Losing fat without losing muscle: pace, strength and protein

In a study of elite athletes, those who lost weight slowly, at about 0.7% of their body weight per week, gained 2.1% of lean mass. Those on a faster plan, at 1.4%, kept it but didn’t increase it (Garthe et al., 2011). They were athletes, so take it as a guide: for someone weighing 80 kilos, that slow pace is a little over half a kilo a week.

With Marina, one of my clients, we ended up going slowly. At first we lost 10 kg, but we couldn’t quite get it right. In the end we set a calendar with a gradual cut, so we could handle the calories without going hungry and keep it up. She kept telling me she’d never get below 80 kg, and she got to 73.

In Garthe’s study, both groups did 4 strength sessions a week while eating less, and neither lost lean mass.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kilo of body weight a day for most people who train. If you have been training strength for a while and eat fewer calories than you burn, you may need more: 2.3 to 3.1 g.

Spread it across the day, every 3 or 4 hours, as the ISSN suggests.

In a small study, 12 young men who slept little for 2 days were 24% hungrier than when they slept well (Spiegel et al., 2004). If you are eating less, more hunger is the last thing you need.

Virginia lost only 2.5 kg in 4 months, eating almost 2000 kcal, and still improved her strength and body composition. Looking only at the scale, you would hardly see that change.

Measure your waist too, take photos every few weeks and write down the weights you lift.

If food makes you anxious or guilty, or you have a medical condition, talk to a health professional first.