Losing muscle despite eating enough protein
weedspot
Posts: 29 Member
Hi!
My maintenance is around 2500 calories, so I eat 2000cal a day to be at a 500 calories deficit.
I workout 5-6 times a week (2x lower body, 2x upper body and 2x abs). My SW was 80k. So I always make sure to eat at least 175g of protein each day (2,2g x 80 = 176g).
I’ve been losing weight pretty steadily and everything seemed fine until I measured my arms. I lost 1cm (0.4 inches). And there was barely any fat in my arms to begging with. So I think I lost muscle.
I don’t understand why, since my deficit is not drastic and I eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass.
My maintenance is around 2500 calories, so I eat 2000cal a day to be at a 500 calories deficit.
I workout 5-6 times a week (2x lower body, 2x upper body and 2x abs). My SW was 80k. So I always make sure to eat at least 175g of protein each day (2,2g x 80 = 176g).
I’ve been losing weight pretty steadily and everything seemed fine until I measured my arms. I lost 1cm (0.4 inches). And there was barely any fat in my arms to begging with. So I think I lost muscle.
I don’t understand why, since my deficit is not drastic and I eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass.
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Replies
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Did you have good muscle definition and lean arms when you started dieting (clear visual muscle separation and vascularity are two indicators). Any progress pictures?
Are you doing any exercise/training to use your muscles and send a strong message to retain your muscle?
Protein is important but not the only factor.4 -
Could be measurement error, not measuring precisely the same spot or holding your arm the same way.
Or a difference in muscle volume (for example measuring before workout versus after).
And/or simply having lost fat. I mean, the point of being at a deficit is to lose fat, there must be a reason you chose to be at a deficit
your assessment of 'barely any' fat isn't very precise. Fat calipers might be another way to measure yourself (although those also require a bit of experience for reliable results).
What is your goal weight? Losing 0.5kg a week/2.2kg per month is still fairly fast if you don't have much to lose.3 -
You will lose fat all over your body, this includes your arms when you're in a deficit.
Outside of measurements, are your lifts staying the same? What is your lifting routine like? Why do you dedicate 2 days to just abs. You're probably better off following a tried and true lifting routine.0 -
Not that it makes a big difference but your average daily deficit is also slightly higher than 500. I calculate it at 625.
It is a mistake to think your body will pull from higher fat areas before it pulls from lower ones. It would be nice if it worked that way but it does not.3 -
If you're losing weight then you're losing both body fat and muscle, it's impossible not to lose both simultaneously. It's part of the process, ask any bodybuilder cutting
Protein helps maintain muscle mass - emphasis on 'helps'.0 -
simonthompson6516 wrote: »If you're losing weight then you're losing both body fat and muscle, it's impossible not to lose both simultaneously. It's part of the process, ask any bodybuilder cutting
Protein helps maintain muscle mass - emphasis on 'helps'.
No it's not impossible, it's well established that some people can and do acually gain some muscle in a small deficit - OP is not a bodybuilder!
A bodybuilder close to their genetic potential and probably cutting from lean to very lean is an irrelevant comparison to normal people cutting from overweight to a normal weight.8 -
simonthompson6516 wrote: »If you're losing weight then you're losing both body fat and muscle, it's impossible not to lose both simultaneously. It's part of the process, ask any bodybuilder cutting
Protein helps maintain muscle mass - emphasis on 'helps'.
No it's not impossible, it's well established that some people can and do acually gain some muscle in a small deficit - OP is not a bodybuilder!
A bodybuilder close to their genetic potential and probably cutting from lean to very lean is an irrelevant comparison to normal people cutting from overweight to a normal weight.
I'll rephrase for the pedantic. "If you're losing weight through dieting then you're losing both body fat and muscle, it's impossible to not lose both simultaneously whilst dieting.
A bodybuilder in any shape or form is a completely perfectly fair comparison. The bodybuilder would love to be able to strip body fat whilst retaining muscle which is a nigh on impossible task so the comparison was to point out if a bodybuilder can not do this then why would average joe be able to do this.
