# Fat Loss Vs Muscle Mass



## juddinmaniac (Jul 31, 2007)

I'm trying to build muscle and i am currently taking a protein supplement as well as eating meat like it's running out of fashion.

But to get rid of my belly i was going to buy a fat burning supplement.

Will this have a negative effect on my target of building lean muscle or can i build as well as lose fat.

Advice please!!!

Ps, my cardio is swimming.


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## steve.t (May 20, 2007)

I THINK THE BEST THING TO DO IS EAT PROPERLY AND DO GOOD CARDIO TO GET RID OF FAT. SUPS ARN`T A MAGIC WAND AND WILL ONLY WORK WHEN THE REST IS GOOD. I KNOW, I TRIED THEM WHEN I WAS A BLOATER AND THEY DID NOTHING WITHOUT LOTS OF CARDIO!


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## Slamdog (Jun 11, 2007)

I'm in the same position but i would say diet is more important than cardio.

I have lost about 4 stone so far this year without much cardio at all, just eating clean food and more regularly that 3 times a day.

As for building muscle mass... My strength has risen a fair bit with the gym work. I just keep pushing harder and it seems to work. I know I could have lost more weight if I hadn't been to the gym but then I wouldn't have grown any more muscle.


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## juddinmaniac (Jul 31, 2007)

Thanks for that!

I wanted to use a supplement to push the process on as well as cardio.

But i didn't want to buy one while eating so much to try and grow in size.

Maybe catch 22 i know!!!


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## Slamdog (Jun 11, 2007)

It depends what you are eating..

I have dropped my carbs down and increased my protein consumption. You can't eat to bulk whilst trying to lose fat but you can grow muscle whilst dieting down.

I would look in the diet section here and there is a wealth of information available. I am following John Berardi's Precision Nutrition Program and it is working for me. http://www.precisionnutrition.com


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## bigdaftjoe (Nov 21, 2005)

its not normally done to try and grow and cut at the same time although an increase in muscle mass will increase your metabolic rate and mean that you will use more calories in your day to day routines, I would suggest that you clean up your diet and go for mass first but dont worry too much about fat loss as it will be a by product of increased muscle mass and a cleaner diet, but to give better advice give us an idea of what you currently look like body fat etc and also once you have decided which path you wish to take read the forum associated with it


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## juddinmaniac (Jul 31, 2007)

My carb intake is fairly low, but could be less. But my protein is 200-300g daily.

Thanks for the link, i'll take a look.


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## Slamdog (Jun 11, 2007)

I would certainly go for building muscle with weights whilst keeping your calorie intake at or just below maintenance. Why at maintenance? Because any exercise you do will create a deficit effectively making is a weight loss type diet. I also log everything I eat with FitdayPc, it lets me see just how my macronutrient split is as well as monitoring my calorie intake.

Yes it is a pain, but it makes me think rather than just eating and eating with no thought of what is going into my gob.


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## big (Sep 14, 2004)

Ok, so you want to build muscle and reduce bodyfat simultaneously? Look into carb cycling or timed carb approaches to dieting. There are loads of threads on here about both.


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## Tinytom (Sep 16, 2005)

http://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/getting-started/22687-f-o-tinytom.html

Cutting fat while building muscle basic explaination


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