Best Way To Lose Weight But Not Muscle

This means that you must consume fewer calories than your body burns. This forces your body to seek other sources of energy like fat.

The problem is, your body doesn’t just pull energy from fat. It can also pull energy from your muscles. That is why you don’t want to create a large calorie deficit.

If your body suddenly stops receiving the normal amount of calories it is used to receiving, it can’t continue operating at the same level of efficiency.

Why Running Is Not The Only (or The Best) Way To Lose Weight

The good news is, you can minimize large changes to your metabolism if you lose fat in a controlled manner. AKA – by eating at a slight deficit each day.

First of all, protein is one of the most satiating nutrients. After fiber, protein is the nutrient that keeps you the most satisfied, or full.

When your body has to pull energy from stored resources, it doesn’t always pull energy from fat. It can pull energy from muscle tissue too.

Can You Lose Fat But Not Weight

During times of food shortages (aka a caloric deficit), your body doesn’t see muscle as a necessary thing to hold on to.

It sees muscle as an expensive commodity that it could burn for energy. That is why you want to signal to our body that you value muscle tissue, and you want to keep muscle tissue.

These types of exercises have large ranges of motion and will force your body to stimulate and preserve muscle tissue on the anterior side of your upper body.

How Long Does It Take To Lose 10 Kg Of Fat Without Losing Muscle Strength?

By including exercises from each of these different categories, you will be providing your body a signal that it needs to preserve muscle mass.

If you want all of the best exercises for each muscle group in one place, check out our E-book which goes over all the best compound exercises for your entire body!

Don’t create a 2 hour workout routine that you won’t be able to sustain. The intensity of your routine and/or training volume should be reduced. Especially since you are purposefully decreasing your caloric intake.

How To Burn Fat Without Losing Muscle

This forces me to pick my exercises wisely, allows me to get in and out of the gym, and is sustainable for my lifestyle.

Recovery is one of the most important aspects of fitness. Without it, you will never give your body what it needs to process energy efficiently.

Post-workout consumption of carbohydrates don’t get stored as fat. Instead, they are immediately used to help replenish glycogen stores in muscle and liver.

Yes, You Can Lose Weight And Gain Lean Muscle At The Same Time With This Strategy

If your goal is to lose fat and maintain muscle, then cardio will do very little to help you maintain muscle mass.

On average, you can lose about 1-2 pounds of fat per week without losing muscle. The heavier you are, the more weight you can lose.

With that said, don’t solely rely on the scale for your progress. Use other objective measures such as progress pictures and strength gains.

How Can I Lose Weight And Tone My Body Without Bulking Up?

Your body will burn muscle instead of fat if you already have a decent amount of muscle tissue, and you decrease your calorie intake without exercising regularly.

A lack of resistance training will signal to your body that it doesn’t need to hold on to excessive muscle tissue. Muscle is more expensive to maintain, therefore, your body will get rid of it in times of energy shortages.

In general, you will always lose some degree of muscle when losing weight. The best way to minimize muscle loss is to signal to your body that you need muscle tissue by regularly strength training and keeping your protein intake high.

Do You Know How To Lose Weight Without Losing Muscle? We Do!

If you are losing more than 1-2 lbs per week, you are likely losing muscle. Other signs include significant decreases in your strength, your workouts feel more challenging as time goes on, or you don’t notice any progress whatsoever.

The best way to tell if you are losing fat versus losing muscle is through progress photos. Take pictures from the front, side, and back every 2 weeks.

Unfortunately, you cannot spot reduce fat just from your abdomen. To lose fat anywhere in your body while maintaining your muscle, you will have to create a small caloric deficit, keep your protein intake high, and regularly strength train.

How To Lose Fat Without Losing Muscle

Cardio can help you burn additional calories, but it is not necessary. You are much better off spending your time increasing or maintaining lean muscle mass which can only be done through resistance training.

Alex & Brittany Robles are physicians, NASM Certified Personal Trainers, and founders of The White Coat Trainer: a resource dedicated to improving the health and fitness of busy professionals using time-efficient strategies. Their advice has been featured in My Fitness Pal, Prevention, Livestrong, Reader’s Digest, Bustle, The Active Times, and more. Learn more about them here.