Can I lose weight while gaining muscle?

ChristinaPCharles

Hi there, I am currently almost 14 lbs down doing the Keto diet, & Intermittent fasting for 4 months now. I’ve been doing HIIT sprints on treadmill for 20 minutes 4x a week, strength training on those days also 4 days a week and 1 day of cardio 35 minutes with Abs. I recently switched things up by cutting back on consuming fat and also cutting back on working out down to 2 days just this week. I was in a plateau for 2 months. I’m thinking mostly because I’m gaining muscle as I tend to when lifting weights. I am 151 lbs today and would like to be 20 lbs lighter that’s my goal. How do I balance losing the rest of the weight while gaining muscle? Truthfully I miss going 5 days a week, it keeps me sane. I’m gonna see what this week brings but it’s frustrating to say the least! My history is I lost 53 lbs 4 years ago in 11 months time by eating gluten free and only working out 1 day a week. But I like that I have muscle now and I look athletic so I would like to continue. Can I lose weight while gaining muscle? Thanks for your help in advance.

Katiebear_81

You won't really gain that much muscle that you're going to notice a total plateau. As a female, it's difficult to put on muscle in general. And if you're at a deficit, that will become nearly impossible. Eating adequate protein and continuing to lift weights in a progressive overload will maintain most of your muscle mass, giving you that aesthetic that you're looking for.

If you have stopped losing weight, I'd reconsider how many calories you are eating and see if you need to tweak your logging, and overall deficit. Macros and nutrient timing are secondary to caloric intake/deficit.

ChristinaPCharles

Makes sense, I hear what you’re saying. I have just started to tweak my calories cause I think I was consuming way too many fat calories so I’m eliminating the overage so that I have a deficit but I’ll up my protein for gains. Thanks for the response!

ceiswyn

How exactly would plateauing because of building muscle work? What would you be building that muscle out of?

pinggolfer96

Very inefficiently you can MAYBE. Or unless you’re on PEDs or a newbie, the body doesn’t like building anything in a deficit

ChristinaPCharles

Thanks for the response I actually am seeing results since cutting back on the fat 1 lb down but I’m gonna start next week with heavy lifting and more protein as I know my metabolism will most likely respond from this weeks rest. I just start to panic when I don’t see the scale move yet my size does keep going down. I need to just throw the scale out!

100_PROOF_

It just doesn't work that way

ChristinaPCharles

Would you be able to explain what you mean? Thanks

Muscleflex79

no one gains muscle at a rate that would outpace fat loss - not going to happen - that is not the reason for your plateau. much more likely a calorie intake/logging issue.

ChristinaPCharles

Yes I agree I’m figuring that out but I did find a link to answer my question. It can be done losing fat while gaining muscle and I have been doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Hard workouts, cardio, and great diet no sugars and lower carbs but I’m tweaking my diet and I think that’s where it lies. Here’s a link http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/

ninerbuff

Gaining muscle while on a calorie deficit is likely improbable for the average person. It's possible for a few: newbie to weights, returning athlete after a long layoff, very overweight or obese on a progressive lifting program, a seasoned weight lifter on a very slight caloric deficit. Even then, the gains are minimal with the exception of the beginning phase.
Think about it, to gain muscle means you have to gain mass. To gain mass, would mean your weight goes up. The exchange weight of fat to muscle doesn't translate because muscle weighs more than fat by volume. Look at what 5lbs of fat versus 5lbs of muscle looks like. And I'll be the first to tell you that gaining 5lbs of muscle for a MALE over 35 on a progressive lifting program and on a deficit in ONE YEAR would be pushing it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ChristinaPCharles

Thanks for your response! I’m still researching but it makes sense to make gains you have to increase your calories. Once this starts to take affect by increasing my metabolism then the fat should take care of itself over time. Not too worried about it at this point and I’m gonna concentrate on muscle mass. Thanks again!

mmapags

ChristinaPCharles wrote: »

Thanks for your response! I’m still researching but it makes sense to make gains you have to increase your calories. Once this starts to take affect by increasing my metabolism then the fat should take care of itself over time. Not too worried about it at this point and I’m gonna concentrate on muscle mass. Thanks again!

Gaining muscle does not result in a huge increase in metabolism. About 6 to 8 calories per day per lb. If that is netted out of fat loss, it's even less as fat is metabolically active and burns about 4 calories per day per lb. So, if you lost 10 lbs of fat and gained 5 lbs of muscle over, say, 6 months, you'd end up fairly even metabolically.

