Wanting to lose weight but not muscle

urnessa
urnessa Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hiiii ^_^ I’m currently working at a 1400 cal deficit right now and have lost almost 10kg (22lbs) but I want to work on strengthening my muscles and having a fit appearance rather than a skinny appearance, how do I go about achieving my goal? What should I start eating more of to reduce muscle loss and do I continue working out on the same deficit, or should I eat more?
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Replies

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,792 Member
    Losing weight this fast (1400cal deficit) is guaranteed to include losing large amounts of muscle along the way. Your first step to appearing more muscular is to reduce the deficit to 500 per day at most. Yes, this will slow weight loss, but will help preserve muscle.

    Second step is to make sure you get enough protein per day. You should aim for a minimum of 0.7g/lb (1.5g/kg) of bodyweight per day.

    Third step is to engage in some form of strengthening exercises. The most famous is lifting weights, but other forms of exercise can also count: swimming, calisthenics, rock climbing, etc. As long as they challenge your muscles, they can count.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,377 Member
    urnessa wrote: »
    Hiiii ^_^ I’m currently working at a 1400 cal deficit right now and have lost almost 10kg (22lbs) but I want to work on strengthening my muscles and having a fit appearance rather than a skinny appearance, how do I go about achieving my goal? What should I start eating more of to reduce muscle loss and do I continue working out on the same deficit, or should I eat more?

    So, do you mean you're eating 1400, or that your deficit (number of calories below maintenance calories) is 1400?

    How fast have you lost that 22kg, and how much do you weigh now? Do you plan to lose more?

    If you're eating 1400 calories less than your body burns, @nossmf is right, that would be extremely counter-productive for your goals. If you're eating 1400 calories daily, that might or might not be OK, depending on your current size and recent weight loss rate.

    Otherwise, I agree with @nossmf: Lose weight slowly. Get adequate protein. (I'd suggest good overall nutrition in other respects would be a plus, too.) Do strength-challenging exercise.

    Depending on your current weight, even a 500-calorie deficit might be faster than ideal for your goals. (500 calories under one's calorie needs would be expected to trigger just under a half kilo per week of fat loss, actually 1 pound).

    Fast loss, low protein, no strength exercise: That would be expected to cause muscle loss.
  • SweatLikeDog
    SweatLikeDog Posts: 319 Member
    You will reduce muscle loss by increasing your protein intake to at least 1 gram per pound of body weight and continuing strength training. A 20 percent calorie deficit is reasonable for losing weight without incurring too much muscle loss, but you need to be consistent and fairly accurate about your calorie burn estimates. Also, check out HMB supplements and decide whether you think they're worthwhile. They supposedly help preserve muscle mass at a dose of 2-3 grams per day.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,234 Member
    You won’t add muscle with that deficit. The best you can do right now is get on a good lifting program and eat enough protein to at least keep what muscle you have.

    Once you get close to your goal weight you’re going to want to reverse diet going into a small caloric surplus and continue to lift on a proper program and that is when you’ll actually add muscle.

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