T Nation

Will I Lose Muscle With This Goal?

Bodybuilding
#1

My idea is to start cutting on May 10th, and this will be my first-ever cut. I plan on losing 30 lbs of fat by August 25th and I may continue cutting for a few more lbs into the next semester of college. I was talking with a friend of mine who is a massive guy. He knows his stuff.

He told me that if I want to cut 30 lbs in the time frame of 16 weeks that I would lose about 10 lbs of muscle, and hearing that scared the crap out of me. I want to lose as little muscle during this cut. Do you think he’s right? Would I lose a lot of muscle with that rate of fat loss even with a very clean diet? Should I maybe cut slower?

#2

A. How tall are you and how much do you weigh. An idea of your bodyfat may be beneficial also.

B. Dieting wrong leads to muscle loss. 30lbs in 16 weeks is tough, but doable for some people without significant muscle loss.

You will need a calorie deficit, but you know that. It needs to be a moderate one, maybe 500-600 kcals a day deficit. Your protein intake will need to be high, post workout nutrition is a must. You will need to increase your NEPA/NEAT and not resort so massive amounts of moderate to high intensity cardio. The major thing will be in regards to your training, you will need give your body a stimulus telling it to preserve that muscle. You will still need to train heavy, no pussyfooting aloud.

The true success of this diet will be determined with your current weight and bodyfat levels. We will need more information before giving your more specific advice.

#3

your friend doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

The human body is capable of losing up to around 2 lbs fat/wk. Usually more than that will result in muscle loss. Bigger people can get away with slightly more.

That said, it’s hard to put a specific number on it, the above poster is right. What are your stats?
30 weeks to lose 16 pounds of fat is doable, assuming you’re not over exercising with the amount of calories you’re taking in.
You might lose some muscle regardless, but you can minimize it if you do things correctly, and with the right supplementation as well.

#4

jehovasfitness is right. You can lose 2 lbs fat week and initially you might be able to lose a lot more per week when you first start if you have a lot of body fat; however, a common mistake is to try and keep the same loss rate throughout the cut…as you get leaner and leaner you may not even be able to lose 2 lbs a week without losing a lot of muscle. Just be careful as a lot of your muscle could come off towards the end by trying to keep the same loss rate throughout - just something to think about.

#5

Jehova, will you concede that while it is do-able, it is also unlikely. that is a loss of 2lbs a week, every week for 16 weeks with 2lbs to spare.

To the OP, i think it is do-able too… but tough for someone on their first cut. You’ll do it, but you may lose a little more mass than you are wanting to lose.

I read somewhere it is acceptable to lose 1lb of muscle to 3lbs of fat - seems a little excessive to me… so i don’t know how much weight that has (maybe someone could comment with some more accurate data)… for you that would mean 10lbs of muscle to 30lbs of fat.

Whie the above is excessive, with the time frame you have given yourself, it could happen…

You are not getting ready for a competition, so why dont you have a 20week cut, alot of bodybuilders allow 20 weeks, especially i imagine if they need to drop as much as 30lbs.
That way you may lose 4lbs the first week, 3lbs the second and then you have 18 weeks to drop 23lbs - thats an average of 1.3lbs a week - this way it allows for plateaus, which WILL happen, then some changes, and results again… if you shoot for 2lbs a week, allow for plateaus, losing less than 2lbs a little, losing the right amount a little - you should come in around 20wks - if you are lucky, not far off though.

I depends on the severity of your diet, if you are going keto (which i would expect given the goal), then the first week you will be dropping 7-10lbs with the water, and 3-4 the second… then you’ll level out. These aren’t exact, just what i have observed of others. I have never needed to go on a zero carb diet…

Shame you cant get in shape in 2 weeks like my man Gerdy! :wink:

Joe

#6

[quote]Joe Joseph wrote:
Jehova, will you concede that while it is do-able, it is also unlikely. that is a loss of 2lbs a week, every week for 16 weeks with 2lbs to spare.

Joe[/quote]

It depends on a lot of factors.

I just had a girl in a Biggest Loser contest, who through proper nutrition, exercise and supplements I was able to help her go from

150 lbs at 32% BF
to
125 lbs at 20.5% BF

in 13 weeks
it may be unlikely for a lean individual though, then again 30 lbs of fat isn’t lean to me

but, again, it depends.

it may be unlikely for a lean individual though, then again 30 lbs of fat isn’t lean to me

#7

lol at the repetition!! accident i’m sure, still funny!

#8

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Joe Joseph wrote:
Jehova, will you concede that while it is do-able, it is also unlikely. that is a loss of 2lbs a week, every week for 16 weeks with 2lbs to spare.

Joe

It depends on a lot of factors.

