Lose weight first and then concentrate on building muscle?

janette130
janette130 Posts: 66 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been reading through a couple of posts about dieting and building muscle. Most confirm that it is almost impossible to gain muscle while eating a deficit in calories. So.... this said. I"m scared to eat more cause I want to lose weight (50 pounds) but know I need to increase my muscle mass so I can burn more efficiently and increase my bone mass (I'll be 50 this year). I stick to about 1250/1350 calories a day and sometimes when I feel the need, eat some of my workout calories.

Has anyone my age and female experienced this dilemma? How many extra calories do I eat once I start lifting? It seems complicated.

Replies

  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    People say to start lifting now even though (outside of "newbie gains") you can't gain muscle on a deficit because lifting helps preserve muscle mass while you're losing weight.


    Start lifting now.


    ETA ^ Guy above you gave a more detailed version of my one sentence. LOL so, what he said.
  • alauzon
    alauzon Posts: 13 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.

    That was some super helpful information delivered in a very polite and factual manner .. Kudos to you and I hope the OP appreciates your reply bc lately not everyone has been so nice. Great info thanks for sharing and to the OP thanks for asking this question I too was wondering the same thing .. cheers
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    I can't provide a lot of scientific answer, but I will say that I have been lifting while eating at a deficit. And while I don't know if I am building muscle (as it's hidden behind fat) I can assure you that I see a significant change in my strength and endurance. As long as you follow proper form and technique, only good can come from starting now!
  • janette130
    janette130 Posts: 66 Member
    Wow - thanks so much, especially Whierd. You make it sound so simple. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will give this a whirl. This simple advice makes me excited to get started.
  • SuziePerry34
    SuziePerry34 Posts: 1
    Thanks from me also! I was wondering the same. I recently started back on the lose fat/gain muscle regimen and was wondering the same thing.

    I do have a question to throw out there though, I have been doing circuit training (strength and cardio) and eating healthy very faithfully for a week now, but I am stuck at the same weight I started at. Is this normal? How long will it take to see results on the scale? I am already seeing results in muscle tone in my arms.
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    Yes, start lifting now so you can preserve your LBM rather than have to go through more of a bulking phase to gain the muscle back what you lost through dieting.
  • Maribabewhich
    Maribabewhich Posts: 157 Member
    This is very helpful info. Thanks for asking.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.

    That was some super helpful information delivered in a very polite and factual manner .. Kudos to you and I hope the OP appreciates your reply bc lately not everyone has been so nice. Great info thanks for sharing and to the OP thanks for asking this question I too was wondering the same thing .. cheers

    I have been trying to be a little nicer.
  • 98777
    98777 Posts: 108 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.

    That was some super helpful information delivered in a very polite and factual manner .. Kudos to you and I hope the OP appreciates your reply bc lately not everyone has been so nice. Great info thanks for sharing and to the OP thanks for asking this question I too was wondering the same thing .. cheers


    Yeah, thanks a lot!
  • Sparlingo
    Sparlingo Posts: 938 Member
    I have been eating at a deficit for 6 months, but have recently shifted more of my workout time to lifting. I don't know objectively if I've gained muscle mass, but here's what I can tell you subjectively:

    I can lift more (more than double what I started at).
    I look different, and better, than the last time I was this same weight.
    I can feel my calf muscles, biceps and triceps more than I've ever been able to.
    My biceps are (just barely) visible through the fat in a way they've never been before.
    I swear my cellulite is less visible than the last time I was this size! (sadly no photos from before to compare).

    So, maybe I haven't gained muscle, but I'm hoping that I've kept more of it, and I certainly look and feel better. So I vote for incorporating strength training! I haven't given up the cardio I love, though :smile:
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    Start lifting now.


    No, like...right NOW. Go.
  • M00NPYE
    M00NPYE Posts: 193 Member
    Thanks from me too but im having the same prob as SuziePerry34... dang scale is stuck! :grumble:
  • birdgal
    birdgal Posts: 17
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.

    How do you cycle the Bulk and Cut period? How many more calories/day does one need to ingest to build muscle?
  • groundhawg
    groundhawg Posts: 121 Member
    I'm trying to lose weight and tone. I weightlift. I eat my workout calories, but maintain the deficit set by MFP.

