How likely is it that you’ll lose muscle during a fat loss diet?

According to some people in the more fear-mongering corners of the internet, it’s pretty much inevitable. In fact, as soon as your workout performance drops by a couple of reps… Gasp! You’re losing muscle.

For this reason, some will even say you shouldn’t go into a deficit at all if you hope to gain muscle, even when you carry excess body fat.

I disagree with these extreme positions.
 
So let’s delve into what the research seems to show and my six practical tips to give yourself the greatest chances of minimising muscle loss and maximising growth.

​We all have certain body parts that never seem to get quite as lean as the rest, no matter how hard we diet: our so-called “stubborn fat areas”.
 
Why does this happen?
 
How can you get rid of this stubborn fat?
 
Is it even possible?
 
In order to get to the bottom of your stubborn fat problem, first you need to understand what determines where you store fat, or adipose tissue, and how fast you can lose it.

​The start of the year is an exciting time for fitness.

You may be super motivated right now, which is fantastic. There’s no better mental place to get started!

But are your habits up to the task?

Fat loss and muscle gain are often oversimplified as a matter of calories, protein, and resistance training.

While these are fundamental components of the physique development process, fat loss and muscle-building phases require a lot more if you want to get the best results possible.

That’s why, when I take on a new client, I don’t plunge them into a deficit or a surplus on Day 1.

This approach could do them more harm than good if they didn’t have certain key habits in place, which I help them develop over the initial weeks of coaching.

Some of these habits are always a priority, whereas others are more important in a deficit and less so in a surplus, or vice versa.

Let’s start with the habits that are always a priority, no matter the phase.

What the fitness is the PTC ratio?
 
It’s an acronym I made up (and promptly copyrighted, of course) that stands for “protein-to-calories” ratio.

​A double mastectomy, colloquially known as “top surgery”, can be one of the most life-changing experiences for a gender-diverse individual who was assigned female at birth.
 
Since the beginning of my coaching career, I’ve had the honour of helping multiple clients prepare for this procedure and safely return to training once recovered.
 
In this article, I’m going to share training and nutrition practices to create a sustainable and effective top surgery prep plan that I’ve been learning, perfecting, and developing for years.
 
So, if your top surgery is coming up, read on.