Can You Gain Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time?

Many of you have heard me say that when picking a body composition goal, typically we have to choose between:

1. Maintaining muscle and losing fat
   or

2. Gaining muscle (and potentially gaining a bit of fat while doing so)

So… why do we have to prepare to possibly gain fat while we are building muscle mass? The answer is that we need to be in a calorie surplus to make new muscle. We must support our body at the basal metabolic level AND give it building blocks to gain.

We typically call it a “lean bulk” when we gain muscle and gain minimal body fat. This is what most individuals aim for, particularly if they have a naturally thin body type.

But, what about gaining muscle and losing fat in the same time period? Well, if what I told you is true, that you need to be in a calorie surplus to gain muscle, then is it possible to lose body fat in a surplus also?

The answer is maybe. However, there are 3 things that have to happen.

1. You have to have a high percentage of mesomorph in your makeup

2. You have to eat a proper balance of macronutrients

3. You have to stimulate your muscles to break down and then rebuild, just enough but not too much

If these things are happening, then yes, it is possible.

I will share my own personal case study with you. 3 months ago I took an InBody test where I documented my muscle mass and my fat mass. Then, for the next 3 months, I implemented our Transform® 6.0 programming (30 minutes max, 3 days per week) with a core and pelvic floor routine once per week. I got 10,000 steps per day on average. I followed my Mindful Macros®. I decreased my sugar. I still enjoyed my bourbon. I should mention that I did this all while traveling!

Today (3-months) later, I re-checked my InBody. I got on the scale and right away saw that I gained 4 lbs. At first, the old limiting beliefs came rushing in that led me to believe I must have really gone wrong, because this had to be body fat. However, once the body composition measures came back, I learned the following.

4 lbs gained

2 lbs gained in dry skeletal muscle!!!

2 lbs gained in water

1 lb lost in body fat 

Oh My Goodness. I lost body fat and gained muscle in the same time period while traveling. My body fat percent was 1.5% lower at a 4lb higher weight. I could not wait to tell you all because this is what you need to know.

1. If you are only weighing yourself with a scale, it is not enough data.

2. Know your body type so you can develop a strategy to hit your goals - all of us are different.

3. You don’t need equipment to gain muscle; I barely used any.

4. You don’t need to count macros to hit big goals; I didn’t at all.

5. You can eat in restaurants and optimize your body composition.

6. You can eat your favorite foods and still drink alcohol when losing body fat.

7. Consistency over time is where the magic is.

8. Find a community to support you.

9. Don’t skimp on sleep or stress management, your cortisol will rebel against you.

10. Find the beauty in your strength… take up space… build muscle… be authentically you.

I am so thankful that I have found a space that supports women who are going all-in on optimizing their strength. 

We are currently going through some big growth in our programs as we have launched our Men’s Program, and our Women’s Program - where we will serve beyond doctors - is coming this summer-fall).

Our Transform® program, which is our fitness program for women physicians that offers 72-CME, credits begins June 5th. On the fence? Want to learn more? Not sure what you need? Book a call with us. We combine our expertise with years of experience and oodles of support to help you reach your goals.

You can book your call HERE.

Talk soon!
Ali