How to not lose muscle while dieting?

JerseyGirl30
JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
I've upped my protein intake, which I heard helps maintain your muscle when dieting. What other measures should I be taking to maintain my muscle while I am dieting?

1. I do cardio (arcmaster, bike, elliptical) for 50 minutes a day, 6 days a week
2. I am also doing the 30 day shred in addition to that.
3. I am 5'10" (female), 182 pounds, and I eat 1550 calories a day.

Replies

  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    I've upped my protein intake, which I heard helps maintain your muscle when dieting. What other measures should I be taking to maintain my muscle while I am dieting?

    don't have too large a calorie deficit each day.

    lift weights.
  • ekfulton
    ekfulton Posts: 24 Member
    I'm no expert but bodybuilders that want to lose weight but not muscle generally follow a ketogenic diet. Basically they eat an Atkins type diet Sunday thru Friday afternoon. They then eat carbs Friday nite thru Sat midnight. They also lift 4 days a week.
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    should i cut down on the amount of cardio I'm doing a lift weights instead? Say, do cardio three days a week and weights the other three days I go to the gym?
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
    should i cut down on the amount of cardio I'm doing a lift weights instead? Say, do cardio three days a week and weights the other three days I go to the gym?

    Yes. Precisely.

    Edited to add: if you can, talk to a personal trainer for instruction on free weights. The weight machines at gyms are designed to focus effort on individual muscles with a very limited range of motion. Free weights recruit much more of your body's accessory muscles to keep you stable and upright, and resistance training in that method will promote higher levels of LBM retention in deficit, in addition to keeping your physique trim and toned-looking.

    Edited to add more: It looks like your TDEE, based on your described activity level as well as age/height/weight, is on the order of 2600 calories per day. AT 1550, do you 'eat back' your exercise calories?
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    Stop dieting.

    All you need to lose weight is a 500-1000 calorie a day deficit. (I average because I go over on rest days.)

    Get an HRM to be sure your calories burned are as accurate, or at least consistent so you can adjust them.

    Have a mix of cardio and strength training. You can do body weight strength training at home if you like.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Eat plenty of protein, which you say you are doing. And if you are not already doing it start using an "intelligently" designed weight training routine. The only way to hold onto muscle is to give it a reason to be there in the first place.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    should i cut down on the amount of cardio I'm doing a lift weights instead? Say, do cardio three days a week and weights the other three days I go to the gym?

    If you are trying to lose weight and hang on to muscle, you have to lift. If you are using the cardio to create or help create your deficit then that's fine but remember anything you do is using energy and too much cardio is going to hurt your recovery for lifting weights.
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    should i cut down on the amount of cardio I'm doing a lift weights instead? Say, do cardio three days a week and weights the other three days I go to the gym?

    Yes. Precisely.

    Edited to add: if you can, talk to a personal trainer for instruction on free weights. The weight machines at gyms are designed to focus effort on individual muscles with a very limited range of motion. Free weights recruit much more of your body's accessory muscles to keep you stable and upright, and resistance training in that method will promote higher levels of LBM retention in deficit, in addition to keeping your physique trim and toned-looking.

    Edited to add more: It looks like your TDEE, based on your described activity level as well as age/height/weight, is on the order of 2600 calories per day. AT 1550, do you 'eat back' your exercise calories?

    yes I do eat back my exercise calories
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    This will explain it a lot better than anyone else will be able to.

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/how-to-lose-fat-without-losing-muscle/
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Strenuous resistance exercise - lift heavy weights, follow YAYOG or Convict Conditioning or intermediate - advanced Yoga etc.
  • iNkedFiTmama
    iNkedFiTmama Posts: 277 Member
    IMO yes.
    should i cut down on the amount of cardio I'm doing a lift weights instead? Say, do cardio three days a week and weights the other three days I go to the gym?
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    should i cut down on the amount of cardio I'm doing a lift weights instead? Say, do cardio three days a week and weights the other three days I go to the gym?

    Yes. Precisely.

    Edited to add: if you can, talk to a personal trainer for instruction on free weights. The weight machines at gyms are designed to focus effort on individual muscles with a very limited range of motion. Free weights recruit much more of your body's accessory muscles to keep you stable and upright, and resistance training in that method will promote higher levels of LBM retention in deficit, in addition to keeping your physique trim and toned-looking.

