I'm not sure if there's already a thread like this, but I think it'd be good to have a community inside of Royals where people can ask questions and give fitness tips/advice. Recently I've went from 263 lbs to 190 lbs, in about 5 months. Now, I am trying to tighten up my body and build muscle. My main concern is with the amount of protein I should be getting to maximize the potential muscle gain. I read something like .7g of protein for every pound of body weight? To those who build muscle, does this sound right? Do you track your macros? I am 5'10 or 5'11, male, and 190lbs for reference. I do have advice for anyone looking to lose weight (fat), which is probably going to sound like common sense. However, talking with friends who attended the same or similar school systems as I did, it was never really taught very well, so here it is: you can't outrun a bad diet. Meaning, you can exercise until you're blue in the face, if you're consuming more calories than your body is using, you will not lose weight. Learning this and learning about how the body burns calories naturally throughout the day (tdeecalculator.net is a great tool), I found out that losing weight was basically just a math equation. Again, this probably sounds like common sense to a lot of you, but I truly only learned that at age 21, and I think it's very valuable for anyone looking to change their lifestyles to something more healthy. I have learned a lot in this short journey, but I have a lot to learn, too. I'd love to hear your stories, your advice, and just have a place where anyone who wants to improve themselves can come and discuss what they need to. Love you all <3
Pro tip: Fuck the food bro, you need to put your heart in those workouts and try to eat clean as possible. That's your main concern
Bodybuilder here (please never mention this again, it’s annoying enough irl—just giving myself some credibility on the topic and can provide my results via PM if you were to genuinely question if I’m being truthful). “ I read something like .7g of protein for every pound of body weight? To those who build muscle, does this sound right?” .7g/lb bw is on the lower end of what the literature supports as there is data supporting and contradicting both ends of the spectrum (supporting up to as high as 1.75/lb. bw IIRC). It should also be noted that protein requirements have been found to differ among those seeking to build muscle (“bulking”) and those seeking to retain muscle while in a caloric deficit (“cutting”). The former leaning toward a lower amount being sufficient while the latter needing a higher amount (for optimal results, this isn’t to say that you won’t build any muscle eating a lower ratio—you will, just at a slower rate and with a lower ceiling). Among the bodybuilding community there is no hard-nosed number we all follow or swear by—do not let anybody sell you on X or Y being the end all be all “right” amount of protein just like that (or X/Y training method being ‘best’ either). One thing to note is that it is anecdotally well established (literally every single IFBB pro) how all of the top bodybuilders eat at or even well above 1g/lb. bw of protein. Many ordinary gym goers seek to replicate their approach, since on paper it only makes sense to follow what everybody at the top/with the best results does, but in this case it may not be needed for you to shoot so high, as (in simple terms) the amount of PEDs used at this level (which impact protein synthesis alongside other metabolic factors) isn’t a reflection of the average bro looking to gain some muscle mass naturally. Additionally, the quality/quantity of proteins can be of significance as certain amino acids play a greater role than others in building muscle and come in greater quantities from certain foods opposed to others (think: leucine content in beef compared to beans)—this isn’t something you’ll need to worry about unless you’re eating a very restricted diet with minimal animal product though. If I were in your shoes I’d shoot for around the middle (.8-1.2 mark) and tinker with it over time based on your results (recovery time is often a helpful indicator as you’ll recover slower with insufficient protein). Just remember, too much protein isn’t going to hurt you (common myth, unless you’re talking about numbers in excess of what we discussed here) but too little will potentially hinder your results, so don’t be scared to shoot a lil’ high opposed to risking shooting a lil’ low. Based on what you’ve stated your goal seems more recomp based, which would mean you’re looking to retain/build as much muscle as possible while at the same time losing fat in the process. Typically a much more demanding approach from a nutritional standpoint (you’ll need to be quite rigid with your tracking), but not impossible or unconventional by any means. “Do you track your macros?“ Currently bulking. I track protein and total calories with no ceiling on the latter (meaning I can eat as much as I want just as long as I’m hitting my protein intake). I am the opposite of you though as my goal is strictly to build muscle, and I am coming from a slenderman-esque starting point. My approach wouldn’t be ideal for somebody looking to minimize fat gain (or reduce their body fat).
