Burning while maintaining Muscle

LaReineDesPixels
LaReineDesPixels Posts: 105 Member
edited December 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Oh how the vast convenient information on the internet these days can be so contradictory...

Okay just random thoughts are popping in my head of the whole burning fat but you maintaining muscle. Right now my main focus is losing the fat as currently I have over 100lbs to lose however I LOVE lifting. I am currently doing the simple cardio/weights strength training routine since I've only been at this for a few months now.

I do see improvement I am losing the lbs slowly and I have been able to lift heavier than when I started and it feels great!

Now, as far as burning fat while maintaining muscle, I thought it was just as simple as what I am doing now but of course, I had to do a Google search........ and now I am lost.

I have heard that protein is important to replenish what has been lost after a workout and heaven forbid, if I do not do it within an hour then my workout was just all but a waste of my time. Also, since the numbers on the scale are dropping apparently I am losing muscle mass anyway.

I have not done the protein shake/smoothie thingy yet, I have thought of it and I am willing to fit that in if necessary. I have seen some of the gym goers practically wear those around their necks during their session.

I try to fit as much protein in my diet as possible and I can see the shakes being a very convenient source I guess my question is do I need to wear a protein supplement around my neck as well?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    How much protein are you getting per day?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Resistance training, eating sufficient protein (from my reading a minimum of .64-.82 grams per pound of bodyweight is sufficient), and eating in a reasonable deficit are key for maintaining muscle. However, most of us lose at least some muscle while losing fat. Plus we all lose some lean body mass (which is made of muscle and water and bone and organs and I'm sure I'm forgetting something) while losing weight. Double plus, IMO it makes sense that when we have big losses we lose some muscle simply because we don't need as much to help carry us around.

    But, bottom line, you do not necessarily need a protein shake necklace :lol:
  • LaReineDesPixels
    LaReineDesPixels Posts: 105 Member
    edited July 2016
    I was never the biggest fan of drinking a meal anyway but maybe I'll try it. I starting to notice as I do a little more research that I do need more. I was so focused on deficit with intake I may be cutting a little too much.

    If I'm supposed to use my current weight its like over 220 grams... :#

    I need to start throwing whole chickens on my plate!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    I was never the biggest fan of drinking a meal anyway but maybe I'll try it. I starting to notice as I do a little more research that I do need more. I was so focused on deficit with intake I may be cutting a little too much.

    If I'm supposed to use my current weight its like over 220 grams... :#

    I need to start throwing whole chickens on my plate!

    You're over 300lbs?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    I was never the biggest fan of drinking a meal anyway but maybe I'll try it. I starting to notice as I do a little more research that I do need more. I was so focused on deficit with intake I may be cutting a little too much.

    If I'm supposed to use my current weight its like over 220 grams... :#

    I need to start throwing whole chickens on my plate!

    You make a good point. I do not know what the guideline is for calculating protein needs when you have more to lose. I started a thread over in the Food & Nutrition section to see if anybody has a suggestion.
  • LaReineDesPixels
    LaReineDesPixels Posts: 105 Member
    @TavistockToad Yeah, currently at 305 started at 321. @jemhh Yeah, I'll keep looking around I thought I saw something about using your goal weight for this calculation but that was only one source.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    How many cals are you eating per day?
  • LaReineDesPixels
    LaReineDesPixels Posts: 105 Member
    I try to stay within the MFP guideline of 2100s lately I've been ranging from 1500-1800 depending on the day. Exercise included of course.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    And how much protein are you currently getting?
  • LaReineDesPixels
    LaReineDesPixels Posts: 105 Member
    I'd say close to 100 grams on a good day.. however, for the past week I've been having less due to not preparing meals like I should've been and I'd probably get half of that if I'm lucky, I know this because I had a bigger drop in LBS than usual since last week. I'm usually at 1.5 max this time I had a 2.8 lb drop.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    I'd say close to 100 grams on a good day.. however, for the past week I've been having less due to not preparing meals like I should've been and I'd probably get half of that if I'm lucky, I know this because I had a bigger drop in LBS than usual since last week. I'm usually at 1.5 max this time I had a 2.8 lb drop.

    How are you measuring that you've lost 2.8lbs of lean mass?
  • acampbe2umd
    acampbe2umd Posts: 145 Member
    I think if you can get it from whole foods and you want it that way, eat it that way. I personally do a scoop of whey protein out of convenience for my schedule (workout at 4 a.m. fasted and I pefer to delay breakfast until I'm ready to go to work at 7).
  • LaReineDesPixels
    LaReineDesPixels Posts: 105 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »

    How are you measuring that you've lost 2.8lbs of lean mass?

    Well not all lean mass.. Just assuming that there may have been lean mass involved however this is just number on a scale. I might just be over thinking it..
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »

    How are you measuring that you've lost 2.8lbs of lean mass?

    Well not all lean mass.. Just assuming that there may have been lean mass involved however this is just number on a scale. I might just be over thinking it..

    150g of protein would be adequate for your needs I would imagine.

    And yes, sounds like over thinking. You're doing strength training, got a deficit that's working for you, keep it up!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »

    How are you measuring that you've lost 2.8lbs of lean mass?

    Well not all lean mass.. Just assuming that there may have been lean mass involved however this is just number on a scale. I might just be over thinking it..

