[quote]London Runner wrote:
McG78 wrote:
Over the last four weeks, I’ve lost almost 2 pounds of muscle and gained 1.5 pounds of fat. How can this be?
How are you measuring this? DEXA, 7 site Calipers? How do you know this is accurate?
When I don’t count calories or worry about macronutrient ratios, I get leaner faster.
Maybe your eating less calories then you think when your not counting.
Is this just G-flux at its best? Anyone had the same problem (i.e., gaining fat and lossing muscle while on a caloric deficit)?
I’ve personally never heard of this. Maybe you can post what your doing training wise. What’s your diet like? Lower Cals, Low Carbs, Low Fat, Carb Cycling, Get Shredded??
LR[/quote]
To measure bodyfat, I’m using calipers and a handheld electrode device. They are surprising consistent while I don’t know if they are accurate. I don’t think they are accurate enough to measure bodyfat directly (e.g., I’m not running around saying I have x bodyfat percentage), but I do think they are accurate to measure change.
I posted my training and diet stuff above, if you want me to repost I can. Bascially, I’m high protein (1 to 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight), moderate to high fat, and low carbs. I know that I’m eating less because I basically take my normal meal and shave off a little of everything (e.g., instead of two chicken breats, I eat one and a half). Thus, I’m eating the same type of stuff at the same times but just in lesser amounts, if that makes sense.
In short, I think my situation is something like this. I’m burning x amount of calories per day. Normally, I eat at regimented times but as much as I want (when I feel full). When I restrict calories, I eat at the same times and workout the same, but I restrict how much I’m eating. My body almost immediately starts slowing down my metabolism when I decrease calories as well as burning muscle to make up the difference instead of fat. Because I workout first thing in the morning, my body burns more muscle then I have in stored glycogen, etc. When I eat later in the day, it goes to fat instead of rebuilding muscle. On the other hand, when I eat a ton, I always have enough “stored energy” that my muscle doesn’t get broken down as much, my metabolism stays high because of the increase muscle mass, and my body is more effecient at rebuilding muscle throughout the day.
Note: Besides my cheat meal, I eat extremely clean: whole fruit, vegetables, lean proteins. The only calories I get through my beverages are from fruit juices made with the whole fruit in my juicer. I don’t eat candy.