Hey, thank you so much for the detailed reply. If I'm going for recomposition like you said, I should keep my calories limited but go as much as I'd like with the protein? Do you know many protein rich foods that aren't as calorically dense? Right now I incorporate a lot of tuna, chicken, eggs, and beans into my diet, as well as use whey isolate protein after the gym. I get 52g of protein out of the shake for 220 calories, which gives me about 1,300 food wise to work with (I'm still looking for a calorie goal that helps me lose fat and build muscle, I'm trying about 1,500 now) should I be eating more? I'm just so scared of eating too much and I get way fat again. I know the scale is a good tool to track this but my mind always persuades me I'm not doing enough, or I am gaining everything back despite the scale saying I'm still losing weight or maintaining my weight loss. Thank you again for the reply, it's is VERY appreciated *edit* btw in addition to going to the gym, I walk about 10 - 18 miles a day at my very active job according to my FitBit, I don't eat back any calories I burn but the gym isn't my only source of exercise, so idk how it factors into my calorie goals
.7g is kinda low/ok-ish if you want to just maintain a plateau, otherwise 1~1.5g is better if you want to improve. Otherwise it really just comes down to cal in and cal out for weight gain/loss. The biggest pitfalls I've seen is that people worry too much about the numbers when what they really want are aesthetics. Having muscle gives you a sharper frame than lack of fat, so if you want to look better in clothes or such, focus on putting on muscle first over getting rid of fat. I've heard mixed experiences with trying to do both at once. Keep good track of rest days or patterns too, it help loads with balancing out the stress on your body I went from 5'8" 110lb ->135lb in a few months just from eating as much garbage and protein as I can since I have trouble putting on weight. feasting like this made my belly mad disgusting before taking a shit tho LOL.
I just thought that this would be a good starting place for Royals members to get insight and advice when they wanted to better themselves physically. I just started it off with a question of my own, and advice of my own. Get the fuck out of here with your negativity.
You're welcome dude! I'm glad I could help. If I'm going for recomposition like you said, I should keep my calories limited but go as much as I'd like with the protein? To an extent, yes. Protein is the biggest player in your ability to both build and retain muscle mass, so keeping it on the higher end makes total sense for your goal. That said, obviously something along the lines of 400g protein per day will be excessive/unnecessary, but something around the 200-250g protein mark isn't at all excessive. For a recomp you'll most definitely want to be tracking your total calories quite strictly though, no doubt about that. Do you know many protein rich foods that aren't as calorically dense? You've already mentioned it, but whey protein. Most meats by themselves aren't calorie dense at all. All fish is terrific—cod, soul, tilapia, tuna, salmon, it's all very high in protein, low in calories, and high in micro-nutrients as well. Fish is arguably the best protein source for bodybuilding purposes. Chicken is good (assuming you mean breast) as are lean cuts of beef (think: tenderloin and extra lean ground beef). Beans/legumes tend to have a solid micro-nutrient profile, high fiber content, and can be great for satiation while calorie restricted—they're just not the most protein dense for their portion size (personally I love them, not downplaying them just explaining the differences). Dairy and higher fat meats (think: restaurant burgers, rib eye, t-bone steak, chicken thighs, wings, etc.) tend to be on the higher calorie side of meats but can still easily be fit into a calorie restricted diet (and shouldn't be entirely slept on as fat is essential for hormone production). Also, remember that these foods don't need to be eaten plain; most sauces/seasonings contain little to no calories and even if they do can still be used in moderation. It's the ranch, blue cheese, mayo type stuff that you should be concerned about calorically. Spices, seasonings, hot sauces, and general condiments like ketchup, mustard, lemon, vinegar, etc. will almost always be insignificant calorically and shouldn't be overlooked if they make your meals more enjoyable/sustainable in the long term. I use whey isolate protein after the gym. I get 52g of protein out of the shake for 220 calories 52 grams of protein for 220 calories is fantastic. I want to start by saying that whey = powdered food. Don't let people tell you that it is a 'supplement' in the sense that it does anything ordinary food doesn't do. It is the same as how milk can come in the powdered form (baby formula, anyone?). There is absolutely nothing wrong with it nor is there any reason why you should cut it out for "whole foods" unless you are experiencing adverse effects (commonly digestion or skin quality related with dairy products). Note that it doesn't need to be consumed at any certain time though, that whole "anabolic window" after a workout isn't of significance and shouldn't be something you factor into your eating habits. I'm still looking for a calorie goal that helps me lose fat and build muscle, I'm trying about 1,500 now) should I be eating more? I'm just so scared of eating too much and I get way fat again. I know the scale is a good tool to track this but my mind always