The truth about muscle loss during diet 💪

There is a chart I want to show you today.

Shows the percentage of fat compared to fat-free mass lost at different levels of calorie deficit, depending on whether you are strength training or not. (You will find it below.)

It is also illuminated in one of my least favorite trends I see today in the fitness industry: making cleaning statements without any context.

And with ​Climb GLP-1 medications​ Like Ozzzupić and Wegovy, I see this one jumps throughout the site:

“If you don’t eat enough protein and raise weights, just lose all your muscle.”

We will enter that, but extreme statements like these are just wildly unwiser and miss so much important shades.

Is the strength training useful when you are in these medications or caloric deficit in general? Yes.

But if you listen to the general chatter on the internet (never really good idea), it makes it sound like the muscle literally falls from your body with each step. And it’s not just fear – Mongering, it’s just not true.

Let’s get along:

I want to break what is actually going on in your body so we can have some real conversation about different workshops involved.

✅ If you are in a caloric deficit, you will lose weight

✅ whenever you lose weight, There is always some amount of loss of skinny mass. (Ie things except fat)

✅ Strength training and eating a larger amount of protein can help you save more of your muscular mass​ While in a caloric deficit

✅ As bigger your deficit, it’s the skinny mass you’re inclined to lose regardless What you do.

✅ And GLP-1 do not change that – just help people hold a larger deficit than it might otherwise.

So, to preserve, whenever someone in history has lost weight forever, some of them came from a skinny mass.

The higher the caloric deficit you are in (ie as fast as you lose weight), the higher the percentage of that weight will come from a skinny mass. It is completely normal and expected.

Strength training and eating a larger amount of protein can absolutely help save more of their skinny masses. But you don’t go from “losing all the muscles” to “lose zero muscles.” These changes are degreesNot all-nothing.

How much difference can you train and eat more proteins?

I’m so glad you asked!

Here is a graph that shows on average where we expect weight loss. (Individual results vary based on genetics, type of training, diet, etc.)

Generally, strength training helps to preserve an additional 10-15% lean body mass.

So if you have lost 10 pounds for 3 months on a 500 kcal / day deficit, you would expect about 2.5 kilos to be from a skinny mass if you haven’t trained, and 1.5 kilograms from that of weight loss (ie difference of 1 kilograms)

Why is this important:

I see so many people are discouraged because they feel like they don’t work exactly. “

May not be ​Strength training​ Yet.

May not have figured out how to hit his Protein goals​.

Maybe they’re just trying remain consistent​ with any part of the process.

And start hearing things like:

“You just lose your muscle.”

“You destroy all your progress.”

“You’re doing wrong.”

But in reality? You just make a compromise.

As an example, you may have a light caloric deficit without strength training, we do not maintain a much larger deficit with strength training. Sure, it can take longer to see weight loss – but the ratio of mass and fatty masses in each of these scenarios is basically in each of these scenarios.

Or you may be consciously on the larger calorie deficit in a short period of time and follow this with a focused phase of the muscle building for the restoration of some of that skinny mass. It is another sustainable strategy.

The point is: if we can reduce through fear of fear and wildly covered statement, we can have an actual discussion that is the best choice for you based on where you are currently.

True trainer conversation:

If you just start and lose weight is your goal, focusing just About UA’s stay A modest calorie deficit​ It can be the best move.

This alone can help reduce the pain in the joints, improve energy and strengthen self-confidence.

Then after it’s firm? Add in strength training.

Then protein.

Then maybe some walking or Sleep habits​.

You don’t have to do everything, everywhere, all at once to be successful.

In fact, most people we work with find success with the construction of foundations and then adding that – one habit at the same time​.

TL; DR:

• Yes, eat enough protein and weight lifting will help keep more muscles.
• A larger calorie deficit = more muscle loss, even if you do everything else “okay.”
• But these are degrees, not disasters.
• Focus on what you can to do.

Want to talk about how to apply it to your plan? Just hit the answer and let me know.

You have this.

-Matt