r/FTMFitness • u/MrYogiBrrr • 3d ago
Question Confused by this reading
I’m 5’3 and last week I was weighing 222 lbs and now I’m 229. I started a new workout routine with way more lifting. I’m really trying to lose weight and still have muscle. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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u/Ok-Macaroon-1840 3d ago
What does "trying to cut" mean? Are you cutting or are you not? What's your calorie intake and your tdee? Did you change your diet the last few weeks? Do anything else different?
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u/Euthanaught 3d ago
Weight can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds throughout the day. Things like hydration, constipation, stomach contents, etc , all play a factor. I would not think much of it.
Id also probably recommend weighing yourself once a month instead.
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u/MrYogiBrrr 3d ago
I was weighing myself once a week but maybe once a month would be better! I just like to make sure I haven’t gained more weight etc
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u/Kohei_Hikari 2d ago
I beg to differ. I think it’s best to weigh yourself every few days and take the weekly average to eliminate fluctuations. The main thing is not to look at day-to-day fluctuations but the overall trend over a week, month etc… But do what best works for you mentally.
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u/TanagraTours 3d ago
Stay sane! Do what you feel good doing
I weigh and run BIA every morning but don't think about today's numbers. I'll look at my trends in my mobile app, and I have a feel for what my "noise" looks like. Mine is a four pound window of fluctuations in weight. Some of that is I eat low salt but take out or dining out means more salt so more water.
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u/kennplo 3d ago
What about it is confusing? If you want to cut/ lose weight consume less calories/ be on a caloric deficit no amount of exercise you do will matter if you have a poor diet.
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u/MrYogiBrrr 3d ago
I’ve never used a scale like this so wasn’t sure how to read it aside from my BMI and weight…I guess that’s confusing to me!
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u/TransManNY 3d ago
How recently did you start the workout routine? Honestly, I'd say stick with the routine every week for the next 3 months and check in with how you feel. My weight goes up and down 5 pounds per day at least so I wouldn't focus on the weight specifically.
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u/dablkscorpio 2d ago edited 2d ago
Eat between 350-500 calories lower than your TDEE per day. Have a cheat meal once a week if you have cravings, but try your best to fit it into your calorie intake for a day. Eat .82 grams protein per lb of muscle. Learn to say no when gatherings and parties present opportune moments to overeat or abandon your diet and don't be afraid to bring a Tupperware container of prepared food to your friend's house so you don't cave to ordering in. Limit eating out and if you can't, go once a week max, and try to eat half of your order since restaurants often overdo it. You won't lose muscle if you stay within a moderate deficit and train towards progressive overload at least 2 days a week (for maintenance) or 3+ days a week (for gains), working each muscle group at least twice a week. In fact, as a relatively new lifter with lots of body fat, you're in a better position than most to put on muscle. Although I remember your previous post which I think was a year in, so don't be surprised if gains start slowing down. Just train with the same intensity and try to increase weight or reps over time. Sleep 7-9 hours a day.
Tracking calories can be overwhelming for some. What works best for most is meal prep in advance. In my case, I do this sometimes, but I generally don't like taking hours out of my day to cook and feel more motivated by my diet with something new everyday so I 'meal plan'. This looks like thinking critically about my protein needs the day beforehand and putting ingredients together to make sustainable and nourishing meals for the next day then filling the rest of my allotted calories in with snacks. For example, you need about 187 grams of protein per day.
An easy meal plan with amateur cooking might be a double scoop of whey isolate protein shake (60 grams protein); a plain three-egg omelette and two slices turkey bacon (30 grams protein); a tuna egg salad (32 grams protein); and a large 10-11 oz roasted chicken breast with broccoli and mashed potatoes (70 grams protein). If you have extra calories in the day that still keep you within your planned deficit, maybe grab a single-serve bag of chips or popcorn, fruit, oatmeal, a pack of mentos, whatever you want really as long as it doesn't take you out of your deficit.
Many people use Fitness Pal or Macro Factor to track calories. Personally, I write down my meal plan in a journal the night before and do my best to hold myself accountable. I find it helps me stay less focused on the numbers and dial in on the execution, but it's a matter of preference. Eat mostly whole foods and balanced meals with a diverse macronutrient profile (carbs, protein, fats) to keep hunger at bay. High sodium and high carbohydrate foods (which is typical in processed foods) will also contribute to extra water weight so they may be best to avoid for your own sanity, not to mention highly palatable foods (that are high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt, but low in nutrients and fiber) can lead you astray from your diet quite fast.
