Gaining muscle but losing weight?

inlander

Can it be done? I know there are threads on this all the time but it doesn't click for me. Here's the situation, if it helps:

Currently I weigh around 190 pounds. I want to weigh 170 pounds. My lean body mass is 130 pounds. I want my lean body mass to be closer to 140 pounds, maybe more.

Is it possible to lose weight relatively quickly while gaining lean body mass? Or do I need to attack one issue at a time?

A few months ago I started weight training and all I've seen is a gain on the scales, and NO INCHES LOST. So I feel like no matter what I do I may be better off trying to lose weight first, but I feel like if it's possible to lose weight and gain lean body mass at the same time, it's probably more efficient to do it that way.

Can anyone offer advice? Preferably someone that is familiar with this and isn't just offering hearsay, since I need legit advice and don't want to see a personal trainer until I rejoin the gym in January.

If it helps with advice, the whole reason I want to build muscle is because I want to be trimmer, not because I want to be built big. That makes me wonder if I should focus on weight loss first and once I'm at my goal of 170, I should attempt to replace fat with lean muscle at that point?

DO I MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL? Thanks!

dad106

I get what you're saying.. and you're right.. You can't lose fat and gain lean muscle at the same time. So you need to focus on one or the other.

The whole point of doing strength training while losing weight, is so that you don't lose the muscle that you already have. You can make those muscles stronger, and once the fat melts, they will be more defined, but you won't have actually gained any muscle.

So lose the weight... and then eat at a calorie surplus plus lift heavy to gain some muscle.

AZackery

You can check out Scooby's Gain Muscle and Lose Fat At The Same Time! page and see if this is what you are looking for.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/