    Edited to add more: It looks like your TDEE, based on your described activity level as well as age/height/weight, is on the order of 2600 calories per day. AT 1550, do you 'eat back' your exercise calories?

    Not all machines are designed for "isolation". There are a lot of machines designed for compound exercises that hit the muscles just as hard as free weights. If someone has trouble with some free weight exercises there is absolutely nothing wrong with using the machine version. I'll agree that free weights do use more stabilizer muscles, but saying that free weights will be far more effective than it's machine version is one of those myths that get blown a little out of proportion. :wink:
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    should I be eating more calories?
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    also, how many minutes a day should I lift weights? 45 minutes? 30? I have no idea.

    and by a day I mean the days that I will be lifting (3 days a week now)
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    should I be eating more calories?

    That all depends on your goal. If you are trying to lose fat you must be in a deficit. If you are trying to build muscle you have to be in a surplus. From your original post you are trying to lose fat so figure out your daily maintenance and set a deficit at about 20% below maintenance. Then lift weights to hang onto the muscle you have. As far as the cardio is concerned, the reason you do cardio while dieting is to create or contribute to a calorie deficit. I am going to get slammed for this I know, but if you want to create your deficit by diet alone there is absolutely no reason to do any cardio. You can lose weight by diet alone. :wink:
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Resistance training(lifting)
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    okay so I looked up my TDEE-20% and it's 1,634 calories, which is below my BMR. Is it safe for me to continue to eat below my BMR (which is 1700 calories) or should I be eating atleast my BMR?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    do cardio about three times a week and incorporate a lifting plan where you are doing total body workouts three days a week where you hit arms/shoulders/back/tris/legs ....I would recommend using compound lifts...deadlifts, squats, over head press, barbell chest press, pullups/chin ups, etc...
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    I'm going to call these the magical links because they keep on appearing on threads...

    ETA:OP read these threads they will help you immensely with your goals and the terminology, also with your calorie goals such as BMR and TDEE.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    okay so I looked up my TDEE-20% and it's 1,634 calories, which is below my BMR. Is it safe for me to continue to eat below my BMR (which is 1700 calories) or should I be eating atleast my BMR?

    That doesn't sound correct with the amount of exercise you are doing tbh.

    Which calculator did you use and which activity level did you select?

    Edit:

    I used fitness frog and got your TDEE to be 2575 with moderate exercise. So TDEE-20% = 2060
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    okay so I looked up my TDEE-20% and it's 1,634 calories, which is below my BMR. Is it safe for me to continue to eat below my BMR (which is 1700 calories) or should I be eating atleast my BMR?

    That doesn't sound correct with the amount of exercise you are doing tbh.

    Which calculator did you use and which activity level did you select?

    Edit:

    I used fitness frog and got your TDEE to be 2575 with moderate exercise. So TDEE-20% = 2060

    so If ate 2060 calories a day, I wouldn't eat back my exercise calories since they are included in that number, correct?
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    That's correct - if you use the TDEE - 20% method you don't eat back your exercise calories as you have already included them in working out your TDEE. :flowerforyou:
  • VixenArgentum
    VixenArgentum Posts: 91 Member
    Weights are your friends! (And body weight exercises too.)

    The protein is a good idea, but I find that balancing cardio with resistance training is what makes the difference between me losing muscle or fat.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,023 Member
    I'm no expert but bodybuilders that want to lose weight but not muscle generally follow a ketogenic diet. Basically they eat an Atkins type diet Sunday thru Friday afternoon. They then eat carbs Friday nite thru Sat midnight. They also lift 4 days a week.
    They only do this only for comps. And trust me when I say that drugs in the "sport" have a lot with how they cut up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I'm no expert but bodybuilders that want to lose weight but not muscle generally follow a ketogenic diet. Basically they eat an Atkins type diet Sunday thru Friday afternoon. They then eat carbs Friday nite thru Sat midnight. They also lift 4 days a week.
    They only do this only for comps. And trust me when I say that drugs in the "sport" have a lot with how they cut up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    ^^yep

    Most natty competitive bb'ers that I am aware of do not do a keto diet. A few may have to drop down at the very end of prep, but this is when they are getting shredded.

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