Hey, hey ! Happy Thursday!

 

Can you lose fat and build muscle at the same time? You may have thought of the question this way as well… Can you be in a calorie deficit and still build muscle?

 

It depends -  if you are a complete newbie to lifting or if you are getting back into lifting after a long hiatus, you may be able to.

 

There are some other scenarios in which you can lose body fat and build muscle, but for today's email we are focusing on the two common situations that mentioned above.

 

I witnessed this for myself when I first start lifting many moons ago. I literally simultaneously lost fat and built muscle. It was a stimulus; I had never embarked on losing body fat or lifting weights. Plus I dramatically increased my protein intake - Protein is QUEEN!

 

My body was like H-E-L-L-O! Hello GAINZ!

 

So, if you are a newb, take advantage and don't leave your gains on the table. Eat in an appropriate deficit, consume enough protein, and lift the heavy things! 

 

Watch the magic happen; it's the closest thing to a magic pill!

 

Strength training is the magic pill!

 

If you are coming back from a lengthy break from  lifting, you may see this phenomenon happen as well.

 

Now, it's not the most OPTIMAL way to build muscle…..

 

The two goals are BEST separated, because losing body fat does require a negative energy balance, aka a caloric deficit. This doesn't mean you don't lift weights and do all the cardio activit though.

 

In a fat loss phase, you still want to be lifting heavy, because you want to preserve as much muscle as possible while in deficit to maintain your precious muscle!

 

And building muscle at least requires a positive energy balance. To get your best bang for your buck, you should be eating at least maintenance calories with a slight surplus! 

 

Well, Candace, what about body recomposition?! Well, that's a thing too, but you are gonna have to strap in for the long haul. Well, you'll have to do that as well for any of the above goals too. This is not a race; it's a journey that takes time!

 

I love this approach for MOST women because SO MANY women spend their life dieting and not training properly - REAL STRENGTH TRAINING. Eat at maintenance caloric level, emphasizing at least .7g - 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight - up to 1.2 per grams and training to build muscle.

 

What happens when you do this…. It's similar to losing body fat, but you are not in deficit. You are eating enough calories to produce muscle growth, and strength increases. During this phase, you may or may not change in weight. You might stay the same weight or even gain a little weight, but you will be tighter and smaller - i.e., less body fat.

 

Body recomposition focuses on the fat to muscle ratio. Essentially when done correctly, you'll end up with less fat mass (body fat) and more muscle!

 

Lastly, you may hear me speak about this all the time…. broken record if you will! I encourage women not to always be in deficit. It is not doing you any good trying to lose weight all the time. 

 

Whether you are intentionally trying to lose weight or not, many women also don't realize they are eating enough, so that would be unintentional "dieting."

 

Dieting is intertwined with our psyche so much that we don't even realize we aren't eating enough food. Even if you have never gone on a diet, diet culture thoughts sit up in our brain, lol. Things like that's too many carbs, that's not clean, etc.

 

For muscle growth and or muscle preservation, it's so important to not be trying to cut, diet, etc., all year round!!

 

Spend time where you are eating more food and, of course, lifting. Your body, your mind, and your soul will thank you!

 

From an inside point of view, your metabolism will be much happier. Btw, your metabolism down-regulates when you diet on too low calories. Your metabolism is not fast when you are "dieting!"

 

From the outside - aesthetics, when you prioritize eating more food and lifting, your physique aspirations bloom right before your eyes! Plus, you'll be STRONGER, carry more lean muscle tissue, and your lifting performance will be on point.

 

So, that's that! Two things I want to emphasize upon closing....

 

1. Don't be in a dang calorie deficit all the time. Spend periods out of one to take care of your metabolism and your muscle.
2. For MOST folks, separating the two goals (build muscle & burn fat) are way more OPTIMAL.

 

And one more... approach any fat loss goal with a MUSCLE MINDSET. Aim to maintain as much muscle as possible while in a calorie deficit when you are in one! You'll do this by NOT slashing your calories too low and lifting the damn things - strength training, not cardio-ing - doing 100 exercise circuits.

 

Okay, I think that's it for now, STRONG friend!

 

Questions, comments, etc., smash that reply button and let's chat. Better yet, book a STRONGER You Connection call to see how you and I can work together to reach your muscle mindset goals!

 

In Strength and to Your Success

Xo

Candace