Question for the experts out there.

Minimize LBM loss

If you are just starting out with training then you will gain some muscle. If you are lifting, getting adequate protein and eating at a deficit you will lose mostly fat (rather than fat and muscle).

Rocknut53 wrote: »

rankinsect wrote: »

It's not an absolute truth that you can't build any muscle in a deficit. You can build some, but it's always going to be less and slower than if you were in a surplus, and you won't be able to reach your body's full genetic potential for muscle, eventually you'd hit a ceiling where you couldn't progress more without reducing the deficit or generating a surplus, but most people can build some.

Particularly if you're new to strength training, you can still see gains early on. Regardless of whether you gain or maintain, you're always better off doing the strength training.

So is it true you can maintain muscle by starting a weight program while in a deficit? I found that I'm not as weak as I thought I was when I started weight training and I have been losing 1-2 pounds a week, hopefully not much muscle.

If the weight program is effective, yes, you can maintain or potentially even gain new muscle while in a deficit. The best time to start strength training is five years ago. The next best time to start strength training is today.

There really is no time where you wouldn't gain some benefit from strength training - even in a deficit, it's going to leave you with greater musculature than you would have if you lost the same fat without doing strength training.

Your body has many factors that promote muscle gain, and others that promote muscle loss. Your actual change in muscle is the combination of all of those factors. Any incremental change you make to promote gain will give you some benefit compared to not making that change.

GeorgePahalan wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys. Just don't wanna look frail while losing fat

You might want to up the calories a bit more, unless you're really sedentary. You'll lose fat slower but end up with better musculature. 1650 is a bit low. I'm shorter than you and a decade older, and I'm planning on staying at an average of 1900 all the way to my goal weight.

rankinsect wrote: »

Rocknut53 wrote: »

rankinsect wrote: »

It's not an absolute truth that you can't build any muscle in a deficit. You can build some, but it's always going to be less and slower than if you were in a surplus, and you won't be able to reach your body's full genetic potential for muscle, eventually you'd hit a ceiling where you couldn't progress more without reducing the deficit or generating a surplus, but most people can build some.

Particularly if you're new to strength training, you can still see gains early on. Regardless of whether you gain or maintain, you're always better off doing the strength training.

So is it true you can maintain muscle by starting a weight program while in a deficit? I found that I'm not as weak as I thought I was when I started weight training and I have been losing 1-2 pounds a week, hopefully not much muscle.

If the weight program is effective, yes, you can maintain or potentially even gain new muscle while in a deficit. The best time to start strength training is five years ago. The next best time to start strength training is today.

There really is no time where you wouldn't gain some benefit from strength training - even in a deficit, it's going to leave you with greater musculature than you would have if you lost the same fat without doing strength training.

Your body has many factors that promote muscle gain, and others that promote muscle loss. Your actual change in muscle is the combination of all of those factors. Any incremental change you make to promote gain will give you some benefit compared to not making that change.

Thanks, but in my case I should have kept doing what I was doing starting 40 years ago. Now, I'm just trying to make my "golden" years truly golden. That being said, I'm here for the duration and want to feel and look the best that I can for my remaining years whether it's 5 or 25. I wish I could just shake all the young people on here and stress the importance of making lifelong changes, not just temporary fixes. Thank you again for your input.

You will get stronger! I have.

Since you are new to strength training, you will most likely see added muscle mass in addition to fat loss(given you are on a good diet protocol) I also agree with those who said that 1650 is a little low to start off with, given your stats and that you are still young so your metabolism should be optimal or close to. My advice is to count your macros and start off at 2000 calories. Weigh yourself everyday (under similar conditions each time, like upon waking up and using the restroom, which I do) average out your weight after a week, if higher than initial weight then decrease calories ever so slightly and vice versa. Losing too much weight, too fast can definitely hurt your progress.