Caloric Deficit & Lifting Weights

kamikazze
kamikazze Posts: 10 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
If I am in a caloric deficit and I am lifting weights regularly, what will be the outcome? I know in order to gain muscle you need to be in a caloric surplus, so what happens when you are in a deficit?

Replies

  • Robotscallmecoty
    Robotscallmecoty Posts: 24 Member
    If you are at a deficit you could become catabolic and in such a state its common that you not only lose fat but that you also lose some muscle. I'm not sure but I would assume lifting might help stave off muscle loss, but like you said if you hope to gain muscle mass you need to have a surplus
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
    remainsunspoken wrote: »
    If you are at a deficit you could become catabolic and in such a state its common that you not only lose fat but that you also lose some muscle. I'm not sure but I would assume lifting might help stave off muscle loss, but like you said if you hope to gain muscle mass you need to have a surplus

    Yes, you lift while on a cal deficit in order to maintain your muscle while shedding fat. If you're looking to gain muscle you should be in some kind of caloric surplus. Some recommend as little as 200 extra calories per day, others 5-600 while bulking.
  • kamikazze
    kamikazze Posts: 10 Member
    Okay, I am in a caloric deficit because I want to lose roughly 25 more pounds (already lost about 60 before I started using MFP) and was wondering what the outcome would be. Also, should I do doing mainly cardio and less weight training, or would it be good to continue to do mainly weight training?
  • bos10fit
    bos10fit Posts: 80 Member
    Kamikazza... everyone's body is different so it is about finding out what works for you. Calories in and calories out is how you lose weight. You can burn calories while lifting weights as it does cause your heart rate to increase.

    Lifting weights in a calorie deficit would be considering cutting. The object of a cutting phase is to lose as much fat as possible while minimizing muscle loss.

    CUTTING SUMMARY:
    •Small meals every 2-3 hours
    •Cut back on the carbs (oats, rice, potatoes, etc..)
    •Your overall calories must be decreased (mostly from the carbs).
    •Increase your cardiovascular workouts, frequency and durations.
    •Don't try to cut weight too fast... slow and efficient is the way to go. If you see your lifts going down week after week, that is an indicator that you need more nutrition to maintain your muscle mass.

    Keep lifting but know it's only to MAINTAIN muscle not gain.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
    kamikazze wrote: »
    Okay, I am in a caloric deficit because I want to lose roughly 25 more pounds (already lost about 60 before I started using MFP) and was wondering what the outcome would be. Also, should I do doing mainly cardio and less weight training, or would it be good to continue to do mainly weight training?

    Congrats on the 60 lbs already lost! The way I understand it, you have to give your body a reason to keep the muscle that you have. Weight training provides this stimulus. Personally I do both - weights on MWF and cardio on the off days. Good luck.
  • bos10fit
    bos10fit Posts: 80 Member
    I am with McCloud.

    I do weights M,T,Fri, Sat
    AND cardio and core Wed and Sunday.

    Thurs is rest.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Generally speaking -

    The calorie deficit will lead to weight loss (combination of body fat and lean tissue/muscle).
    The lifting will help retain muscle so more weight lost will be from lost body fat.

    As for what you should be doing... the answer is that it depends. You can never go wrong with doing both, but if you have a strong preference one way or the other, then no reason to do something you absolutely hate.
  • kamikazze
    kamikazze Posts: 10 Member
    bos10fit wrote: »
    Kamikazza... everyone's body is different so it is about finding out what works for you. Calories in and calories out is how you lose weight. You can burn calories while lifting weights as it does cause your heart rate to increase.

    Lifting weights in a calorie deficit would be considering cutting. The object of a cutting phase is to lose as much fat as possible while minimizing muscle loss.

    CUTTING SUMMARY:
    •Small meals every 2-3 hours
    •Cut back on the carbs (oats, rice, potatoes, etc..)
    •Your overall calories must be decreased (mostly from the carbs).
    •Increase your cardiovascular workouts, frequency and durations.
    •Don't try to cut weight too fast... slow and efficient is the way to go. If you see your lifts going down week after week, that is an indicator that you need more nutrition to maintain your muscle mass.

    Keep lifting but know it's only to MAINTAIN muscle not gain.


