Yes, it is possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
However, it is not possible to use only exercise to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, and it is not possible to focus only on diet.
If you truly want to increase muscle mass while losing fat, focus on diet and exercise.
Ready to make a transformational change in your body? Let’s dive in
Can You Gain Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time?
Like I said in the introduction, you can gain muscle while still losing fat.
This process is referred to as body recomposition. Where your body undergoes a transformation in its composition, simultaneously reducing fat mass while increasing lean muscle mass. It’s essentially reshaping your body without necessarily changing your overall weight significantly.
Body recomposition go against the traditional idea of alternating between bulking (gaining weight to build muscle) and cutting (losing weight to shed fat). Instead, it aims to achieve both goals concurrently, resulting in a leaner, more muscular physique.
Research supports this possibility. For instance, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016 found that overweight young men who followed a high-protein diet and intense exercise program for 4 weeks gained an average of 2.64 pounds of lean mass while losing 10.5 pounds of fat mass. Similarly, another study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2017 focused on resistance-trained young women. Over 8 weeks, participants who followed a specific nutrition and training protocol saw an average increase of 2.4% in lean body mass, coupled with a decrease of 2.7% in body fat percentage.
What both of these studies highlight is the importance of combining proper nutrition with consistent exercise to lose fat and gain muscle. The high-protein diets provided the building blocks for muscle growth, while the exercise programs created the stimulus for muscle development and fat burning.
While on my journey to lose fat and gain muscle, I discovered that these key factors influenced my body recomposition:
- Proper nutrient intake, especially adequate protein
- Slight caloric deficit to promote fat loss
- Resistance training to stimulate muscle growth
- Sufficient rest and recovery
Surprisingly diet caused 85% of my success while exercise caused 15% of success. So let me explain how you can use diet to your advantage.
Best diet for muscle gain and fat loss
I took my dieting seriously after I spent 3 months in the gym and I wasn’t seeing the promised results.
I did the whole pushups, planks, crunches, etc. But I wasn’t losing some stubborn fats, especially my belly fat.
Then I decided to take calorie-deficit dieting seriously. Here are what you need to know about diet as a tool for loosing fat and gaining muscle;
1. Calorie Deficit
The quickest way to lose fat and gain muscle is through regulating the amount of calories you consume daily.
You need to be in a calorie deficit from the appropriate amount of calories your body needs. So learn how to calculate your calorie deficit and implement it effectively in your food choices.
When on a calorie deficit, you create an environment where your body is encouraged to use fat for energy while still having enough resources to maintain and even build muscle, especially when combined with appropriate resistance training.
You can grab this 30-days free calorie deficit meal plan.
2. High Protein Intake:
Increase your protein consumption to about 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. This provides the building blocks for muscle growth while also keeping you feeling full, which aids in fat loss. Include one of these in every meal: lean meats, fish, eggs, and plant-based proteins.
3. Moderate Carbohydrates:
Don’t cut carbs completely!
Despite what some weight loss gurus say about “staying away from carbohydrates,” you need to consume carbohydrates if you want to gain muscle while on a fat loss program.
Carbohydrates aren’t inherently bad; you just need to choose those carbohydrates with high fiber and less processing. Incorporate carbs like sweet potatoes, quinoa, and oats. You need carbs as a source of energy during workouts and to help in the recovery process after exercise.
4. Healthy Fats:
If you lack access to healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, I recommend reducing your oil intake.
You can get an air fryer and waffle maker to serve as alternatives for cooking oil. Because vegetable cooking oil quickly add calories and fat to your meal.
Healthy fats or a minimal use of vegetable cooking oil helps in maintaining hormone balance, for both muscle growth and fat metabolism.
5. Calorie Cycling:
Since the goal is to build muscle too, implement a strategy of eating slightly more on training days and less on rest days. This approach, known as calorie cycling, supports muscle growth on workout days while still maintaining an overall caloric deficit for fat loss.
