Keeping weight off after a diet is hard, no matter how quickly or slowly you lose it — and it’s not just about a newfound appetite.
One of the “problems” is that when we lose weight, we not only lose fat, but we also lose quite a bit of muscle – and muscle helps you burn calories.
Unlike fat, muscles burn energy throughout the day, even when we sleep. So when you lose muscle mass, your basal metabolic rate (the calories you burn at rest) also slows down.
That means that not only will your weight loss likely stagnate, but it will also be harder for you to keep the pounds off if you stop dieting.
The problem of muscle loss is not only a problem with many diets, but also with the new weight loss drugs, such as semaglutide (under the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy).
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough protein through your diet as it is critical for maintaining your muscle mass
A 2021 study in the New England Journal of Medicine that helped spark the frenzy of interest in these new weight-loss drugs examined what happened when nearly 2,000 overweight adults received weekly injections of semaglutide or were assigned a placebo.
The average weight loss in the treatment group was an impressive 15.3 kg. However, the researchers found that while most of the weight the participants lost was excess fat (yay!), about 40 percent was due to the loss of lean muscle mass — not good news.
In addition to burning calories, muscle mass is necessary for strength and mobility, especially as we age.
Is there a way to get around this? The ultimate solution would be a weight-loss drug that helps patients shed pounds without slowing down the metabolism. A recent study suggested this might be possible with a drug called GDF15.
It appears to cause weight loss through two different mechanisms: Not only does it suppress appetite, but it also stimulates your muscles so they burn more calories, according to the study in the journal Nature.
Researchers at McMaster University in Canada took two groups of mice and injected one with GDF15, while the others acted as controls. Both groups were fed a calorie-restricted diet and within two weeks all mice lost approximately the same weight. But four weeks later, despite all mice still following the same diet, weight loss stagnated in those not given the drug.
The mice given GDF15 continued to lose weight, in some cases dropping to about 75 percent of their starting weight. The main difference was that the mice injected with GDF15 retained their muscle – and thus their basal metabolic rate – when they lost weight (the control group did not).
The scientists said more research is needed, but it’s clear that a drug that helps preserve muscle while you lose weight has great potential.
One of the “problems” is that when we lose weight, we not only lose fat, we also lose quite a bit of muscle – and muscle helps you burn calories
In the meantime, what can you do to maintain your muscle (and metabolism) if you want to lose weight the old-fashioned way?
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough protein through your diet, as it is critical for maintaining your muscle mass.
In the infamous Minnesota Starvation Experiment, conducted during World War II, slim young volunteers were asked to live on a diet very low in protein and fat, consisting largely of turnips and potatoes, to investigate the impact on their overall health .
After six months, their body fat had dropped to less than 10 percent, their metabolism crashed, and they lost about 20 percent of their muscle strength.
In addition, they went mad with hunger (one man was so mad that he cut off three of his fingers with an axe).
When they were allowed to eat again, they stuffed themselves, put on weight, and more. This experiment is a warning about what can happen if you don’t get enough protein.
To lose weight safely and effectively, make sure you’re getting at least 50 grams of protein a day (good sources include meat, fish, eggs, tofu, and whole grains) and that your daily protein intake is split between your three main meals. this way it is absorbed better.
Whether I’m trying to lose weight or not, I normally have two eggs (15 g protein) or kippers (25 g protein) for breakfast, and make sure I get at least 20 g protein with my lunch and dinner.
You should also get regular exercise, especially resistance exercises, such as push-ups and squats, to help maintain muscle.
A 2011 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that overweight women who followed a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet and exercised seven days a week lost twice as much belly fat as a group who followed a low-protein diet and ended up losing an average of 3 pounds. more muscle mass.