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SharpWellbeing wrote: »simonthompson6516 wrote: »If you're losing weight then you're losing both body fat and muscle, it's impossible not to lose both simultaneously. It's part of the process, ask any bodybuilder cutting
Protein helps maintain muscle mass - emphasis on 'helps'.
No it's not impossible, it's well established that some people can and do acually gain some muscle in a small deficit - OP is not a bodybuilder!
A bodybuilder close to their genetic potential and probably cutting from lean to very lean is an irrelevant comparison to normal people cutting from overweight to a normal weight.
I'll rephrase for the pedantic. "If you're losing weight through dieting then you're losing both body fat and muscle, it's impossible to not lose both simultaneously whilst dieting.
A bodybuilder in any shape or form is a completely perfectly fair comparison. The bodybuilder would love to be able to strip body fat whilst retaining muscle which is a nigh on impossible task so the comparison was to point out if a bodybuilder can not do this then why would average joe be able to do this.
It's not being pedantic to point out you are completely wrong.
And yes it is sensible to point out that a bodybuilder who would be most likely struggle the most to retain muscle in a deficit cutting down to bodyfat levels that an ordinary person doesn't even aspire to is a ridiculous comparison.
The primary reasons why an "average Joe" can add muscle in a sensible diet and with suitable training is that:
They can gain muscle far easier being under-trained than someone who has been training years - after a couple of years of serious training the difficulty in adding muscle mass goes through the roof.
Secondly an over-fat individual has huge energy stores to make up a small shortfall in calories while dieting. The difference from someone dieting down from 20% to say 15% bodyfat compared to someone going from perhaps 12% down to single figures is massive.
ETA - if you want to educate yourself on the issue then this thread should be of interest to you....
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10611633/gaining-muscle-in-a-deficit/p17 -
It's not being pedantic to point out you are completely wrong.
And yes it is sensible to point out that a bodybuilder who would be most likely struggle the most to retain muscle in a deficit cutting down to bodyfat levels that an ordinary person doesn't even aspire to is a ridiculous comparison.
The primary reasons why an "average Joe" can add muscle in a sensible diet and with suitable training is that:
They can gain muscle far easier being under-trained than someone who has been training years - after a couple of years of serious training the difficulty in adding muscle mass goes through the roof.
Secondly an over-fat individual has huge energy stores to make up a small shortfall in calories while dieting. The difference from someone dieting down from 20% to say 15% bodyfat compared to someone going from perhaps 12% down to single figures is massive.
I'm not sure what training adaptations has to do with the question the original poster asked. If you want a *kitten* measuring contest then come back and explain to him about the refractory period although I doubt he is aiming or needing to get that specific.
Simple fact, he believes he is losing muscle whilst in a deficit eating what he believes to be sufficient protein in a day.
Simple answer, he is likely losing both and that's the perils of being in a diet but he won't be losing as much as he thinks nor should he worry about it.0 -
SharpWellbeing wrote: »It's not being pedantic to point out you are completely wrong.
And yes it is sensible to point out that a bodybuilder who would be most likely struggle the most to retain muscle in a deficit cutting down to bodyfat levels that an ordinary person doesn't even aspire to is a ridiculous comparison.
The primary reasons why an "average Joe" can add muscle in a sensible diet and with suitable training is that:
They can gain muscle far easier being under-trained than someone who has been training years - after a couple of years of serious training the difficulty in adding muscle mass goes through the roof.
Secondly an over-fat individual has huge energy stores to make up a small shortfall in calories while dieting. The difference from someone dieting down from 20% to say 15% bodyfat compared to someone going from perhaps 12% down to single figures is massive.
I'm not sure what training adaptations has to do with the question the original poster asked. If you want a *kitten* measuring contest then come back and explain to him about the refractory period although I doubt he is aiming or needing to get that specific.
Simple fact, he believes he is losing muscle whilst in a deficit eating what he believes to be sufficient protein in a day.
