I have a lot of fat to lose (about 40 pounds or so) due to COVID, lack of exercise and a subsequent back surgery to boot. I am taking the gentle weight loss approach as I have discussed in my cutting/weight loss guide post (here) in order to preserve as much muscle as possible. If you remember from my early posts, the more aggressive the calorie deficit, the more weight you lose, but all too often a lot of that weight is muscle mass (and fat). Muscle mass actually BURNS fat naturally as your metabolism is higher to maintain said muscle, so it is most beneficial (and most aesthetically pleasing) to keep as much muscle mass as possible and aim for slow, controlled fat loss while preserving muscle, which is best done with a mild caloric deficit. I may actually be able to build muscle and lose fat at the same time due to my extensive time away from exercise and lifting (if you recall, people who are fairly obese or are new to exercising/lifting (or both) tend to be able to get away with this).
Week 1
- 5/31/21 – 222 lbs and 21.5% body fat. I don’t look or feel good at all. My confidence is in the toilet and I have a nice farmer tan from keeping my shirt on outside that adds a beautiful contrast (sarcasm) to my rolls.