Is it possible to diet and gain muscle

For example, I weigh exactly the same now as I did before I started exercising and eating healthy. I wear smaller clothes, however, and my body has more muscle tone than it did before. I also feel much stronger than before I began a strength training program a nonaesthetic benefit to body recomposition. So you can ditch the scale , because it doesn't differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss, and weight loss isn't the primary goal with body recomposition.

There's one caveat to consider, though: If you want to lose a large amount of body fat and don't intend to put on much muscle mass, you may lose weight in the long run. Read more: 6 health metrics that are more important than your weight. Because you're trying to do two things at once -- lose fat and gain muscle -- you can't treat a body recomposition plan like a fad diet.

Healthy weight loss and healthy muscle gain both take a long time on their own: Put them together and you're in it for the long haul. The slow, steady process of body recomposition offers sustainable results, though, so you'll enjoy your new physique for as long as you maintain those habits.

Body recomposition truly comes down to your specific health and fitness goals. Unlike traditional methods of weight loss -- such as very low-calorie diets or periods of really intense cardio exercise -- there's no real protocol for body recomposition.

Fat loss ultimately comes down to your calorie maintenance. To lose fat, you must eat fewer calories than you burn. Cardiovascular exercise, or combined cardio and resistance exercise, alongside a healthy diet still stands as the best technique for fat loss -- there's just no way around the science. Losing fat in a safe, sustainable way also means having realistic goals and not depriving your body of the nutrients it needs -- disordered eating habits are never worth the risk. To build muscle, focus on two main factors: weight training and protein consumption.

Strength training is essential to changing your body composition -- your muscles won't grow if you don't challenge them. Additionally, you can't build muscle without being in a caloric surplus, so you must eat more calories than you burn to promote muscle growth.

While all macronutrients are important, protein is especially important for building muscle. Without enough protein, your body will struggle to repair the muscle tissues that get broken down during weight training. Plus, studies show that a high-protein diet can help with losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. Research shows that, while in a calorie deficit, consuming more protein than you normally might can help preserve your lean body mass a.

In people who have already been following a strength training program, increasing protein intake and following a heavy weightlifting routine leads to improvements in body composition. Read more: The 7 most important strength-training moves for building muscle. Body builders are known for their ability to achieve insanely lean and muscular physiques.

This obviously isn't everyone's goal, but it's a good example of what's possible with body recomposition. This eating strategy can potentially impact kidney function, making this a consideration if you have a kidney-related disease.

Research suggests that consuming certain nutrients may help preserve muscle mass while losing weight. For example, a study of 80 obese older adults noted that taking a supplement containing leucine and vitamin D along with whey protein helped protect their muscles when on a low-calorie diet. Again, it is important to talk with your doctor before beginning any supplemental regimen. They can also help you decide how much of each supplement to take given your health and medical conditions.

It's fairly well-known that exercise helps you burn calories and build muscle. However, what is less discussed is that if you don't make exercise a regular habit , you're more likely to lose the muscle that you currently have. How long do you have between exercise sessions before your muscle starts to decline?

According to one study, even a five-day break is enough to start to see lean muscle mass reduce in size. So, aim to exercise regularly to burn calories and protect the muscle you have. While it is possible to lose some muscle mass while trying to lose weight, it's important to keep your overall health in mind when it comes to diet and exercise. As long as you eat healthy foods and don't underdo or overdo it in the gym or at home , the amount of muscle you lose will likely be minimal. It's also helpful to assess your progress by methods other than the scale.

You can lose inches without losing weight if you build muscle and lose fat at the same time. Don't rely on feeling sore to tell you that you've had a good workout either as this is a strength-training myth. Instead, pay attention to your body size and how good you feel.

Looking to lose weight? Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free! Preserving healthy muscle during weight loss. Adv Nutr. DEXA-assessed regional body composition changes in young female military soldiers following weeks of periodised training. Effect of regular swimming exercise on the physical composition, strength, and blood lipid of middle-aged women. J Exerc Rehabil. Dietary guidelines for Americans — Published December Robinson J.

Overtraining: 9 signs of overtraining to look out for. American Council on Exercise. Published June 21, Sutton B. Determining the best rest periods for resistance exercise and training goals. National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Effects of high-protein diets on fat-free mass and muscle protein synthesis following weight loss: a randomized controlled trial. Body composition changes after very-low-calorie ketogenic diet in obesity evaluated by 3 standardized methods. Effect of a high-protein diet on kidney function in healthy adults: results from the OmniHeart Trial. Am J Kidney Dis. A high whey protein-, leucine-, and vitamin D-enriched supplement preserves muscle mass during intentional weight loss in obese older adults: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Am J Clin Nutr. This is especially helpful when your ultimate goal is to lose weight and you have a limited number of calories to work with. When you lift weights, you cause damage to your muscle fibers, which prompts the muscle to call for surrounding satellite cells the cells involved in growing and repairing skeletal muscle to help repair or replace those damaged fibers, making your muscles grow.

In addition, strength training increases the production of muscle protein for up to 48 hours, according to Devries-Aboud. If you want to see the best fat-burning, muscle-building results from your strength routine, exercise physiologist Michelle Lovitt, M.

You want to bounce between 60 and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate throughout your strength-training session, which will ensure that you burn more fat instead of glycogen, the carbohydrates our bodies store to use as quick energy. You'll still burn some glycogen, but the proportion changes so that you're using more fat than you would with higher intensity exercise.

Many high-intensity workouts bring you above your anaerobic threshold, which is approximately 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. And when you push past 85 percent, your body starts fueling using mostly carbohydrates.

This spares the fat and often leaves you craving carbs later in the day. Hit the gym three or four days per week, moving right from a set of a lower-body or multi-joint strength exercises like the squat, which requires greater energy expenditure and jacks up the heart rate because you're employing multiple muscle groups at once , into an upper-body or single-joint exercise like a seated row to bring the heart rate back down.

Continue alternating between multi-joint and single-joint exercises throughout your workout. The key is to keep your heart rate between 60 and 85 percent of your maximum. To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from , then multiply that number by 0.

Keep in mind, these results don't happen overnight. It takes time—several months, if not more—to significantly change your body, and you need to be consistent with your strength training and diet to get the results you want.

Even then, some people will naturally see results faster than others simply because of genetics, lifestyle, or a whole host of other factors. If you're having trouble reaching your goals, it might be a good idea to work with a nutritionist and a personal trainer to troubleshoot and create a plan that's customized for you.

And always remember: Your happiness and health are more important than what your body looks like. Make sure your goals are realistic for you, and enjoy the process. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

First, let's talk about cutting calories. If you want to build muscle on top of burning fat, you need to incorporate resistance exercises into your routine. Topics gain muscle body composition weight loss fat burning weight loss tips.