There is a graph I want to show you today.
It shows the percentage of fat over the mass -free mass lost at different levels of calorie deficit, depending on whether you are strength training or not. (You’ll find it below.)
There is also light on one of my less favorite trends I see in the gym industry today: making sweeping statements without any frame.
And with the Rise of GLP-1 drugs Like Ozempic and Wegovy, I see this appearing all over:
“If you don’t eat enough proteins and lift weights, just miss all your muscles.”
It will get into it, but extreme statements like this are just wild useless, and we lose so much of the important shade.
Is power training useful when you are in these medicines or in a calorie deficit in general? Yes.
But if you hear the general conversation online (never really a good idea), it makes it sound that the muscle literally falls from your body with every step you take. And this is not just fear, it’s not true.
Let’s diminish:
I want to break what is really going on in your body so that we can have some real discussion on the various transactions involved.
✅ If you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight
✅ whenever you lose weight, There is always some amount of loss of lean mass. (Ie other things other than fat)
✅ Power training and eating higher amounts of protein can help you keep more than your muscle mass While in a calorie deficit
✅ The bigger your deficit, the more lean mass you tend to lose disrespectful What you do.
✅ And the GLP-1s do not just change it-they can just get people to stick to larger deficits than differently.
So, to recapitate, every time someone in the history of forever has lost weight, some of them come from lean mass.
The higher the calorie deficit you are (that is, the sooner you lose weight), the greater the percentage of this weight will come from lean mass. This is quite normal and expected.
Power training and consuming higher amounts of protein can help you maintain longer than your lean mass. But you don’t go by “loss of all muscles” to “losing zero muscle.” These changes are gradesIt’s not all or nothing.
How much can a difference make training and eat more protein?
I’m so glad you asked!
Here is a graph that shows on average where we expect weight loss to come. (The individual results will vary depending on genetics, types of education, nutrition, etc.)
In general, strength training helps maintain an additional 10-15% of lean body mass.
So, for example, if you lost 10 pounds during the 3 months in a 500 kcal/day deficit, you would expect about 2.5kg of it to be lean mass if you did not train and 1.5 kg of it to be lean mass if you train (ie 1 pound difference).
Because this matters:
I see so many people discouraged because they feel they don’t “do it right”.
May not be drafting yet.
Maybe they haven’t figured out how to hit their protein targets.
Maybe they are just trying Stay consistent with each part of the process.
And start listening to things like:
“You just lose muscle.”
“You are destroying all your progress.”
“You’re doing it wrong.”
But in fact? You just make a compromise.
For example, perhaps a light calorie deficit without strength training is easier for you to maintain a much higher deficit with the added strength training. It may take more time to see weight loss – but the ratio of fat and fat mass is essentially the same in each of these scenarios.
Or perhaps consciously go to a larger calorie deficit for a short time, and follow this with a more focused phase of muscle building to rebuild some of this lean mass. This is another viable strategy.
The point is: If we can cut out the statements of fear and wild excessive statement, we can have a real debate about what is the best choice for you based on where you are today.
Real discussion by a coach:
If you start and weight loss is your goal, focusing only to stay in a moderate calorie deficit It can be the best move.
This can only help reduce joint pain, improve energy and enhance confidence.
Then just that is fixed? Add strength training.
Then protein.
Then maybe some walking or sleeping habits.
You don’t have to do everything, everywhere, all at the same time to be successful.
In fact, most of the people we work with success find the building of an institution and then adding to it – A habit at all times.
Tl; Dr:
- Yes, consuming several protein and lifting weights will help you keep more muscles.
- Larger calorie deficits = more muscle loss, even if you do all the other “right”.
- But these are points, not disasters.
- Focus on what you box do.
Do you want to chat about how to apply it to your plan? Just hit the answer and let me know.
You have that.
-riot police