    150g of protein would be adequate for your needs I would imagine.

    And yes, sounds like over thinking. You're doing strength training, got a deficit that's working for you, keep it up!

    this ..

    with so much to lose, just focus on staying in a consistent deficit, strength training, and keeping protein high. Once you get to your goal weight you can then focus on body comp goals such as bulking to add some muscle, or continued cutting to get to a lower body fat %....
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    edited July 2016
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    @TavistockToad Yeah, currently at 305 started at 321. @jemhh Yeah, I'll keep looking around I thought I saw something about using your goal weight for this calculation but that was only one source.

    Yes, you should use ideal weight. And according to the World Health Org, protein recommendation is 0.83 g/KG (not per LB). So rounding off to 1g/kg, That's 50-70g/day for the average woman. So 220g is ridiculous, even 100g is way more than enough. If you have to eat a highly processed food like protein shakes/powders to meet a protein goal (even after eating a sufficient amount of real food), then you know that that goal is *kitten* and someone is trying to make money off you. Just eat real food! I eat 50-70 grams/day, I'm active and all my lab work is normal (including protein).

    Also, at 305 lbs, the LAST thing you should be worried about is your lean mass. The people who lose the most muscle are the ones who are already ripped and shredded anyway because they don't have much fat to spare, so in a deficit, their bodies go for muscle. If you're fat, and especially obese, your body is not stupid, it's going to prioritize fat and not muscle. Whatever lean mass you lose is not going to be a bad thing anyway because you won't need as much to support all that weight anyway. Your primary focus is to lose the excess fat and the formula for that is simply eating at a deficit and getting a reasonable amount of exercise, even just brisk walking.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Traveler120 wrote: »
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    @TavistockToad Yeah, currently at 305 started at 321. @jemhh Yeah, I'll keep looking around I thought I saw something about using your goal weight for this calculation but that was only one source.

    Yes, you should use ideal weight. And according to the World Health Org, protein recommendation is 0.83 g/KG (not per LB). So rounding off to 1g/kg, That's 50-70g/day for the average woman. So 220g is ridiculous, even 100g is way more than enough. If you have to eat a highly processed food like protein shakes/powders to meet a protein goal (even after eating a sufficient amount of real food), then you know that that goal is *kitten* and someone is trying to make money off you. Just eat real food! I eat 50-70 grams/day, I'm active and all my lab work is normal (including protein).

    Also, at 305 lbs, the LAST thing you should be worried about is your lean mass. The people who lose the most muscle are the ones who are already ripped and shredded anyway because they don't have much fat to spare, so in a deficit, their bodies go for muscle. If you're fat, and especially obese, your body is not stupid, it's going to prioritize fat and not muscle. Whatever lean mass you lose is not going to be a bad thing anyway because you won't need as much to support all that weight anyway. Your primary focus is to lose the excess fat and the formula for that is simply eating at a deficit and getting a reasonable amount of exercise, even just brisk walking.

    I choose to aim above the base protein recommendations for protein per WHO because I don't believe they fit my needs as an active person who wants to preserve and build muscle.

    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    In my experience, if you keep your protein high enough (I would say 100-150g/day), you can do whatever combination of cardio, strength, and calorie deficit you want and likely not lose any muscle mass (other than what you might lose anyhow as your body reshapes itself). Don't overthink it, don't over complicate it.

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Traveler120 wrote: »
    LaReineDesPixels wrote: »
    @TavistockToad Yeah, currently at 305 started at 321. @jemhh Yeah, I'll keep looking around I thought I saw something about using your goal weight for this calculation but that was only one source.

    Yes, you should use ideal weight. And according to the World Health Org, protein recommendation is 0.83 g/KG (not per LB). So rounding off to 1g/kg, That's 50-70g/day for the average woman. So 220g is ridiculous, even 100g is way more than enough. If you have to eat a highly processed food like protein shakes/powders to meet a protein goal (even after eating a sufficient amount of real food), then you know that that goal is *kitten* and someone is trying to make money off you. Just eat real food! I eat 50-70 grams/day, I'm active and all my lab work is normal (including protein).

    Also, at 305 lbs, the LAST thing you should be worried about is your lean mass. The people who lose the most muscle are the ones who are already ripped and shredded anyway because they don't have much fat to spare, so in a deficit, their bodies go for muscle. If you're fat, and especially obese, your body is not stupid, it's going to prioritize fat and not muscle. Whatever lean mass you lose is not going to be a bad thing anyway because you won't need as much to support all that weight anyway. Your primary focus is to lose the excess fat and the formula for that is simply eating at a deficit and getting a reasonable amount of exercise, even just brisk walking.

    There has been some good research recently that suggests that higher levels of protein intake has significant effects at preserving lean mass, even with high volume of exercise and calorie deficits.

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/01/26/ajcn.115.119339

    this is a starter. I would also suggest googling "Stuart Phillips protein" for more sources.
  • alakafi
    alakafi Posts: 12 Member
    edited July 2016
    100gm should be more than enough for female imo
    i'm 6,4 ft 285 lb getting 150 gm of protein daily and my strength is increasing (too fat to see my muscles but i'm using strength as scale )
    squat 155 to 225 lb 5x5 in 7 weeks
    bench pess 145lb ..etc

    good luck
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