I do cardio and lift weights, should i eat more or less then i would?

Ive heard from some that i should increase my calorie intake and from other i should decrease it to lose weight. Well i don't want to sacrifice my strength gains or endurance from lifting weights, push ups, and ab exercises, but i do want to lose some weight in my stomach and face. What would you guys recommend on how i should be eating? Thanks in advance....
 
hey im in the same boat as you =/ my goal is to lose tha last few inches of body fat then get into lifting weights more to build mass.

the way i see it is i should focus on buring the fat first then building mass because if i build mass first then try to burn the fat i will also be buring lean muscle, which i just worked so hard to gain. so im eating less calories until i reach my desired body fat %. i think u should do the same, start by eating 500 less calories then you already do.

but thats just my point of view
 
You see, im not very strong, so if i just let go of strength gaining exercises id basically start from ground zero and build my way back up which would take a couple months, so my question is, even though im slightly sacrificing strength gain by eating a lil less to burn off that extra fat, once im done with my preferred body weight, can i eat normally and still gain the muscle/strength back that i lost, plus more??? Thanks in advance buddy...
 
While it's possible to gain some muscle and lose some weight simultaneously, it won't last long and your gains in either direction will suffer.

What you're referring to is a cycle referred to as cutting and bulking. The cutting period consists of a lower calorie intake with the goal of cutting fat. The bulking phase is an increase in calories which are used to build muscle. To keep it simple, a full body weight lifting routine can be used for both.

People have written books and books on this topic, so that little paragraph above is pretty simplified. But the moral is this: choose one goal (cut fat or build muscle) and stick to it until it's achieved. Then choose another.

Hope it helps.
 
Golly, do you think one day i can do cardio the next work on weight training? You see if i do either or, id sacrifice the other one drastically for example, if i work primarily on weight lifting then id gain back the weight i lost, but if i quit weight training, then id get weaker and id have to work on reattaining that muscle back from scratch. Do you think there is an alternative to gradually progress in doing both?
 
Cardio & weight training

Golly, do you think one day i can do cardio the next work on weight training? You see if i do either or, id sacrifice the other one drastically for example, if i work primarily on weight lifting then id gain back the weight i lost, but if i quit weight training, then id get weaker and id have to work on reattaining that muscle back from scratch. Do you think there is an alternative to gradually progress in doing both?

Absolutely. I do 20 minutes of cardio & 20 minutes circuit weight training, days 1,3,5 each and, then heavier weights on days 2 & 4.
After your fitness improves or if you plateau (I did) you can add light some cardio before the weights to the days 2 & 4 and change up days 1,3 & 5 by using HIIT cardio.

I agree with DEF.

You can't put on any significant muscle mass while you're reducing.
Weight train to maintain muscle mass, focus on the compound exercises, they are more efficient.

Of course results vary from person to person, but simple rule of thumb, if your building you need to have a caloric surplus, and to reduce you need a calorie deficit. You can't build significant muscle mass while in a caloric deficit. I learned the hard way. Weight training to failure while reducing will make you feel like crap. You'll feel like you've been beaten up and left to ache. Your muscles need nutrients & calories to recover & grow.

Mike D
 
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And weight training isn't only about gaining muscle. You can lose significant weight only by lifting and without cardio. You just need to eat below your maintenance level at the same time.
 
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