Current Events > I Gained 30lbs of FAT & Went From 135-165lbs. Should I Lose Weight?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm 5'7. My natural weight is 135lbs. Was slim. Since covid happened, I gained 30lbs of FAT. A lot of is noticeable in my gut, and less in my face. While I myself am not fat, I am not skinny or slim like I used to be. In a few weeks I'll be going to my gym to workout.

That said, as a guy who went from 135lbs-165lbs, do you think it would be better for me to
A. Focus on losing all the weight I gained during Covid. And then build muscle.
B. Just focus on building muscle via lifting weights, and do some cardio on the side to stay fit?

Basically, despite gaining 30lbs of fat: Do you think it's better for me to focus on losing all the weight, or just focus on building muscle and getting stronger?

Lose the weight first since belly fat is the most dangerous kind. It fucks with your internal organs. :v

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yes

B

building muscle will help you burn more fat at rest (which cardio will improve on) and so while building muscle will increase weight because muscle is denser, it will reduce your waist size, leg size, etc

i need to lose weight too but im too lazy but i need to. i dunno what im gonna do
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Ideally you should lift weights and recomp that fat into muscle. The ratio of muscle to body fat matters more than the number on the scale cause 165 lbs isn't fat at all unless you're extremely short.

It depends on how you're carrying it most of all. There are some physiques that sound like a light bodyweight but I would recommend losing weight while strength training because they really don't need any more fat gain, but for others it's fine and they should base build.

My default answer is to not worry about the scale at the moment. Lift heavy and eat wholesome foods, letting the chips fall where they are. It's possible to gain muscle and lose fat in a constrained-enough amount of time that you could colloquially say it's happening "at the same time", contrary to popular belief. It's easier for beginners to do this.

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Slayerblade11 posted...

Ideally you should lift weights and recomp that fat into muscle. The ratio of muscle to body fat matters more than the number on the scale cause 165 lbs isn't fat at all unless you're extremely short.

ah crap. regarding height I forgot to say that i'm 5'7

It just depends on what you want to do, there's no right answer. You'll probably start losing weight if you're naturally inclined to be that light anyway

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Teneritas posted...

Lose the weight first since belly fat is the most dangerous kind. It fucks with your internal organs. :v

It does? How?

trappedunderice posted...

It does? How?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/mens-health/in-depth/belly-fat/art-20045685

The trouble with belly fat is that it's not limited to the extra layer of padding located just below the skin (subcutaneous fat). It also includes visceral fat which lies deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs.
Regardless of your overall weight, having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of:
Cardiovascular disease
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Colorectal cancer
Sleep apnea
Premature death from any cause
High blood pressure

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Teneritas posted...

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/mens-health/in-depth/belly-fat/art-20045685

The trouble with belly fat is that it's not limited to the extra layer of padding located just below the skin (subcutaneous fat). It also includes visceral fat which lies deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs.
Regardless of your overall weight, having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of:
Cardiovascular disease
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Colorectal cancer
Sleep apnea
Premature death from any cause
High blood pressure

damn

Listen to yourself THIRTY POUNDS OF FAT

You are extremely unhealthy right now. You can make muscle gains on a high protein caloric deficit, anyway

Lose weight.

Lean looks much better than bulky whether it's fat or muscle in my opinion.

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Balrog0 posted...

It just depends on what you want to do, there's no right answer.

This. If you want to be bigger right now, gain weight. If you want to be thinner, lose weight.

Gaining thirty pounds of just fat in a year is a lot though. I would probably try losing at least 10-15 lbs and then focus on gaining. But it all depends how comfortable you are with your appearance.

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Lose fat now. Complacency about your weight is what gets you

Also, Crow, I remember an old post you made on the advice board way back in 14 like
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