Fat Loss without muscle gain

Mysk

Right, coming off the back of a period of eighteen months of unknowingly starving myself (Thank you, weight watchers, 1200 calories a day my ass..)

I'm 5' 6", weight 158lb, looking to get to 140lb. Unfortunately, and I'm assuming this is because my body was in starvation mode for so long, most of the excess fat is on the lower half of my body, which makes it trickier to get rid of. (I have a 31" waist, anything less than that will start looking unhealthy.)

So I've increased the amount of calories I eat per day to about 1700, get about 110-120g protein per day (which would've been the second thing I cut out previously - not least because it's tricky to find cheap protein-based snacks while on the go, as a student I couldn't really afford to pay a great deal for any kind of speciality suppliments) spread over 4 meals. I do the usual, avoid processed foods, low fats, vitamin and calcium supplements, etc.

In terms of exercise, I do about 45-50 mins medium intensity cardio (rowing machine plus cross-trainer, for 600 calories per session) as well as a quick circuit of weights (which takes about 15 mins) five times a week (I try and do it before breakfast) and I'm also starting capoeira twice a week and gymnastics once a week.

So I've been doing this for about three weeks and I've neither gained nor lost weight, but I have noticed an increase in muscle mass since I've begun. This isn't my goal. But then again it could just be the changeover due to my change in diet. Or would there be a better method of dropping the fat without this?

I spent a long time being kinda obsessed over what I was eating, so I'd be very wary of attempting any detailed plans.

Dragan

Your spot on, you were pretty much in starvation mode, so what is happening now is that you have givin your body fuel to grow ( protein ) and enough calories to support it doing so.

No offence but from your post i cannot tell if you are male or female. I am assuming female but want to be sure as it will effect the rest of the advice i give you.

justsomebloke

also just remember that muscle is heavier the fat so if you have put on some muscle you will have had to drop some fat to stay the same weight so all is good.

The reason you may be gaining muscle at the moment is that if you where starving yourself while on the weight watchers you may have been losign quiet a bit of muscle aswell as some fat but now that you have your diet in check your body can start to put back on some of that natural muscle and as muscle takes more calories to maintain itself then other tissue it can aid in weight loss, so again it is all good

Transform

Post your current diet (honestly) in detail

Siogfinsceal

if you have ben in starvation mode your metabolismis probably slowed up too. Eat breakfast as early as you can and eat often (at least somethign every 2 hours) during the day to speed up your metabolism and help your body to realise that it is no longer in starvation mode

Seraphina

Mysk wrote:

gymnastics once a week.

where do you do gymnastics? i did it for years but stopped when i was 12 and now i'd love to get back into it.

Mysk

I'm male, actually, and none taken.

Yeah, I know that muscle is heavier than fat, I'm just wanting to be sure that what I'm doing isn't going to put on an undue amount of muscle.

I figured:

The reason you may be gaining muscle at the moment is that if you where starving yourself while on the weight watchers you may have been losign quiet a bit of muscle aswell as some fat but now that you have your diet in check your body can start to put back on some of that natural muscle and as muscle takes more calories to maintain itself then other tissue it can aid in weight loss, so again it is all good

was the case.

@Seraphina - I'm in NY for the Summer, so I'm doing gymnastics at the Chelsea Piers. I couldn't find anywhere back home that would do adult gymnastics, which is a shame. I'd be looking for dexterity and flexibility more than strength and yoga seemed too slow for me, though martial arts did help somewhat.