Does A Low Carb Diet For A Week Or 2 Make You Lose Muscle?

[JUICESEEKER]

I want to lose some fat so i am getting serious with my diet. I want to get no more than 50 grams of carbs a day for mon-fri and weekends off for 2 weeks. I want to lose about 5 lbs in 2 weeks. I will also be during cardio. I am worried that a low carb diet will make me lose precious muscle tissue. Should i be worried?

 

[doubles1]

bumjp im in the same boat.

 

[Ceebs]

No, underconsuming calories - no matter which macronutrient they come from - makes you lose muscle.

Don't confuse intramuscular water losses or temporary drops in strength with a loss of actual contractile tissue.

 

[eXplicit]

well

I've been successful in both cutting back on my food intake to cut for summer and maintaining, and in some cases, building muscle (however I'm only 18 probably easier for me). I'm like 6'6 210 now and I am continuing to get mildly stronger while losing BF%. The most common theory is on this board and with health professionals in general is that if you are losing weight, you are probably losing some muscle as your body is in a catabolic state. But if you only eat 200-300 below your maitinence level and workout every day I think that it is possible to maintain. But this is my two cents and I'm probably wrong .

 

[satchboogie]

No, underconsuming calories - no matter which macronutrient they come from - makes you lose muscle.

Don't confuse intramuscular water losses or temporary drops in strength with a loss of actual contractile tissue.

CEEBS has it right on the money.

in addition, on most cutting routines, in the absence of anabolics, muscle loss is inevitable. some will say that the 'catabolicism' induced by these low calorie routines is way exaggerated, but i disagree.

i've done many cutting routines, bulking routines, and maintanance routines, and from my experience with the few cutters that i tried without steroids.... i lost a little muscle.

so basically, unless you're on the sauce, expect little muscle loss. the amount of muscle loss will obviously depend on your caloric intake/expenditure.

 

[Babyfaced Assassin]

i believe that for a low carb diet to take effect and to use fat efficiently for energy thus maximising the fat loss potential of a low carb diet, one would need a minimumn 6-8 weeks adaptation period.

a 2 week low carb diet will make u lose weight but it will probably be nothing more than water and some glycogen.

I agree with Ceebs.
If you're looking to lose some weight then just eat cleaner and burn more calories