Losing fat without losing muscle Topic
Carlitos_f07
09/06/16
I am 16 years old, about 5"9 and weigh 175 lbs, i go to the gym for bodybuilding and lifting weights and ive been going since january im not naturally a skinny person but i would like to lose belly fat and excessive fat without losing any muscle, whats an effective way of doing so, mainly targeting the belly fat area, any tips or suggestions are appreciated
Dietitian
09/07/16
replied to Carlitos_f07
Hi Carlitos_f07, to lose body fat while maintain or supporting lean body mass (e.g. muscle), think about a very gradual weight loss (maybe just 1-2 lbs/month or 1/2 lb per week).
Ideally, do cardio/aerobic to bump up calories burned AND keep up your weight resistance training program (to keep challenging the muscles) and consume enough protein to support lean body mass while you lose weight. 120 grams protein/day would be about 1.5 grams protein/kg body weight; 160 grams protein/day would be about 2 grams protein/kg body weight.
Since you are still growing as well (bone density, etc), don't go too low in calories. You can learn more about how settings affect calories in this short article: http://www.mynetdiary.com/customizing-calorie-goals.html
Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RDN, CDE
M0j0
02/21/17
Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you can specifically target "belly fat" unfortunately your body decides where the fat comes off.
LivingLife7
02/22/17
Belly fat is hard to lose no matter how hard you work out. Count your calories and try and stay away from pasta, bread, junk food, processed foods. It will start to fall off. Good luck!
Ldd9573md
10/05/17
Walking and running is the most effective way to lose belly fat.
Justjennie
10/09/17
replied to Ldd9573md
You can't spot reduce or target where you want to lose your fat no matter what you do. Your body loses where it wants to lose.
Page1009
12/28/17
I found that Crossfit work outs worked for my stomach! Also, I learned this when I was a personal trainer and sports nutrition specialist through ACE... a ratio of higher omega 3’s and lower omega 6’s helps target belly fat. Healthy fats are your friend! I keep my macros at 30% healthy fats, 40% carbs and 30% protein.
Good luck!
Dietitian
12/29/17
Adults - to lose body fat while maintaining or supporting lean body mass (e.g. muscle), aim to:
- Perform weight resistance exercise (e.g. lift weights) 3 times per week: include large muscle groups (legs, buttocks, etc).
- Get enough protein to support lean body mass (e.g. muscle). Minimum 60 g protein, but you might need more.
- If you are trying to lose weight too, then you still have to create the needed calories deficit (total calories in has to be less than total calories burned) over time. If you are creating a large calories deficit for weight loss, and if you are an otherwise healthy person, you could bump up protein quite a bit - 1.5 - 2 g / kg body weight during weight loss. This will help preserve muscle during weight loss.
Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RDN, CDE
Carolinak80
01/24/18
There is NO such thing as targeted spot reduction with exercise.
Get a nice stomach by burning more calories than you consume/Calorie deficit, quality nutrition, and consistent exercise. Resistance training can make the muscle belly more dense which in turn give more potential for deeper looking cuts and striations in muscle. This can give appearance of better abs if the body fat around stomach is kept under 15% +-. This is how Crossfit girls get deeper cut looking abs (more resistance workouts/exercises)
Losing fat without losing muscle
