Protein/Calorie deficit

UsedToBeHusky

If I eat enough protein, can I be in a deep deficit (500+ calories) and lose weight without muscle loss?

krypt5

It depends on how much weight you have to lose. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you can get away with a larger deficit. However, the closer you are to your goal, the smaller the deficit has to be to minimize muscle loss.

hottottie11

Muscle loss is inevitable and increase with deeper deficits (esp if you are relatively lean). Moderate deficits, adequate protein and heavy lifting minimizes it.

UponThisRock

Muscle loss is inevitable and increase with deeper deficits (esp if you are relatively lean). Moderate deficits, adequate protein and heavy lifting minimizes it.

^^^this

sassylilmama

I can only speak from my experience. Since changing my goal to .5 pound loss a week I am both losing faster and noticing my muscles more. Eating the same kinds of food but with a bigger deficit I was not seeing changes to my muscles. I am close to goal now though so that may be why this is so for me. I think if you are more than 25 pounds from goal it may be a different case. Not by any means an expert though.

UsedToBeHusky

Muscle loss is inevitable and increase with deeper deficits (esp if you are relatively lean). Moderate deficits, adequate protein and heavy lifting minimizes it.

^^^this

I changed my protein goals so that I consume 1 g of protein per lb of lean muscle, but I have achieved that protein goal and then some and I am way under calorie goal. Do I really need to eat back those calories if I have made my protein goal?

UsedToBeHusky

Bump

hottottie11

You should really aim to be as close to your goal as possible....all the protein in the world won't prevent your body from catabolizing lean mass if your deficit is too large for you to support.