[BlueToBlue]

I am currently struggling with whether or not I want to try to lose a few more lbs or increase my calories to a maintenance level. The amount that I have to limit my calories to lose is pretty severe and I'm getting tired of it. But I also still have this stomach bulge that I know would be smaller if my body fat were a little lower.

So what I am wondering is, let's assume that I am eating at a maintenance level and am no longer losing weight. If I'm doing strength training to build muscle (which I am), am I losing body fat as I build more muscle or does my body fat stay the same? If my body fat stays the same, do I get bigger and weigh more as I build muscle (because I don't want to get bigger)? Or is the strength training just maintaining my existing muscle and body fat? Once you start maintenance, does your body continue to change and how so?

[baffled111]

All I have here is my own experience, so take it as you will. (Bear in mind that my recent, rapid weight gain is directly related to quitting smoking and taking up unrestrained eating as a substitute addiction, not to weights or anything else.)

My experience has been that eating maintenance calories + reasonable cardio + weights has resulted in steady decreases in body fat. Over the first few months of eating m.cals, I lost a few more pounds and several body fat points. (I think I switched to m.cals at 143lb, 20.5%bf; I wound up at 138lb, 16.6%bf as of last December). I also dropped a clothing size. I haven't measured in eons but my waist was definitely trimmer and I was seeing a lot more definition in my arms. Before I started gaining weight like a fiend, I was still working towards more bf losses (with HIIT, weights, etc).

I'm almost certain that your body will continue to change even after you start eating normally. You might even find that you have an easier time adding muscle once you start eating more food and more protein (or at least, this is what the authors of NROLW would have us believe). Besides, you really must be exhausted with the low cals: don't you eat 1200-1300? Perhaps up the cals and give your body a break for a couple of months. If you don't see an improvement in bf% in 8-12 weeks or so, then you can reconsider the calories.

[Meg]

Barbara, I agree with everything Baff wrote. Yes, you can see significant changes in body fat % and body shape and size even after you reach goal and raise your calories a bit. Mel dropped two pants sizes after she reached goal without losing another pound. As Baff said, raising your calories a bit may actually make it easier to add on a little muscle and lower your BF%.

Why not experiment and see? Slowly bump your calories up by 100 a week for three weeks or so and then hold there for a few weeks and see what happens. Keep up your usual exercise program (I know how dedicated you are!) Log your weights and measurements (both inches and body fat) and monitor changes. I wouldn't be surprised at all if your BF goes down.

But keep in mind that we all have fat deposits that aren't going anywhere, unfortunately. Mine are on my calves, of all the ridiculous places!! Even when my BF was at its lowest, I had freakishly big calves. What can you do? Your little bit of stomach fat may be the same way, though I'm sure it's noticeable only to you.

[Mel]

Despite the general belief that you can't lose body fat and build muscle beyond the magic beginner 6 month window, after about 7 years of this, I can still manage to do it when I eat clean and lift heavy. When I started, I actually gained two pounds and lost clothing sizes.

I just wish MY calves would get bigger instead of smaller and stronger!

Mel

[goalsuccess]

For Christmas, my husband gave me hours with a personal trainer. My goal was to stay at about the same weight but tone it up. As of today, okay about 3 months later, I am down another size. I am thrilled though I know that new clothes can be costly. I believe that this change is primarily due to weight lifting. The trainer made me an upper body work out and a lower body work out. Up until the past week, I was doing one or the other daily for at least 5 days a week. I can really see the difference in my arms and my legs and chest. Unfortunately, the downside is that I, too, struggle with the belly flab. In fact, it appears to me that my stomach pudge has increased in size--I think that's due to the other more toned areas. I don't do ab work now, but I really really need to start.
My body has definitely continued to change as I've added strength training. In fact, I am getting far too many lectures (compliments, too, though) about no longer needing to lose weight. I continue to assure everyone that I am not losing. I am toning.

[BlueToBlue]

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback! Your comments are very helpful. I've decided I'm going to do this. For the first time in almost three years, I'm going to consciously try to maintain my weight instead of trying to lose weight or accidentally maintaining (well, actually, the first time in just about my entire adult life, since before I started this program I wasn't really trying to maintain, I was gaining and thinking there wasn't anything I could do about it). Wow. I can't even believe that I'm here (or that it took me almost three years to get here )

Baffled--you're right, I am eating only 1200-1300 calories and it is a struggle. Even just an extra 100 calories is going to make a huge difference. Good for you on quitting smoking. I swear, the only reason I don't start smoking again is that I know I'd just have to quit again and once was enough.

I've already been eating 1300 calories this week because I just couldn't manage 1200. So next week I'll increase to 1400.

[Meg]

Barbara, please post your results and let us know how it's going. You're such a disciplined person that when you say "1300 calories", we know it's going to be 1300, no deviations! And 1400, and so on. You're the closest thing we've got to a science experiment (no, I am not calling you a lab rat ) so we're all going to want to know how adding calories affects your body fat over time.

[BlueToBlue]

Meg, that's quite a compliment coming from you! Compared to you and everyone else in the maintainers' forum, I feel like the undisciplined one. And while it is true that when I'm on plan, I'm usually POP, I do have to point out that I definitely have off-plan meals a few times a month and even the occasional off-plan day when things have gone really awry. Sometimes, even, off-plan weeks--but those are always vacations or business trips. So I'm not sure I'm the science experiment you think I am ! But now the pressure is on! I'm going to have to make sure the calories I add are good ones!