How do you limit calories to lose fat but still gain muscle mass?

[Ber Rabbit]

I've gotten pretty annoyed with the fat around my belly and it's time to do more to make it leave. I decided to track all my calories this week and try to limit them to 2000 per day. I tracked them all weekend and Saturday only had about 1700 calories even though I went to the gym and worked out. Sunday I was starving and even though I spread the calories out through the day and ate my last snack at 9pm I was starving by 11:30pm. A piece of peanut butter bread and glass of milk (260 total calories) didn't make the starved feeling go away so I tried drinking a 20oz bottle of water and waiting half an hour, I was still hungry! Ended up having about 2300 calories for the day.

I'm just watching calories and fat and trying to make smart choices for foods; fruit, smoked turkey, smoothies with protein powder, Lean Cuisine, veggies, etc. within my 2000 calorie allotment.

Is 2000 calories reasonable if I just want to take off a few pounds of fat but build more lean muscle? I'm working out 3 days a week and over the last 9 weeks I've gotten stronger and am starting to show some nice muscle tone but still the fat doesn't want to budge. I'm hungry! I know to spread my calories out but how long until my body is satisfied with only 2000 a day, I have no clue how much I was eating before but it was evidently more than that judging by the way I feel.

HELP!
Ber

[Fish_Whisperer]

Lean proteins and slow burning carbs like pasta, oatmeal, potatoes, etc. Eat six small meals a day to really kick your metabolism into high gear. As long as you are keeping your protein intake up, the fat will melt and you may even GAIN muscle. Muscle is more dense than fat, so you may actually appear to gain weight, but you will SEE the difference. Good luck.

[evad]

Quit eating fruit, smoothies and wheat (bread, pasta).

[Cacia]

Hmmm...don't know that potatos are "slow burning carbs"

maybe some types...but not the white ones, unless I am wrong.

I think you should read/ Google about omentum fat and the newish book "You on a Diet"

This will raise some brows, but next time you get hormone levels done, check your testosterone levels because as the ovaries "decline" from about 30 or so, so does your level of T. Bioidentical testosterone can bring levels to a normal physiological range of an earlier decade and improve muscle mass. Most people don't approve, but many forward thinking MD's are doing this now. (Women manufacture T also) A "bottomed out" T level is seen often from years of OC and having the ovaries shut down. Women have little energy and poor sense of well-being when the T level gets to rock bottom. Doesn't sound like this is your issue, but you could be heading that way once you notice fat distribution changes and loss of lean muscle mass.

Changes is fat distribution in middle age is hormone related, IMV. Estrogen levels, Hormone resistance, etc, all play roles.

I am no expert, but these topics will send you the right direction for researching this. Of course, this is very controversial.

From what I understand, there is no "spot reduction". When you lose weight, it comes from everywhere, I think.

[MSilvia]

If you want to build muscle mass, exercise.

[Mad Scientist]

You can either lose weight (fat) or gain weight (muscle) you cant do both at the same time. Your body is not designed to do this. To lose weight you must burn more calories than you take in, either by diet or exercise, you can increase muscle tone but not muscle mass. To increase muscle you need to increase calories and challenge your muscles. Pick one dedicate yourself to it until you meet your goals then do the other.

[roturner]

I've gotten pretty annoyed with the fat around my belly and it's time to do more to make it leave. I decided to track all my calories this week and try to limit them to 2000 per day. I tracked them all weekend and Saturday only had about 1700 calories even though I went to the gym and worked out. Sunday I was starving and even though I spread the calories out through the day and ate my last snack at 9pm I was starving by 11:30pm. A piece of peanut butter bread and glass of milk (260 total calories) didn't make the starved feeling go away so I tried drinking a 20oz bottle of water and waiting half an hour, I was still hungry! Ended up having about 2300 calories for the day.

I'm just watching calories and fat and trying to make smart choices for foods; fruit, smoked turkey, smoothies with protein powder, Lean Cuisine, veggies, etc. within my 2000 calorie allotment.

Is 2000 calories reasonable if I just want to take off a few pounds of fat but build more lean muscle? I'm working out 3 days a week and over the last 9 weeks I've gotten stronger and am starting to show some nice muscle tone but still the fat doesn't want to budge. I'm hungry! I know to spread my calories out but how long until my body is satisfied with only 2000 a day, I have no clue how much I was eating before but it was evidently more than that judging by the way I feel.

HELP!
Ber

If you're looking for a calorie reduced diet that works for "organised" (or structured approach type) people then you should look at weight watchers. Even if you're not entirely commited you'll still lose 1/2 kg (about 1lb) per week permanently while learning how to keep it off... permanently.

If you want to turn that into muscle then you don't have many options. You have to pump iron. Muscle doesn't just fall out of sky and land on you like rain ....

R..

[Rick Murchison]

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.
But I am a practiced dieter.
What follows works for me... you should consult your doctor before starting any diet.
The only truly successful diet I ever had was this, and I guarantee you that it works 100% of the time if you'll follow it religiously:
Set your target weight, then follow these steps until you reach it:
1. Get on the scale.
2. Write down the weight.
3. When hungry, drink water, eat celery, or both. Do not exceed one quart of water per hour, no limit on the celery. (Black coffee or unsweetened tea is ok too, depending on your personal tolerance level for caffeine)
4. Weigh again several hours later.
5. a. If weight has dropped, write down the new weight; eat; proceed to step 3.
5. b. If weight has not dropped, do not eat; proceed to step 3.
--
When you reach your target weight, change line 5.a. of the program to read "If weight is at or below target weight, eat; proceed to step 3." and change line 5.b. to read "If weight is above target weight, do not eat; proceed to step 3."
--
End of diet.
Works every time, all the time.
As for muscle mass, my opinion is that the very best workout for scuba divers to build the best muscles for our activity is swimming and scuba diving.
Rick

[CheddarChick]

Man, have you guys ever read the workout Ber does????? She is a work out machine...Tummy fat is god's way of women having a monthly friend. Ber you look great....
Now knock it off...Stick with the killer workouts, all will be fine

[roturner]

Man, have you guys ever read the workout Ber does????? She is a work out machine...Tummy fat is god's way of women having a monthly friend. Ber you look great....
Now knock it off...Stick with the killer workouts, all will be fine

I'll admit that I don't know what she looks like but i'll say this (or paraphrase it)

"killer abs are not made in the gym, they're made in the kitchen".

It doesn't matter what kind of workouts you have..... making the other sex horny at a distance depends on more than how intense your workouts are...

R..