Lifting weights and calorie deficit

Ririia

Hello, I was wondering if I could lift weights when I'm cutting calories. Will I build muscles? Or should I just stick to cardio until I reach my goal weight and then lift weights when I'm on maintenance? I still have 10 more pounds to lose and I eat around 1000 calories a day.

malibu927

You can and you should. You won't build muscle, but you'll be able to retain as much as possible while you're losing. However, 1000 calories is way too low. You should only have a small deficit (~half a pound per week) when you're nearing the end.

sardelsa

You should start lifting weights NOW while you lose. Lifting while losing weight is going to preserve the muscle you have now and have positive affects on your body composition. Can you build muscle in a deficit? Maybe a little bit or maybe not...but that should not discourage you from not lifting weights.
If you do only cardio while you lose, you will not only lose fat but muscle as well and you will have a harder time fixing that when you get down to your goal weight range. It sucks.. believe me (been there).
Once you do get at or closer to goal, and you think you could use more muscle, then you can either eat around maintenance or run a bulk to actually gain more substantial muscle.

Also 1000 calories is too low and not a good idea...you will be malnourished, your performance will decrease, and you won't be able to sustain it for very long. Also you will lose more muscle that way. I highly recommend you fuel adequately for best results.

Ririia

malibu927 wrote: »

You can and you should. You won't build muscle, but you'll be able to retain as much as possible while you're losing. However, 1000 calories is way too low. You should only have a small deficit (~half a pound per week) when you're nearing the end.

sardelsa wrote: »

You should start lifting weights NOW while you lose. Lifting while losing weight is going to preserve the muscle you have now and have positive affects on your body composition. Can you build muscle in a deficit? Maybe a little bit or maybe not...but that should not discourage you from not lifting weights.
If you do only cardio while you lose, you will not only lose fat but muscle as well and you will have a harder time fixing that when you get down to your goal weight range. It sucks.. believe me (been there).
Once you do get at or closer to goal, and you think you could use more muscle, then you can either eat around maintenance or run a bulk to actually gain more substantial muscle.

Also 1000 calories is too low and not a good idea...you will be malnourished, your performance will decrease, and you won't be able to sustain it for very long. Also you will lose more muscle that way. I highly recommend you fuel adequately for best results.

My TDEE is 1330 so I thought that cutting the 330 would be fine and besides, I'm quite sedentary. However, I do eat the calories that I burn from cardio. Thank you for the advice.

malibu927

What are your stats?

mmapags

malibu927 wrote: »

What are your stats?

This! ^ That TDEE number is highly suspect unless you are 4'5".

NorthCascades

You might gain muscle in a deficit, if you've never lifted before and get enough protein and carbohydrate. But you won't really know for sure either way. All you can be sure of is lifting is good for you and past of how you achieve the body you want.

MegaMooseEsq

mmapags wrote: »

malibu927 wrote: »

What are your stats?

This! ^ That TDEE number is highly suspect unless you are 4'5".

I'm wondering if they might have switched BMR for TDEE. It wouldn't be the first time.

kshama2001

I wish I'd been more consistent with strength training and retained the muscle I had when I was 20...

My mother's osteoporosis doctor wishes she had started strength training decades earlier.