The fat loss and muscle burning paradox: where do I go from here?

AlyssaPetsDogs
AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone! Sorry if this question either makes no sense or is stupid. I got myself really confused reading a bunch of other posts in here.

I've lost nearly 30 pounds and I have about 46 more to go to reach my goal of 150. I'm 5'7" and female. I understand weight is just a number so obviously if I feel fine at 160, I'm not going to push my weight down further, and if I still need work done at 150, I'll go lower. A numerical goal is just something I can really "measure" progress to, which keeps me going.

Anyways I started out just doing cardio (running and cycling) but wanted to build in more strength training. I did about a week of body weight training because it seemed good for beginners. I then took a week off because I was moving, starting a new job etc.
Then I decided to start the JM 30 day shred because everyone raves about it. I like it so far. I know it is a lot of cardio, but it definitely works my thighs, abs, and arms. I'm sore!

Anyways, now I have two fears.
1. I'm going lose muscle mass anyways because I'm eating at a caloric deficit. My level is set to sedentary and my deficit is set so I lose 2 pounds per week (I'm thinking about changing that to 1.5 pounds not since I've got 46 (less than 50) pounds to lose. Obviously I'll get in some more protein and eat a bit more cause I'll have more than 1200 calories to work with!

2. I'll build muscle, but I won't lose weight because I will be eating more and building muscle so I'll still have a pudgy belly and love handles at the end of the day. Obviously I'm concerned about how I look and feel as opposed to the number on the scale. But if I stop losing weight, I'm worrying that muscle will just build under the fat. So I'll be in shape, but still a chunker!


Any input would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to be comfortable enough to wear a swimsuit on our trip to Florida in January (7 months to lose 46 pounds/trim the belly/tone seems attainable, but who knows!)

Also for strength, can I just use Jillian Michaels' other videos? She has ripped in 30 and killer abs and other videos that seem great to help sculpt the body (so long as they also get rid of fat). I want to finish the 30 day shred first, of course, but assuming I like it, i may want to try her other stuff because it's easy for me to follow a video and work out at my convenience in my home.


Thank you all for any input! I appreciate it :)

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    edited June 2016
    The good news is that based on what you described neither scenario is going to occur to any appreciable extent, especially #2. Many people don't consider those JM videos as true strength training. But along with a minimized deficit, & adequate protein, you shouldn't lose much muscle mass & unless you start eating way more and following a legit strength program, you're not going to build any muscle either.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    rybo wrote: »
    The good news is that based on what you described neither scenario is going to occur to any appreciable extent, especially #2. Many people don't consider those JM videos as true strength training. But along with a minimized deficit, & adequate protein, you shouldn't lose much muscle mass & unless you start eating way more and following a legit strength program, you're not going to build any muscle either.

    Agreed. You have nothing to worry about.

    Regarding #1, when you loss weight, some of it is fat, some muscle. You can minimize the muscle loss by stimulating the muscles through so form of exercise.

    Regarding #2, you're likely not going to build muscle on a deficit.

    However, when you increase your calories and add move strenuous exercise to your routine you may see a slight increase in weight. This is not because you're gaining muscles, but because you'll have more food in your system and might also retain water in your muscles for repair. If it happens, don't worry, after a few weeks this will level off.
  • AlyssaPetsDogs
    AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
    loulamb7 wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    The good news is that based on what you described neither scenario is going to occur to any appreciable extent, especially #2. Many people don't consider those JM videos as true strength training. But along with a minimized deficit, & adequate protein, you shouldn't lose much muscle mass & unless you start eating way more and following a legit strength program, you're not going to build any muscle either.

    Agreed. You have nothing to worry about.

    Regarding #1, when you loss weight, some of it is fat, some muscle. You can minimize the muscle loss by stimulating the muscles through so form of exercise.

    Regarding #2, you're likely not going to build muscle on a deficit.

    However, when you increase your calories and add move strenuous exercise to your routine you may see a slight increase in weight. This is not because you're gaining muscles, but because you'll have more food in your system and might also retain water in your muscles for repair. If it happens, don't worry, after a few weeks this will level off.