    Thank you for your reply! Right now I have my macros at 45 C / 30 P / 25 F. I am not sure how these numbers will work for me but I am going to see how it goes for the next couple of weeks and than adjust from there.
  • kamikazze
    kamikazze Posts: 10 Member
    McCloud33 wrote: »
    kamikazze wrote: »
    Okay, I am in a caloric deficit because I want to lose roughly 25 more pounds (already lost about 60 before I started using MFP) and was wondering what the outcome would be. Also, should I do doing mainly cardio and less weight training, or would it be good to continue to do mainly weight training?

    Congrats on the 60 lbs already lost! The way I understand it, you have to give your body a reason to keep the muscle that you have. Weight training provides this stimulus. Personally I do both - weights on MWF and cardio on the off days. Good luck.

    Thank you very much! I appreciate it the response! I will probably increase my cardio and see how it works out for me over the next couple weeks.
  • kamikazze
    kamikazze Posts: 10 Member
    jacksonpt wrote: »
    Generally speaking -

    The calorie deficit will lead to weight loss (combination of body fat and lean tissue/muscle).
    The lifting will help retain muscle so more weight lost will be from lost body fat.

    As for what you should be doing... the answer is that it depends. You can never go wrong with doing both, but if you have a strong preference one way or the other, then no reason to do something you absolutely hate.

    Thank you! Personally I am not a fan of cardio, I have to be in the mood for it, sometimes it can really be a drag but I am going to increase the amount of cardio I do and see how it goes!
  • mckat08
    mckat08 Posts: 79 Member
    bos10fit wrote: »
    Kamikazza... everyone's body is different so it is about finding out what works for you. Calories in and calories out is how you lose weight. You can burn calories while lifting weights as it does cause your heart rate to increase.

    Lifting weights in a calorie deficit would be considering cutting. The object of a cutting phase is to lose as much fat as possible while minimizing muscle loss.

    CUTTING SUMMARY:
    •Small meals every 2-3 hours
    •Cut back on the carbs (oats, rice, potatoes, etc..)
    •Your overall calories must be decreased (mostly from the carbs).
    •Increase your cardiovascular workouts, frequency and durations.
    •Don't try to cut weight too fast... slow and efficient is the way to go. If you see your lifts going down week after week, that is an indicator that you need more nutrition to maintain your muscle mass.

    Keep lifting but know it's only to MAINTAIN muscle not gain.

    Thank you for clarifying. I have been steadily losing weight and now I realize I was cutting and didn't even know it!! B)

  • littlejimmy12
    littlejimmy12 Posts: 3
    Great quote from the legend John Meadows (don't know him Google him) cardio doesn't burn fat...muscle burns fat. The objective of anyone going through a fat loss phase should be to maintain as much muscle tissue as possible whilst dropping weight. In other words an optimal body composition. Lift heavy: this sends the message to the nervous system to maintain, or even in a deficit build!!! muscle. Adding cardio to the plan in my experience is detrimental to the outcome in terms of body composition. Let the diet do the work is my mantra. Remember the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate, basal met rate is the holy grail of fat loss. Steady state cardio, often done fasted !! just opens the door to that hard earned tissue been used as fuel, not optimal. If 'cardio' must be performed keep it short and intense. I lift for my 'cardio' drop my load and perform for example 10 sets of squats by 10. Very metabolic and again putting a load through my body = hyper trophy !! It's a win win
  • kamikazze
    kamikazze Posts: 10 Member
    littlejimmy12 wrote: »
    Great quote from the legend John Meadows (don't know him Google him) cardio doesn't burn fat...muscle burns fat. The objective of anyone going through a fat loss phase should be to maintain as much muscle tissue as possible whilst dropping weight. In other words an optimal body composition. Lift heavy: this sends the message to the nervous system to maintain, or even in a deficit build!!! muscle. Adding cardio to the plan in my experience is detrimental to the outcome in terms of body composition. Let the diet do the work is my mantra. Remember the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate, basal met rate is the holy grail of fat loss. Steady state cardio, often done fasted !! just opens the door to that hard earned tissue been used as fuel, not optimal. If 'cardio' must be performed keep it short and intense. I lift for my 'cardio' drop my load and perform for example 10 sets of squats by 10. Very metabolic and again putting a load through my body = hyper trophy !! It's a win win

    Hey thank you for the response! That does make a lot of sense and I have heard things of that sort before that is why I currently do weight train the majority of the time and do cardio about once a week. I was just thinking that if I want to lose weight I should up the cardio, but I guess not?!
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