Is it really true that you can't gain muscle on a deficit ?

More specifically, me?

I'm only 5'7" tall and 205lbs currently. That leads me to believe I'm still about 50lbs over weight.

From what I read, increasing muscle mass is more benefitial to weight loss than pure cardio due to muscle needing calories to exist basically.

If you can't gain muscle on a deficit and gaining muscle is the most effective to long term weight loss, then why live in the deficit in the first place?

Please excuse the dumb question but this all seems contradictory and I just wanna be winning.

by deficit you mean the lower cals per day mfp gives you?

If that's the case, you certainly can gain muscle while doing so. I have put on a lot of muscle, especially in my arms/back - in the last 7 months while doing both cardio & lifting, and I've only been "over" my calorie goal maybe 4 times?

You probably already have a decent amount of muscle mass, just from carrying extra weight. Eat at a deficit to lose the excess fat, and exercise to retain that muscle.

I've technically lost some lean muscle mass while losing weight, but my muscles are more defined than ever before in my legs, arms, abs and back.

i'm on a deficit, and losing weight and building muscle. i consume a lot more protein then i used to, and its working. i probably would lose more weight if i was just doing cardio and not re-eat m exercise calories, but i'm doing this to become more athletic, not just skinny for the sake of being skinny.

I lose more weight eating back my cals. I am going to switch it up for a week or two I think and not eat back ALL of them, which can be a lot when I ride the bike 15-30 miles a few times a week and run. But I'm going to change it up for a week.

I also eat a lot of protein, never below 100g a day.

you can either decide to go on a calorie surplus and build muscle (which is very hard) then go on a cut (defecit) and burn the fat.
or you can just go on a defecit now, lose the weight then build the muscle afterwards. either way, to lose the weight you have to go on a defecit.

I do not agree.

you can either decide to go on a calorie surplus and build muscle (which is very hard) then go on a cut (defecit) and burn the fat.
or you can just go on a defecit now, lose the weight then build the muscle afterwards. either way, to lose the weight you have to go on a defecit.

I do not agree.

please, could you post your thoughts on why you do not agree, and post what you think can be done so the OP can achieve their goals?

Nope.
According to my doctor, last time I went in I had lost over 45 lb in fat & water, and gained over 7 lb of muscle. So, yes, it's possible. Just make sure to eat plenty of protein, 'cause that's what builds your muscle.
First, you should cut down on carbs. This will encourage your body to burn fat for energy instead. Whether this means going strictly "low-carb" or not just depends on your own particular metabolism; but reducing carbs at least a little bit is almost always helpful.
The danger when losing weight is that the chemical reaction that burns fatty acids in your body also requires amino acids (protein). So in order to burn fat, your body also has to burn protein. If you don't eat enough protein, your body will harvest it from your muscles and you'll end up losing muscle mass too.
So you need to eat enough protein to 1. help you burn fat, and 2. help you build muscle. That's a lot of protein. I try to eat 300g per day. But obviously it's working!

Good luck to you!

i'm on a deficit, and losing weight and building muscle. i consume a lot more protein then i used to, and its working. i probably would lose more weight if i was just doing cardio and not re-eat m exercise calories, but i'm doing this to become more athletic, not just skinny for the sake of being skinny.

Yes. This.

Despite what MFP tries to tell you, it is NOT really possible to get more than a very vague estimate of your real BMR, unless you have a doctor do a series of metabolism tests. Lots of different factors can affect how efficiently your metabolism processes different types of calories, so even determining whether or not you're REALLY at a deficit is very problematic.

Again, make sure you get plenty of protein, but beyond that, just listen to your body. If you're tired all the time, eat more, adjust your calorie limit higher. If you're not losing weight, try cutting out more carbs & sugars or switching up your exercise routine. Everyone's body is different, you just have to figure out what works for you. But it is definitely possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.

please dont encourage low carb to someone to doesnt need it.
it is unnecessary depending on the person, and you do not know this persons body and how they react to carbs.
i eat 55% carbs and i have had NO trouble losing weight, burning fat and getting fit. everybody is different.

Please read more carefully. I didn't tell anyone to go low-carb. I said that lowering your carbs will force your body to burn fat for energy instead. Which is true. I didn't try to give a recommendation about the proper level, in fact I specifically said that everyone has to figure out what works for them. If you've figured out what works for you, I'm happy for you. But the OP was asking whether it's possible to gain muscle while losing fat, and I was explaining how I had done it, and going low-carb, for me, is a big part of that.

Most studies show that it's very difficult to add net lean mass. In other words, you can develop the muscle groups you're working out, but you may end up losing some lean mass someplace else, now that you don't need as much strength to stand up, climb stairs, breath, etc. Some qualifiers:

1) The studies are for groups, not individuals. It's certainly possible that any one person will be an outlier, and maybe it's you!

2) As you lose fat, you will seem more muscular, because you can see you muscles better.

3) Some groups do show muscle gain while in calorie deficit. IIRC, they're:

3.1) People who have never worked out.

3.2) Elite athletes on serious training programs

3.3) Some other group I can't remember.

That said, if you want to know how to add muscle, ask the professional bodybuilders and weight lifters. They'll tell you that for major muscle gains, you need a calorie surplus.

Nope.
According to my doctor, last time I went in I had lost over 45 lb in fat & water, and gained over 7 lb of muscle. So, yes, it's possible. Just make sure to eat plenty of protein, 'cause that's what builds your muscle.
First, you should cut down on carbs. This will encourage your body to burn fat for energy instead. Whether this means going strictly "low-carb" or not just depends on your own particular metabolism; but reducing carbs at least a little bit is almost always helpful.
The danger when losing weight is that the chemical reaction that burns fatty acids in your body also requires amino acids (protein). So in order to burn fat, your body also has to burn protein. If you don't eat enough protein, your body will harvest it from your muscles and you'll end up losing muscle mass too.
So you need to eat enough protein to 1. help you burn fat, and 2. help you build muscle. That's a lot of protein. I try to eat 300g per day. But obviously it's working!

Good luck to you!

please dont encourage low carb to someone to doesnt need it.
it is unnecessary depending on the person, and you do not know this persons body and how they react to carbs.
i eat 55% carbs and i have had NO trouble losing weight, burning fat and getting fit. everybody is different.

Cutting Carbs isn't the actual answer. Eating more protein is, and switching up carbs for protein is a good way to do that.