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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Eating Disorders > Nutrition & Dieting > Burning the fat while preserving the muscle
Expert: Tanya Zilberter, PhD
Date: 5/11/2008
Subject: Burning the fat while preserving the muscle
Question
Hey, this is a pretty in depth question but... im a 21 year old male, 170
pounds, I've been working out for the past year and put on some decent size.
I've been trying to cut down for the summer, so I stopped eating crap and
started eating very clean. I've noticed that because I eat so cleen and eat so
much protein that by the end of the day I only consumed about 1200 calories,
give or take about 100-200, and I never get a hungry feeling or a decrease in
energy. Before eating good, I coudn't tell you how many calories a day I was
consuming because it was just sporatic eating, and it was all fast food and
high carb and high fat foods, but I could eat a lot. I keep hearing that going
below like 1800 cals for males will cause you to lose muscle, but so far
(month and half) I have lost a good amount of fat (185 down to 170) where
my abs are almost showing, and it seems I haven't gotten weaker, in fact my
weights have seemed to increase somewhat, especially now that I take so
much protein. I also take in adequit form of vitamins, from calcium supps,
multi-vitamin, vitamin C, whey, glutamine, BCAA's. I just want to know if I
continue to eat like this, will it jepordize me in anyway, and cause me to lose
muscle. I'm only going to be doing this untill about june first, where I will
begain to start to bulk up again. Just from personal experience and
observation, I have noticed and seen first hand a countless amount of my
friends and high school kids who have gained good muscle size without
knowing a thing about nutrition. I realize, adequit nutrition is needed to gain
seroius size, but I'm no 230 pound body builder, it just seems sometimes
nutrition can get overplayed, and the stuff you read online might only appeal
to top conditioned athletes and body builders. Sorry for the long question,
any info for my situation would be really appreciated.
Thank you,
EJ
Answer
Dear EJ,
At your level of fitness and knowledge, I'm afraid it's not enough to give you a simple answer like 'yes, nutrition is overplayed' or 'no, this stuff is not for bodybuilders only'.
For one thing, I don't believe in the calorie theories because all my long, long experience tells me otherwise. Another thing is, the 'countless amount of your friends and high school kids who have gained good muscle size without knowing a thing about nutrition' you've mentioned -- they can just have a luckier metabolic make up, or they listen to their bodies well, or they have higher hidden energy expenditure, etc.
Also, the rule of thumb is, if something doesn't work for you, change it. Make one change at a time - change your meal frequence, or cut down on carbs, or increase your good fat intake, or decrease your food density, or its glycemic index, or change your exercise routine, etc.
Read more:
Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle
http://fbindex.burnthefat.hop.clickbank.net
Basic Facts about Carbs, Fat, and Protein in Diets
http://bantadiet.com/banta/?page_id=41
Are you having enough nutrients?
http://bantadiet.com/banta/?page_id=49
3500 Calories To Lose A Pound?
http://atkinszone.com/2008/03/3500-calories-to-lose-pound.html
Calorie Controversies
http://atkinszone.com/2008/03/calorie-controversies.html
Calorie = calorie = calorie?
http://atkinszone.com/2008/03/calorie-calorie-calorie.html
Tanya Zilberter
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