I lost 24lbs in 4 weeks!!!

derick337
derick337 Posts: 67 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I loss 3% body fat some water weight and 1% muscle mass. How do I maintain my muscle mass?

Replies

  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    Resistance training. If you're focusing on big weight loss it's inevitable to lose some muscle. Best you can do is to try and maintain as much as you can through exercise.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    1. Adequate protein
    2. Progressive lifting program
    3. Slower weight loss
  • JonMacFit
    JonMacFit Posts: 41 Member
    I'm going through the same thing. My weight loss has been quick to this point and I lost 3lbs muscle mass in the process.
    This was before I started hitting the gym and it seems concentrating on weights instead of cardio is preventing the loss. I also changed my food target to contain 200g protein which is 1g for each lb of my ideal weight.
    Today I have started on creatine which may add extra water weight in the short term but I am hoping it will help me put back on the muscle mass I lost. Will let you know the results in a couple of weeks if you want.
    Also sometimes losing muscle mass in certain areas may not be a bad thing. I have massive legs both naturally and from carrying so much excess weight for years (can full stack the leg bench machines at my gym easily) however they make buying trousers a nightmare so not worried if my calfs shrink and will concentrate on where I can't afford to lose muscle.

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    JonMacFit wrote: »
    I'm going through the same thing. My weight loss has been quick to this point and I lost 3lbs muscle mass in the process.
    This was before I started hitting the gym and it seems concentrating on weights instead of cardio is preventing the loss. I also changed my food target to contain 200g protein which is 1g for each lb of my ideal weight.
    Today I have started on creatine which may add extra water weight in the short term but I am hoping it will help me put back on the muscle mass I lost. Will let you know the results in a couple of weeks if you want.
    Also sometimes losing muscle mass in certain areas may not be a bad thing. I have massive legs both naturally and from carrying so much excess weight for years (can full stack the leg bench machines at my gym easily) however they make buying trousers a nightmare so not worried if my calfs shrink and will concentrate on where I can't afford to lose muscle.

    Creatine doesn't cause lean mass gains. Creatine helps your muscles squeeze out a few more reps in the gym. Since it combines with water in the muscles it can make your muscles look fuller, but it's still not adding more muscle.
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    1. Adequate protein
    2. Progressive lifting program
    3. Slower weight loss

    EAT SOME CHICKEN, MAN! :p
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    1. Adequate protein
    2. Progressive lifting program
    3. Slower weight loss

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  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Congrats, but remember you can also gain it back in four weeks too. Stay dedicated.
  • derick337
    derick337 Posts: 67 Member
    Thanks to all I will keep in consideration. I eat protein chicken,fish and even steak. I think I'll have to start pumping iron!!!
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    No resistance training, low protein and rapid weight loss are all contributors to your muscle loss.
  • derick337
    derick337 Posts: 67 Member
    @trigden1991 I starting my resistance training today.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Must be noted that you're likely using inaccurate methods to measure lean mass and body fat (I'm assuming a scale?). So take those readings with a pinch of salt.
  • derick337
    derick337 Posts: 67 Member
    @VintageFeline yes, I weigh every Wednesday on a scale and then once a month I get my bmi
  • owieprone
    owieprone Posts: 217 Member
    Derick, ignore bmi is a useless measure that tells you absolutely nothing about your body - other than you have a height and a weight of some description, you may as well jump in the bath and measure the water displacement.
    I always find BMI so unrewarding... checks... yep I'm STILL 5'5", bugger.

    If you don't already, start using a tape measure to actually measure yourself.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZSfY87v6pM
    (sorry, i did try to find one with a bloke... rocking horse poop).

    Measuring with a tape is a much better indicator of what you are losing where, with the added bonus of it makes you actually look closely at your body so you can see the difference. You will notice where you are slimming down and where you need to adjust your weight training to tone or bulk up. So even if the scales don't change, you will still see/feel a change as you lose flab and gain/tone muscle. While you can't really do spot exercises for flab loss you can mitigate muscle loss and if scales haven't moved but you measure some muscle gain or see some more toning, it'll help with motivation and stop you getting demoralised.

    Well done so far, keep up the good work.
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