Muscle growth

[GlennR]

I've read the posts on protein and there doesn't seem to be any need to emphasize protein in my diet in order to optimize muscle growth but I did wonder if increasing my general food consumption would make any difference in muscle growth.

I've reached my goal weight but I have too little muscle and too much body fat. I've started a resistance training regime but I'm unsure of the optimum strategy for eating. Would you recommend just keeping my eating constant and the same that I used to reach my target, or would you recommend eating a bit more for muscle growth?

Thanks for any insight you could share. It would be nice to change my body composition.

[GlennR]

It seems there are quite a few articles on gaining muscle while losing fat but most don't have a lot of references backing them up. One set of recommendations I saw came from an article at US News.

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/fitness/articles/can-you-gain-muscle-while-losing-weight

Recommendations include:

Eat more protein
Lose weight slowly
Strength train three times a week
Keep your cardio brief
Give your muscles a break
Be patient

For the protein recommendation they quote a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which concluded:

Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/3/738/4564609

[JeffN]

Check these out and then let me know if you have any questions

Building Muscle
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=17086

Protein and Amino Acids
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=57153

Protein and Building Strength
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=57444

Body Weight
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=13617&p=122416

Weight and Exercise
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=8219&p=59723

Muscle vs Fat
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=11186

In Health
Jeff

[GlennR]

Thanks Jeff. I've read through the links and I appreciate you supplying them. Maybe by the summer, I'll be able to take off my shirt without feeling embarrassed about being skinny-fat. I've done a lot of bodybuilding at times in my life but always relied on a protein-heavy diet to support muscle growth. My kidneys don't need the strain so I'll keep my current diet and keep records so I can see what works best in increasing my strength and muscle mass.

Perhaps, if I can get into reasonable shape by my 66th birthday this summer, I'll apply for consideration as a Star McDougaller. Currently I've met my weight target and I'm looking forward to continued improvements.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=60609&start=30#p612748

[JeffN]

Thanks Jeff. I've read through the links and I appreciate you supplying them. Maybe by the summer, I'll be able to take off my shirt without feeling embarrassed about being skinny-fat. I've done a lot of bodybuilding at times in my life but always relied on a protein-heavy diet to support muscle growth. My kidneys don't need the strain so I'll keep my current diet and keep records so I can see what works best in increasing my strength and muscle mass.

Perhaps, if I can get into reasonable shape by my 66th birthday this summer, I'll apply for consideration as a Star McDougaller. Currently I've met my weight target and I'm looking forward to continued improvements.

https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=60609&start=30#p612748

Just wanted to make sure you covered the past discussions.

Here is what I would do if it was me

- Stick to the MWL program. No special dietary changes necessary.
- Engage in moderate activity 4-6x week.
- include 1-3 session of HIT (High Intensity Training) a week. Start with 1, then go to 2, then 3.These can be part of your aerobic sessions
- lift weight 2-3x a week. Use 2-3 sets. Use compound exercises only, focusing on the larger muscle groups (chest, back, thigh, etc). Dont wast time on isolated exercise for small muscles.
- Start slow and build up
- Get lots of rest/sleep

Body composition will change slowly over time.

In Health
Jeff

[GlennR]

Jeff, once again, thanks for the advice. I've not really used MWL so I will just continue with the regular program which has got me to my goal weight.