In order to lose weight, you need to eat less than you burn. If you want to put on some serious muscle, you need to eat more than you burn.
The elephant in the room: Can I lose weight and gain muscle at the same time?
Newbie gains are a real thing, if you're new to training, you can potentially lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously. Maximise it while you can, but don't rely on it.
Do I need a calorie deficit or surplus?
Let's start with the obvious:
- If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you expend. Easy.
- Ignoring the elephant above, if you want to gain muscle, you need to consume more calories than you expend (along with a sufficient protein intake).
It seems obvious, eat more: gain weight; eat less: lose weight. But it's about sticking to the plan.
Gaining muscle, but starting with a bit of a belly
This is a very common scenario, you haven't previously been focussed on your diet, you want to build muscle, but your starting point is a bit of a belly.
You have a choice to make, but I can almost guarantee that losing the weight first will make it easier on yourself later on. If you decide to go for the surplus first, just remember you'll still need to lose excess weight eventually.
How much deficit or surplus?
The amount of deficit or surplus (of your maintenance calories) needed depends on your individual goals and circumstances. A moderate deficit of 300-500 calories per day is often effective for fat loss, while a surplus of 300-500 calories can support muscle gain.
How to calculate your maintenance calories:
The easiest way to do this is to use an online calculator or AI. For AI, try this prompt:
“Calculate my maintenance calories based on my age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. I am a [gender] who is [age] years old, [height] tall, and weighs [weight]. My activity level is [activity_level].” - Be strict when entering your information, especially your activity level.
When to stop or switch strategies
- Obviously, if your goal was to lose weight and you've lost it, you can switch to a maintenance phase.
- If you're bulking, knowing when to stop and start losing excess fat is challenging. I'd recommend setting a date to aim for, and to "check-in" with yourself regularly.
- Your body composition is not aligning with your objectives. If you're not seeing the results you want, it might be time to reassess your approach.
Do not make it complicated
Most people do not need a perfect formula. They need a consistent pattern. Hit your calorie target by default, eat enough protein to support the goal, and let the rest of the diet do its job.
If you can do that consistently, you will get more out of your training than if you chase every micro-detail.
The law of averages
Don't panic if you don't hit your calorie target every day. As long as you're hitting it over the course of a week, you're on the right track.