I just had a girl in a Biggest Loser contest, who through proper nutrition, exercise and supplements I was able to help her go from

150 lbs at 32% BF
to
125 lbs at 20.5% BF

in 13 weeks
it may be unlikely for a lean individual though, then again 30 lbs of fat isn’t lean to me

but, again, it depends.

it may be unlikely for a lean individual though, then again 30 lbs of fat isn’t lean to me[/quote]

I’m 6’2", 250 lbs, 18% BF. That leaves 205 lbs of lean body mass. Dieting down to 220 would leave me at 7% BF. I would satisfy for 9% though for sure. I just want to hit single digits and see the hard work I’ve put in over the past 8 months of bulking. Then I plan on NOT gaining 70 lbs in 8 months next time so I don’t have to reach high teens in BF % again.

I’ve hit 10% BF before I started weightlifting, so I think I can easily hit 9% or less with effort.

I hit every body part pretty solid, so I think I will be fine in the muscle preservation. I plan on staying below 6 reps for the most part, sometimes hitting 8.

As for supplementation, I will be taking high amounts of fish oil, going through 4 - 5 bottles of Flameout a month. I may also try HOT-ROX. Has anyone heard anything about those pills? Creatine Mono is a no-brainer, and same for a good multi-vitamin. Superfood sounds like a good idea so I can keep my daily servings for fruits and vegetables up.

I plan on getting most of my daily carbs in right after I work out. Along with a good protein shake with a fiber supplement added to it. I want most of my carbs to be fruits and veggies to begin with. Lots of lean meats like turkey, chicken, lean beef and steak, fish, etc. Healthy fats like olive oil are also included.

Now how does this kind of diet sound? It’s just a rough sketch, nothing specific yet. How many calories should I be taking in on a cut?

#9

[quote]drummerofgod89 wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
Joe Joseph wrote:
Jehova, will you concede that while it is do-able, it is also unlikely. that is a loss of 2lbs a week, every week for 16 weeks with 2lbs to spare.

Joe

It depends on a lot of factors.

I just had a girl in a Biggest Loser contest, who through proper nutrition, exercise and supplements I was able to help her go from

150 lbs at 32% BF
to
125 lbs at 20.5% BF

in 13 weeks
it may be unlikely for a lean individual though, then again 30 lbs of fat isn’t lean to me

but, again, it depends.

it may be unlikely for a lean individual though, then again 30 lbs of fat isn’t lean to me

I’m 6’2", 250 lbs, 18% BF. That leaves 205 lbs of lean body mass. Dieting down to 220 would leave me at 7% BF. I would satisfy for 9% though for sure. I just want to hit single digits and see the hard work I’ve put in over the past 8 months of bulking. Then I plan on NOT gaining 70 lbs in 8 months next time so I don’t have to reach high teens in BF % again.

I’ve hit 10% BF before I started weightlifting, so I think I can easily hit 9% or less with effort.

I hit every body part pretty solid, so I think I will be fine in the muscle preservation. I plan on staying below 6 reps for the most part, sometimes hitting 8.

As for supplementation, I will be taking high amounts of fish oil, going through 4 - 5 bottles of Flameout a month. I may also try HOT-ROX. Has anyone heard anything about those pills? Creatine Mono is a no-brainer, and same for a good multi-vitamin. Superfood sounds like a good idea so I can keep my daily servings for fruits and vegetables up.

I plan on getting most of my daily carbs in right after I work out. Along with a good protein shake with a fiber supplement added to it. I want most of my carbs to be fruits and veggies to begin with. Lots of lean meats like turkey, chicken, lean beef and steak, fish, etc. Healthy fats like olive oil are also included.

Now how does this kind of diet sound? It’s just a rough sketch, nothing specific yet. How many calories should I be taking in on a cut?[/quote]

Uh… thats if you keep EVERY POUND OF MUSCLE… IMO, if you take a fat burner, you are MORE likely to burn some more muscle as well as fat. They raise your metabolism. so…

i think you need to assess you goal first… hold on 2 secs while i have a go… ok?

#10

ok… so if you aim to lose a MAXIMUM of 10lbs LBM… that would leave you at 208lbs 7%…

If you aimed to lose a maximum of 7lbs LBM…
makes you at 212lbs at 7%…

personally i’d go with - PLAN to lose the full 10lbs, and if you then lose 5lbs LBM… BONUS.

Plan for every outcome and never be disappointed.

#11

a fat burner like HOT-ROX with Carbolin 19 in it will help preserve muscle.

this is what I had my client using. she lost around 1.5 lbs lean mass out of the 25 total

#12

I think something that’s often overlooked is that your muscle mass will rebound to it’s previous level once you increase kcals after you finish dieting.

Muscle memory and all that.

I don’t think it’s a foolproof insurance, but there will be a rebound effect after you reintroduce carbs back into your diet.

#13

Yeah you really will likely lose little muscle if you are regular with the BCAA’s and creatine, a great combo to prevent muscle loss. worked for me. I even got stronger becasue of it.

Hot roxx helps too but fuck with my sleep. hoodia tea is just as good at suppressing appetite.

Just make sure that you are doing heavy weights and low-med rep ranges and you should be fine. Humans are great at maintaining muscle if your body feels you need it to get through your daily life.