Simple answer, he is likely losing both and that's the perils of being in a diet but he won't be losing as much as he thinks nor should he worry about it.
You keep stating that people WILL lose both in a deficit which is just flat out false. While the OP might be losing both, it is not a fact that you will lose muscle while in a deficit.
Maybe since you are so new, you should stop arguing with everyone here who has years of experience and offers sound advice.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other/
Another interesting read on gaining muscle while eating in a deficit in case you care to educate yourself on how it would work.0 -
Dogmom1978 wrote: »SharpWellbeing wrote: »It's not being pedantic to point out you are completely wrong.
And yes it is sensible to point out that a bodybuilder who would be most likely struggle the most to retain muscle in a deficit cutting down to bodyfat levels that an ordinary person doesn't even aspire to is a ridiculous comparison.
The primary reasons why an "average Joe" can add muscle in a sensible diet and with suitable training is that:
They can gain muscle far easier being under-trained than someone who has been training years - after a couple of years of serious training the difficulty in adding muscle mass goes through the roof.
Secondly an over-fat individual has huge energy stores to make up a small shortfall in calories while dieting. The difference from someone dieting down from 20% to say 15% bodyfat compared to someone going from perhaps 12% down to single figures is massive.
I'm not sure what training adaptations has to do with the question the original poster asked. If you want a *kitten* measuring contest then come back and explain to him about the refractory period although I doubt he is aiming or needing to get that specific.
Simple fact, he believes he is losing muscle whilst in a deficit eating what he believes to be sufficient protein in a day.
Simple answer, he is likely losing both and that's the perils of being in a diet but he won't be losing as much as he thinks nor should he worry about it.
You keep stating that people WILL lose both in a deficit which is just flat out false. While the OP might be losing both, it is not a fact that you will lose muscle while in a deficit.
Maybe since you are so new, you should stop arguing with everyone here who has years of experience and offers sound advice.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other/
Another interesting read on gaining muscle while eating in a deficit in case you care to educate yourself on how it would work.
The irony. Would you like to explain to me how MPS, MPB and the refractory period all work before having the gall to tell me to educate myself?0 -
I understand them just fine which is why I ALSO understand that people can build muscle while in a deficit. You’ve been here for one day and picked fights with some of the smartest people here who have tons of experience. Not talking about myself FYI, speaking about people like sijomial, annpt, and novusdies just to name a few.
Maybe educating yourself wouldn’t be such a bad idea? These people have been offering sound advice to others for a long time. We all are aware that weight loss and maintenance are not one size fits all. And we know how to build muscle in a deficit. I posted the article since you seemed to think doing so is impossible. If you have no interest in educating yourself, I can’t help you.3 -
As an aside, losing lean mass and losing muscle are two different things. IMU - which is not expert, I freely acknowledge - anyone losing a meaningful amount of weight will lose lean mass, alongside fat. That isn't *necessarily* muscle.
Silly example: Blood volume is lean mass. I'm guessing BMI 21 me would look really horrifying (and probably feel awful) with the same blood volume as BMI 31 me needed. That's not a huge amount in itself, just an example. The point is that the sheer acreage of a very fat body requires more of certain "lean tissues" than a slim body requires.2 -
SharpWellbeing wrote: »Dogmom1978 wrote: »SharpWellbeing wrote: »It's not being pedantic to point out you are completely wrong.
And yes it is sensible to point out that a bodybuilder who would be most likely struggle the most to retain muscle in a deficit cutting down to bodyfat levels that an ordinary person doesn't even aspire to is a ridiculous comparison.
The primary reasons why an "average Joe" can add muscle in a sensible diet and with suitable training is that:
They can gain muscle far easier being under-trained than someone who has been training years - after a couple of years of serious training the difficulty in adding muscle mass goes through the roof.
Secondly an over-fat individual has huge energy stores to make up a small shortfall in calories while dieting. The difference from someone dieting down from 20% to say 15% bodyfat compared to someone going from perhaps 12% down to single figures is massive.
