Burning fat not muscle question??
johnandkymberley
Posts: 62 Member
Hi all,
So cutting a long story short. Lost 4st in 2014 eating healthily and doing Zumba once a week and yoga once a week, had a triplet miscarriage so gained 1.5st from just emotionally eating and being depressed.
From this Christmas I have lost 1.5st, slower I think as I am smaller than before, however still 2/3lb losses some weeks. My metro of exercise now though is walking, I walk everywhere and I mean everywhere!! On an average day I burn about 300 cals walking but that's average, some days it's 800. Brisk walking and I so sweat. I am eating under or on my target intake (1200cals). My worry is with this diet/exercise am I burning muscle and not fat? I'm a childminder so when I'm walking I mainly have a pushchair with at least one child in, other times me and hubby will just walk or I'll walk a couple of times round the block or we going shopping and carry the bags back etc. I've heard walking is a very good form of exercise but now (for some unknown reason!!) I'm worrying that I'm burning muscle??!!
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
:):)
X
So cutting a long story short. Lost 4st in 2014 eating healthily and doing Zumba once a week and yoga once a week, had a triplet miscarriage so gained 1.5st from just emotionally eating and being depressed.
From this Christmas I have lost 1.5st, slower I think as I am smaller than before, however still 2/3lb losses some weeks. My metro of exercise now though is walking, I walk everywhere and I mean everywhere!! On an average day I burn about 300 cals walking but that's average, some days it's 800. Brisk walking and I so sweat. I am eating under or on my target intake (1200cals). My worry is with this diet/exercise am I burning muscle and not fat? I'm a childminder so when I'm walking I mainly have a pushchair with at least one child in, other times me and hubby will just walk or I'll walk a couple of times round the block or we going shopping and carry the bags back etc. I've heard walking is a very good form of exercise but now (for some unknown reason!!) I'm worrying that I'm burning muscle??!!
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
:):)X
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Replies
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Method* not metro! X0
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Eat more protein to help you gain muscle. I personaly have the other problem I want to lose fat and muscle (I have always been to muscular for a woman in my opinion) and that is because 1- I eat a lot of protein and 2- my workouts are push-ups, squats, planks etc. If you do a combination of these daily for 10-15 minutes I think you won`t have problems with loosing muscle.0
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Thanks plami, yes I am always balanced with my micros and I am only ok with going over on my protein, if my fat or carbs are over I have a re haul on what I'm going to eat on that day. I'm not overly great at squats/push ups etc as after about a minute I'm stuck lol however I have a gym ball that might help? How will I know if I loose muscle? Is there any signs?? Xx0
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Btw I don't want to particularly gain muscle just not loose it 0
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Like the first lady said eat more protein, make sure you fuel your body with the correct options before and after training, don't cut calories to much and don't do excessive cardio.0
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Ok I think I'm doing alright then, I do eat meat/fish every day and my exercise isn't excessive. Just need to loose more fat!! Getting there slowly but surely, better late than never though:):) 0
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Waking burns mostly fat, although not a whole lot. .7 to .8 grams protein per pound of Lean Body Mass is plenty to protect existing muscle. To burn more fat, keeping carbs low (under 100 grams/day) will help a bunch. Any time insulin spikes, fat burning grinds to a halt. Read "The Rosedale Diet" to better understand this. "Why we get Fat" - Gary Taubes is another great read!
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If you're in a deficit your not going to gain muscle (even if you up your protien) and may even still struggle to maintain it as you do very little to no resistance work.
On top of the protien, progressive overload resistance work is key to muscle retention.0 -
plami_9209 wrote: »Eat more protein to help you gain muscle. I personaly have the other problem I want to lose fat and muscle (I have always been to muscular for a woman in my opinion) and that is because 1- I eat a lot of protein and 2- my workouts are push-ups, squats, planks etc. If you do a combination of these daily for 10-15 minutes I think you won`t have problems with loosing muscle.
eating protein does not build muscle.