-chris

#14

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
a fat burner like HOT-ROX with Carbolin 19-19 in it will help preserve muscle.

this is what I had my client using. she lost around 1.5 lbs lean mass out of the 25 total[/quote]

I think the HOT-ROX Extreme contains Carbolin 19, doesn’t it?

#15

[quote]drummerofgod89 wrote:
jehovasfitness wrote:
a fat burner like HOT-ROX with Carbolin 19 in it will help preserve muscle.

this is what I had my client using. she lost around 1.5 lbs lean mass out of the 25 total

I think the HOT-ROX Extreme contains Carbolin 19, doesn’t it?[/quote]

Carbolin 19 is an ingredient in HOT-ROX.

Losing 2lbs a week is very doable for someone who is 240lbs with 25% body fat. But, is rather difficult for someone to do who is 200 and 20% bodyfat.

But, I think there is a littler difference in opinion as to what losing 30 lbs mean. Losing 30lbs of pure fat during 16 weeks as Joeseph is talking about would be rather difficult and probably unlikely, but as we all know we will lose water weight, glycogen, and maybe even a little lean mass. The first week could very well yeild a 7lb drop in scale weight that would remain until the week post diet. Granted only a couple of lbs of that is fat, it still counts to a point.

Jahovasfitness gave a perfect example of how doable it is, even with a smaller woman. My 40+ mother lost 23lbs in her 15 week biggest loser challenge, that was without supplementation and only a small to moderate calorie restriction. Did I mention that she did this with only two hours of light cardio a week(I know, but she refused to weight train, so what is a son to do?).

My point is, that losing 30lbs in 16 weeks isn’t that difficult to do, but losing 30lbs of fat in 16 weeks is. I agree with both of you, and to access the true likely hood of success we still need more information.

#16

[quote]Joe Joseph wrote:
ok… so if you aim to lose a MAXIMUM of 10lbs LBM… that would leave you at 208lbs 7%…

If you aimed to lose a maximum of 7lbs LBM…
makes you at 212lbs at 7%…

personally i’d go with - PLAN to lose the full 10lbs, and if you then lose 5lbs LBM… BONUS.

Plan for every outcome and never be disappointed.
[/quote]

I disagree with this, you shouldn’t aim to lose any muscle mass while dieting. With proper training and an adequate protein intake it quite possible to maintain just about all of your lean mass while dieting. And with some of the supplements out there it makes it even easier.

Though I agree that you should plan for every outcome, you should learn not to be satisfied with the poor ones.

#17

[quote]Zagman wrote:
Joe Joseph wrote:
ok… so if you aim to lose a MAXIMUM of 10lbs LBM… that would leave you at 208lbs 7%…

If you aimed to lose a maximum of 7lbs LBM…
makes you at 212lbs at 7%…

personally i’d go with - PLAN to lose the full 10lbs, and if you then lose 5lbs LBM… BONUS.

Plan for every outcome and never be disappointed.

I disagree with this, you shouldn’t aim to lose any muscle mass while dieting. With proper training and an adequate protein intake it quite possible to maintain just about all of your lean mass while dieting. And with some of the supplements out there it makes it even easier.

Though I agree that you should plan for every outcome, you should learn not to be satisfied with the poor ones.[/quote]

Yeah, I plan on eating wickedly clean and supplementing with whatever I need to maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss. Regardless, I’ll post pics once I’m done. :slight_smile:

#18

Have you looked into the Velocity Diet (V-Diet)? There’s plenty of stuff about it on T-Nation. It is a 4-week long diet, and it is pretty tough, but it’ll be a good start, and it’ll likely help you keep the diet going, as it controls your cravings after the diet phase, apparently.
Dan

#19

[quote]LiarPantsOnFire wrote:
Have you looked into the Velocity Diet (V-Diet)? There’s plenty of stuff about it on T-Nation. It is a 4-week long diet, and it is pretty tough, but it’ll be a good start, and it’ll likely help you keep the diet going, as it controls your cravings after the diet phase, apparently.
Dan[/quote]

OR, you could just eat real food, just an idea.

what I meant by my statement is that Carbolin 19 is in HOT-ROX, didn’t come out that way I guess :wink:

#20

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
LiarPantsOnFire wrote:
Have you looked into the Velocity Diet (V-Diet)? There’s plenty of stuff about it on T-Nation. It is a 4-week long diet, and it is pretty tough, but it’ll be a good start, and it’ll likely help you keep the diet going, as it controls your cravings after the diet phase, apparently.
Dan

OR, you could just eat real food, just an idea.

what I meant by my statement is that Carbolin 19 is in HOT-ROX, didn’t come out that way I guess ;)[/quote]

Bingo, I second real food. The V-Diet should be reserved for serious people with a solid foundation, people shouldn’t always look for the magic bullet, it is amazing what you can accomplish with real food and a little self responsibility.

LiarPantsOnFire, you are recommending the V-Diet on your second post. That just seems a little iffy.