    Thank you, both of you! I moved my goal from 2 pounds per week to 1.5 pounds per week as well (85 only gave me 150 more calories each day, but we will see!). I'll see how that treats me for a few weeks!
  • AlyssaPetsDogs
    AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    5'7" female here. I've lost 140 lbs over 2 years, also with a goal of 150, 9 lbs away. I've eaten at aboout 1700 the entire time. Im currently losing 1-2 lbs per month.

    I started strength training day 1, have walked, done classes, now some running. I've built stength & muscle definition consistently through this time. My strength training is varied, including resistance bands, body weight, dumbells, barbells, trx, etc.

    The common line here is that it's impossible to build muscle on a deficit. I have no way to prove or disprove this personally, but most people who see me, including my trainer, would say that I've added muscle.

    Hopefully something from my experience will help you. Keep it going, you've done great so far!

    Wow! That is incredible and very inspirational! Congratulations on all your hard work so far!

    What you are saying makes total sense! I may have to reevaluate my goals to get the body I really want :)

    9 pounds away! That is so awesome! I'm glad to hear it can be done :)
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    As I understand what I've read over the months here, it's not impossible to build muscle in a deficit. Just not very easy. And it'd be a very small amount for a woman, as we build muscle slower than men.

    I doubt I've built any considerable amount of muscle in the last 5 months, but it is more defined because I have less fat covering it up. I'd reckon, just wildly guessing, that I may have built less than a lb worth of muscle since I started strength training 4 months ago.
  • jessiethe3rd
    jessiethe3rd Posts: 239 Member
    edited June 2016
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    A. Do you know your bodyfat %? Get some calipers and understand what your body composition is. How are really going to know how much fat you need to lose if you do not know your body composition? Lean Body Mass (LBM) is what counts... Scale weight is only an indicator.

    B. Your body will decide how it will lose the weight. It will come off how it deems best. No amount of targeted exercise or weightlifting will change that.

    C. Losing weight is the overall blind goal, but lets be realistic here... You want to lool good in a bathing suit! Newbie weight lifting aka 5X5 strong lifting along with cardio is the best way to get you there. It is quite amazing what weightlifting can do to the body for someone who is new to it (put away all your fears about transforming into some lean muscle head...)

    D. From experience, weightlifting coupled with cardio (60-70% max HR for 40+ minutes) will lead to the body you are looking for. Of course I am not trying to get into a bikini... Just want to look great naked.

    E. You will need to eat a bit more... Youll need to cover for the workout on lifting days. Adjust your calories by days in the paid version of the app. Rest between workouts. Also focus on getting more protein in your diet. You should eat 1.2 grams per pound of LBM you have to try and save and slightly increase muscle.

    Yes... As you mature in lifting you will stop gaining muscle... Thats when you pivot back back down to reducing calories.

    You have to build muscle to keep the weight off!!!
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Well, I can't completely agree with the above advice. 1 and 2 is possible, to an extent. A 2 lb a week weight loss is pretty aggressive, but is not as big of a deal if you have a really excessive amount of fat. The faster you try to lose, the more likely more of that will be muscle, if you don't put in the proper amount of protein in your diet to prevent it. So, for number one, it depends on your overall fat to muscle distribution, your diet and whether or not you're doing a strength training program along with your cardio. Using the muscle encourages the body to retain it. As far as number 2, you can definitely build muscle in a deficit, especially if your a newbie to strength training and you have a good reserve of fat to burn through. The less fat you have, the less likely you'll be able to build because your body needs the extra energy to break down the proteins in to amino acids necessary to repair and create muscle fibers. However, if you aren't losing weight and staying pretty much the same while eating at the same deficit, you are most likely doing a recomposition and the weight you're retaining is a mixture of fluid and muscle. You will continue to burn fat. You're body willjust start to change shape so you shouldn't look chunky, just the larger in some areas (arms, legs, back) and smaller in others (face, neck, stomache, hips, butt) depending on your genetics and where your body decided to burn the fat.
  • AlyssaPetsDogs
    AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
    Thanks everyone! Appreciate the input! I really do!
This discussion has been closed.

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