Can I lose weight while gaining muscle?

Hi there, I am currently almost 14 lbs down doing the Keto diet, & Intermittent fasting for 4 months now. I’ve been doing HIIT sprints on treadmill for 20 minutes 4x a week, strength training on those days also 4 days a week and 1 day of cardio 35 minutes with Abs. I recently switched things up by cutting back on consuming fat and also cutting back on working out down to 2 days just this week. I was in a plateau for 2 months. I’m thinking mostly because I’m gaining muscle as I tend to when lifting weights. I am 151 lbs today and would like to be 20 lbs lighter that’s my goal. How do I balance losing the rest of the weight while gaining muscle? Truthfully I miss going 5 days a week, it keeps me sane. I’m gonna see what this week brings but it’s frustrating to say the least! My history is I lost 53 lbs 4 years ago in 11 months time by eating gluten free and only working out 1 day a week. But I like that I have muscle now and I look athletic so I would like to continue. Can I lose weight while gaining muscle? Thanks for your help in advance.

Replies

  • ChristinaPCharles
    ChristinaPCharles Posts: 9 Member
    Makes sense, I hear what you’re saying. I have just started to tweak my calories cause I think I was consuming way too many fat calories so I’m eliminating the overage so that I have a deficit but I’ll up my protein for gains. Thanks for the response!
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    How exactly would plateauing because of building muscle work? What would you be building that muscle out of?
  • ChristinaPCharles
    ChristinaPCharles Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks for the response I actually am seeing results since cutting back on the fat 1 lb down but I’m gonna start next week with heavy lifting and more protein as I know my metabolism will most likely respond from this weeks rest. I just start to panic when I don’t see the scale move yet my size does keep going down. I need to just throw the scale out!
  • ChristinaPCharles
    ChristinaPCharles Posts: 9 Member
    Would you be able to explain what you mean? Thanks
  • MamaNess2018
    MamaNess2018 Posts: 19 Member
    edited June 2018
    I would agree with others that you’re not going to gain muscle... but I wanted to point out that as you lose body fat your muscle tone will be more obvious, more defined with less fat covering it. I saw you plan to focus on muscles mass, but if I were you I would try to lean down and lose overall fat first, and then bulk up muscle.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    edited June 2018
    Hi there, I am currently almost 14 lbs down doing the Keto diet, & Intermittent fasting for 4 months now. I’ve been doing HIIT sprints on treadmill for 20 minutes 4x a week, strength training on those days also 4 days a week and 1 day of cardio 35 minutes with Abs. I recently switched things up by cutting back on consuming fat and also cutting back on working out down to 2 days just this week. I was in a plateau for 2 months. I’m thinking mostly because I’m gaining muscle as I tend to when lifting weights. I am 151 lbs today and would like to be 20 lbs lighter that’s my goal. How do I balance losing the rest of the weight while gaining muscle? Truthfully I miss going 5 days a week, it keeps me sane. I’m gonna see what this week brings but it’s frustrating to say the least! My history is I lost 53 lbs 4 years ago in 11 months time by eating gluten free and only working out 1 day a week. But I like that I have muscle now and I look athletic so I would like to continue. Can I lose weight while gaining muscle? Thanks for your help in advance.

    The only way you can do both at the same time is:
    1) On recomp, but the process is very slow especially if you have many years of lifting under your belt.
    2) You're a newbie lifter, therefore you can do both at the same time
    3) You're on steroids
    4) You're overweight, therefore you can lose weight and gain muscles...but it won't last forever either.
    5) Freak genetics (Only a tiny percentage of people have this, so don't bank on it.)

    Once you have years under your belt when it comes to lifting, then building muscles on a caloric deficit becomes too difficult or non existent.
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    I would agree with others that you’re not going to gain muscle... but I wanted to point out that as you lose body fat your muscle tone will be more obvious, more defined with less fat covering it. I saw you plan to focus on muscles mass, but if I were you I would try to lean down and lose overall fat first, and then bulk up muscle.

    There are two schools of thought with this. It's considered tougher to go the route you are suggesting, although not unreasonable. If you lean out first, muscle building is slower, which is totally fine. But body shape changes also come slower.

    If you want to change your body shape significantly, building the muscle first and then cutting may help you get to where you want more quickly overall. (Nothing is as quick as we want it to be - it needs to be a situation you can live with).

    You have to be comfortable in the process you choose. It's most likely harder psychologically for most of us to lose weight slower (or even delay it) than it is to watch the scale move.
  • mywayroche
    mywayroche Posts: 218 Member
    Not unless you've never lifted before or you're really out of condition. Research 'noobie gains' then 'bulking and cutting' for information
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    It can happen with newbie gains, or maybe if you're a teenager. Not so easy for grownups who have been exercising awhile.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Practically speaking no you can't.