Question for you fitness guys, on goal setting.
I'm sitting at 150lbs, 13% body fat, with an ultimate goal of getting to a lean 157lbs at 8-10% body fat within the next few years. That of course involves a net increase in weight gain, with some fat loss but mostly muscle gain.
I'm starting Insanity on Monday, which I know is not ideal for muscle growth, but it is great for getting lean and athletic. I know for a fact that my body responds well to it because I did it last year. I recognize that, given my goals, it would be more efficient to do a resistance program like p90x first, but whatever. I have the DVD set, am in the mood for doing Insanity again, and I want to do Insanity with my fitness neophyte friend Kyle. It's only two months and I know I'll love the results. So Insanity it is.
Anyway, my question is -- given my goals, and given that I shall be doing Insanity for the next two months, what should be my daily caloric goals? Should I aim to lose (2100 cals), maintain (2600 cals), or gain (2900 cals)? If I aim to lose, that would guarantee major fat loss, but also muscle/strength loss. If I maintain, I can expect a positive transaction from fat to muscle, but I'm not sure how significant the change would be, given that this is a cardio-intensive program. If I aim to gain, I'm not sure what to expect there either.
I am tempted to just aim to maintain, because dieting sucks, and I'd love to have the most energy I can spare to get through these tough workout with all I can give.