how do YOU make sure your losing fat and not muscle ?

metawar
metawar Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
what does everyone do? mine is to tryo to lift my max (or close to it) at the gym
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Replies

  • james6998
    james6998 Posts: 743 Member
    Consume a good amount of protein while keeping my overall diet very healthy and lean as possible. I always lift heavy but its mostly about diet if you don't want to lose the muscle.
  • Cheeky_and_Geeky
    Cheeky_and_Geeky Posts: 984 Member
    Strength training 2-3X week
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I would think that most people lift moderate to heavy weights doing full body moves (or compound moves) at least 2-3 times a week or more, eat adequate protein (at least one gram per pound of desired lbm), and not going on too severe of a calorie deficit.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    It's very, very difficult (unless you're a beginner) to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time - so most people have to prioritize one or the other. I am at present focusing on fat loss.

    The way I prevent my muscles from losing the (miniscule amount of) definition they have... Is by incorporating lifting into my workouts. I don't focus on reps or on increasing weight; just ensuring that I "feel it" when I'm done. Yaknow?

    Anyways, if you read most articles online, it's pretty hard to lose fat and not lose at least SOME muscle. Because when you're eating at a calorie deficit - which is mandatory for losing weight/fat - your body is literally going to eat itself to make up for the difference. Yes, it will eat mostly fat, but it will also eat muscle. You just have to ask yourself which is more important to you, and make plans to build that muscle up again once you're at a point where you're comfortable with your fat.

    Hope I helped!
  • tarra74
    tarra74 Posts: 2 Member
    By making sure I am eating enough protein and working out daily.
  • I_mustacheU4pancakes
    I_mustacheU4pancakes Posts: 41
    Lift heavy, get protein,and eat at a small-moderate deficit.
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
    Mine is limiting my weekly goal to 1% of my body weight, although I am soon switching to 31 calories per pound of body fat mass because 1% body weight will be more than 31 calories per lb of BFM.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Lots of cardio to bulk the legs
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    Every weight loss/fat loss regimen will include muscle loss to an extent. To minimize it, lift with resistance up to 85% of your 1RM, eat adequate protein and don't cut calories too extremely.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • moongrinner
    moongrinner Posts: 1 Member
    Measure. Also, I eat tons of veggies, protein, very little carbs, lots of healthy fats. I do heavy traditional weight training 2-3x's/week, martial arts/sparring at least 3 hrs/week, and functional training with body weight and/or as heavy as I can stand at least twice a week. AND I MEASURE. Every four weeks I have a colleague measure me and use the body fat composition analysis to ensure that I am burning fat and building muscle. The scale is irrelevant. I don't care what it says, I care about my body fat %.

    So ya, HAVE SOMEONE MEASURE you every month. It has to be the same person, to account for human error.

    Now go tear it up :wink:
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    If you are significantly overweight you will lose muscle mass as you lose fat because your body doesn't need the extra muscle to carry you around. That's not a bad thing. You can keep from losing too much muscle by exercising.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    What? But, you aren't doing prancercise? What you're doing will probably work, but it would work better if you included prancercise.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    What? But, you aren't doing prancercise? What you're doing will probably work, but it would work better if you included prancercise.


    prancercise.gif
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    Yeah, that will do the trick!
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    What? But, you aren't doing prancercise? What you're doing will probably work, but it would work better if you included prancercise.

    I don't own white pants:frown:
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    What? But, you aren't doing prancercise? What you're doing will probably work, but it would work better if you included prancercise.

    I don't own white pants:frown:

    excuses.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    Go on a deficit that isn't too low.. it should take long to cut so that you're not risking any major muscle loss..
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    What? But, you aren't doing prancercise? What you're doing will probably work, but it would work better if you included prancercise.

    I don't own white pants:frown:

    excuses.

    Bully
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Lots of cardio to bulk the legs

    Yes!

    Never skip leg day!
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    What? But, you aren't doing prancercise? What you're doing will probably work, but it would work better if you included prancercise.


    prancercise.gif

    aside: that woman isn't for real, is she? that is definitely a 22 year old Second City student in makeup, right?
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    aside: that woman isn't for real, is she? that is definitely a 22 year old Second City student in makeup, right?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I do the 30 DS with 3 pounds weights and eat 1000 calories a day.......oh and I do hours of elliptical.

    What? But, you aren't doing prancercise? What you're doing will probably work, but it would work better if you included prancercise.

    I don't own white pants:frown:

    excuses.

    Bully

    Yeah, stop being a bully! She can't do the workout if she doesn't have the required equipment.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    aside: that woman isn't for real, is she? that is definitely a 22 year old Second City student in makeup, right?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew

    Haha! I've seen it :) I just can't believe it's for real...

    Amazing, it totally is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSxpmnzwwzA
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    aside: that woman isn't for real, is she? that is definitely a 22 year old Second City student in makeup, right?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew

    Haha! I've seen it :) I just can't believe it's for real...

    Amazing, it totally is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSxpmnzwwzA

    She's so cute!
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    aside: that woman isn't for real, is she? that is definitely a 22 year old Second City student in makeup, right?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew

    Haha! I've seen it :) I just can't believe it's for real...

    Amazing, it totally is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSxpmnzwwzA

    She's so cute!

    She's something! More! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCAO0Ga7oMU&feature=endscreen (sorry will keep the rest of my investigations off mfp... still unsure this woman isn't a practitioner of high comedy)
  • seventhfloordown
    seventhfloordown Posts: 6
    I lift weights. You can consume all the protein you want, you can do whatever else you like, but some research will show you that it comes down to this: how much body fat do you have left to lose and are you making your muscles work? Everything else is a magic show designed to make you feel good.
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
    Weights , cardio, protein.
  • 0OneTwo3
    0OneTwo3 Posts: 149 Member
    HEAVY lifting, a sensible macro ratio, minimal cardio (none in my case) and only a small caloric deficit (eat as much as you can while still loosing weight.)
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Lift heavy, get enough protein and rest, have a small deficit. If my strength drops too much from cutting calories, I will add back some calories.

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