Weight loss/muscle gain

[vanillasnackpak]

I am 16 and Im a little fat. I’ve been reading a lot on how to gain muscle and lose weight, but to gain muscle I need to eat more calories and to lose I need to eat less. If I were to eat more of protein and healthy foods would a lot of the calories go to muscle and would I still end up losing weight?

[TheAwfulToad Visitor]

Unfortunately there's a lot of misinformation written about weight management. You've already figured out that, in fact, your body decides for itself where "calories" go, depending on the demands made upon it and the type of food that you're eating. The reality is that there's no conflict between gaining muscle (or at least retaining it) and losing fat.

Obesity is not a result of "too many calories". It's essentially a defence mechanism against a relentless onslaught of "fast" energy - starchy foods and sugar. Your body has a hard constraint on blood sugar, so foods like pasta, rice, bread, and sugary drinks are disposed of as bodyfat because they enter your bloodstream at a rate faster than you can burn them. While there's nothing wrong with these things occasionally (the stored bodyfat would normally be burned off between meals), a starchy meal is the energy equivalent of drinking from a fire hose. Your body will attempt to adapt to it, but there's only so much it can do. People who eat mostly carbohydrates, day in day out, inevitably become fat because their bodies are always storing, never burning.

You will grow muscle mass if you subject your body to regular and repeated overload. Of course it needs energy and protein to do this, but you can provide that energy mostly as dietary fat. Your body will adapt to the lack of carbohydrates with some metabolic adaptations that make fat-burning much more efficient, and it will start burning through excess bodyfat while also building muscle.

Some will argue that you will not achieve muscle growth without carbs because carbs promote an insulin release, and insulin is an anabolic hormone. This is based on a misunderstanding of the way insulin works. Both protein and carbs elicit an insulin response; protein, in addition, causes a glucagon response, which modulates the effects of insulin. These two hormones together determine where energy is directed. The upshot is that protein + fat is an ideal combination for muscle-building. Protein + carbs will certainly work too, but you will get simultaneously fatter, and that's not what you want.

As your muscle mass increases your body will become better at handling dietary carbs, and you can introduce some of them back again without any negative effect on your bodyfat ratio.

You might want to read up on Frank Zane, who was probably the first bodybuilder to use this approach. It's now fairly mainstream.

There's no need to overdo the protein - experimentally, it's a case of diminishing returns. 1.0-1.5g/kg is more than enough to start with; so for example if you weigh 80kg then you want to aim for 80g protein per day. Meat (crudely speaking) is about 20-25% protein.

Try not to just gorge on meat and eggs, though: you should be getting plenty of vegetables on your plate too. Apart from anything else, oily meat just isn't very palatable without veg.

Also: since you are only 16, I suggest taking it easy for a couple of years. Your bones are still growing and large loads on your joints can cause damage and/or premature fusion of the epiphyses (in plain language, you might end up shorter than you ought to be). Go for moderate reps and moderate weights, and get a trainer to advise you on proper lifting technique.

For less hardcore discussions on the subject of dietary fat, I recommend having a look at the LCHF group here on HU:

healthunlocked.com/lchf-diet

[vanillasnackpak in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Thank you so much this has helped! I have a couple more questions. Should I go on a keto diet and would I be able to get slim and build muscle before I turn 18?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, vanillasnackpak

TheAwfulToad has given you some excellent advice and I would say that as a young person, the best advice I can give you is to eat home cooked meals from scratch, using fresh produce. Steer clear of highly processed foods and anything labelled low fat, fat free, diet, or light and stop snacking. I hope that whoever is in charge of the kitchen will help you with this goal.

Follow this link to our chat thread and a list of all the activities we run. We've found active participation to be key to success, especially with our weigh-ins and Daily Diary.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

To make navigating the forum easier, we've put all the information you'll need in a newbie pack and here's the link

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please take the time to read it carefully, so that you're able to enjoy everything that we have on offer.

We ask that you also read this important information about internet privacy and security.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Wishing you all the best

[PippiRuns 3kg Restart Nov 2023]

A calorie isn't actually a thing, it's a unit of measurement. A calorie measures the amount of energy in the food and beverages that we consume.

The food we eat becomes the fuel that runs our bodies. Healthy food provides calories (energy) and important nutrients to build strong bones and muscles.

To lose weight, you essentially need to consume less and burn more calories but not all calories are equal, some calories provide special weight loss benefits: calories from protein are helpful in building and maintaining muscle and calories from foods rich in fiber or fat help you to feel full and satisfied throughout the day so you eat less.

Good luck!

[GiantMoose]

Here is my recommendation buddy.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Regarding meat as a protein source. Check out this documentary 'the game changers' (imdb.com/title/tt7455754)

[S11m]

Hi, vanillasnackpak , welcome.

Many teenagers think they are overweight when they are not - how do you conclude that you are "a little fat"?

Restricting calories is, in my opinion, not good for anyone, let alone teenagers.

Avoid "junk food", sugar, starchy foods etc.

Do not eat or snack 24/7... and only eat at mealtimes.

[vanillasnackpak]

Im trying to lose weight kinda quickly tho and I was wondering if something like a keto diet would help?

[Sewnknit Restart April 2024 in reply to vanillasnackpak]

I'm really concerned about the need for speed here (speaking as a mother of 3 girls).

'A little fat' can mean many things and 'skinny' is neither attractive or healthy.

Why the rush?

As everyone has said, healthy food, no rubbish, no snacking etc.

Theawfultoad has explained it better than I can, but I will say that 15 years ago I was running a lot and found that my weight, as measured on the scales, did not correlate to how people would think I should have looked. What I mean is, muscle is dense and I was thinner but heavier.

Is there some reason for wanting a low figure when you jump on the scales?

I'm certain that I'm one of many who worry about members who post questions with not much background and admit to being so young.

I hope I don't sound bossy, there is a lot of really good advice to be found here and you only need to ask.

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