This is absolutely true, particularly with women. In the research I've done, a woman who is not eating at a calorie deficit and is not taking steroids is fortunate to be able to put on 1-2 lbs of muscle a month.
That's only when they are a rank novice and 1-2 lbs is for males. Cut it in half for women.
So, am I fooling myself that I've put on a lot of muscle lately, cause I swear muscles are coming up in places that never had muscle before, and my quads definitely look bigger. Is it that the muscle isn't actually getting bigger, or the fat is going down. Just curious. I'm well enamoured with muscles.
I just want to say that i understand how you are feeling. I used to look at life and dieting the same way you do "Why give up the good foods when others dont have to" and "its not fair that they lose weight faster or more then me" "how come they can just do whatever and not gain a pound" and on and on it goes... I get it.. i know what its like to look around and see people barely lifting a finger and losing weight at the drop of a hat...Its frustrating when you dont have the answers you need to the problems you face. Going on the scale, just makes it even that much more frustrating, because you feel like a failure, like you are going nowhere, that its not worth all the hard work you have been putting into it.
While i will agree with others, that yes, there are different things you can do to adapt and change your diet, i dont think thats truly the problem. Just like i agree, there are ways to change up exercising routines, but thats not the problem either.
This is just my personal opinion, and no i dont have all the answers..but what i have learned is...I need to deal with the binge issues first. I need to know why i binge, why i eat when i do, and how i am feeling. Its obvious that i was filling a void in my life by eating..be it boredom, worthlessness, failure, fear, anxiety, sadness, anger...I was using food instead of facing how i felt. Im not saying that you are doing this..but what i do see you saying is that you are binging and you are right, its in your head..its a mental thing..not a physical thing..what you need to figure out is "why do i binge" and when you can figure out the why..then you can start looking at creative soloutions..For me.. i needed to go to Overeaters Anonomous... i needed to start talking about how i was feeling inside, instead of eating...
Since then, i have stopped binging..I dont just eat and eat and eat...
The other thing i noticed was: When i went on a diet that was low carb and high in protein..i stopped craving all the carbs and sweets and stuff i was binging on in the first place.. I no longer craved or wanted it...I found that carbs make me hungry and then i want more of them...so while im not an expert and i cant tell you what a good plan is...a thought you might want to consider is ... maybe doing a low carb plan with higher protein and fat.. it will fill you up more..you wont feel deprived when eating steak or bacon or chicken or eggs...yes you will have to give up your pizza made from bread..but there are low carb pizza recipes out there and you can eat cheese and stuff like that...you just gotta make it work for you...
So, am I fooling myself that I've put on a lot of muscle lately, cause I swear muscles are coming up in places that never had muscle before, and my quads definitely look bigger. Is it that the muscle isn't actually getting bigger, or the fat is going down. Just curious. I'm well enamoured with muscles.
not trying to derail the thread or anything
We're generalizing. There are people who are more blessed and less blessed when it comes to what their bodies do in response to resistance training. My body loves muscle below the waist- I can easily put on muscle in my calves and quads. I have more difficultly achieving muscle gain in my arms and chest. You may be in the "more blessed" category.
IMHO 1500 is way to low and unrealistic for someone your size. Try 2300 for a week and see what happens. And as far as binging, try to incorporate the food you want into your daily routine. Moderation is key and acting like you're never going to eat that food again is unrealistic. One taco or slice of pizza is manageable. Stay with the program, don't starve yourself, and focus on making the life change not denying yourself for a certain amount of time. :-)
So, am I fooling myself that I've put on a lot of muscle lately, cause I swear muscles are coming up in places that never had muscle before, and my quads definitely look bigger. Is it that the muscle isn't actually getting bigger, or the fat is going down. Just curious. I'm well enamoured with muscles.
not trying to derail the thread or anything
If you're weight training or strength training then you're probably losing fat whilst keeping the muscle.
One thing people forget is that when you're overweight and obese, you actually BUILD MUSCLE just supporting your weight. When you just lose with a calorie deficit, you'll lose that muscle along with fat.
If you weight train then you're essentially peeling away the layers of fat and revealing the muscle underneath.
I saw this as I went down with weight training. The muscles in my legs became slightly visible before everything else, after 20lbs or so. My arm muscle started showing when I hit a normal BMI, but really didn't become apparent until I got into the 120s. I had fat there covering the muscles, but fat loss revealed what was there. Loose skin is currently covering my ab muscles, so I'm not sure what can help me there
So, am I fooling myself that I've put on a lot of muscle lately, cause I swear muscles are coming up in places that never had muscle before, and my quads definitely look bigger. Is it that the muscle isn't actually getting bigger, or the fat is going down. Just curious. I'm well enamoured with muscles.
not trying to derail the thread or anything
Muscles are probably appearing where you didn't see them before because they were always there, but covered in fat. For example when i get to my low weight, i can see my abs...even though i never do any ab work. It's just removal of the fat...everyone has abs (though some more defined than others)
That's awesome!! Congrats on the loss. I know in the beginning of my journey I felt the same way, then realized that if I stuck to my plan, it would work..and it has for you and I both! Great job sticking to your program