OP if you are eating at 1200 or below and not eating back exercise calories netting appx 600-800 calories a day then yes you are losing muscle and damaging your hair and nails etc.
Fat loss without muscle loss comes from eating at a "reasonable" deficit and getting in enough protein and doing some form of resistance training....that is not walking.
WAlking is good for burning calories but with what you describe sorry you are losing muscle.0 -
Keeping protein high and undertaking resistance training is the key to minimising muscle loss.0
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trigden1991 wrote: »Keeping protein high and undertaking resistance training is the key to minimising muscle loss.
not if OP is eating VLCD...she will lose muscle no matter what.0 -
Some good research lately (Stuart M Phillips) suggests that high protein intake can conserve lean mass even with large deficits (40% of TDEE) and high levels of exercise. His number was 2.4 g/kg body weight--which is kind of a ridiculous number if you are eating in the 1200-1500 calories/day range. But depending on your other activity, you might be able to slow or minimizing muscle loss. I am currently working with a someone who has lost 28 pounds since Jan 3. For medical reasons, he can't do any resistance training, just cardio. He is not eating super high protein, but he is getting 100g per day. So far, out of the 28 pounds, only 2lb loss is muscle. If you can't do resistance training, then keeping protein intake high is going to be the biggest help.0
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OP you will lose muscle and fat. The less you use any muscle, the more it atrophies. Walking alone doesn't activate much, but the legs (where most of everyone's muscle is). And while consuming protein will hinder some muscle loss, you'd do much better with at least some resistance training that's challenging for the upper body.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Some good research lately (Stuart M Phillips) suggests that high protein intake can conserve lean mass even with large deficits (40% of TDEE) and high levels of exercise. His number was 2.4 g/kg body weight--which is kind of a ridiculous number if you are eating in the 1200-1500 calories/day range. But depending on your other activity, you might be able to slow or minimizing muscle loss. I am currently working with a someone who has lost 28 pounds since Jan 3. For medical reasons, he can't do any resistance training, just cardio. He is not eating super high protein, but he is getting 100g per day. So far, out of the 28 pounds, only 2lb loss is muscle. If you can't do resistance training, then keeping protein intake high is going to be the biggest help.
The OP is losing 2 or 3lbs a week becauseOn an average day I burn about 300 cals walking but that's average, some days it's 800. Brisk walking and I so sweat. I am eating under or on my target intake (1200cals).
So it's about 400-900 net calories a day...so even if the OP ate only protein they are going to lose muscle...and at this rate significant amounts.0 -
Some good research lately (Stuart M Phillips) suggests that high protein intake can conserve lean mass even with large deficits (40% of TDEE) and high levels of exercise. His number was 2.4 g/kg body weight--which is kind of a ridiculous number if you are eating in the 1200-1500 calories/day range. But depending on your other activity, you might be able to slow or minimizing muscle loss. I am currently working with a someone who has lost 28 pounds since Jan 3. For medical reasons, he can't do any resistance training, just cardio. He is not eating super high protein, but he is getting 100g per day. So far, out of the 28 pounds, only 2lb loss is muscle. If you can't do resistance training, then keeping protein intake high is going to be the biggest help.
The OP is losing 2 or 3lbs a week becauseOn an average day I burn about 300 cals walking but that's average, some days it's 800. Brisk walking and I so sweat. I am eating under or on my target intake (1200cals).
So it's about 400-900 net calories a day...so even if the OP ate only protein they are going to lose muscle...and at this rate significant amounts.
Agreed 100%, I read the OP on my phone and missed how little OP can tend to eat (if all logging is pretty accurate).0 -
johnandkymberley wrote: »Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated:):)
X
How much do you currently weigh?
The biggest issue here, as others have stated, is the severity of your calorie deficit in relation to your current size rather than how much protein you are consuming or the amount of resistance training (or not) you are doing. Unless you are obese it should be your first consideration if you wish to retain as much "muscle" as possible.
