Should You Lose Weight Before Building Muscle?

When it comes to fitness, one of the most common questions people ask is “Should I lose weight before building muscle?” Sometimes, the answers seem to conflict. But here’s the deal: the answer varies from person to person.

Ultimately, the right choice depends on your fitness goals, your current body composition, and what you want to achieve in the gym. Stick around for the expert insights that can help you figure out the best strategy for you. As always, be sure to consult with your physician before starting any diet or exercise routine to ensure it is right for you.

Losing Weight Before Building Muscle

There are situations when losing weight before getting serious in the weight lifting room might make sense. 

Losing weight might be a higher priority if you have a lot of weight to lose. If you’re living with obesity, evidence shows that health benefits like reduced cholesterol, hypertension, and insulin resistance start to happen when you lose just 5% of your body weight. That means you could improve your health with modest weight loss. 

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If you are not already exercising, there’s an upside to losing weight before building muscle. This approach can potentially ease the strain on your joints, but it’s not without its drawbacks.

Pros

• Losing weight can lead to higher energy levels. Like dropping a heavy backpack, you’ll feel lighter and more energetic, which can enhance your workouts.
• Carrying less body fat means there’s less weight stressing your joints. This reduction can make exercises feel easier and help prevent injuries.

Cons

• If you cut calories too drastically, you risk losing muscle.
• Rapid weight loss and aggressive calorie restriction decreases basal metabolic rate (BMR) which in turn means you’ll be burning fewer calories.

Building Muscle Before Losing Weight

Starting with muscle-building means focusing on gaining strength and muscle mass first instead of focusing on the scale. 

It could be a good idea for people without obesity who have a higher body fat and lower lean mass. This is known as Normal Weight Obesity or NWO.

If that applies to you, you may want to focus on building muscle and shifting your body composition to reduce the risks associated with NWO, including heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

Here’s a look at the pros and cons:

Pros

• Increased muscle mass leads to an increased basal metabolic rate (BMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR). That means you’ll burn more calories, even at rest. 
• Better self-esteem. One study compared the effects of aerobic exercise and resistance training on the mental health of obese teens. They found that after just four weeks, the teens doing resistance training felt a noticeable boost in their self-esteem and sense of strength.

Cons

• You might not see changes in muscle definition as quickly if you have a higher body fat percentage. Your muscles may become more visible when you lose fat later on.
• While focusing on building muscle, you might experience an increase in overall body weight, which could be discouraging if your primary goal includes weight loss.

Just remember, even if your focus is squarely on increasing muscle, you’ll still need to pay attention to what you eat. 

“Protein and carbs are critical for optimizing muscle gain. Protein intakes of about 1.6g per kilogram of body weight have been shown to promote slightly more muscle gain than lower protein intakes, while eating enough carbs is important for exercise intensity, a key component of muscle building,” says Stephanie Nelson. 

Can You Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time?

It’s possible. It’s called body recomposition, and it’s all about creating a balanced workout and nutrition plan to achieve both goals simultaneously. 

MyFitnessPal lead nutrition scientist and dietitian Stephanie Nelson explains, “Body recomposition is a great goal because it requires sustainable weight loss and a balanced diet to achieve.”

MyFitnessPal can help keep you on track as you build healthy habits.

Here’s some tips to keep in mind:

• Caloric intake: You need to manage your calorie intake carefully. Eating too little can cause muscle loss, while eating too much can prevent fat loss.
• Exercise: Both endurance and resistance exercises help preserve muscle mass during weight loss. 
• Protein consumption: High protein intake supports muscle growth and repair, as the building blocks for your muscles.
• Step off the scale. Focus on your body composition changes. You can usually track these at your doctor’s appointments. And while you’re building muscle, pay less attention to your weight.

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An Expert Opinion: Fat Loss vs. Building Muscle

Stephanie Nelson, MS, RD, is MyFitnessPal’s lead nutrition scientist. 

Here’s her take on this burning question:

Regardless of your weight and health goals, I suggest you always prioritize maintaining the muscle you have. That just happens to require the same behaviors that lead to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. 

This includes eating enough protein from nourishing food sources and engaging in regular resistance training—great things to do, weight loss or no weight loss!

So then the question becomes, should I lose weight while building/maintaining muscle or not? And the answer there depends on your personal health needs and performance goals. 

With careful planning, it’s possible to preserve muscle mass and maybe even gain muscle mass while losing weight, as long as the weight loss is slow and sustainable. And slow, sustainable weight loss is preferable to fast, drastic weight loss anyway!

The Bottom Line: Make The Best Weight Loss Decision For Your Goals

Regardless of whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle first, a 500 calorie deficit is the maximum recommended for preserving muscle mass while losing weight. 

And make sure you eat enough protein: 1.2-1.5g/kg for those with obesity, 1.4-2g/kg for those without obesity. Do resistance training two to three times per week if you can. These will help balance a journey of losing weight while optimizing muscle as much as possible.

Originally published October 28, 2020; Updated September 3, 2024

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