9 Healthy Ways to Lose Fat and Keep Muscle

Diet and exercise tips to preserve muscle while losing weight

Co-authored by Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS

Last Updated: July 22, 2024 References

When you're trying to lose weight and excess fat, it's natural to lose a little muscle mass. To prevent losing too much, there are certain diet plans and types of exercise that can help you lose weight, burn fat, and maintain your muscle mass. Check out this list of tips and tricks to get you started on your journey to a leaner, more muscular body.

Things You Should Know

Eat protein at every meal, such as red meat, seafood, beans, lentils, tofu, and nuts. Then, fill up on 2-3 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of vegetables each day.^{[1]
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Do cardio exercises like walking, running, biking, and using the elliptical 3-5 times a week.
Do strength training 2-3 times each week for 20-30 minutes. Focus on your main muscle groups like your back, abs, glutes, chest, arms, and legs.

Section 1 of 9:

Eat adequate protein

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When you cut out calories, you limit how much protein you can consume. Not being able to eat adequate protein throughout the day may also result in muscle mass loss.^{[2]
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- At a minimum, women need 46 g of protein daily and men need 56 g of protein daily. This is easily met when you consume a source of protein at every meal and snack. Do not consume less than this amount.
- Stick to high-quality sources of protein such as lean red meat, poultry, seafood, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts or natural nut butter, eggs, and low-fat dairy.
- One serving of protein is about 3-4 ounces or a cut of meat that's about the size of your palm or a deck of cards.

Section 2 of 9:

Fill up on fruits and vegetables

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Both of these food groups are fairly low in calories but high in nutrients. They can provide extra bulk to your diet. This can help make a lower-calorie meal plan more filling and satisfying.^{[3]
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- It's recommended to consume 2-3 servings of fruit daily and 4-6 servings of vegetables daily. To meet these recommendations, you'll most likely need to consume a fruit or vegetable at each meal.
- One small fruit or 1/2 cup counts as 1 serving of fruit and 1 or 2 cups of leafy greens counts as one serving of vegetables.^{[5]
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Section 3 of 9:

Consume 2-3 servings of carbohydrates daily

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Following a lower-carb diet can help you lose weight more quickly. You can also lose more fat compared to low-fat diets or only low-calorie diets.^{[7]
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- A low-carb diet focuses on limiting how many carbohydrates you eat within a day. Depending on your diet, it could range from 60–200 g of carbohydrate daily. The fewer carbs you allow in your diet, the more restrictive your food choices will be.
- Carbohydrates are found in many food groups including grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, dairy, and legumes. Consume just one to three servings of these daily to support weight loss. Read packages or use a food journal to find out how many carbs are in the foods you're eating.
- A low-carb diet with higher protein has shown the best potential for fat loss and maintaining muscle mass.^{[8]
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- Talk to your doctor prior to starting a low-carb diet. While safe for the general healthy adult, following a low-carb diet might not be appropriate for everyone.

Section 4 of 9:

Focus on proper fueling and recovery

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It's important to focus on proper nutrition right before and after a workout. This is especially true when you're dieting, working out, and aiming to maintain or build muscle mass.
- Prior to a workout, it's ideal to consume a lot of hydrating fluids and also a small carbohydrate-rich meal. This should be eaten at least 30 minutes prior to your workout to make sure you don't have any GI upset during your exercise program.
- Pre-workout snacks include a small bowl of oatmeal, a small piece of fruit, individual yogurt, or a serving of whole-wheat crackers.
- Immediately after a workout, it's also important to continue drinking hydrating fluids. In addition, you should consume a small meal or snack that contains protein and carbohydrates. This combination in particular helps muscles recover. Try to eat within 60 minutes of completing your workout.
- Post-workout snacks include hummus and whole-grain pita chips, a small apple and peanut butter, chocolate milk, trail mix with dried fruit and nuts, or a fruit smoothie with added protein powder.

