So food = fat and weights = muscle

altairego21
altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Im still trying to figure out this fat loss thing but if i were to eat my marcos and go into a deficit that would help me lose fat, correct?
So if I can lose fat from my foods, can I perform 40-50 min weights and 10-20 min cardio 4 days a week this will help me lean out but still build a little bit of muscle?????
Someone please help me im trying to burn abiut 10-15 lbs of fat but keep my muscle in my leg and arms!


Replies

  • altairego21
    altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Eat at a calorie deficit to lose fat, adequate protein and weight training will help preserve your muscle.
    You don't have much to lose so aim for 0.5lb per week.

    Thank you. So if I eat at a deficit but weight train I will still burn fat and save muscle??
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    yes
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    yes, a smaller deficit helps preserve muscle loss.
  • JacobNicolaus
    JacobNicolaus Posts: 34 Member
    lnmuse wrote: »
    Im still trying to figure out this fat loss thing but if i were to eat my marcos and go into a deficit that would help me lose fat, correct?
    So if I can lose fat from my foods, can I perform 40-50 min weights and 10-20 min cardio 4 days a week this will help me lean out but still build a little bit of muscle?????
    Someone please help me im trying to burn abiut 10-15 lbs of fat but keep my muscle in my leg and arms!


    I agree with the posters above - eat at a (small) deficit, and definitely train your muscles!

    With your goal, I'd advise to get yourself scales that would measure fat % - that would probably be a better measure for you than just weight, as you might see your muscles growing, thus giving you misleading readings on weight.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    scales don't measure bf% accurately or anywhere near @JacobNicolaus
  • altairego21
    altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
    JacobNicolaus wrote: »
    lnmuse wrote: »
    Im still trying to figure out this fat loss thing but if i were to eat my marcos and go into a deficit that would help me lose fat, correct?
    So if I can lose fat from my foods, can I perform 40-50 min weights and 10-20 min cardio 4 days a week this will help me lean out but still build a little bit of muscle?????
    Someone please help me im trying to burn abiut 10-15 lbs of fat but keep my muscle in my leg and arms!


    I agree with the posters above - eat at a (small) deficit, and definitely train your muscles!

    With your goal, I'd advise to get yourself scales that would measure fat % - that would probably be a better measure for you than just weight, as you might see your muscles growing, thus giving you misleading readings on weight.

    Thank you! I never heard of a scale that tracks body fat. Ive just been taking measurements to help me with my process.
    But I was also wondering, even if I only train weights with my upper and lower body will this help me lose belly/body fat all over or should I do a mix of cardio to help with that?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Eating at deficit will help you lose off everywhere, we can't spot reduce but lifting weights I've found does help with diminishing the pooch area. Cardio is good for heart health and also helps create calorie deficit.
  • altairego21
    altairego21 Posts: 52 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Eating at deficit will help you lose off everywhere, we can't spot reduce but lifting weights I've found does help with diminishing the pooch area. Cardio is good for heart health and also helps create calorie deficit.

    Do you have a certain routine you follow for fat loss but building lean muscle?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    lnmuse wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Eating at deficit will help you lose off everywhere, we can't spot reduce but lifting weights I've found does help with diminishing the pooch area. Cardio is good for heart health and also helps create calorie deficit.

    Do you have a certain routine you follow for fat loss but building lean muscle?

    My home is my gym :smile: but I use Fitness Blender (youtube) for most of my strength workouts using various weights of dumb bells, everyone will have their own preference but this works well for me.
  • JacobNicolaus
    JacobNicolaus Posts: 34 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    scales don't measure bf% accurately or anywhere near @JacobNicolaus

    That's fine by me. As long as they show change - it's a good sign.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    JacobNicolaus wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    scales don't measure bf% accurately or anywhere near @JacobNicolaus

    That's fine by me. As long as they show change - it's a good sign.

    Yes that's what works for me! I have an Aria and it gives a bodyfat % which I'm assuming is wildly inaccurate. However, as I drop weight, I'm seeing the number decrease (s-l-o-w-l-y) so I feel like I have a sense of how weight loss affects body composition. I find it interesting, and may at some point get a real scan and compare it.
  • JacobNicolaus
    JacobNicolaus Posts: 34 Member
    lnmuse wrote: »

    Thank you! I never heard of a scale that tracks body fat. Ive just been taking measurements to help me with my process.
    But I was also wondering, even if I only train weights with my upper and lower body will this help me lose belly/body fat all over or should I do a mix of cardio to help with that?

    Provided you spend more energy than you acquire through eating, you can expect to lose body fat all over the body. I do bodyweight training myself, and lost my belly fat first, followed by my face and legs. I don't do any exercises to slim down my face :smile:
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Losing weight in a calorie deficit without lifting is going to lose muscle as well as fat.

    To avoid losing that muscle as much as possible, lift.

    If you carefully consume 1 gram of protein for each 1 pound of your body weight while lifting in a modest calorie deficit, you may even experience muscle gainz while losing fat, although this is not going to happen if you are an experienced lifter. Only newbie lifters get this.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    The chance of adding muscle whilst dieting is somewhat slim. Some studies have shown it is possible (see below) the chances are low.

    Aim to use lifting to maintain muscle mass (remember use it or lose it!) and use diet and cardio to control your calorie deficit.

    This is the study that showed that a small gain is possible.

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/how-to-lose-weight-and-gain-muscle-fast-new-mcmaster-study-1.3423359
  • mlsh1969
    mlsh1969 Posts: 138 Member
    edited April 2017
    lnmuse wrote: »
    Im still trying to figure out this fat loss thing but if i were to eat my marcos and go into a deficit that would help me lose fat, correct?
    So if I can lose fat from my foods, can I perform 40-50 min weights and 10-20 min cardio 4 days a week this will help me lean out but still build a little bit of muscle?????
    Someone please help me im trying to burn abiut 10-15 lbs of fat but keep my muscle in my leg and arms!


    Yes, if u eat in deficit u will loose lbs (make sure to get enough protein)
    Yes, weights will help build muscle and burn fat (u wont build a lot of muscle tho)
    Yes, 20 min of cardio will help burn fat
    I think u got it all, good luck

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    lnmuse wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Eating at deficit will help you lose off everywhere, we can't spot reduce but lifting weights I've found does help with diminishing the pooch area. Cardio is good for heart health and also helps create calorie deficit.

    Do you have a certain routine you follow for fat loss but building lean muscle?

    Putting on muscle while eating at a calorie deficit is extremely difficult, and very, very slow. You can maintain the muscle you have, and if you have enough fat, put on a very small amount of new muscle. If you don't have a lot to lose, the big goal is to maintain what you have by lifting in a good progressive whole body program. By that I mean a program that is built around the big compound lifts like squats, bench presses, deadlifts, overhead presses, and bent over rows, and which included regular, planned increases in weights lifted.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    It will help you save muscle but probably not build new muscle while eating at a deficit. If you don't do weights or other strength training, you will lose more muscle along with the fat.
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