Attention to Muscle Loss While Losing Weight

Unhealthy diets, prolonged weight loss journeys, and insufficient physical activity can lead to undesired muscle loss, disrupting body composition.
How Does Muscle Loss Occur? Individuals aiming to lose weight through weight loss diets or personal methods should prioritize fat burning. To ensure that the lost weight comes predominantly from fat mass, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and attention to meeting protein requirements are crucial. Without taking these measures, the body tends to compensate for the energy deficit during a diet by breaking down muscle tissues for energy production. This results in muscle loss, accompanied by sagging and regional fat accumulation issues. Aside from visual concerns, muscle loss also adversely affects health. As the body loses strength and endurance, physical performance weakens, and disruptions in the functions of organs composed mainly of muscles may occur. To prevent these issues, it is essential to take measures to prevent muscle loss while losing weight or to initiate necessary efforts to regain lost muscle mass.
Symptoms of Muscle Loss While Losing Weight Experiencing muscle loss while losing weight comes with certain symptoms. Being mindful of these symptoms is crucial for maintaining health during a diet. Symptoms of muscle loss while losing weight may include:

• Fatigue, low energy, constant drowsiness, or waking up tired in the morning.
• Quick fatigue or weakness.
• Negative changes in mood.
• Balance issues.
• Sagging in areas with dense muscle, such as cheeks or arm muscles.
• Insufficient reduction of fat in areas like the abdomen and hips despite weight loss.

Individuals experiencing these symptoms during or after a weight loss process should consult a healthcare professional, undergo routine blood tests, and receive a thorough examination. For those following a diet under the guidance of a dietitian, regular monitoring of body composition through body analysis devices makes it easier to detect muscle loss. If muscle loss is identified, individuals should take necessary actions to prevent further loss or initiate efforts to regain lost muscle mass.
Causes of Muscle Loss The weight loss process occurs when the body does not receive sufficient energy through nutrition, leading to the breakdown of body tissues for energy production. As glycogen stores deplete quickly, the body utilizes fat tissues and protein-rich muscle tissues for energy, resulting in gradual weight loss. While the body prioritizes fat tissue, very low-calorie diets, rapid weight loss, skipping meals to induce hunger, inadequate protection of muscles through regular exercise, and insufficient protein intake can contribute to muscle loss. Adhering to the principles of healthy eating with a proper and healthy weight loss diet ensures that weight loss predominantly comes from fat mass. Unfortunately, muscle loss is commonly observed during weight loss due to improper diets and the absence of a consistent exercise plan. Understanding the reasons for muscle loss is essential to embark on a weight loss journey with awareness and to avoid this adverse outcome.
When Does Muscle Loss Begin? Some degree of muscle loss is natural in every weight loss diet, but an increased ratio of muscle loss is an undesirable outcome. The timing of when muscle loss begins varies. Individuals on very low-calorie diets or with inadequate protein intake may experience rapid muscle loss in the early days of weight loss. Additionally, interrupting or neglecting exercise during the diet process can initiate muscle loss. Significantly reducing calorie intake to accelerate weight loss can also lead to the beginning of muscle loss.
How to Compensate for Muscle Loss? For individuals experiencing symptoms of muscle loss while losing weight, taking measures to compensate for this condition without compromising health is crucial. If health checks reveal no issues with blood values, individuals should consult a dietitian to obtain information about their daily protein requirements and make necessary changes to their eating plan to meet those requirements. Initiating regular exercise is indispensable for strengthening muscles and replacing lost muscle tissues through adequate protein intake. Alongside these efforts, if weight loss is to continue, it is essential to review the diet plan and make necessary adjustments for the right pace of weight loss, all under the guidance of a dietitian. If individuals continue to experience muscle loss despite a proper nutrition plan and regular exercise, an underlying health issue may be present, and consulting a healthcare professional for a detailed health check is recommended.
Foods to Prevent Muscle Loss To prevent muscle loss during weight loss or compensate for muscle loss, attention to certain foods can be beneficial. Natural and healthy foods with high protein content play a crucial role in preventing muscle loss and building new muscle mass. Some essential foods in this regard include:

• Eggs.
• Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and kefir.
• Legumes.
• Nuts (in limited quantities).
• Fish and seafood.

Meeting the body's requirement for minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which play important roles in muscle functions, is also essential to prevent muscle loss. Following a healthy and balanced eating plan and ensuring adequate intake of these food groups will help fulfill the body's mineral needs. Additionally, engaging in regular exercise at least three days a week is crucial to maintaining muscle mass and promoting overall health. Making exercise a part of daily life, even after completing a diet, is beneficial for both preserving muscle mass and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. If you're looking to lose weight while preventing muscle loss, it's advisable to consult with your doctor and dietitian before starting a diet. Adhering to the above recommendations and being mindful of a healthy approach can help prevent muscle loss during weight loss or initiate efforts to recover lost muscle mass if already experienced.