Nourish Your Muscles, Lose the Fat
Going on a weight loss journey is a big deal. Losing weight is great, but if you want to look toned and feel strong, building muscle and losing body fat is where it's at.
When you embark on a weight loss journey, it’s almost guaranteed that you could lose some muscle mass along with fat. For women over thirty, that’s a recipe for disaster. You can counteract this by (1) losing weight slowly, (2) eating an adequate number of calories, (3) pumping up your protein intake, and (4) resistance training. The goal should be to lose fat while maintaining as much lean muscle as possible. Let's dive into each of these below.
Lose Weight Slowly
Almost everyone agrees: losing weight at a rate of one to two pounds per week is the best way to shed fat while keeping muscle. Dropping weight too quickly puts you at risk of losing muscle and bone mass, which leads to a slower metabolism and an increased risk of osteoporosis for women over fifty. Taking a slow and steady approach allows your body to adjust and helps preserve muscle.
If you are losing fat and building muscle at the same time, you may not see much movement on the scale, but you will notice your clothes fitting differently. This is because muscle is denser than fat, meaning you may be getting leaner without the scale reflecting it. So if you don't see the numbers moving on the scale, don't get discouraged!
Eat an Adequate Number of Calories
To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, meaning you eat fewer calories than you burn throughout the day. However, drastically cutting calories and cutting out entire food groups like bread is not the answer. If you start with an extremely low calorie intake, your body will quickly adapt, slowing your metabolism and making it harder to continue losing weight. Instead, gradually reducing your calories ensures you have room to adjust when you hit a plateau, keeps your energy levels up, and helps you maintain muscle mass.
There are many ways to calculate how many calories you need to eat to lose weight, and there are countless calculators online. I have a simple guideline for you today. I recommend setting a calorie deficit based on an 8-week timeframe and a weight loss goal of 1 pound per week, or 8 pounds total over 8 weeks. Now, we'll take your goal weight and multiply by 11. For example, if your current weight is 180 pounds and an 8 pound weight loss results in a final weight of 172 pounds, you would multiply 172 by 11, resulting in a daily intake of 1892 calories.
This way, when you start to lose weight, you can adjust and decrease your calories gradually over 8 week timeframes. This allows you to focus on the plan for 8 weeks and still enjoy the foods that you love throughout the process without starving or being hangry all of the time.
Pump Up Your Protein Intake
Protein is the not-so-secret weapon in the war on fat and muscle preservation.
- Keeps you full longer: Protein takes longer to digest, keeping you satisfied and reducing the urge to snack.
- Regulates blood sugar: Pairing protein with carbs helps slow sugar absorption and prevents energy crashes.
- Supports muscle repair: Protein is essential for rebuilding muscles after workouts, which helps increase your resting metabolic rate.
- Boosts calorie burn: Digesting protein requires more energy than digesting fats or carbs, meaning you burn more calories.
- Protects lean muscle: When in a calorie deficit, protein ensures your body burns fat instead of muscle.
If you want to lose fat while preserving muscle, increasing your protein intake is a must. Aim for at least 0.7 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds, your total protein intake goal should be between 126 and 180 grams per day. Break that up across meals and snacks throughout the day. Some excellent protein sources include chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, lentils, and protein powder.
Resistance Training
The secret to burning more fat? Build more muscle. Resistance training, such as weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, or kickboxing, helps you increase lean muscle mass, which in turn boosts your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn—even at rest.
Resistance training should be a non-negotiable part of your routine. Aim for at least two to three sessions per week, focusing on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and push-ups. These exercises target multiple muscle groups and promote overall fat loss while improving strength and endurance.
If you're new to resistance training, start with a simple routine such as:
- Squats: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Push-ups: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 10 reps per arm
- Planks: 3 sets of 30 seconds
This foundational workout helps build strength while supporting fat loss and muscle preservation. Or, if you don't want to figure it out on your own or want some help getting started, you can join our 9Round Fitness program where we do all of the workout programming for you to make sure that you're building muscle and burning fat in every 30 minute session.
Final Thoughts
Focusing on muscle-building while losing weight is the key to long-term success. Losing weight slowly, eating enough calories, increasing your protein intake, and incorporating resistance training will help you burn fat efficiently while maintaining lean muscle. Stay consistent, fuel your body properly, and enjoy the benefits of a stronger, leaner physique.