🧱 Can You Lose Fat and Build Muscle Simultaneously?
Usually not, but timelines matter.
If Ozempic taught us anything, it’s that weight loss doesn’t always look pretty.
In fact, most people who are determined to change the number on the scale should be prepared to not love the way they look at first.
Why is this?
For starters, if you’ve accumulated any amount of unwanted weight, there’s probably a good chance that to drop it, you’re going to need to drop some muscle in the process (because very few people will shed 100% of their fat).
While it’s generally true that men can put on (and retain) muscle faster than their women counterparts, they also lose it faster because of hormonal differences in testosterone, cortisol and estrogen (Jarvis Et. Al).
So, can anyone do both and be pleased with their body as it’s happening?
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Newsletter Summary:
The truth about losing muscle while losing weight
A (not-guaranteed) way to consider losing weight while retaining muscle
One quote about being real
🧱 Can You Lose Fat and Build Muscle Simultaneously?
The short answer is yes, but timelines matter.
Someone could achieve a leaner, more muscular, less fatty body with proper strength training and nutrition (and no, they don’t have to be a bodybuilder), but the timeline for this should be much more elongated than one would think.
What you shouldn’t believe is the influencers who are just regurgitating the old P90X lingo, telling you that you can “drop 30 lbs in 90 days with my ab-cutter program,” because most of them are lying.
But what about the other question? Who can do this more easily, men or women?
In theory, the Jarvis example and some other research studies suggest that women can actually retain more of their protein-storing mass than men.
To be fair, there are multiple reasons for this:
Men, in general, have the capacity to lose more total weight, even if that weight is muscle, and gain it back, too, so this doesn’t mean women have it easier
Women, due to evolutionary reasons, will always have a tougher time reducing overall mass because women’s bodies have evolved to bear children. Even the skinniest of women will retain a bit more body fat than men
The need for body fat is essential for women who do plan to get pregnant to ensure a healthy child birth
The answer — I would say, as someone who’s managed weight loss journeys of 70+ lbs and more over my training career — is that you’ll need to lose all the weight first, muscle too, before considering adding it back.
Sure, with a well-organized strength training program, not all the muscle will disappear. And men will still add it back in a jiffy.
But most people who aren’t competitive athletes would do well to think about losing the desired (or recommended, by a doctor) amount of weight first before thinking about looking lean.
And seriously, don’t try anything extraordinary. I’ve written before about how UFC fighters make lose weight to “make weight” for fights, and let me tell you, it’s not fun.
So, what could I try to speed up the process?
First and foremost, creatine can be your friend in this regard.
Creatine will, by proxy, be a water-storing agent that will help you retain muscle through water weight in the muscles.
Prioritizing protein throughout a weight loss phase is the most surefire way to ensure you can at least look a little jacked while weight is coming off your body.
True body recomposition takes real time.
Ask any real bodybuilder. If you’re in a rush (and you shouldn’t be, I promise), you can try mild calorie deficits (with rigorous tracking and stricter protocols) with protein/creatine supplementation and fibrous foods.
Everyone’s body will respond differently to this protocol, though, so it’s important to get a read on what kind of foods you can digest and tolerate before jumping into a new diet.
That skincare ad up above on my newsletters? That’s from my friend Olivia — she is a functional medicine specialist who can help you get your gut right. If you go to her for diet help, tell her I sent you.
One Quote About Being Real
“We all come to the point where it's time to get yourself straight, as a businesswoman, a mother, whatever you are in life. It's tough love but it's also being real with yourself. It's important to take those rose-coloured glasses off and see what's going on.”
See you all on Monday.
Awesome post.
One thing that’s helped me in the past to is taking some time away from the scale number in a recomposition phase. This sounds counter intuitive but like you said timing matters when you’re attempting to balance both. A lot of times I’ll use daily/weekly pictures as my main progress tracker instead of trying to catch the scale on the right day. Great tip about creatine too!