When people talk about losing "muscle" what they generally are referring to is lose of muscle protein rather than the other stuff which gets packed into muscles (like glycogen or fluid). While your actual losses may not necessarily mean you have lost a large amount of muscle protein the likelihood is this will occur if you try to run too severe a deficit for any length of time.
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Some good research lately (Stuart M Phillips) suggests that high protein intake can conserve lean mass even with large deficits (40% of TDEE) and high levels of exercise. His number was 2.4 g/kg body weight--which is kind of a ridiculous number if you are eating in the 1200-1500 calories/day range. But depending on your other activity, you might be able to slow or minimizing muscle loss. I am currently working with a someone who has lost 28 pounds since Jan 3. For medical reasons, he can't do any resistance training, just cardio. He is not eating super high protein, but he is getting 100g per day. So far, out of the 28 pounds, only 2lb loss is muscle. If you can't do resistance training, then keeping protein intake high is going to be the biggest help.
+1
I was thinking of this study while reading the OP.
Protein, full body resistance training if you can...
Eat more so that you are not losing more than 1 lb a week at this point. Maybe even .5 lb/week depending on how much you have left to lose.0 -
Hi all,
Ok a few questions to answer!!
Firstly my food diary is correct, I weigh 183lbs and want to loose another 43lbs.
I personally don't understand how much someone can eat? To me I am full and that's that? I'm not purposely eating a very low calorie diet btw
We do have some 6kg kettle bells but have no idea what exercises would help me and how often/how long I need to do them for? Call me sexist but I thought weights etc were 'man things' - that's probably down to my experiences in a gym!!!
Thankyou everyone xx0 -
johnandkymberley wrote: »Hi all,
Ok a few questions to answer!!
Firstly my food diary is correct, I weigh 183lbs and want to loose another 43lbs.
I personally don't understand how much someone can eat? To me I am full and that's that? I'm not purposely eating a very low calorie diet btw
We do have some 6kg kettle bells but have no idea what exercises would help me and how often/how long I need to do them for? Call me sexist but I thought weights etc were 'man things' - that's probably down to my experiences in a gym!!!
Thankyou everyone xx
You should look at these threads:
HALP! Heavy Lifting Made Me Supah Bulky
Lifting is the Most Horrible Thing to a Woman Since Twiggy
Females Only - Lifting/Weight Training Results0 -
johnandkymberley wrote: »Hi all,
Ok a few questions to answer!!
Firstly my food diary is correct, I weigh 183lbs and want to loose another 43lbs.
I personally don't understand how much someone can eat? To me I am full and that's that? I'm not purposely eating a very low calorie diet btw
We do have some 6kg kettle bells but have no idea what exercises would help me and how often/how long I need to do them for? Call me sexist but I thought weights etc were 'man things' - that's probably down to my experiences in a gym!!!
Thankyou everyone xx
That's where I was when I got here (or there abouts)
I ate 1600 calories a day and lost 1lb a week for months...(that included eating back all my exercise calories)
MFP is setup for you to enter your stats and weekly weight loss goal to get the number of calories to eat to lose the weight you want. MFP is also setup so you eat back exercise calories...so if you burn 151 you get to eat more food.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
I did look at your diary and what I see is not a lot of calorie dense choices. You could easily eat more calories by eating a piece of pizza or a chocolate bar or a beer. If those don't thrill you put avocado on stuff, use butter and olive oil to cook in.
It's about eating all the food you can and still losing the weight you want...not eating so little you are losing muscle along with the fat.
Exercise is not required for weight loss. If you want to exercise for fitness and help retain some muscle look up I am my own gym or www.fitnessblender.com for some works outs.
AS for lifting weights I do...4x a week...big weights. They are not man things they are fitness equipment to be used to help retain muscle, build strength and keep us fit.
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Ok I've been looking into kettle bell exercises and it looks like fun actually! I did do tabata for a while and I enjoyed that and it looks similar. So how many times do I need to do a kettle bell workout? Is three times a week enough?0
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johnandkymberley wrote: »Ok I've been looking into kettle bell exercises and it looks like fun actually! I did do tabata for a while and I enjoyed that and it looks similar. So how many times do I need to do a kettle bell workout? Is three times a week enough?
that is lots.0 -
Is it? How many is ok? I was thinking every other day x0
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johnandkymberley wrote: »Is it? How many is ok? I was thinking every other day x
depending on the size and the exercise. Find a program you like or want to try...don't just start lifting them...
