Fat loss...weights...deficit...confused!

skinnyinnotime

OK, I'm very confused on some things I'll try my best to make sense here in the hope someone may be able to explain how it all works.

I'm maintaining my weight and have been since last year, although I have some belly fat I want to get rid of and would also like some more muscle definition/growth. I read on the forums that lifting weights is great for trimming the fat. Here comes my confusion....to shed fat you need to eat a deficit of calories. But to build muscle you can't do this on a deficit, so how does it work?

(And yes before anyone says it, I know you can't select where the fat will come off)

I hope this makes sense.

Azdak

The idea that "increased muscle burns more fat" is a seductive one, and it especially attractive to those who prefer lifting weights.

However, those benefits have been significantly overstated, which is one reason for the confusion.

Lifting weights and doing cardio results in better fat loss overall for the average person better that doing cardio alone or lifting weights alone. These results occur EVEN WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN FAT FREE MASS. Lifting weights results in dynamic physiological effects (e.g. protein turnover) that enhance fat loss, independent of any changes in muscle mass.

So, don't get caught up in too many details just now--lift weights. Experiment with small calorie deficits. Add in some interval cardio and a little bit of endurance cardio. Lift heavy, but include some variety in your intensity. See where the journey takes you.

skinnyinnotime

Thank you so much for your reply, I do appreciate it and I'm slightly less confused now!

BerryH

The simplest way I heard it explained is that eating at a calorie deficit, you'll always lose fat AND muscle, but if you resistance train you'll lose a lower proportion of muscle.

erickirb

Eat at a deficit while lifting weights and eating enough protein will have you body lose fat, while maintaining lean muscle. If you are new to lifting you may gain a couple pounds of new muscle in the process (newbie gains).

If you eat at a deficit and don't get enough protein or don't lift weights a large % of your loss will come for lean muscle, not just fat. The less fat you have to lose the higher the % of muscle loss will be.

skinnyinnotime

Thanks Berry and Eric!