Section 5 of 9:

Do cardio exercise 3-5 times per week

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One key part of fat loss is exercise. Cardiovascular (cardio) or aerobic exercise helps your body burn calories and can support your weight loss.^{[9]
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- Maintaining the body’s lean muscle mass and burning calories can be accomplished by performing cardio exercise regularly.
- Aim for about 150 minutes of cardio each week. Ideally, the exercise performed should be at moderate intensity. This is any activity that raises your heart rate and breathing to a level where it's still comfortable for you to say short sentences without stopping for a breath.^{[10]
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- Different types of aerobic activity can include: walking/running, biking, using the elliptical, swimming, or dancing.
- Interval training is a combination of strength training and cardio in short bursts of high and moderate-intensity exercises. You can do these types of activities for shorter amounts of time. Studies show that this type of activity helps support fat loss.^{[11]
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Section 6 of 9:

Perform weight training 2-3 times per week

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A crucial part of fat loss and muscle mass maintenance is strength training. Consistent weight training helps prevent muscle mass loss and can increase the amount of lean muscle mass.
- Strength training should be done for about 20–30 minutes per session.^{[12]
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  Go to source} Try to work every major muscle group during each training. Make sure to work: core (back, abs and glutes), chest, arms, and legs.
- Strength training activities include weight lifting, isometric exercises, and classes like yoga or pilates.
- If you're just starting out with weights or strength training, start with low weights and a few repetitions. Do not start out with overly heavy weights or train for long periods of time - this could cause injury.
- Limit your training frequency for each muscle group to every other day at a maximum. Each specific muscle group should only be directly stimulated 1-2 times per week in order to allow for full recovery time.^{[13]
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Expert Answer

Q

Does losing muscle reduce arm bulk?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

EXPERT ADVICE

Answer from Chris M. Matsko, MD:

You should lose some bulk if you lose muscle, but not as much as if you lose fat.

Section 7 of 9:

Include enough rest days

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Taking a day or 2 off within the week will help your body recover. That way, you can continue to maintain and build lean muscle mass. It's important to take off between both cardio and strength training throughout the week.
- Allow for about 24–48 hours of time off between strength training sessions.^{[14]
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- When you take a "rest day" you should still be active. Rest days should not include a lot of sitting or laying down. You should perform very light-intensity and restorative activities. You can walk, take a leisurely bike ride, or do restorative yoga.

Section 8 of 9:

Consider protein supplements

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Protein supplement drinks are moderately low in calories and high in protein. Getting another 15–30 g of protein daily from these drinks may help you meet your minimum protein intake, increase weight loss and prevent loss of muscle mass.^{[15]
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- Whey protein is a high-quality protein for your body. It has all the essential amino acids your body needs and cannot make itself. If purchasing a protein supplement, try to purchase whey protein if possible.
- If you have a whey allergy, or do not want to use whey, consider using another source of protein. Egg and soy protein are appropriate alternatives.
- Protein supplements have been shown to be especially effective at maintaining and even building lean muscle mass when they are consumed after a workout.^{[16]
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- If choosing to use a protein supplement to help increase weight loss, make sure to pick a supplement that's not overly high in calories. Also don't mix a lot of ingredients or high-calorie ingredients that increase your supplement's total calorie level. This may cause weight gain if it adds too many calories to your diet.
- You can purchase protein supplements at a variety of stores. Look for them at a well-stocked grocery store, some pharmacies, health food stores, sports/nutrition stores, or online.

Section 9 of 9:

Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week

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Safe weight loss is considered losing about 1 or 2 pounds per week. Losing weight faster increases your risk for muscle mass loss.
- It's generally recommended to never consume less than 1200 calories daily. Calories that are too low for your age, gender, or activity level put you at risk for muscle mass loss as you're not consuming adequate nutrients for your body to function normally.
- Losing 1-2 pounds per week results from cutting out about 500 calories daily. Do not cut out more than this.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I lose the fat in my belly without losing the shape of my legs or butt?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

It's hard to tell. You need to follow the recommendation of this article. Do cardiovascular exercise four to five days a week, and resistance training two to three days a week. You need to keep up your protein intake as well as your complex carbohydrates. Try and eliminate sugar from your diet.

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Tips

Slow and steady weight loss is the best approach to maintaining lean muscle mass while dieting.

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Prior to making any changes to your diet, always speak with your doctor first. They will be able to tell you what's safe and appropriate for you.

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Also speak to your doctor prior to starting a new exercise routine.

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