persuades me I'm not doing enough, or I am gaining everything back despite the scale saying I'm still losing weight or maintaining my weight loss. I'm going to be honest in saying that weight loss is not my forte-weight gain is-so please take what I say here with a grain of salt (okay, maybe a lil' more seriously than that). In a general sense 1500 calories is damn low for somebody nearing 200 lbs who also expends such a large amount of energy each day. However, we're all different metabolically, and I don't want to jump in and say that it's too low for you as an individual because it may not be...but it *very* possibly could be. One big mistake people make is constantly changing their caloric intake prior to determining their actual TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). One week it's 2k cals, the next it's 1.5k, the next back up to 2k—keep it consistent for an extended period until you've fully determined how you are responding to it. You need a baseline to go off of. Say you start at 2k calories and after a month you haven't lost any weight, you can safely assume you're not eating in a caloric deficit and drop it down to, say, 1.5k for the next month. Evaluate your results and repeat this process until you find your actual baseline and then you can gradually decrease the calories alongside your body weight decrease (or increase them should you opt to bulk up at some point in time). While I understand that it sucks going through this period where you may potentially not progress, or even regress, it's very beneficial in the long run to have an accurate baseline to go off of. Here's a little example of how I'd approach it (numbers are just examples, not meant to be reflective of what you should input) Key + up - down = same Month 1: 2000 calories per day After 1 month Weight + = drop calories Weight = = drop calories Weight - repeat month 1 or drop calories ever so slightly Say your weight went up on 2000 calories, month 2 would be dropped to 1500 Say your weight remained the same on 2000 calories, month 2 would be dropped to 1700 Say your weight went down on 2000 calories, month 2 would be 2000 or 1900 calories depending on how significant the weight loss is Rinse and repeat until the results are what you'd want, and then simply adjust your calories based on your progression each month. *The drop in calories on the outline above isn't meant to be reflective of how much you'd actually drop them, just meant to give an example of how to approach your dietary changes based on the results you attain.* Based on your concern about regaining weight I do think that starting on the lower side calorically is understandable, and don't let the scale get to your head too much as our weight fluctuates significantly throughout the day. To put things into perspective, a 100 lb loved one of mine varies by ~6 lbs from morning until night. It wouldn't be unheard of for somebody who is 200 lbs to have fluctuations upwards of 10 lbs at times. The best way to minimize this variance is to weigh yourself at the same time each day (morning after using the restroom is suggested). Sorry this one is a little off-topic but I understand the mental health side of this game far too well and I wanted to give you some assurance that you aren't necessarily doing something wrong just because the scale went up, and not to put too much emotional investment into the number on your scale unless you've been consistently weighing yourself at the same time over an extended period. It's a great tool to help you gauge long(ish) term progress, but not nearly as helpful when it comes to short term (day(s)) progress. I'd like to suggest you get your hormones checked (blood test--if you are in the USA most insurance providers cover one annually unless otherwise requested by your doctor), and more specifically the following: [Testosterone (total) Testosterone (free/bioavailable) LH FSH] [Estradiol Prolactin Progesterone] [T3 T4 TSH] It is not uncommon for those on an extreme deficit to have issues related to their HPTA axis. Whether that be low testosterone, high estradiol (common in those overweight/formerly overweight, ESPECIALLY if you have under developed masculine/over developed feminine features such as gyno—breast tissue, a high voice, little facial/bodily hair, erectile/libido issues, etc.), or a 'slow' thyroid. It's better you find out now so that you can rule out/address these possibilities early on rather than risking spinning your wheels for months/years on end because of something outside of your control that you were too lazy to get tested (not saying you are). Oh, and both the gym and walking/work should be factored into your caloric intake. Always shoot low when estimating the calories you burn through exercise though! If it says like, 230 cals burned, I'd just round down to 200 to avoid risking an over estimation. For your goal (and mental health sake) it's likely a better idea for you to lose a lil' bit more weight than expected opposed to gaining some. Don't hesitate to ask anything else you're curious about, for clarification on certain things, or even just to let me know if I missed a question/comment you sound like you're on the right track and the fact that you've already lost such a significant amount of weight clearly shows you've done something right thus far. Stick with your bread and butter until it's no longer sufficient! I am one of those people from "actual forums" who is also advising those on said "actual forums". No need to fret, he's in good, lean and vascular hands (no self horn toot).
