When cutting calories, 9. Protein is also the most satiating nutrient—itmakes you feel full longer—and it is the least likely nutrient to be stored as fat even when eaten in excess. For example, in one study of men who were both cutting calories and exercising, those who followed a high-protein diet lost Meanwhile, those who followed low-protein diet with the same number of total calories lost 7. How much protein you need per day depends on multiple factors, but a review concluded that, for optimal muscle growth, people should consume between 0.
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Charles, Missouri. Pay attention to carbs A low-carbohydrate diet is unnecessary for weight loss, and may even impair muscle maintenance and potential growth by limiting exercise performance, Milton says. However, in one study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that when women followed a 1,calorie diet for 10 weeks, those who maintained a 1. She says an easy ratio is ideal. So however much protein you eat see above , eat double the number of grams of carbs.
Do high-intensity intervals High-intensity interval training—such as sprints on the treadmill or stationary bike—is effective at burning calories both during exercise and afterward through excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, Milton says.
4 Reasons Why You’re Losing Muscle and Not Fat
And, unlike steady-state cardio, it recruits type-2 muscle fibers over type-1s, meaning it guards against muscle loss. With the right work-to-rest ratio, HIIT can even build muscle. For every second you spend sprinting, spend that much resting before your next bout. Rethink pre-workout carbs and post-workout protein Fortunately, the anabolic window the time period after resistance training to which the body uses protein to build muscle is actually much larger than previously believed, per one recent study.
And while pre-workout carbs are linked to better, harder workout performances, research shows that even pre-workout protein can be beneficial. In one study , eating 18 grams of whey protein with 2 grams of carbs and 1. Prioritize recovery Active recovery from exercise helps you get the most out of every workout, but the most important form of recovery that none us seem to get enough of is sleep, Milton says.
She notes that the amount of sleep you get also impacts whether or not you lose muscle as you lose fat—largely by influencing hormone levels. Cortisol in chronically too-high levels can both inhibit weight loss and promote muscle degradation. Meanwhile, human growth hormone—which aids in muscle synthesis—peaks at night during sleep, she says.
For example, in one University of Chicago-led study , when dieters got only 5. Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of Tonic delivered to your inbox. If you look at different eras of bodybuilding, for example, you find various diets popular amongst top competitors. From extreme low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets to high-carb, low-fat diets, they all result in ripped competitors on stage come contest day.
The type of cutting diet you like the best, or maybe dislike the least, is also the best, at least for you. The diet you can stay on is the diet that works.
As long as your protein intake is high, let personal preferences guide you when deciding whether to cut fat or carbohydrates. Both methods work equally fine, as does cutting some of both, meeting somewhere in the middle. A review of nutritional guidelines for bodybuilders and strength athletes recommends 4—7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight and day. For example, 7 grams per kilogram of body weight for someone weighing 90 kilos means grams of carbohydrate.
That is more than 2, calories from carbohydrates alone. It is unlikely that an energy intake that high leaves enough room for protein and fat as well when trying to create an energy deficit. The lower end of the 4—7 grams per kilogram of body weight and day recommendation might be applicable, but probably not the higher. Do you remember our friend Toby? He has 1, calories left to spend on carbs. Each gram of carbs gives him 4 calories, which equals grams a day or 3.
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Since strength training is an anaerobic type of exercise, fat is less useful as fuel. Keeping your carbohydrate intake reasonably high at the expense of your fat intake might be a useful strategy. That way, you will more likely be able to perform your best in the gym.
1. Weight training is essential if you actually want your body to look fit.
Either way, determine your caloric intake, your protein intake, and your fat intake first. The calories you have left should come from carbohydrates, preferably quality carbohydrates. On a cutting diet, carbohydrate quality, not just quantity, becomes an important consideration. Try to get most of your carbs from quality sources like legumes, whole grains, and natural fruit and vegetables. Those are foods that provide you with quality nutrients, not just calories. Rather than constantly undereating, day after day, week after week, you can utilize a strategy called refeeding.
A refeed is a short break from your diet, where you increase your caloric intake, preferably in the form of more carbohydrates, up to or slightly above energy balance. This strategy is psychologically beneficial and has some potential positive effects on your metabolism as well. Once you increase your caloric intake and your diet is over, most, if not all of these negative effects disappear and things go back to normal. Refeeds lasting several days might help prevent some of the expected decreases in your resting metabolic rate.
This could help mitigate or stop muscle loss during a prolonged diet. One day is too short a time for any dramatic hormonal effects. Having a day now and then when you fill your plate can be a real morale boost. In addition, even a short-term increase in your carbohydrate intake fills your muscles up with glycogen, stored energy you can then use for a few productive sessions in the gym.
7 Ways to Burn Fat Without Losing Muscle | Muscle & Fitness
The leaner you get, the more often you benefit from refeeds. At the start of a diet, if you have a significant amount of body fat, a refeed day every other week is enough. As you get leaner and leaner, increase the frequency of your refeed days: first to once every 10 days, then to once a week. If you are naturally lean, you can increase your caloric intake to a bit above maintenance levels. The extra calories you eat on your refeed days should come mainly from carbohydrates. If you are at a point in your cutting diet where you still have plenty of body fat, stick to the lower end of that interval.
Research shows that a diet with refeeds is as successful as a diet without refeeds.
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There does not seem to be any negative effects from including refeed days. If you plan on taking several refeed days in a row, be prepared for a longer diet. You might decrease the risk of losing muscle by doing so, though. But if you find being able to eat more regularly without any negative effects appealing, then go for it. You might even get something positive, like maintaining your metabolic rate and your muscle mass, out of it. An incredibly common belief is that eating many smaller meals during the day increases your metabolic rate compared to eating fewer but larger meals. This is a myth.
For fat loss, you can pick the meal frequency you like the best, as long as your total caloric intake is the same. If eating often makes you feel fuller and allows you to stay on your diet, go with that. You can only use so much protein from each meal to build muscle.
If you cram all your food into a short window of time, you might miss out on some of the anabolic effects of your protein-rich meals. According to current recommendations, it might be a good idea to spread your protein intake out over your waking day. Evenly distributed protein-rich meals, every 3—4 hours, each providing 30—40 grams of protein, is probably ideal. This strategy allows you to get all the muscle-building effect you can from each meal and optimizes your total protein intake to maintain or build muscle. At least your protein intake. Not at all. Even intermittent fasting works fine during a diet.
It is a good idea to get the majority of your calories from solid foods. Also, when you eat solid foods, you normally reduce your caloric intake from your other meals without even thinking about it. If you track your calories meticulously and prefer to get a large part of your energy intake and your nutrients from nutritious drinks, feel free to do so.
Expect to feel less satisfied and hungrier if you do, though. One type of drink you should stay away from entirely is sugar-sweetened soft drinks and soda. They provide you with nothing except pure energy in the form of sugar. When you are on a diet, you probably want your calories to give you the most bang for your buck.
If you want soda in your diet, make it the sugar-free diet kind. You get less whole fiber, which makes you feel less full.