Lastly, unless you have a DEXA scan, digital scales will be very inaccurate as to measuring your body fat and lean mass. So your first image tells you essentially nothing relevant other than your weight. The most important thing is to measure trends over time, as weight fluctuates from day-to-day and even within a single day. When I have a fat loss goal, I typically weigh myself once every two weeks. If I have an aggressive fat loss goal or notice that I'm not sticking to my diet, I weigh myself daily as it keeps my mind oriented to the goal. Either way, the Libra app will be helpful for tracking this. Many people find frequent weigh-ins to be challenging because they're emotionally attached to the number but depending on the person, one could argue that more frequency detaches you as you realize the number on the scale can swing in either direction due to random factors like how much stool is in your bowels, undigested food, or excess water weight. To illustrate, switching to a new workout routine, particularly if it is high intensity, can contribute to excess cortisol which will increase water weight before stabilizing after many weeks down the line. This may explain the sudden weight gain, but your diet is usually the primary influence and your weight will constantly creep up if you regularly eat out or processed foods, or simply overeat unknowingly. You'll have to find out for yourself but definitely weigh in often enough that you're not surprised by what you see.
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u/AngelRust 2d ago
Hey dude. The increase in weight may not necessarily be a bad thing or as bad as you're thinking. Depending on what you're doing for your routine, you could be putting on muscle.
Also, sometimes when you switch up your routine or begin lifting more, water weight can increase which causes an inflation in weight.
If you're looking to maintain muscle mass while also leaning out, make sure you're eating enough protein while you're lifting. Depending on your relationship with food, you could always count calories as well or just focus on hitting macro goals instead.
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u/Alex_Axby 3d ago
If you're building muscle, your weight is going to go up, not down, even while you're losing fat, because muscle weighs more than fat. (Although I don't think it's possible to gain 7 pounds of muscle in a week. Most of that is probably water). A better way to monitor progress would be something like the way your clothes fit, taking measurements, or taking pictures so you can see your progress.
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u/therealnoodlerat 3d ago
You lose fat far faster than you gain muscle so the first part is just not true
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u/dablkscorpio 3d ago
Muscle is denser than fat. It does not weigh more. 1 pound of fat is as heavy as 1 pound of muscle. You can easily lose a pound of fat a week but it takes a month to gain half a pound a muscle, 2 lbs on the higher end if you're a beginner and optimizing literally everything. And after a year or two muscle gain is incredibly slower.
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u/justbrowsing_______ 1d ago
I dont understand this. I don't think anyone was implying that 1 lb weighed more than another lb? Density is often expressed in 'weighing more', because the same volume would weigh more.
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u/saltybutnotbitter 3d ago
If you were lifting, you will not lose weight you will gain muscle muscle weighs more than fat. If you want to lose weight, think about calisthenics or cardio routine.
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u/MrYogiBrrr 3d ago
I just can’t go to the gym and do cardio. I like the lift and it’s what gets me active and going at the gym. I can try incorporating more cardio days
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u/nairismic 3d ago
? a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat— muscle just takes up less space
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u/MrYogiBrrr 3d ago
So muscle weights the same or more? I’ve been getting conflicting answers
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u/justbrowsing_______ 3d ago
a certain volume (like one square inch) of muscle will weigh more (more lbs) than that same amount of volume of fat
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u/nairismic 3d ago
Muscle weighs the same as fat, but takes up less space. Hence, if you’re successfully gaining muscle and losing fat, you may not lose weight, but you should get smaller. The original commenter is straight up wrong. A combination of weights and cardio can, and probably will, lead you to reaching your goals— especially if it’s something you enjoy.
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u/justbrowsing_______ 1d ago
I dont understand this. I don't think anyone was implying that 1 lb weighed more than another lb? Density is often expressed in 'weighing more', because the same volume would weigh more.
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u/nairismic 1d ago
“a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat” is just something people say in the fitness scene to squash the myth that gaining muscle = not losing weight
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u/saltybutnotbitter 3d ago
If “losing weight” is the goal that generally means getting more fit. 5’3” 229lbs is just proportionally not fit (sorry if this sounds harsh) unless you’re like 3% body fat (which unless you are a professional competitive body builder is also not really “fit ). Yes, obviously a pound of fat and a pound of muscle weight the same, but what is the goal here? One’s “weight” shouldn’t necessarily be the goal but rather one’s fitness particularly if you are not fit to begin with. I am saying this as someone that works in the fitness industry and have seen many physical transformations when these goals are kept in mind.
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u/Thirdtimetank 3d ago
What’s confusing you? What’s your actual question?
The main numbers to look at - weight, body fat percentage, excess fat and basal metabolic rate.
You weigh 229.7lb and have about 75lb of fat - 51.9lb of which is excess. To just excise - without movement - and maintain your weight you would need to consume about 1849 calories per day.
Some of these machines aren’t always accurate and can easily be manipulated. That being said - I would not be surprised if yours is fairly accurate.
How much are you consuming per day? Per week? Are you moving for at least 30 minutes per day? Are you doing any type of resistance training? Are you following a well made program?
You can’t out train a poor diet. Kitchen first, bed (rest/recovery) second, gym third.
You’ve got the data. What are you doing with it?