I'm not sure what training adaptations has to do with the question the original poster asked. If you want a *kitten* measuring contest then come back and explain to him about the refractory period although I doubt he is aiming or needing to get that specific.
Simple fact, he believes he is losing muscle whilst in a deficit eating what he believes to be sufficient protein in a day.
Simple answer, he is likely losing both and that's the perils of being in a diet but he won't be losing as much as he thinks nor should he worry about it.
You keep stating that people WILL lose both in a deficit which is just flat out false. While the OP might be losing both, it is not a fact that you will lose muscle while in a deficit.
Maybe since you are so new, you should stop arguing with everyone here who has years of experience and offers sound advice.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other/
Another interesting read on gaining muscle while eating in a deficit in case you care to educate yourself on how it would work.
The irony. Would you like to explain to me how MPS, MPB and the refractory period all work before having the gall to tell me to educate myself?
Here's a study from the US sports academy that demonstrates how a group lost 16+ lbs of fat and GAINED 9+ lbs of muscle while in a deficit:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9309627/
So maybe, just maybe, it is actually possible to gain and not lose muscle while in a deficit...5 -
There are so many variables that could affect your arm measurements, water retention, amount of flex, where you measure on your arm, amount of pump, etc. I wouldn't base any major decisions like calorie intake solely on that measurement. If you're losing weight at a reasonable rate and you have noticeable fat loss and your lifts in the gym, at the very least, aren't regressing then just take the arm measurement as another data point to note and maybe as an indicator that you need to watch your lifting regimen more closely, and keep moving toward your goal of fat loss.
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SharpWellbeing wrote: »Dogmom1978 wrote: »SharpWellbeing wrote: »It's not being pedantic to point out you are completely wrong.
And yes it is sensible to point out that a bodybuilder who would be most likely struggle the most to retain muscle in a deficit cutting down to bodyfat levels that an ordinary person doesn't even aspire to is a ridiculous comparison.
The primary reasons why an "average Joe" can add muscle in a sensible diet and with suitable training is that:
They can gain muscle far easier being under-trained than someone who has been training years - after a couple of years of serious training the difficulty in adding muscle mass goes through the roof.
Secondly an over-fat individual has huge energy stores to make up a small shortfall in calories while dieting. The difference from someone dieting down from 20% to say 15% bodyfat compared to someone going from perhaps 12% down to single figures is massive.
I'm not sure what training adaptations has to do with the question the original poster asked. If you want a *kitten* measuring contest then come back and explain to him about the refractory period although I doubt he is aiming or needing to get that specific.
Simple fact, he believes he is losing muscle whilst in a deficit eating what he believes to be sufficient protein in a day.
Simple answer, he is likely losing both and that's the perils of being in a diet but he won't be losing as much as he thinks nor should he worry about it.
You keep stating that people WILL lose both in a deficit which is just flat out false. While the OP might be losing both, it is not a fact that you will lose muscle while in a deficit.
Maybe since you are so new, you should stop arguing with everyone here who has years of experience and offers sound advice.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other/
Another interesting read on gaining muscle while eating in a deficit in case you care to educate yourself on how it would work.
The irony. Would you like to explain to me how MPS, MPB and the refractory period all work before having the gall to tell me to educate myself?
Here's a study from the US sports academy that demonstrates how a group lost 16+ lbs of fat and GAINED 9+ lbs of muscle while in a deficit:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9309627/
So maybe, just maybe, it is actually possible to gain and not lose muscle while in a deficit...
Hi,
I’ve never disputed being able to gain muscle in a deficit. It’s all to do with mps. This isn’t really fitting in with the posters question though. He is hoping to maintain muscle, the reality is you will lose some muscle whilst on a diet unless you are really on it with understanding what is needed, overall protein helps reduce muscle loss.
With regards to that study, i didn’t see a mention of anyone being in a deficit, they were eating at maintenance. I’d be interested to know what they’re feeding protocols were.0
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