Try it out and if it works stay with it increasing reps and/or weight each week.
Here is a sample one I googled really quick.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/the-6-best-kettlebell-exercises-you-need-to-do.html
Or try www.fitnessblender.com and see what they have.0 -
blues4miles wrote: »Some good research lately (Stuart M Phillips) suggests that high protein intake can conserve lean mass even with large deficits (40% of TDEE) and high levels of exercise. His number was 2.4 g/kg body weight--which is kind of a ridiculous number if you are eating in the 1200-1500 calories/day range. But depending on your other activity, you might be able to slow or minimizing muscle loss. I am currently working with a someone who has lost 28 pounds since Jan 3. For medical reasons, he can't do any resistance training, just cardio. He is not eating super high protein, but he is getting 100g per day. So far, out of the 28 pounds, only 2lb loss is muscle. If you can't do resistance training, then keeping protein intake high is going to be the biggest help.
+1
I was thinking of this study while reading the OP.
Protein, full body resistance training if you can...
Eat more so that you are not losing more than 1 lb a week at this point. Maybe even .5 lb/week depending on how much you have left to lose.
Obviously, it's just one study, so it's not conclusive. But it's always important to test our assumptions, and this certainly suggests using some caution before repeating the same old slogans.
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Hi yes I have seen that and been looking at vids too, seems good but I'm not going to up my calorie intake as I still need to loose weight. TBH I need to be under 185lbs for an operation do that's what I'm focusing on, I got a massive telling off from some 'jobs worth' nurse for being 191lbs.. Anyway I am going to add that and see how I go. By the way I'm 5'7 and I'd say a medium build. Big bum, thighs and breasts - very womanly if that makes a difference haha???!!!??0
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[/quote]
Obviously, it's just one study, so it's not conclusive. But it's always important to test our assumptions, and this certainly suggests using some caution before repeating the same old slogans.
[/quote]
My goal on MFP is 75g, should I not stick to that? I am often a few grams over
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Waking burns mostly fat, although not a whole lot. .7 to .8 grams protein per pound of Lean Body Mass is plenty to protect existing muscle. To burn more fat, keeping carbs low (under 100 grams/day) will help a bunch. Any time insulin spikes, fat burning grinds to a halt. Read "The Rosedale Diet" to better understand this. "Why we get Fat" - Gary Taubes is another great read!
Just say no to Gary Tuabes.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/why-we-get-fat/
And Joseph Mercola recommends the Rosedale Diet.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-rosedale-diet-here-we-go-again/
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eat more protein and add a couple strength training days into your workouts. if your not looking to gain muscle, it doesnt have to be heavy lifting, but like jillian micheals 30 day shread is good, or i love p90x. also eat 1200 at least.0
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If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
This too. I was trying to remember where to find this table. OP if you are losing more than what is recommended here, there is a good chance you are losing muscle AND fat. You seem resistant to eating more / slowing your weight loss. That's your personal choice, just keep in mind you might lose muscle as well.asimenson1 wrote: »eat more protein and add a couple strength training days into your workouts. if your not looking to gain muscle, it doesnt have to be heavy lifting, but like jillian micheals 30 day shread is good, or i love p90x. also eat 1200 at least.
It's incredibly difficult for a woman eating in a deficit to gain muscle, even lifting heavy, so this idea that a woman should stay away from lifting heavy out of fear of it is silly. Google image search for plenty of women out there who lift heavy, like Jamie Eason comes to mind. Sure when she is cutting and prepping for a competition she can look very muscular (though still not big) but there are plenty of photos of her relaxed and you can bet that's how she looks 9 times out of 10. And she lifts heavy and has her own routines on Bodybuilding.com.0
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