Enough Protein, Lifting Weights But not enough calories?

gettingmy_lifeback
gettingmy_lifeback Posts: 30 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If i eat enough protein and lift weights but i eat a lot less calories, will i still lose fat and not lose muscle?

Replies

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Eating enough protein will indeed help prevent the loss of muscle when eating at a deficit.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Depends on how much calories you cut. When I carbed cycle and ate enough protein but wasnt eating enough calories, I lost a ton of muscle. A small deficit will help you retain more lean body mass
  • loricshields47
    loricshields47 Posts: 134 Member
    the question I was wanting to ask~ so very interested in the responses. I eat 110-130grms af protein each day and the cals are about 1350-1650(on fridays only do I get that high). Can you let me know the range you are within.
  • gettingmy_lifeback
    gettingmy_lifeback Posts: 30 Member
    currently, 1600calories but i'm looking to drop it to 1200
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,226 Member
    currently, 1600calories but i'm looking to drop it to 1200
    How much lower than 110lbs do you want to go and contrary to popular believe if a person has fairly low body fat your going to burn through muscle regardless, when consuming low calories..........Lifting requires calories, your going the wrong way.
  • loricshields47
    loricshields47 Posts: 134 Member
    your stats are almost identical to mine. I personally do not recommend 1200. You can loose the last few pounds eating a little higher.
  • gettingmy_lifeback
    gettingmy_lifeback Posts: 30 Member
    But last time i checked my BF% on the machine it said i was 25.8% which i don't understand because i was lifting and eating right for a month where i was at 23%. Calories in v Calories out is how fat loss works so i need to lose this mysterious fat.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    But last time i checked my BF% on the machine it said i was 25.8% which i don't understand because i was lifting and eating right for a month where i was at 23%. Calories in v Calories out is how fat loss works so i need to lose this mysterious fat.

    Those machines and scales that estimate BF cannot tell the difference between fat and water. With very little weight to lose (if any), you're going to burn up a lot of muscle eating at a huge 1200 calorie deficit (dropping from 1600). Really...just eat at maintenance and work on body composition would be my advice...if you do go with a deficit, make it a very, very, very small one. When you're lean, large deficits are just going to burn up muscle...you body has no choice...you have little in the way of fat stores to compensate for the energy deficit.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Eating enough protein will indeed help prevent the loss of muscle when eating at a deficit.

    Word in bold is the important one. Depends on how much you cut and how hard you work at lifting. More need for the muscle and more building blocks for the muscle == less muscle gone.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I am in the process of getting my macros under control so that when I go to TDEE-20% and start lifting I will maintain as much LBM as I can.

    My current stats are 169.75lbs 5'7" and almost 41.
    TDEE-20% is 1569 Protein 128g, Fat 35g and carbs 128g based on BF% of 26.4%.

    This based on all information available to me ( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress ) will help me loose fat while keeping my muscle mass as much as possible.

    Keeping in mind I don't care where my weight goes at this point but I know it will go down as the fat falls off....
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