Hey, this is awesome! I was obese my whole life and starting 2 years ago, began training myself. I've lost nearly 100 lbs (330 lbs to ~240 lbs on avg) and just got certified as a personal trainer through the ISSA. @nosebleed answered OP quite well so nothing much to add there, but if anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to answer!
TLDR for beginner lifters or just people trying to lose fat. People tend to overthink and worry about the little things when setting new goals. 1. Do a combination of both strength training and cardio, not just one or the other. You need a good balance of both. 2. Calories In/Out, Go on a calorie deficit when trying to lose fat. Go on a calorie surplus when trying to gain mass/strength. 3. Get your protein! There's no harm in going a little over your protein intake. Plus the benefits of taking protein are huge whether you're trying to lose or gain weight! 4. Stay consistent! Think of it as a long term goal not short term. Don't rely on motivation, train your discipline.
You are a hero dude! Thx for opening such a thread... So since there are a lot of different ways of improving our body, I believe the most important thing is when the products that we consume can help us to feel better. What do I mean? I mean such things like L-Citrulline that can improve our health since it has basis that was constructed to stabilize blood flow, to make erections stronger and of course all of this can help for pre-workout benefits. By the way, the information I've found from an article about l-citrulline increases nitric oxide which is perfectly described has not expensive prices on their products (since it was made on an organic basis)
Personal Trainer here, will summarize some simple fitness facts.Firstly, Calculating TDEE based on how active your lifestyle is. https://tdeecalculator.net/ Nutrition wise: 80/20 or 70/30 rule If you focus on gaining muscle: Surplus at 200-300kcal, focus on Carbs (esp: post workout high GI carbs)/protein 1gram per pound. Training: combination of high Volume with hypertrophy 70-80% 8-12rep and strength days 80-90% 3-6 rep per week If you focus on losing fats: Deficit at 500, focus on high protein 1-1.15g per pound/healthy fats and low carb in rest day. Training: Focus High intensity with low volume and cardio HIIT/BriskWalk( because if volume too high and u din’t get sufficient nutritions for the broken muscles tissue, eventually u will lead to overtraining/muscle breakdown) which is the worst case focus High intensity 80-90% of 1rm with 3-6rep forces your muscle to maintain Which is what we want, you don’t want to lose all your hard earn muscles. For beginner to the gym, don’t worry too much because you guys are able to bulk+cut in the same time, just keep learning posture+balance and avoid ego lifting which easily lead to injury. Hope this little things can help. ps: Don’t skip leg day.
For most people in the beginning stages of weight lifting even after losing weight are still likely a marginal bodyfat % over what most people would be considered lean. A reasonable goal for males to shoot for to maintain is somewhere around 12-15% body fat. Unless you're that leaner than that, you should still be in a caloric deficit because you actually don't need to be in caloric surplus to build muscle. To build muscle you need basically two things: 1. Stimulus - Training with enough intensity to break down tissue and muscle fibers causing your body to repair/build more. 2. Recovery - This includes protein, rest, etc. To keep it simple, no matter what your current dietary habits are, the key factor is to eat approximately 1g/lb because there's no consistent notable benefit in studies that have shown increased protein synthesis at higher levels. When you're in a deficit however, I would recommend having a higher protein to lb ratio simply because chicken/meat/fish/proteins tend to have a higher satiating effect comparatively to fats and carbohydrates. EX: 2 oz of chicken breast will keep you fuller much longer than a slice of bread. Both being 100 calories.
You are great! You lost so much weight! Unfortunately for me, it is too hard. I was always overweight from childhood and even if I ate a small quantity of food I gained weight momentarily. I tried many diets and the one that helped me is Noom weight loss program. More than all, I make also cardio workouts and walk a lot. Frankly speaking, I see the results and that inspires me a lot. But honestly, it is too difficult for me, and I'm waiting for more productive weight loss.
