calorie deficit and muscle growth

[Choppers]

My trainer at the gym has me on a low carb diet with lots of protein and supplementary shakes but I'm always hungry regardless. I snack on fruit, nuts and yoghurt between meals.

Is it possible for me to grow whilst in a calorie deficient state? Or do I need to eat excess calories to grow and then to start stripping fat away?

Training is 5 days a week for 1 hour, cardio x 3 hours a week.

[xnotoriousx]

What are your stats?

Weight/height/body fat percentage?

How many calories exactly are you taking in on this new diet? If you don't know then you found a great board to learn from. Start with the stickies in this section and read until your eyes bleed.

[swol_je]

The only way to lose fat and build muscle at the same time is whe nyour first start working out, probably the first two years, or else be on AAS.

[Choppers]

height 5'7 weight 80kg BF was estimated around 18 now down to around 13/14.

I'm guessing that its probably around 2000 calories a day, but I was always hungry on it and started eating some more carbs for energy as I was always irritable and grouchy (which in itself is nothing new) and my performance in the gym was barely improving and generally I felt weak.

From Monday I'm going to give the CKD a go for 3 weeks as I want to get my fat down to around 10% and then write a proper diet that suits me and my activities and see how I go. I find it really difficult finding decent snacks or food that I can eat when I've not made it myself.

Just quickly, how reliable do people think the electronic fat measuring scales are that people have in their bathroom? I'm using mine as more of an indication rather than hard fact. Has anyone verified this against calipers at all? Just curious..........

[VeraDeMilo]

If hunger is an issue, try taking in more fat. (Not Saturated fat) Fat has the ability to blunt hunger somewhat. Whenever I'm starving and don't have a meal coming up for a little while, I have a tablespoon of peanut butter. Organic. Not the skippy kind thats filled with sugars and crap. Just a suggestion.

[M302_Imola]

If hunger is an issue, try taking in more fat. (Not Saturated fat) Fat has the ability to blunt hunger somewhat. Whenever I'm starving and don't have a meal coming up for a little while, I have a tablespoon of peanut butter. Organic. Not the skippy kind thats filled with sugars and crap. Just a suggestion.

Good tip, I also like throwing in some broc when I'm hungry. In most cases drinking some water can help with hunger too.

[xnotoriousx]

height 5'7 weight 80kg BF was estimated around Just quickly, how reliable do people think the electronic fat measuring scales are that people have in their bathroom? I'm using mine as more of an indication rather than hard fact. Has anyone verified this against calipers at all? Just curious..........

haha they are garbage man. I spent $60 on one at target, the weight works great on it, as for the BF% it says it can read is bull. Mine tells me i'm around 31%. I've got decent definition and can also see my abs, so I know it has to either be way off or either broken.

If you haven't already wasted your money, buy the cheaper one without the "BF% reader"

[Deltasaurus]

My trainer at the gym has me on a low carb diet with lots of protein and supplementary shakes but I'm always hungry regardless. I snack on fruit, nuts and yoghurt between meals.

Is it possible for me to grow whilst in a calorie deficient state? Or do I need to eat excess calories to grow and then to start stripping fat away?

Training is 5 days a week for 1 hour, cardio x 3 hours a week.

That Personal Trainer is an Idiot. Come talk to me

[Choppers]

Sadly the scales were purchased a year ago and I can never understand the wild fluctuations in BF readings. A while back it used to say 18% one day then 14% the next so I'm assuming that water must have something to do with the accuracy of the results.

On the diet front I've stopped following it word for word and am doing more reading on here and another bodybuilding site. I eat very well anyway but it needs tinkering with.

I understand the basic concepts but need to sit down one Saturday and work out exactly how much I should be eating and when and stick to it. I always find I do 6-8 weeks and then diet creep occurs. You slowly and progressively start deviating from the original diet!