Weight training while on calorie deficit

tpalit2001
tpalit2001 Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys,

I got a question. Is it harmful to do weights while still on a calorie-deficit? I've been on a calorie-deficit since January to lose weight. And now, I'm working on losing the last 10 lbs. My intake is 1400-1450 calories, 6 days a week, and 1700 calories on Sunday. My sedentary TDEE is around 1700 (at least the websites tell me so). In addition to weights, I also do cardio at the gym, and I don't eat back my exercise calories.

I've been doing weights for the past 2 weeks and I feel great! I feel my strength increase. But a friend told me that I'm risking damaging my muscles if I do weight training on a calorie deficit. Is it true?

Replies

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    No. You can't expect to build muscle (much) while losing weight, but it will help you keep the muscle you already have and focus your weight loss more on fat. Not that I did it, but the general recommendation is to lift during your weight loss phase.

  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    Ditch the friend
  • laurabadams
    laurabadams Posts: 201 Member
    tpalit2001 wrote: »
    Hi guys,

    I got a question. Is it harmful to do weights while still on a calorie-deficit? I've been on a calorie-deficit since January to lose weight. And now, I'm working on losing the last 10 lbs. My intake is 1400-1450 calories, 6 days a week, and 1700 calories on Sunday. My sedentary TDEE is around 1700 (at least the websites tell me so). In addition to weights, I also do cardio at the gym, and I don't eat back my exercise calories.

    I've been doing weights for the past 2 weeks and I feel great! I feel my strength increase. But a friend told me that I'm risking damaging my muscles if I do weight training on a calorie deficit. Is it true?

    On the contrary, weight training can help minimize LBM loss while in a deficit. Making sure you get adequate protein helps, too. There's some debate as to what "adequate" is, but you'll often see 0.8-1g/kg up to 1g/# body weight.
  • laurabadams
    laurabadams Posts: 201 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    jospen83 wrote: »
    tpalit2001 wrote: »
    Hi guys,

    I got a question. Is it harmful to do weights while still on a calorie-deficit? I've been on a calorie-deficit since January to lose weight. And now, I'm working on losing the last 10 lbs. My intake is 1400-1450 calories, 6 days a week, and 1700 calories on Sunday. My sedentary TDEE is around 1700 (at least the websites tell me so). In addition to weights, I also do cardio at the gym, and I don't eat back my exercise calories.

    I've been doing weights for the past 2 weeks and I feel great! I feel my strength increase. But a friend told me that I'm risking damaging my muscles if I do weight training on a calorie deficit. Is it true?

    On the contrary, weight training can help minimize LBM loss while in a deficit. Making sure you get adequate protein helps, too. There's some debate as to what "adequate" is, but you'll often see 0.8-1g/kg up to 1g/# body weight.

    0.8g per lb is most recommended for people in a deficit....1g per kg would be a very low recommendation, and not for someone in a deficit, or doing any form of training

    Thanks for clarifying!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Weight training while in a deficit is one of the best things that you should be doing.
  • tpalit2001
    tpalit2001 Posts: 24 Member
    Thanks everyone! I'll continue my lifting program without worry!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Agree with all of the above. Also, how much are you set to lose per week? Should only be .5 per week if you are down to the last 10.
  • laurabadams
    laurabadams Posts: 201 Member
    jospen83 wrote: »
    tpalit2001 wrote: »
    Hi guys,

    I got a question. Is it harmful to do weights while still on a calorie-deficit? I've been on a calorie-deficit since January to lose weight. And now, I'm working on losing the last 10 lbs. My intake is 1400-1450 calories, 6 days a week, and 1700 calories on Sunday. My sedentary TDEE is around 1700 (at least the websites tell me so). In addition to weights, I also do cardio at the gym, and I don't eat back my exercise calories.

    I've been doing weights for the past 2 weeks and I feel great! I feel my strength increase. But a friend told me that I'm risking damaging my muscles if I do weight training on a calorie deficit. Is it true?

    On the contrary, weight training can help minimize LBM loss while in a deficit. Making sure you get adequate protein helps, too. There's some debate as to what "adequate" is, but you'll often see 0.8-1g/kg up to 1g/# body weight.

    I see my "woo" & admit I likely mixed up the 0.8g/kg with /lb recommendations (a pretty big mix-up, math-wise). However, I wasn't too far off in suggesting there's some debate about adequate levels for minimizing muscle mass loss while in a deficit & while training. This article details a study that demonstrated overweight men on a 40% deficit consuming 1.2g protein per kg body weight while engaging in resistance training & HIIT prevented LBM loss. (The participants were both overweight & untrained, so recommended levels may be different for those who have been training for a while.)

    http://m.ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/01/26/ajcn.115.119339
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
    You're absolutely fine. Now if you had a ridiculous deficit and were weight training on, say, 600 net calories/day, I could see where your friend was coming from... but then just about any activity in such a situation would lead to injury/passing out/loss of hair, etc.
  • tpalit2001
    tpalit2001 Posts: 24 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    Agree with all of the above. Also, how much are you set to lose per week? Should only be .5 per week if you are down to the last 10.

    If the mfp calculations are correct, I should be losing at 0.5 lbs/week. However, I don't factor in my 4-times a week, 40 minute elliptical workout, when doing these calculations. I don't trust the machine numbers, and I've noticed that if I eat back the calorie numbers reported by the machine, I tend to maintain weight and not lose.
    Mezzie1024 wrote: »
    You're absolutely fine. Now if you had a ridiculous deficit and were weight training on, say, 600 net calories/day, I could see where your friend was coming from... but then just about any activity in such a situation would lead to injury/passing out/loss of hair, etc.

    Thanks! I certainly don't feel like passing out, neither am I losing hair. I feel pretty great actually. Thanks for explaining it to me!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    tpalit2001 wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    Agree with all of the above. Also, how much are you set to lose per week? Should only be .5 per week if you are down to the last 10.

    If the mfp calculations are correct, I should be losing at 0.5 lbs/week. However, I don't factor in my 4-times a week, 40 minute elliptical workout, when doing these calculations. I don't trust the machine numbers, and I've noticed that if I eat back the calorie numbers reported by the machine, I tend to maintain weight and not lose.
    Mezzie1024 wrote: »
    You're absolutely fine. Now if you had a ridiculous deficit and were weight training on, say, 600 net calories/day, I could see where your friend was coming from... but then just about any activity in such a situation would lead to injury/passing out/loss of hair, etc.

    Thanks! I certainly don't feel like passing out, neither am I losing hair. I feel pretty great actually. Thanks for explaining it to me!

    I'd log them here and eat at least half. I get the concern about machines and accuracy.

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