Losing weight without losing muscle?

cmeezy83
cmeezy83 Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there! Would really appreciate some tips. Right now based on MyFitnessPal (33yo, 5 ft 9, 176lb, lightly active) I'm getting a daily allotment of 1200 calories. I work in a restaurant and according to my health app walk between 3-6 miles during a shift. I work out 2-3 times a week focusing on weights and stretching

Now that we have that info: what are some ways you have been able to change your body composition and lose weight without sacrificing (too much) muscle? I feel like 1200 is a little low in calories, but in the past when I ate what MyFitnessPal said I burned my results stalled

Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Change your goal to lose 1 pound per week. You should aim for a protein intake of 100-120 grams. Strength training will help you retain muscle and maybe add some, which is a key for good body composition.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    I would expect that you could eat more. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

    In terms of sparing your muscle, lose weight a bit more slowly. Don't go for the really fast weight loss. 1, maybe 2, lbs/week would be great for you at this point. Try doing a diet that is higher in protein. Getting up to ~1 g of protein/lb of bodyweight is a great thing to do. Also, be sure to include intense weight lifting/resistance training as part of your workout programming.
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    terbusha wrote: »
    In terms of sparing your muscle, lose weight a bit more slowly. Don't go for the really fast weight loss. 1, maybe 2, lbs/week would be great for you at this point. Try doing a diet that is higher in protein. Getting up to ~1 g of protein/lb of bodyweight is a great thing to do. Also, be sure to include intense weight lifting/resistance training as part of your workout programming.

    ^^ this

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    terbusha wrote: »
    I would expect that you could eat more. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

    In terms of sparing your muscle, lose weight a bit more slowly. Don't go for the really fast weight loss. 1, maybe 2, lbs/week would be great for you at this point. Try doing a diet that is higher in protein. Getting up to ~1 g of protein/lb of bodyweight is a great thing to do. Also, be sure to include intense weight lifting/resistance training as part of your workout programming.

    The site suggests 2 pounds per week as a max, but she's not at the point she should be trying to lose that fast.

    The suggestion is actually 1 gram of protein per pound lean body mass, but plenty of studies show that .8 grams per pound of lean mass is adequate for someone not dieting to extremely low body fat percentages.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited September 2016
    Muscle sparring comes from 3 key important things, and non aggressive calorie deficit which could be .5 lb to 1 or maybe 1.5 (I would say 1.5 if you have quite a lot to lose), adequate protein. I do the .8 to 1 gr per body weight, it is easy calculate, and lastly a structured lifting program.

    There is no need to over think this in least.
  • cmeezy83
    cmeezy83 Posts: 13 Member
    Thanks for all the help! Great advice

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