Can I start gaining weight now?

[Enjoi]

Hey everyone,

I weighed about 165 pounds last June, and am down to about 135 (in the morning with just underwear on, but it'll be in the low 140s after a big meal)

I did not do much strength training (only recently learned about this "bulking, cutting" thing), so I lost a fair amount of muscle mass and am kind of weak. I am not sure of my exact body fat percentage, but I think it is about 11 percent. (I'm male, 22 years old, and 5'10). Most places I was looking at said get it around 10 percent before you start the bulk->cut->repeat thing, but I think I was becoming a little unhealthy.

I recently started a strength training/lifting and cardio program at the gym, but I am not sure if I should try to lose a bit more fat, or if it is ok to gain some, or if I should keep my calories where they are at. I am hungry often, am also fatigued easily (cardio has gotten very hard) and eat about 2100 for maintenance + whatever activities I do, but for about a week now I have been letting myself go up to 500 calories over. The way I feel tells me to put some weight on, but my body fat never went below 10 percent, as far as I can tell.

I still have a gut that never went away in my weight-loss phase. The abdominal muscles are there but still covered by some fat, and I have obliques a bit.

So, my question is, what should I start doing with my calories now? I am not trying to become "ripped" in any sense, I'd just like to get rid of my gut some. It has not changed in maybe the last 10 pounds or so (unfortunately, I guess that means I just lost a lot of muscle, so I really screwed up in that respect, but I intend to keep strength training every other day now)...

Thanks for any advice,

Jamie

 

[Enjoi]

I think ideally I would like to mostly just maintain my current weight while building muscle and losing fat...is this not possible? I know these have been asked before, but I need human interaction!

Jamie

 

[Steve]

Not possible.

And no offense, but to most people your stats would leave a grown man to thin. Shit, 130s is almost too thin for most women.

In my experience, if you have an average size guy asking if he should lose weight when he's already in the 130s, you have a guy with some misguided perceptions.

 

[maleficent]

based on some of your other posts, I'm really wondering if you're seeing yourself honestly -and have you been to a doctor recently?

 

[Steve]

I mean, you don't get to simply reach a certain number on the scale and automatically look a certain way. It doesn't work like that. It takes years of cutting fat and building muscle for most to reach a physique they even consider 'ok.'

And perpetually losing weight chasing a physique won't work. It will leave you anorexic, sickly and malnourished.

I think you should take a look at this thread and the pic I posted. Don't pass up the conversation either.

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weight-loss-diary/24454-diary-man-his-weight-loss-3.html#post541090