How to know whether you are loosing fat or muscles?
Aneeshn630
Posts: 27 Member
I was an overweight person, close to 104kg, now with diet and exercise I have bought it down to 85Kg, my diet mainly consists of oats and 6 egg whites daily. In the gym I was not at all doing that much weight training but I was doing mostly cardio. A few days back a personal trainer in the gym told me that I am being stupid and I am just loosing muscles not weight. He suggested that I increase my weight back to my old weight and then take up personal training to properly reduce my weight. Otherwise the skin will start to sagg and a bit of sagging is there only a bit. I don't know what to do. I got demotivated when you work so hard to reduce and then some one comes and tells you that you need to go back to the old weight as what have been done is incorrect. My question is should I do that, what I have been doing is it wrong? Should I gain back my weight? Should I go for personal training. Can any of the experts help me. I don't know what to do.
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Replies
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No knowing your height, I don't know if you are at goal weight or not. I really hope you eat more than oats and egg whites. That's not a very balanced diet. Being told to gain weight just to start training to take it back off again is stupid. If you wanted to get back up to that weight in muscle, you would start training NOW and slowly gain back. Please ignore that person.9
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When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some muscle. To lose as little muscle as possible, it helps to avoid losing weight too quickly, eat a good amount of protein, and do strength training as you lose.
You may have lost more muscle than you would want to, but that's no reason to gain all the weight back :noway:
Start prioritizing strength training and eating a well-balanced diet with at least 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. I would avoid that particular PT.13 -
You are doing great. You lost weight with diet and exercise. It takes a lot of muscle to move and support an overweight body. It is so easy to let one negative know it all get you off track....gain the weight back and then lose it? What are the qualifications for this person? Has any one else in the weight lifting group heard of this? It will not do your body any good to gain the weight back to lose. Your skin will get stretched out again. The great thing about muscle...you can rebuild it and strengthen it and you don't have to gain all your weight back to do this.
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[quote="Aneeshn630;d-10691363" A few days back a personal trainer in the gym told me that I am being stupid and I am just loosing muscles not weight. He suggested that I increase my weight back to my old weight and then take up personal training to properly reduce my weight. [/quote]
It sounds like the "personal trainer" is a complete idiot and trying to do a sales job on you. Did he offer this as unsolicited advice?
Having said that, is your diet really that restrictive? For long term weight loss success you should be eating a well balanced diet and maintaining a modest caloric deficit, many of these rapid weight loss plans are not sustainable and end up failing when you go back to your old eating habits. Think in terms of changes that you can live with for the rest of your life (ie not depriving yourself of foods you enjoy but eating reasonable portions and being mindful of what you eat).
I'd also definitely recommend adding strength to your workouts to help maintain your lean muscle mass but I wouldn't consider hiring that jerk of a trainer. Find a program, like Stronglifts 5 x 5, and follow it.
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Agree with the other comments. You can lose fat without losing muscle, but its a much slower process. I've been following a fat loss program for the past year (won't mention as not to be accused of trying to sell something), its been a frustrating ride, but even though my weight has basically remained the same, I've lost inches and not haven't lost any strength, in fact have increased my lifts. I will say, carbs are your friend, especially around training and protein, make sure you get enough lean protein. Good luck2
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There's no need to gain all that weight back... without strength training that would just be gaining mostly fat anyway. just start prioritizing strength training now and continue on, and ignore that trainer.4
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@kimny72When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some muscle. To lose as little muscle as possible, it helps to avoid losing weight too quickly, eat a good amount of protein, and do strength training as you lose.
You may have lost more muscle than you would want to, but that's no reason to gain all the weight back :noway:
Start prioritizing strength training and eating a well-balanced diet with at least 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. I would avoid that particular PT.
"Always" is an absolute term asnd as some people can, and do, add some muscle in a sensible deficit it makes your statement false. It's also unnecessarily alarmist and could be discouraging.
Muscle loss is certainly a danger - but it's not a certainty.
Your advice is otherwise good, unlike the OP's personal trainer's advice which is ludicrous and nothing more than a sales pitch.3 -
@kimny72When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some muscle. To lose as little muscle as possible, it helps to avoid losing weight too quickly, eat a good amount of protein, and do strength training as you lose.
You may have lost more muscle than you would want to, but that's no reason to gain all the weight back :noway:
Start prioritizing strength training and eating a well-balanced diet with at least 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. I would avoid that particular PT.
"Always" is an absolute term asnd as some people can, and do, add some muscle in a sensible deficit it makes your statement false. It's also unnecessarily alarmist and could be discouraging.
Muscle loss is certainly a danger - but it's not a certainty.
Your advice is otherwise good, unlike the OP's personal trainer's advice which is ludicrous and nothing more than a sales pitch.
Gotcha, thanks.4 -
Sounds like they want you to pay them to bully you some more, the sack of excrement.2
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First, you have to replace conjecture with measurement.