There is just no way around calorie control and fitness. Gaining muscle mass is great for fitness, functionality and appearance.

MamaNess2018

I would agree with others that you’re not going to gain muscle... but I wanted to point out that as you lose body fat your muscle tone will be more obvious, more defined with less fat covering it. I saw you plan to focus on muscles mass, but if I were you I would try to lean down and lose overall fat first, and then bulk up muscle.

sijomial

Adding muscle and adding significant amounts of muscle aren't the same thing!
Yes an awful lot of people have the potential to gain a little muscle in a deficit for an amount of time. As you get leaner and more highly trained the less likely it is.

But not many will achieve a noticeable increase (mostly young under-trained males). Most don't train effectively, they may have inadequate protein intake but biggest issue is they have too big a deficit to achieve it.
The size of that deficit is personal and situational. As a female your potential rate of muscle growth is slow anyway in optimal conditions which a deficit clearly isn't.

Other points:
Do remember that if you aren't losing weight long term you aren't in a calorie deficit.

Your weight didn't plateau because you gained muscle (you were eating too much).

You didn't plateau because you ate too much fat (your calories were too high).

"I know my metabolism will most likely respond from this weeks rest" - no it won't. You may reduce stress and cortisol and lose some water weight, your workouts may benefit from the rest.


Summary - do the right things (sensible deficit, train well, higher than average protein) and you will get the best results you personally can achieve. Whether that results in a small amount of muscle gained or retaining the maximum amount of your current muscle it's still the best you could achieve.

fb47

ChristinaPCharles wrote: »

Hi there, I am currently almost 14 lbs down doing the Keto diet, & Intermittent fasting for 4 months now. I’ve been doing HIIT sprints on treadmill for 20 minutes 4x a week, strength training on those days also 4 days a week and 1 day of cardio 35 minutes with Abs. I recently switched things up by cutting back on consuming fat and also cutting back on working out down to 2 days just this week. I was in a plateau for 2 months. I’m thinking mostly because I’m gaining muscle as I tend to when lifting weights. I am 151 lbs today and would like to be 20 lbs lighter that’s my goal. How do I balance losing the rest of the weight while gaining muscle? Truthfully I miss going 5 days a week, it keeps me sane. I’m gonna see what this week brings but it’s frustrating to say the least! My history is I lost 53 lbs 4 years ago in 11 months time by eating gluten free and only working out 1 day a week. But I like that I have muscle now and I look athletic so I would like to continue. Can I lose weight while gaining muscle? Thanks for your help in advance.

The only way you can do both at the same time is:
1) On recomp, but the process is very slow especially if you have many years of lifting under your belt.
2) You're a newbie lifter, therefore you can do both at the same time
3) You're on steroids
4) You're overweight, therefore you can lose weight and gain muscles...but it won't last forever either.
5) Freak genetics (Only a tiny percentage of people have this, so don't bank on it.)

Once you have years under your belt when it comes to lifting, then building muscles on a caloric deficit becomes too difficult or non existent.

Silentpadna

MamaNess2018 wrote: »

I would agree with others that you’re not going to gain muscle... but I wanted to point out that as you lose body fat your muscle tone will be more obvious, more defined with less fat covering it. I saw you plan to focus on muscles mass, but if I were you I would try to lean down and lose overall fat first, and then bulk up muscle.

There are two schools of thought with this. It's considered tougher to go the route you are suggesting, although not unreasonable. If you lean out first, muscle building is slower, which is totally fine. But body shape changes also come slower.

If you want to change your body shape significantly, building the muscle first and then cutting may help you get to where you want more quickly overall. (Nothing is as quick as we want it to be - it needs to be a situation you can live with).

You have to be comfortable in the process you choose. It's most likely harder psychologically for most of us to lose weight slower (or even delay it) than it is to watch the scale move.

mywayroche

Not unless you've never lifted before or you're really out of condition. Research 'noobie gains' then 'bulking and cutting' for information

ccsernica

It can happen with newbie gains, or maybe if you're a teenager. Not so easy for grownups who have been exercising awhile.

Aaron_K123

Practically speaking no you can't.

sijomial

Worth a read for people who believe a calorie deficit takes away the possibility of gaining muscle or think it's limited to absolute newby lifters....

https://sci-fit.net/bulking-deficit-gaining/

Loads of study links embedded in the article.