    I do P90X at a deficit. Granted, my weight has plateau'd after 20 pounds... but I have lost 2 inches at my waist while not losing weight. I can assume this means that I'm building muscle at the same pace I'm losing fat, but that plateau will eventually tip. Thats what happened the first time I did P90X a year ago. I can see my muscles growing, my strength has increased drastically in the last two months, so I'd definitly say you can build at a deficit.
  • Jackson4590
    Jackson4590 Posts: 145 Member
    I lost 20 pounds at the same time my strength went up. But I too have hit a wall where my muscles won't grow bigger until I eat more. It's a scary thought to need to eat more after seeing the results from not eating. But, let's do it together... gulp!...
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    This! I lifted weights regularly - more religiously than cardio - the whole time I was losing weight. Though I doubt I put on any actual mass, I reduced the amount of muscle I would have lost otherwise. And the bonus is that I like the toned look of my body now. I was developing those muscles the whole time; once the fat was gone it was delightful to see them :)
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    Thanks from me also! I was wondering the same. I recently started back on the lose fat/gain muscle regimen and was wondering the same thing.

    I do have a question to throw out there though, I have been doing circuit training (strength and cardio) and eating healthy very faithfully for a week now, but I am stuck at the same weight I started at. Is this normal? How long will it take to see results on the scale? I am already seeing results in muscle tone in my arms.

    I was stuck on the scale when I started stronglifts, and from what I've read it's normal. I however, did NOT go up in measurements, I actually went down. It took 7 weeks before the scale moved, then it dropped about 3lbs in one week. I should add that I wasn't watching my diet the first few weeks, when I started watching my diet again it took probably 1-2 weeks before the drop. So if you keep on your diet I doubt it will take 7 weeks to see the scale go down again. Either way, I was getting smaller the entire time in measurements. :)
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.

    How do you cycle the Bulk and Cut period? How many more calories/day does one need to ingest to build muscle?

    Well, during the Bulk phase you will be eating a caloric surplus. This means eating more calories than your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). How many calories is debatable, but I would say roughly TDEE+20% would be adequate during Bulking and TDEE-20% during Cutting. The length of time varies on the individual, but I -believe- most do each cycle for a month or so before switching.
  • alauzon
    alauzon Posts: 13 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.

    That was some super helpful information delivered in a very polite and factual manner .. Kudos to you and I hope the OP appreciates your reply bc lately not everyone has been so nice. Great info thanks for sharing and to the OP thanks for asking this question I too was wondering the same thing .. cheers

    I have been trying to be a little nicer.

    Kudos because it is obviously working :)
  • giusa
    giusa Posts: 577 Member
    Thank you Whierd. Saving this for reference.

    Thank you for starting this thread, I just turned 50, and having a rough time with the last 15 lbs. The weight, unfortunately, is condensed in the most difficult area to lose as a women (thighs and hips). My plan is to use a cardio base program (Insanity) to lose some of the weight, and then move to a weight base program to maintain bone mass and ultimate tone (ChaLEAN Extreme).

    Best of luck everyone.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    It is actually very simple! If you are new to weight lifting, you may see a small increase in muscle mass at first, even while eating in a deficit. After that initial period, your body will stop producing muscle mass. Lifting while eating in a deficit is very beneficial. By stressing your muscles, your body stops converting muscle into fuel for it's critical functions and focuses more on fat stores. By doing this you are preserving your lean muscle in a deficit.

    Once you reach your fat loss goals, you will need to begin eating a caloric surplus to begin building muscle mass. You will also begin adding a bit of fat as well during this bulking period. What most people do is cycle a Bulk and Cut period to continuously build muscle and reduce fat.

    How do you cycle the Bulk and Cut period? How many more calories/day does one need to ingest to build muscle?

    Shorter cycles (bulk 2-3 months, cut 1-2 months) at a moderate-slow pace tends to keep you leanest and will drop your BF% over time (assuming you always cut to leaner than your starting point last cycle)

    Bulking is just cutting in reverse. Eat under your maintenence to cut, eat over your maintenence to gain. Eat enough to gain 0.5-1.0 lb week, women tend to do better on the lower end of that scale, men better on the higher end.

    And 1g/lb bodyweight protein, bulking or cutting.

    Doing this tends to make it quite easy to get to lower BF%'s, it just takes time. The first month of cutting after a bulk is very easy and efficient, the weight just drops off you without issue.

    Its also a good idea to include two weeks of maintence between bulking and cutting so that you don't rock your system with huge calorie swings, it helps to harden gains and normalize your hormones before switching.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    I did the lose weight first then work on muscles thing and I really wish I hadn't. Strength training while on a deficit is supposed to preserve muscle mass (terribly unlikely to build much if any), which means you don't have as much of the slow agonizing work that is building new or regaining muscle mass.

    So start lifting now.

    Also, make sure you are NETTING your goal calories, ie eat back a good bit if not most of your exercise calories (the reverse is true though, make sure you are accurately logging your activities). Don't think of it as that whole alarmist starvation mode thing. Think of it this way. Eating too few calories severely decreases your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)-when you under feed you are like a cranky, sleepy hibernating bear. You slow down to conserve. You don't do it consciously, but it happens.

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