Is it true....

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NerdyNix
NerdyNix Posts: 111 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
that building muscle whilst losing weight will help to prevent saggy skin?
«13

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Well, you can't build muscle and lose weight at the same time. What you can do is preserve your muscle by lifting, which will help focus the weight loss on fat, and it won't have people looking "skinny fat" when they reach their goal weight and have no definition.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
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    You won't be able to build muscle while losing fat.

    But you can retain more muscle by strength training and eating enough protein. And you can also try to keep a moderate deficit, which gives the skin time to adapt.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    With the exception of newbie gains, you won't be building muscle in a deficit. Lift to maintain muscle mass and get stronger.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    You cannot build muscle in a caloric deficit.

    You lose weight in a caloric deficit.

    You gain muscle in a caloric surplus.

    To prevent saggy skin, losing weight too fast (say if your TDEE is higher then you should eat at -500 calories per day instead of jumping to 1500 calories for example) will cause the weight to drop, and the skin won't catch up with it.

  • NerdyNix
    NerdyNix Posts: 111 Member
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    I've noticed my biceps getting firmer though, or is that gaining muscle mass rather than actually building muscle?
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    NerdyNix wrote: »
    I've noticed my biceps getting firmer though, or is that gaining muscle mass rather than actually building muscle?

    It is neither. It is the fat decreasing.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    NerdyNix wrote: »
    I've noticed my biceps getting firmer though, or is that gaining muscle mass rather than actually building muscle?

    You're just losing the fat in your arms, which is making the muscle more noticeable
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    NerdyNix wrote: »
    I've noticed my biceps getting firmer though, or is that gaining muscle mass rather than actually building muscle?

    Wow
  • NerdyNix
    NerdyNix Posts: 111 Member
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    eric_sg61 wrote: »
    NerdyNix wrote: »
    I've noticed my biceps getting firmer though, or is that gaining muscle mass rather than actually building muscle?

    Wow

    Alright, alright I read how stupid that sentence was after I posted it. No need to be rude was there.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    NerdyNix wrote: »
    eric_sg61 wrote: »
    NerdyNix wrote: »
    I've noticed my biceps getting firmer though, or is that gaining muscle mass rather than actually building muscle?

    Wow

    Alright, alright I read how stupid that sentence was after I posted it. No need to be rude was there.

    For future reference, MFP does provide an edit option. :wink:
  • NerdyNix
    NerdyNix Posts: 111 Member
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    Ha ha noted! :D
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Okay there are a few times you can gain muscle while losing fat.

    Noob gains if you are new to lifting, but they are scarce.
    Gains if you are obese and start lifting
    Recomp, eating at maintenance gaining muscle at a slow pace and losing fat but weight may stay the same.

    That is with consistent weight lifting, getting in enough protein etc.

    Your best bet is to lift weights or do some sort of resistance training, get in enough protein and eat at a deficit to lose fat and maintain as much muscle as you can.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,147 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Okay there are a few times you can gain muscle while losing fat.

    Yes.

    I'm dropping a lot of weight ... and yet the muscle tone in my legs from all the hill climbing (cycling hilly routes) is really developing nicely. I have gone from 'sausage legs' back pretty close to the muscular cycling legs I had about a decade ago.

    If I am not both gaining muscle while losing weight ... what am I doing?

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Okay there are a few times you can gain muscle while losing fat.

    Yes.

    I'm dropping a lot of weight ... and yet the muscle tone in my legs from all the hill climbing (cycling hilly routes) is really developing nicely. I have gone from 'sausage legs' back pretty close to the muscular cycling legs I had about a decade ago.

    If I am not both gaining muscle while losing weight ... what am I doing?

    Losing fat
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,147 Member
    edited May 2015
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    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Okay there are a few times you can gain muscle while losing fat.

    Yes.

    I'm dropping a lot of weight ... and yet the muscle tone in my legs from all the hill climbing (cycling hilly routes) is really developing nicely. I have gone from 'sausage legs' back pretty close to the muscular cycling legs I had about a decade ago.

    If I am not both gaining muscle while losing weight ... what am I doing?

    Losing fat

    And increasing muscle.

    But note that I'm not saying that I am replacing fat with muscle. They are two different things.

    As I'm losing weight, I am exercising more and taking on more challenging climbing routes. The one last weekend was one I wouldn't have even considered 4 months ago.

    Also, I have been measuring the girth of my thighs from the beginning, and despite the fact that I've dropped 14 kg, they have only dropped 1 cm. So it's not like I'm shedding a thick layer of fat to reveal muscle underneath. I haven't been shedding much off my thighs at all.



  • Chrysalid2014
    Chrysalid2014 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    To everyone saying you can't build muscle and lose weight at the same time. Is this piece incorrect then?
    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-basics-of-body-recomposition-how-to-lose-fat-gain-muscle-at-the-same-time/
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    To the people who say you can't build muscle and lose weight at the same time - that's news to me - got any links that explain that?
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    Sagging skin is avoided by SLOW weight loss and adequate external and internal hydration. Also: Genetics and age.

    So, be young and lucky, and in the meantime, don't crash diet and drink tons of water and moisturize.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    To the people who say you can't build muscle and lose weight at the same time - that's news to me - got any links that explain that?

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/how-to-build-muscle-and-lose-fat/
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    To the people who say you can't build muscle and lose weight at the same time - that's news to me - got any links that explain that?

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html/

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