What many people don’t account for when embarking on a weight loss journey is that ‘weight loss’ can involve both losing muscle and body fat. Ideally though, we want to aim to retain as much muscle as possible, as muscle plays as vital role in keeping our bodies healthy and performing optimally.

Before we delve into the tips, it’s important to first understand that to reduce weight and lose fat, you should be in a safe calorie deficit. 

TIP 1: Lift Weights – Research has shown that even in lower calorie diets, lifting weights/strength workouts are one of the most effective ways to retain muscle while losing weight/body fat. Aim to train with heavier weights and for 5-10 reps.

TIP 2: Keep your caloric deficit small – whilst larger calorie deficits will help you lose weight faster, you will often do so at the expense of losing an increased amount of muscle, opposed to a less aggressive calorie deficit.

TIP 3: Eat sufficient protein – high protein diets can be effective at helping your body to retain muscle even when eating at a caloric deficit, as well as help your body repair and build post strength and resistance sessions.

– Ellie Mullen (Personal Trainer & Nutritionist)