How do I make sure I lose fat and not muscle?

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Killerdolphin_9
Killerdolphin_9 Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've only been on a diet for 2 weeks, and I've only lost 7 pounds. So I haven't lost much. But I haven't seen a single difference, and the internet said I could be losing muscle. And if I am losing muscle I could gain more fat when I get off my diet. I don't want to gain more fat, and I definitely don't want to lose muscle. Basically, I just want to get smaller and more fit, but who doesn't? Anyways, what should I be doing to make sure I aim for losing fat, and not muscle?

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Well you probably lost a bit of water weight. What are your stats?

    If you want to save LBM, you need to be on a bodyweight or heavy lifting program with a progressive overload, meet your protein goal, and continue with your deficit to lose fat.
  • Killerdolphin_9
    Killerdolphin_9 Posts: 22 Member
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    I am 5'2 and I weigh 183.6 as of this morning. I started at 190.5 two weeks ago. And 3 weeks ago I was 196.

    I only ate about 750 calories today because I didn't eat breakfast. Which has been a bad habit lately, but normally I can get up to about 1200 with little snacks throughout the day. I usually do exercises that target getting my heart rate up like running, and exercises that target toning my body such as pushups, crunches, and squats. I don't really know what other stats you want though.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    @Killerdolphin_9 you are off to a good start. It was 6 weeks before I lost a pound.

    As to your question as how to make sure you lose fat and not muscle I do not have an answer in your case. I researched the same question for myself last year and decided to use nutritional ketosis at my age (63) when I started trying Nutritional Ketosis to manage my pain yet not lose what little muscle I had at the time.

    Just Google the term Nutritional Ketosis and you will have a couple years worth of reading you can do as you learn about how it is muscle sparing in nature. It may not be of interest to you but it has been life changing for this old man. :)
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,767 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Killerdolphin_9 wrote: »
    I've only been on a diet for 2 weeks, and I've only lost 7 pounds. So I haven't lost much.

    Oh, ONLY 7 pounds in two weeks! How dreadful! Nevermind that the healthy recommendation is 2 pounds per week...

    Sounds like you need to recalibrate your thinking about how fast weight is lost.
  • Pamplemousse86
    Pamplemousse86 Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm with misskarne - 7 lbs in two weeks is a lot - unhealthily a lot. And having days where you're eating less than 1000 calories isn't great for you either. In the short term it will help you drop weight, but in the long term it can mess up your metabolism. Cardio is great for dropping weight, but if you're concerned about muscle mass I would suggest a weight routine. Increasing your muscle mass will help burn fat around the clock. The best workout routines will have cardio and weight training.
  • edwardetr
    edwardetr Posts: 140 Member
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    Lose slowly, 1-2 lbs per week. Exercise, including strength training, while losing. Lose for a few months then maintain your weight for a few before trying to lose again for a few months.
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
    edited July 2015
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    It looks like you've lost over 12 lbs in three weeks. That is quite a lot! Even if some of it is water weight (glycogen stores etc.) I wouldn't continue at that rate if I wanted to retain my muscle mass or if I wanted to keep the weight off over the long term. You didn't gain weight eating under 1000 calories so it sounds like you are severely restricting your intake. You don't have to do that in order to lose weight. Just eat at moderate deficit and you will lose weight.

    +1 to starting a progressive strength training program. The sooner you start, the sooner you will see actual changes in your body. I only started strength training a few months ago and I love how my arms are starting to look. I've lost weight before and never saw the kinds of changes I am seeing now. I never thought it mattered whether I kept my lean muscle mass. I thought I just wanted to weigh less, but I was wrong. Ten years ago I lost 30 pounds, but I could barely tell. I fit in somewhat smaller clothes but I still looked fat. I'm much happier going about it this way now. The number on the scale is one thing, but feeling and looking great is ever better!

    You're ahead of the game because you have learned about this early on in your journey! Best of luck.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    Killerdolphin_9 wrote: »
    Anyways, what should I be doing to make sure I aim for losing fat, and not muscle?

    You're pretty much certain to lose some muscle, but the idea is to maximize fat loss and minimize LBM (lean body mass) loss. You do that by incorporating strength training (i.e., lift heavy things), getting adequate amounts of protein (muscles need protein for maintenance), and losing weight slowly, at a rate that doesn't challenge your body's ability to make up the energy deficit from your fat stores, which tops out at about 30 calories per day for each pound of fat you're carrying. Assuming you have at least 25% body fat (I think that's a conservative estimate for a woman of your age, height, and weight), you have about 45 pounds of fat, and could theoretically support a 1350 calorie daily deficit from your fat stores, but that's a theoretical max -- it's better to err on the conservative side, so I'd say no more than a 1,000 calorie daily deficit to start, and as you lose weight you decrease the deficit.

    Best of luck.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    Everyone on here who has said to lift weights is 100% correct!!

    I am 5'2" tall, currently 186lbs. I started at 228lbs and a tight size 18. I've been lifting weights for most of 3 years now, half of that heavy weights. I'm now in a 10/12. Most people guess that I weigh about 150-160lbs.

    For me, there is something very satisfying about being able to squat 60lbs MORE than I weigh. To being able to see muscle definition in my arms and legs.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    edited July 2015
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    You could take some measurements with measuring tape and use online calculators to figure out your BF%. Then as you lose weight you could make sure you're not losing too much muscle. Or there's fancy clinics and gyms that will measure your BF% for you.

    For instance, if you're 183 right now, and let's say 30% BF (just a random guess). That means you have about 55 lbs of fat. If in three months you re-measure and you're at 165 with 25% BF, that means you lost a total of 18 lbs, and 14 of those lbs were fat (so you lost 4 lbs of "lean mass". Lean mass is muscle, blood vessels, bone, etc.).

    If instead, you lifted weights and in three months you weigh 165 with 22.5% BF, then that means you still lost 18 lbs, but it was all fat!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Strength train, adequate protein & not too severe a calorie deficit
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    If you are in this for the long haul, eat more and exercise. You have a fair chunk to lose but you really don't need to be set to lose more than 1.5 pounds a week. The 7 pounds you have lost in the first two weeks is huge. That is .5 pounds a day. Probably mostly water loss which is not unusual when you first start but not something you want to have continue going forward.

    Don't want your hair falling out do you? So eat enough to get adequate nutrition. Exercise to maintain muscle. And don't be in a big hurry to get to your goal.
  • caroldavison332
    caroldavison332 Posts: 864 Member
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    I've been doing high intensity interval training (sprint 30 seconds, rest for 60 x ten) and calistenics alternate days and eating 1800 calories. I lost 3.5 pounds the first week and look like i lost ten. Stop starving yourself you will slow down your metabolism and loose even less. Eat a diet that includes enough protein and other foods to power your body and do cardio and weight training.
  • pmm3437
    pmm3437 Posts: 529 Member
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    Eat sufficient protein, and include full body strength training in your exercise plan. Both are muscle sparing, helping you retain mass while in a caloric deficit.

    Unless you are on a medically supervised nutrition plan, you should not be eating under 1200 calories a day. It is not considered safe/healthy.

    Minimum RDA for protein is 0.8g/kg, and highest beneficial recorded in studies is ~ 1.5g/kg. You should be looking to land within this range to gain the muscle sparing benefits. Where you fall will/should fall in the range is based on nutrition choices, amount of exercise, etc. which you will have to determine for yourself.

    I have had success eating an average of ~ 1g/kg while on a Stronglifts 5x5 program, which is a 3x day/week strength program.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Make sure you're getting adequate protein.

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