6. Portion control & Timing:
Even if you follow the above advice properly, you still need to learn how to eat food in appropriate portions to properly lose fat and gain muscles.
Portion control simply means taking food in small portions.
At first, it may be challenging for you, but a trick I used was to drink a lot of water before and after eating. You should always have a water bottle beside you to help with this strategy.
I often see people designating specific “snacking times” during the day. I advise against following this trend because snacks usually have higher calorie density than your normal meals. Moreover, “snack time” adds extra food to your daily intake. Ideally, you should aim to eat only three balanced meals a day.
For optimal digestion and metabolism, it’s best to consume all your meals before 17:00. However, if you have to eat later due to work or other commitments, make sure your evening meal consists of foods that are easily digestible.
Here are some additional tips for effective portion control and meal timing:
- Use smaller plates to naturally reduce portion sizes.
- Fill half your plate with vegetables to increase volume without excess calories.
- Wait 20 minutes after eating before deciding if you need more food, as it takes time for your brain to register fullness.
- Try to maintain consistent meal times each day to regulate your body’s hunger signals.
- If you must snack, choose nutrient-dense options like fruits, vegetables, or a small handful of nuts. But add the snack calories to your daily calorie count.
Best exercises for muscle gain and fat loss
Social media has made exercise seem like the last bus stop to lose fat and build muscles.
Yes through exercise you can gain muscles, but you need to lose fat first. So don’t forget to take the dieting tips I have shared earlier on.
For a while, I was a gym rat and I believed in the saying “no pain, no gain”. So I would do exercises that were too tedious.
Yet I wasn’t seeing significant results after months. So I approached exercising from a scientific standpoint. So read on to know how I was able to use exercise to build my muscles.
1. Share your exercise routine.
Instead of hitting the gym every day to do full-body workouts, you need to have days for upper-body, lower-body, and full-body workouts.
This will enable your muscles to recover properly and grow. Here’s a sample weekly routine:
- Monday: Upper body
- Tuesday: Lower body
- Wednesday: Rest or light cardio
- Thursday: Full-body
- Friday: Upper body
- Saturday: Lower body
- Sunday: Rest
I don’t spend more than 1 hour 30 minutes in the gym. Building muscle is a gradual process. So you shouldn’t overly stress the muscle tissues. That is why you should have days for each part of the body so that each muscle group gets adequate time to recover and grow.
2. Focus on compound exercises
Compound exercises work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, which is efficient for both muscle gain and fat loss. Key exercises include:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench presses
- Overhead presses
- Pull-ups or lat pulldowns
- Rows
This type of exercise saves time and helps the build the muscles faster.
3. Progressive overload
To continue building muscle, you need to consistently challenge your body. Gradually increase the weight, reps, or sets of your exercises over time.
This principle, known as progressive overload, is gen used to avoid plateaus during exercise. So the body won’t get used to your workout routines.
4. Incorporate HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is excellent for fat loss while preserving muscle mass. Include 1-2 HIIT sessions per week, such as:
- Sprints (running, cycling, or swimming)
- Burpees
- Mountain climbers
- Jump squats
5. Rest and recovery
Muscles grow during rest, not during the workout.
Let me repeat that again. Your muscles grow when you are resting and not during a workout.
It was shocking when I realized this. That’s why you should have 2 resting days in a week. Again ensure you’re getting enough sleep (7-9 hours per night). Active recovery, like light walks or yoga, can help on rest days.
6. Mind-muscle connection & Proper form
Concentrate on the muscle you’re working during each exercise. This mental focus can improve muscle activation and growth.
At the same time focus on maintaining proper form during workout rather than lifting the heaviest weights possible. This ensures you’re targeting the right muscles and reduces the risk of injury.
Conclusion
Now you know how to lose fat and gain muscle all at the same time. It’s time to incorporate all this into your lifestyle. Remember in fitness journey you have to be persistent and consistent to see significant results. Nonetheless, if you follow this guide you will start losing fat and gaining muscles in 3 months.
About Me