I go to a nutritionist; one of the benefits is that he has a scale that also uses electrical conductivity through your body to measure fat content. I have lost 32lbs to date (actually at last appt measurement) starting Jan 1st, through dietary modification and exercise, primarily returning to bike riding and gym stationary bike, but also in-home bodyweight and resistance band exercising. That's NET weight loss. I've actually lost more fat but also added muscle as measured by the specialist. I'm male, over 60, way overweight (for comparisons with your own case) and with some age-related issues that made a mostly-cardio approach more sensible that a weights/strengthening program, at least to start.
With the onset of summer, I stopped going to the gym and started commuting by bike (8mi r/t) to the beach/pool club to swim. Now that summer is ending, I will return to the gym, but am considering adding in some sort of group class for cardio/core to supplement the rather mindless and repetitive recumbent-cycle-only workouts I was doing to kickstart my journey.
It sounds pretty silly to me that a trainer would run you down in that manner. You've made progress, and yeah, maybe some muscle with it. But the next steps should be to TUNE/FOCUS your program, not regain lost weight. Go forward, not back. Along with the other posters here, I would consider another trainer, as this one sounds as if you two wouldn't be aligned personality- or approach-wise. Trainers are called "PERSONAL trainers" for a reason. Pick one you are comfortable with. It's not a forever marriage, and you may need to switch to someone else after a bit of progress towards your goals.
The recumbent bikes in my gym are positioned to offer a perch to observe the whole floor. I don't watch the TV while cycling, I watch the trainers doing their rounds with their clients. In this way I observe who I might reach out to when I make the leap to using my own personal trainer. They're all good trainers (it's a very reputable gym), but I can see some aren't folks that I'd be comfortable with. But, first things first, I'll try a class approach for my Autumn transition (while still riding outdoors). Maybe in the new year I might go for a more personal touch esp. in those early months when winter makes outdoor riding a bit dicey.
As the other posters have said, a diet mainly of oats and egg whites is unbalanced. That's another thing to correct. A trainer might offer some general advisories, but I'd recommend a good nutritionist to get you pointed in a better direction.
Disclaimer: I'm certainly no specialist, I am only sharing my experiences.5 -
mom23mangos wrote: »No knowing your height, I don't know if you are at goal weight or not. I really hope you eat more than oats and egg whites. That's not a very balanced diet. Being told to gain weight just to start training to take it back off again is stupid. If you wanted to get back up to that weight in muscle, you would start training NOW and slowly gain back. Please ignore that person.
Thank you soo much for replying to my query, my height is 175 cms and my weight was initially 135kg which I gradually reduced to 85 kg my target weight is 64 Kg. Well that is what the gym people suggested I should be. The gym name is gold's Gym and the trainers are supposed to be certified (atleast I hope they are). Well the weight training part is the issue donno where to start what to do.1 -
The bod pod assessment will tell you exactly how much fat vs muscle you have. My last one showed I lost10 pounds of fat and gained one of muscle. Google where to get it done. It's very quick & painless.1
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When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some muscle. To lose as little muscle as possible, it helps to avoid losing weight too quickly, eat a good amount of protein, and do strength training as you lose.
You may have lost more muscle than you would want to, but that's no reason to gain all the weight back :noway:
Start prioritizing strength training and eating a well-balanced diet with at least 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. I would avoid that particular PT.
Wow thank you soo much for the reply I didn't know that I should take that much protein, so my weight is around 85kg so 0.8 per pound makes it close to 60 - 65 g of protein, wow that is a lot of protein I never knew I should have that much.0 -
Do not use the BIA scale mentioned above. Get a hydrotank, bod pod, or dexa scan every 6 months if you really want to monitor fat vs muscle. These are the only proven reliable methods.
Being certified means the trainer has studied and passed a test, but certification does not make a person infallible or sensible.5 -
You are doing great. You lost weight with diet and exercise. It takes a lot of muscle to move and support an overweight body. It is so easy to let one negative know it all get you off track....gain the weight back and then lose it? What are the qualifications for this person? Has any one else in the weight lifting group heard of this? It will not do your body any good to gain the weight back to lose. Your skin will get stretched out again. The great thing about muscle...you can rebuild it and strengthen it and you don't have to gain all your weight back to do this.
Thank you soo much for the motivation, I understood if I try to go back on my previous weight it will be stupid. The problem is weight training. I don't know what to do where to start, I need to do my homework.2 -
Aneeshn630 wrote: »When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some muscle. To lose as little muscle as possible, it helps to avoid losing weight too quickly, eat a good amount of protein, and do strength training as you lose.
You may have lost more muscle than you would want to, but that's no reason to gain all the weight back :noway:
Start prioritizing strength training and eating a well-balanced diet with at least 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. I would avoid that particular PT.
Wow thank you soo much for the reply I didn't know that I should take that much protein, so my weight is around 85kg so 0.8 per pound makes it close to 60 - 65 g of protein, wow that is a lot of protein I never knew I should have that much.
Do you eat meat? If you do, 60g really isn't a lot. Other sources would be fish, eggs, dairy, beans & lentils, soy products, etc. There are smaller amounts in nuts, whole grains, and some veggies.Aneeshn630 wrote: »You are doing great. You lost weight with diet and exercise. It takes a lot of muscle to move and support an overweight body. It is so easy to let one negative know it all get you off track....gain the weight back and then lose it? What are the qualifications for this person? Has any one else in the weight lifting group heard of this? It will not do your body any good to gain the weight back to lose. Your skin will get stretched out again. The great thing about muscle...you can rebuild it and strengthen it and you don't have to gain all your weight back to do this.
