bodyfat/calories question

[reginaguy]

Hi there,

Let me set up the situation first;

I'm 24 years old, over the last year i have lost roughly 60 lbs through proper eating and working out. about 5 months ago i starting incorporating weightlifting into my workout routine-and i now weigh 162 lbs and i am 5'9". I still have body fat on me (i'm sure i could stand to lose 10 or 12 more lbs)-though i have started to become toned.

I like the number which i weigh, 162, but not the proportion of body fat too muscle! so my goal is to essentially 'swap out' fat for muscle.

My question is this: when trying to build muscle, will my stored calories in my body fat act as the energy i require inorder to build muscle? or do i still need to increase my calorie intake?

i hope i have clearly asked my question, any replies or advise would be greatly appreciated.

[Andre518]

Despite what a lot of what you hear your body does not like to use fat for energy as much as it likes to use carbs. I just started using fitday.com to watch my food intake and upped my carbs a lot and lowered my fat intake. I try to stay under 90g of fat a day I usually fall around 55-68g a day. I just got done reading Power Eating (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Eating-Susan-M-Kleiner/dp/0736038531) and it really helped me set up a good diet. This is what my daily food intake looks like. Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

http://i42.tinypic.com/10n5o48.jpg

[Pimpstick]

The above post is incorrect.

Weight gain and loss is a function of calories in vs. calories out. If you want to gain muscle rapidly, gain weight rapidly.

In your case, if you just want to "tone" (god i hate that word), keep your diet consistent, eat at least 162 grams of protein per day and continue to lift. It'll take a while, but you will recompose yourself.

[VikingWarlord]

Anyone that says "toned" should be stabbed in the mouth.

If you say you could stand to lose 10-12 more lbs, you'd have nothing left when you were done. You like the idea of staying in the 160-165 range and don't need to get much bigger. Given this information, I agree with Pimpstick. Keep your calories at around maintenance level (slightly above on training days, slightly below on off days works too), keep your protein high, and lift heavy and intense. A recomp plan should work well as long as you realize it will take time, consistency, and patience.