Is losing body fat the same process as losing weight?

healthypelican
healthypelican Posts: 215 Member
edited November 15 in Getting Started
Do you have to eat in a particular way to simply lose fat and not muscle? can you still lose body fat if you include treats (junk food or fast food) in your diet?

Thinking of eating at maintenance with exercise creating my deficit.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    healthypelican wrote: »
    Do you have to eat in a particular way to simply lose fat and not muscle?
    No, just don't eat too few calories, and get enough protein.
    can you still lose body fat if you include treats (junk food or fast food) in your diet?
    Yes.
    Thinking of eating at maintenance with exercise creating my deficit.
    That can be a good strategy.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You're always going to lose some amount of lean mass while losing weight...that can be mitigated by maintaining a reasonable deficit along with adequate protein and resistance training. Muscle mass is a use it or lose it kind of thing.

    I'm not sure what you mean by eating at maintenance and using exercise to create a deficit...if you're eating at maintenance, you're going to maintain...I've been in maintenance going on four years and exercise regularly...I maintain because I'm eating maintenance.
  • healthypelican
    healthypelican Posts: 215 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I'm not sure what you mean by eating at maintenance and using exercise to create a deficit...

    Its pretty simple... basically, if I can have 2000 calories as a minimum to maintain my weight, I will eat those 2000, then do exercise on top of that, but not eat the calories burnt from doing exercise, so if I burn off 500 calories a day, I will lose weight.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited February 2017
    healthypelican wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I'm not sure what you mean by eating at maintenance and using exercise to create a deficit...

    Its pretty simple... basically, if I can have 2000 calories as a minimum to maintain my weight, I will eat those 2000, then do exercise on top of that, but not eat the calories burnt from doing exercise, so if I burn off 500 calories a day, I will lose weight.

    In other words, you're eating in a deficit for your activity level, not maintenance...but I understand...you're eating your NEAT, not your actual maintenance TDEE.

  • healthypelican
    healthypelican Posts: 215 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    healthypelican wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I'm not sure what you mean by eating at maintenance and using exercise to create a deficit...

    Its pretty simple... basically, if I can have 2000 calories as a minimum to maintain my weight, I will eat those 2000, then do exercise on top of that, but not eat the calories burnt from doing exercise, so if I burn off 500 calories a day, I will lose weight.

    In other words, you're eating in a deficit for your activity level, not maintenance...but I understand...you're eating your NEAT, not your actual maintenance TDEE.

    Oh... right. So over time my ''maintenance'' would change, as my weight drops.
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