Thank you soo much for the motivation, I understood if I try to go back on my previous weight it will be stupid. The problem is weight training. I don't know what to do where to start, I need to do my homework.
This thread might help you get your homework started:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p10 -
Aneeshn630 wrote: »When you lose weight, you always lose some fat and some muscle. To lose as little muscle as possible, it helps to avoid losing weight too quickly, eat a good amount of protein, and do strength training as you lose.
You may have lost more muscle than you would want to, but that's no reason to gain all the weight back :noway:
Start prioritizing strength training and eating a well-balanced diet with at least 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight. I would avoid that particular PT.
Wow thank you soo much for the reply I didn't know that I should take that much protein, so my weight is around 85kg so 0.8 per pound makes it close to 60 - 65 g of protein, wow that is a lot of protein I never knew I should have that much.
Actually, that would be 85kg (2.2 to convert to pounds) - 187lb = 112-150g of protein, which sounds about right. Personally, I'm aiming for 120g and I'm a middle aged short woman.
I do hope that you are eating more than oats and eggs. There's not enough nutritional balance in that and the weight loss is likely more muscle than would be ideal. However, that being said, the idea of regaining that weight is ridiculous. Partly because if you've lost quickly and lost more muscle than is ideal, and then you regain quickly, a greater percentage of that will likely be fat. So it's not like you would end up with the same body composition you had when you started all of this (all theoretical, of course).
Forget about what you've done, and start working on making a plan moving forward. There is a lot of great information out there, unfortunately, there is also a lot of garbage. This thread is a great primer of information, and one of the links talks about setting up your macro targets:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p16 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »[quote="Aneeshn630;d-10691363" A few days back a personal trainer in the gym told me that I am being stupid and I am just loosing muscles not weight. He suggested that I increase my weight back to my old weight and then take up personal training to properly reduce my weight.
It sounds like the "personal trainer" is a complete idiot and trying to do a sales job on you. Did he offer this as unsolicited advice?
Having said that, is your diet really that restrictive? For long term weight loss success you should be eating a well balanced diet and maintaining a modest caloric deficit, many of these rapid weight loss plans are not sustainable and end up failing when you go back to your old eating habits. Think in terms of changes that you can live with for the rest of your life (ie not depriving yourself of foods you enjoy but eating reasonable portions and being mindful of what you eat).
I'd also definitely recommend adding strength to your workouts to help maintain your lean muscle mass but I wouldn't consider hiring that jerk of a trainer. Find a program, like Stronglifts 5 x 5, and follow it.
[/quote]
Thank you soo much BrianSharpie for replying, the person is a certified trainer and what exactly happened was the golds gym was providing 2 days of trail personal training to the people who join. Even after 5 months of joining I still didn't get it. So I have asked the front desk about it and they assigned my one personal trainer but what was told to me at the time of joining and what he is telling me now is different. He just told me that the personal training he provide is nothing but telling me how to run on treadmill, how to use the cycling machine and all. He will not give me personal training he will just tell me the way to use the machine so that I can use it myself. So when I have asked him in regards to personal training he told me that my body is sagging and I need to put on weight you know the same thing posted above and if you need to reduce properly then pay for golds trainer and i will definitely train you and reduce it. I need to check in to the weight training part. BTW you have mentioned about stronglifts 5x5 what is the that? Some kind of weight training?0 -
Do not use the BIA scale mentioned above. Get a hydrotank, bod pod, or dexa scan every 6 months if you really want to monitor fat vs muscle. These are the only proven reliable methods.
Being certified means the trainer has studied and passed a test, but certification does not make a person infallible or sensible.
I had asked about this (BIA) when I began the program. At the time, through my pre-reading/etc., I had thought that only float tests (hydrostatic) were accurate. The gym some years ago was using arm calipers; they're fairly inaccurate as well. The device used now corrects previous flaws in the BIA technology. And is only a professional-level thing, not one of the oldstyle home monitors. Supposedly comparable to DEXA. I think access to the other tests (hydo, bod pod, dexa) is pretty limited; I'm in NJ.
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Agree with the other comments. You can lose fat without losing muscle, but its a much slower process. I've been following a fat loss program for the past year (won't mention as not to be accused of trying to sell something), its been a frustrating ride, but even though my weight has basically remained the same, I've lost inches and not haven't lost any strength, in fact have increased my lifts. I will say, carbs are your friend, especially around training and protein, make sure you get enough lean protein. Good luck
Yeah I know, have been trying hard for the last 2 years, which includes walking 18 kms removing process sugar from my diets, suppressing my craving to eat chocolates and junk food and that definitely reduced my tummy from a good 45 inches to 36 and the amazing thing is I didn't do any exercise for my tummy. But the thing now is the doubt how much protein should I be taking? Am I loosing fat or muscles? Anyways from what I read from the previous comments I need to switch to weight training.0
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