulate the amount of fat it stores according to rules of how much you're eating, how much activity you're getting, and the patterns of your eating and activity over the last week or two. If you aren't eating enough fat, the body tries to hang on to as much as possible just in case food runs out (your body doesn't know you live in America). If you do happen to consistently eat more fat, the body realizes that external fat supply is guaranteed and so it doesn't have to bear the burden of holding on to so much fat on its own.

Eating more protein during the process, about 1g/lb lean body mass, will help with some of the muscle tissue loss during cutting.

Also, another few commonly overlooked things are: a) good hydration, and b) sleep. Lack of sleep causes stress; stress releases cortisol; cortisol stimulates fat storage and down-regulates release of fat stores for burning as fuel. Try to get at least 7-8 hours per night.

almeeker

Have you gone through the "Weight Goal" tab yet? That should give you an estimate of what you need to be eating and what your calorie deficit should be. The number of calories you need to lose and cut all depends on your average level of activity and on how much exercise you get. Also sleep and water are very important as well, especially during the summer when we tend to sweat more and sleep less.

midwestj

Yeah I have a weight goal set and a number of calories I should be eating per day, but that is general. I generally drink a lot of water and sleep 8-10 hours a night.

So Tandoor If I'm eating more natural fats my body will more freely get rid of my fat stores? I guess I don't quite understand what you mean. I generally eat a more fatty breakfast than the rest of my meals but theres really nothing wrong with that right?

tandoorichicken

That's right. From an evolutionary standpoint, your body tries to hoard fuel when outside supplies are low. If the body needs glucose it can generate it from fat, or need be, protein, so it doesn't really "freak out" when sugar/carb consumption is low (other than some momentary tiredness that wears off when your body gets used to burning fat). Protein is hardly ever used as fuel; it is mostly used to rebuild muscle and replenish functional proteins like hemoglobin and insulin. If fat consumption is low, however, the body does "freak out" and tries to conserve as much fat as possible.

By eating a decent amount of healthy fat (over 20% total calories) you can convince your body that fat is in ready supply so it doesn't need to hang onto as much. Since I eat a decent amount of meat and get most of my carb from colorful vegetables my fat intake ends up being 40-50% of my total daily. You might not need to go that high but you can tweak your ratios until you start losing weight again.

4sdowns

I agree. It is hard to overcome the anti fat culture we have, but I can tell you I stop losing fat when my good fat consumption is too low. And I have to adjust it regularly because my body quickly adapts to everything I do...which drives me crazy! I have found olive oil is a great source of good fat. Just do not cook with it because heats destroys all of its good properties.

4sdowns

There are people who will tell you it isn't possible to gain muscle and lose fat. I have done it, but the progress is VERY slow. If you are willing to wait 3 years, you can do it. I'm not kidding! This is my story.

It is better to lose the fat and then build. But if you are like me, I can't settle my mind on just weight loss. I need the muscle building goal to keep me motivated so I battle on. 2300 calories sounds about right. Use fitday to play around with your macronutrient ratios. For me, I have settled on 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% good fats when I am really burning calories for high intensity cardio/fat loss. For muscle building, I change to 40/40/20 (Carbs/Protein/Fats). Your body will respond to your own genetics so play around and see.

stocky1

Tandoor is right on with the natural fats. This is one of the reasons taking a fish oil supplement is important.

As for midwestj's post:

General rule of thumb is your maintenance is 11x body weight. So yours is about 2400. I confirmed this with my bod pod testing, mine worked out be alomst exactly 11x my weight. This assumes about 2-4 hours per week of exercise, if you do more then your maintenance is a bit higher (x12).

If you want to lose weight you have to be in a deficit, I would suggest starting at 2000 calories per day and see how that goes. If you keep your protein at around 1g per pound of fat free mass, you should preserve and perhaps build muscle as well.

Whether or not you build muscle is highly dependant on you fitness level. If you've been lifting for a while and are relativley lean you will not likely build muscle on a deficit. If you still have a good amount of fat and are relatively knew to lifting, you will almost for sure build muscle on a deficit.