Fat Loss/Muscle gain plans?

turtledove773

Any of you ladies looking to lose body fat and gain muscle.. what diet plans do you follow?

SugaryLynx

In order to gain muscle(I've read minor gains can be had from the obese or overweight newbie) , you need to be in a calorie surplus. I'm assuming you wish to gain strength while lowering body fat %? I've been doing iifym. At least 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass to aid in muscle preservation in a deficit and typically I'm high fat and carbs. I'm pretty active, so I need the energy. I treat my macronutrient goals as minimums and hit my calorie goal.

hazleyes81

I've had good results with carb cycling with HIIT cardio for shedding the fat. That was when I was younger and I'm hoping it will hae the same effect on me now . As far as the weights go, I follow strength-gaining plans rather than muscle gaining plans. Really I only need to maintain my lean body mass while burning fat. Do you know what your current body fat percentage is and your goal?

hazleyes81

To expand on my answer and make it more focused to your question, there is no "diet" that is going to meet that requirement. High protein intake can help minimize muscle loss while you are eating at a calorie deficit. You may likely gain some muscle if you are switching from a highly sedentary lifestyle to a more active one, especially in your legs if you are running or cycling, but again, that gain is from exercise, not from diet, and it will be minimal.

snoopyjet

I also want to lose BF and gain muscle. I've been following keto but lately I've been adviced to include some carbs and start zig-zag to speed up metabolism. I'm still struggling if I'm to go with this so I will let you know with results.

starbucksbuzz

It is very difficult to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously. They require opposite things - losing fat requires a calorie deficit, gaining muscle requires a calorie surplus. As others have mentioned, you need to make sure you're eating enough protein / correct macros if you are trying to lose fat, so you preserve the muscles you have. You can definitely get stronger while you are on a deficit, but your muscles won't grow. This is why a lot of lifters go on a bulk / cut cycle. You eat at a surplus for a scheduled amount of time while lifting heavy, and then you cut to lose excess fat (you will always gain some fat with the muscle.)

Here is a great article that explains it more fully: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

snoopyjet

Great article, thanks!