Well,where to begin...
I'm one of you ladies..maintaining a 48lb weight loss for over 7 years. Finally realizing that support might be helpful
I have gone through so many phases of maintenance,always tweaking and reworking my diet etc and learning more about myself in the process.
Since then I have decided to focus a bit more on weight training. I sort of ended up "skinny fat".
Boy,there sure are a lot of opinions on what the best training program is etc. Anyhow,the one problem i seem to be having is determining my calorie range now. I have been diagnosed with a low thyroid and have been taking Amour..Megs article really hits the nail on the head when she discussed how people that used to be overweight have to come to terms tat they really burn 15%-20% less then most..which means they just have to eat less and exercise a bit more then most. Seems to explain why those calculator sites don't seem very accurate to me. So,for those of you that decided to change your shape (start a serious weight training routine) how did you determine calories?? Do you need to eat more then maintenance to gain some muscle and lose a bit of fat...can you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time?? Seems there are many views on this. Take a look at many Body For Lifer's they seem to have there a pretty low calorie range then most..recommending women around 14-1600 daily. Sure looks like theses women put on muscle and lost weight by their photos. Would love to hear Megs two cents..believe she was a Body For Lifer.

Hi Tita and welcome to Maintainers! We're so glad you've joined us.

I didn't do BFL but am familiar with it from all the people who have done the program and posted about it. One thing you need to remember about the people photographed in the BFL book and the champions in the BFL contests is that most of them didn't follow the program as written in the book (the only requirement to enter the contests is using at least one EAS product). A lot of them did more cardio and ate less than the BFL program in the book. So don't judge the program by the photos in the book.

As to how to determine calories, it depends on what your goals are. If you want to add some muscle and reshape your body but not necessarily lose any more weight, then I'd suggest keeping your calories at your current maintenance level, whatever that may be. I imagine you monitor your weight now, so just check and see how your body is reacting to your new exercise program and tweak as necessary. Maybe you'll need to add a few calories, maybe not.

People who are first starting out on a weight training program CAN gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. The first six months is often called the golden period because you can really make a lot of progress gaining strength and muscle mass while losing fat. Congratulations on your decision to start a weight training program! You're going to love the results.

C'mon and join us in our weekly chat thread. We'd love to get to know you better.

Thank you for the welcome Meg! I appreciate your feedback on The Body For Life transformations. I pretty much have found 1600-1700 my calorie range for maintenance. Don't want to lose anymore weight,but would like to see changes in my shape..body comp changes. See,that's where I'm a newbie. Losing weight is VERY different (at least to me) then changing your shape though training. Just trying to determine things like whether to do full body routines,spits or circuit style training. I guess I'd like more of that "Bikini Ready" look. Best definition I can give you,sounds sort of cheesy
Just is frustrating because so many of the websites I look to for training info seem to be caught up with quick fix weight loss and cutting out carbs etc. Aren't there any women that just want to lift weights and eat a balanced diet ( more whole foods sort of 40/30/30 ratio)??

I think you'll find lots here!

Jay

Me, for one! I've been working on the ratios for a while, still struggle with them. I'm not as into the whole foods, but have cut out a lot of the processed stuff I used to eat. I also post in the Weight & Resistance Training monthly chat, have gotten a lot of great advice there. Check it out, if you haven't yet.

Welcome.

Thanks Shannon,I'll take a look!

Tita! I got diagnosed with hypothyroidism about a year and a half ago and I'm still trying to figure out my new maintenance/loss calories. It took a year for them to get my medication dosage right and my metabolism seems to have changed during that time (I don't take Armour but I take a combination of Synthroid and Cytomel, so it's more similar to Armour than straight Synthroid).

In any case, since getting my medication adjusted I seem to be maintaining at 1600-1800 and losing (slowly) at around 1300. Before my thyroid got screwed up I was maintaining at 2000 or so and losing at 1400-1600. I also work a desk job though so I don't get any physical activity other than my workouts. For reference I'm 26 and 5'4".

Thanks Jessica for the welcome and sharing your story. I would love to get to know you more,sounds like we might have a lot in common

Wlcome, tita!
Your story sounds very much like mine except my thyroid goes up and down.

I've been at goal for about 7 1/2 years and drastically changed my body composition since hitting goal. My initial workouts were frantic circuit training while I was losing. I found Body for Life when I had reached goal and was about 135 pounds and a size 8. After the first 3 months of Body for Life, I was 137 pounds and a size 4. I've continue to train (not really BFL anymore, but a 4-5 day split and lots of cardio), and eat just about the ratios you posted. BUT...my maintenance calories are about 1450 and I lose on 1200. Clean, whole foods keep my from being too hungry, and exercise is a panacea for everything!

Welcome!

Mel

Hi Mel,
Funny,I have read some of your posts and felt that too (that we have much in common). What do you mean your thyroid goes up and down?
Your story is very interesting. I too was drawn to BFL. I feel that my body needs more cardio then they recommend,so I think I'm going to have to switch up my training...thinking of doing more full body workouts. I'm thinking little rest in between sets might be better for me. So you can build muscle at that calorie level? I have sought the advice of many trainers,and many feel I'm not building muscle as quickly because of where my calories are at. I don't think they understand my background/history. Do you work out with a trainer or on your own? Would LOVE to know more about you!

Count me into this category too! I've done some strength/toning work since I started my weight loss journey but have taken a much more serious interest in lifting weights as well as doing cardio in the last 2 years. And I love it! It keeps me much more interested in my workouts. I've gained a bit of weight, but to be honest, I've been eating way too many treats and drinking a few too many foofy drinks. I don't think my gain has to do with my workouts (if anything they've kept me from gaining more!).

Since your goal is not to drop pounds but add muscle, I think Meg gave you some great advice to just stick to your calorie range right now and see what happens as you start to strength train. You can eat less, or more, depending on how your body reacts. Adding muscle is sort of a different beast than just losing weight because you need to feed those muscles adequate nutrition to get them to grow. It is definitely possibly to gain muscle and drop fat at the same time. Rather than just a scale, taking your measurements periodically might be a good indicator of what's going on with your body. And the weightlifting forum is a great place to get advice and tips!

I'm glad you've joined us. There are a lot of women around here, and a few guys too, that "just want to lift weights and eat a balanced diet" as you said. Don't be shy! Welcome!

Hi Megan!

Thanks for the welcome and the support! I think I fit right in here For a long time I felt very alone on my journey. I think losing weight is the easy part. Maintenance is a work in progress. So much on the topic of weight loss,nothing for people transitioning into maintenance. Every book I read has an end chapter of about 3 pages on the topic. I think I should have posted here much sooner. How do I get more involved on this board? Can someone fill me on the accountability thread,how to participate??

Just jump in!

My thyroid varies between high and low and occasionally normal. It's only once been high enough that I lost weight easily and my doc was worried (I thought it was great, but really didn't feel well and a lot of the weight I lost was muscle.) It's never been low enough to medicate. My endo says that in a few years it will probably just zonk out and stay low.

As everyone has said, you can build muscle eating at your maintenance level. Especially as a newbie weight lifter, you'll make phenomenal progress in the first six months or so. One of the changes I made after my initial BFL challenge was decreasing the number of meals from 6 to 5 and dropping starchy carbs from my last meal. It made a world of difference. But at that point, I was really trying to get leaner, not necessarily build more muscle.

Mel

Hey Mel,
Funny was going to ask you about that..seems many people drop starchy carbs last meal when wanting to "lean up". Not sure if I should do that because I usually lift then come home and eat my last meal. Did you drop the carbs inadvertainly dropping calories that made the diffrence?
On BFL you ate starchy or a carb source at each meal?