Cutting calories to lose weight while gaining muscle mass at the same time

Packerjohn

mmapags wrote: »

Packerjohn wrote: »

mmapags wrote: »

wdedoelder wrote: »

From what I have read, when you gain muscle mass, your body burns more calories. You gain muscle mass through exercise (ie cardio and lifting).

A couple of points. The calorie burn increase is 6 to 8 calories per day per lb of additional muscle. So, the benefit is not much. Secondly, cardio doesn't build muscle mass except a slight amount for a short time in untrained individual. Resistance training is what does that. A woman can put on 1/2 lb per week under ideal conditions, eg calorie surplus, adequate protein and the right program. A man about 1 b per week. Negligible for weight loss.

OP I think you've gotten some great advice here. You may gain a little muscle mass, particularly at first if you are either new to training or returning after a layoff. A small deficit will optimize your efforts to gain muscle but you will lose fat more slowly. You don't really say how much fat you are looking to lose.

The key is to preserve what you've got while you lose fat. Then you can bulk and gain muscle or recomp and slowly add muscle while dropping additional fat.

It's hard to gain an appreciable amount of muscle mass in a deficit.

Are you saying a male can gain 4 pounds of muscle a month (without chemical help)? What I have typically seen is MAYBE 2 pounds, but even that is with ideal conditions and a high level training program (like major college/pro football offseason training) and not a long term trainee.

Would be interested in your sources. Thanks.

Yes, good pickup. I am mistaken and you are correct. I double the effective optimum numbers for men and women. Thanks for pointing that out.

The probable effective rate of gain is likely less.
https://bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-gain-math.html/

Darn, you're on top of most of this stuff. Thought I was missing the secret sauce .

Packerjohn

Stellamom2018 wrote: »

I'm slightly confused. So I should continue my weight loss, calorie deficit, doing cardio and strength training until I reach my weight goal. THEN i would begin eating at a maintenance or surplus to do a body recomp?

I'd try and simplify as much as possible (believe a few other poster said basically the same thing above). You still want to lose weight, to do this you must be in a calorie deficit. I would continue to lift and do your cardio, eat at a small deficit. You will get in shape, lose the weight, preserve the muscle you have (maybe gain a slight bit).

You will look like you are gaining muscle since you are lifting to maintain (or slightly build muscle) and losing fat so your BF% will decrease.

When you get to the weight you want, then you can look at the recomp and/or bulk/cut methods of gaining muscle.

Best of luck.

mmapags

Packerjohn wrote: »

Stellamom2018 wrote: »

I'm slightly confused. So I should continue my weight loss, calorie deficit, doing cardio and strength training until I reach my weight goal. THEN i would begin eating at a maintenance or surplus to do a body recomp?

I'd try and simplify as much as possible (believe a few other poster said basically the same thing above). You still want to lose weight, to do this you must be in a calorie deficit. I would continue to lift and do your cardio, eat at a small deficit. You will get in shape, lose the weight, preserve the muscle you have (maybe gain a slight bit).

You will look like you are gaining muscle since you are lifting to maintain (or slightly build muscle) and losing fat so your BF% will decrease.

When you get to the weight you want, then you can look at the recomp and/or bulk/cut methods of gaining muscle.

Best of luck.

Agreed. Just for a slight clarification, recomp is eating at maintenance and slowly losing fat and gaining muscle. Bulk is to eat above maintenance to build muscle. You will gain some muscle and some fat doing this. There are great recommendations on how best to minimize fat gain in the bodyrecompostiion link above.