Am I gaining fat or muscle?

C

Cirga

0
Hi all

Over the last year I have gained approximately 10lbs. My weight is currently up to 170lb and I’m 5ft 11inches, I’m a male, and 26 years old. My waist line has stayed mostly static, as far as I can tell, at the very least I am still in the same pant size. I currently go to the gym 3 times a week, I do a 40 minute run on a treadmill, ~5.6 miles according to the treadmill, and then I will do 5-6 weight machines. In total it usually takes me around an hour and 15 minutes to complete my work outs. I keep a fairly low calorie diet, anywhere between 1300-1800 a day, with the one exception being Saturdays when I go over to my folks place for dinner. I drink a plenty of water every day, 80 oz or more. I will also sometimes supplement my gym work outs by doing 40 minute jogs at a local park on days that I don’t go to the gym (usually to make up for breaking my diet, like when I got Chinese food for dinner yesterday for my roommate’s birthday).

So my question is am I slowly gaining fat, muscle, both? I don’t really feel like I would be gaining a lot of muscle mass as I don’t do any free weights and I only use the machines. For the most part I always do the weight machines at the same weight resistance and very rarely increase the resistance. I'd say on average I increase the weight resistance by about 10lbs per machine each year. This has been really stressing me out as I feel like no matter what I do my weight just keeps going up.

To give you a little info into my weight loss background I started going to the gym and dieting back in May of 2010. At the time my weight fluctuated between 285-295lbs and I had been fairly heavy most of my life. I went cold turkey, started going to the gym 5 times a week, totaling around 10 hours a week. Went on a low calorie diet, and by November 25th 2010 I reached my initial weight goal of 180lbs. Not long after that I settled into my current routine of going to the gym 3 times a week for an hour and 15 minutes each day. I hit my lowest weight of 160lbs in February of 2012 stayed really steady there until around May of 2012. Then my weight started slowly creeping up and has now reached 170lbs almost a year later now.

I can’t really do any pinch tests as I have a decent amount of loose skin, especially on my gut, chest, upper arms, and thighs. The only areas were you can’t really tell I have loose skin just by looking are my lower arms, lower legs, and facial area. If anyone could give me some insight or advice I’d really appreciate. I feel like everything I fought for is slowly slipping away and it is driving me nuts.

Thanks for your time.
-Jared
 
160 @ 5'11" is pretty thin. If your pants still fit I would guess you are probably not gaining fat, but lean body mass (lean body mass (LBM) is made up of everything except fat: muscle, organs, blood, water, bone, skin, etc). Even the machines will gradually build muscle, and the organs and bone density required to support the extra work load and muscle. As long as you continue to fit in the same pants I would not worry too much, although it is normal to after a major weight loss like you have had.
What is your diet your diet like? Although you gave your daily calorie count, all calories are not equal. If you are trying to minimize body fat and maximize LBM, lean meats and vegetables should be your main staples.
 
Hello,
By the eating whatever you are in the current phase is not bad just do one thing convert your fat into muscle it can be. And do not lose hope...
 
Well my usual breakfast is an egg and cheese sandwich, using market Basket’s light oatmeal bread, and white American cheese that is very thinly sliced, and a large egg. I also have a light market basket yogurt with a sliced up banana along with my sandwich.

My typical lunch while working is a chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion sandwich. I use light oatmeal bread, thinly sliced American cheese, and market basket’s thin and trim chicken deli meats. I also have a fiber one bar along with my lunch. On the weekends I will replace the sandwich with either pineapple or other fruit.

My most common dinners are a spinach salad, with cucumbers, onion, light feta cheese, thin and trim chicken deli meat, and some mandarin oranges. I use light dressings with the salad. I usually have this two times a week. I will usually get subway a couple times a week and I eat a 6” sub along with a fiber bar. You can see the sub in the following link . Most of my other meals generally consist of a can of no salt added mushrooms and French style green beans with either a progressive light soup, or a teriyaki chicken patty.

For snacks I will generally have 1 apple a day, or some other fruit as a snack, usually a banana or orange. I drink in total 80oz or more of water a day. I have 2 big glasses of water before breakfast and dinner, as well as when I get home from work. I have a 16oz bottle of water with my lunch, and I will typically drink a few cups of non-caffeinated tea after dinner. I know, not a lot of variation, but I’m a creature of habit.

The only time I regularly deviate from this is when I go to my folks place for dinner every Saturday, which I use as a kind of break from dieting night and just eat whatever they make.
 
I would like to suggest to eat more vitamins and supplements foods , egg and drink milk and lots of water .

Thanks .
 
Go to your local gym and find out whether they do any free health checks, most do and get them to work out your body fat etc.
 
Well my regular morning meal is an egg and dairy products food, using industry Basket’s mild oats bread, and white American dairy products that is very very finely chopped, and a large egg, I also have a mild industry bag natural with a chopped up bananas along with my food...
 
Check your BMI but a few weights of males who call themselves bodybuilders at your height are 138, 174 and 197 with at least 195 being the overall height-dependent average of lifters between 60" and 77" height. They all look fit.

The Jay Cutler types are not included in these calculations but the Frank Zane types are.
 
Atwater said:
Well my regular morning meal is an egg and dairy products food, using industry Basket’s mild oats bread, and white American dairy products that is very very finely chopped, and a large egg, I also have a mild industry bag natural with a chopped up bananas along with my food...
Click to expand...
 
Don't mean to contradict dswithers but your NEVER going to put on enough muscle mass to keep you healthy puting 10 lbs a year on weight machines. If this is all your doing and your running all these miles then you will never keep your weight off or your metabolism high.

If you dropped 100 -110lbs in 6 months then your metabolism will be shot to pieces. Not only will you have lost some fat you would also have decimated your musculature thereby driving your metabolic rate into the basement.

If your serious about this situation and prepared to put in an effort for the long haul (you certainly don;t have to be fanatical but you do have to commit for the long term) then get back to me and I will be more than happy to chat with and help you develop a program and plan to get your bf down and your muscle mass up. You will be healthier, happier and in pretty decent shape in no time...
 
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