diet battle: fat loss vs muscle mass

[Puffin]

Hi all,
just looking for some pointers that might have worked for you. I'm wondering about what I need to eat to lose fat AND build muscle. It's a bit confusing
I've heard people have phases where they work on losing fat and once that is down, they THEN eat and train to put on mass etc etc.

My goal is not to compete, so I don't want to be too regimented about my diet. I would like to have some more upper body muscle and definition and lose fat.

Is it possible to eat to lose fat AND build muscle at the same time or is that just too difficult?

(in the last four months, I've had a balanced diet low in fat, protein shake after training and I've LOST fat and LOST weight rather than gain it - but look better???)

Any advice on your experiences appreciated, thanks

[stikfigure]

Originally Posted by Puffin

Hi all,
just looking for some pointers that might have worked for you. I'm wondering about what I need to eat to lose fat AND build muscle. It's a bit confusing
I've heard people have phases where they work on losing fat and once that is down, they THEN eat and train to put on mass etc etc.

My goal is not to compete, so I don't want to be too regimented about my diet. I would like to have some more upper body muscle and definition and lose fat.

Is it possible to eat to lose fat AND build muscle at the same time or is that just too difficult?

(in the last four months, I've had a balanced diet low in fat, protein shake after training and I've LOST fat and LOST weight rather than gain it - but look better???)

Any advice on your experiences appreciated, thanks

You're right, to gain muscle you have to eat to gain and unfortunately some fat comes with that. If you limit your diet to healthy fats, proteins and whole grains it shouldn't be too bad, but it can be hard emotionally to see the fat come on. It sounds like you have the fat loss routine down though, and that's all you need to do after a muscle building phase to get that definition that you want. It is a lot of work and requires keeping track of calories and putting in a lot of effort at the gym.

I spent 8 months working hard at feeding myself more than was comfortable and working hard on a weightlifting routine and then inadvertently stopped and reverted back to my usual habits for the past 6 months - moderate activity and modest food intake and I actually still feel like I have some of my gains from last year because I can actually see my muscle now.

But, I've decided I don't like the yo yo effect of that kind of a cycle. It's not emotionally healthy for me. I prefer pacing myself for long term habits of good eating and activity that I can sustain until I'm an old lady. It's easier to sustain and just makes more sense for me. You should try it and then decide for yourself what you prefer.

See what the others have to say about it too.

[5kgLifter]

Since my goal is mainly fitness, I just do 3 sessions of full-body weights a week and 3 sessions of cardio a week and notice it seems to work for me. I have lost fat and gained muscle that way. As for food, I just eat normally, and whenever my body says it's still hungry, it's just a case of eating more; but normally I have 4 meals and 2 snacks every day and that appears to work, I no longer count calories but eat sensible portions, much as I was given as a kid, potato, veg, and meat etc. I have never understood the point of gaining a percentage of fat by overeating to increase the muscle, I'd rather have to eat because the body has built muscle and needs the extra food to maintain it, which is what appears to happen. I once read that when burning fat it's not possible to gain muscle because of the calorie deficit, but I'm not sure it's actually that simple an equation; and it obviously does and can happen because people are forever experiencing it.

[Trusylver]

for gaining muscle size you need to eat at a calorie surplus but this won't give you definition. By eating a calorie deficit you will improve definition and lose fat but are unlikely to gain muscle at the same time unless you are carrying a lot of extra fat witch your not from the % in your sig. Often when peple think they are gaining muscle in deficit they are often only seeing the extra muscle definition.

[Puffin]

Thanks for your comments I really appreciate it. It can be a bit disheartening to puff it out at home and not really see much happening. I'm happy with my fat percentage loss so far but that's mainly because I've actually got off the couch and done something and chosen a healthier diet. I'm a bit bummed out about not much muscle gain though. I know it takes time but I'm getting a bit disheartened/frustrated with me shrinking when I actually want to grow!! I appreciate your comments and experience, thanks for responding. I'll keep at it.


Thanks StykFigure – I’m not sure I like the idea of a yo-yo effect either, both emotionally and physically, but I’m keen to see SOME size returns for my hard work!! I too like the idea of a healthy lifestyle I can maintain for my lifetime, I guess it’s just finding the right balance.

5kg Lifter – Yes, I have heard that you can’t have a calorific deficit and BUILD muscle too – bummer eh? I was doing 3cardio/3weight for a while but last month changed to a split program for weights and am really enjoying it, although no doubt I’ll change back again when I get bored again!!

Trusylver – thanks for your input. I think you’re right. I am seeing some definition now, slightly in my arms (I’m dying to get my shoulders capped!!), but not because I’ve built muscle, rather just lost some fat.

[sweet.agatha]

I am doing cardio two times a week and simultaneously I try to follow a healthy diet. This works perfectly for me. I am losing weight and besides this I gained some muscles. When I started with the work out my intention was to lose some weight. From time to time I try to detox my body with following a detox diet plan.