Diet
What If I Can't Eat Normal Healthy Foods?
Understandably, you may be in a situation in which the above is simply not a reality. Perhaps having access to many nutrient-dense foods isn't an option at this time, or maybe you have extremely limited food resources and the only items you can easily get your hands on are chockfull of carbs (such as rice and potatoes).
If that's the case, here are the two nutrition variables that matter the most for body composition, in order:
Calories: If all else fails, make sure you're consuming adequate food. While food quality obviously matters, calories are king when it comes to retaining muscle and shedding body fat.
Protein: It's the ultimate macronutrient for gains. As much as you can, try to make sure you're hitting the minimum threshold of 0.64g per pound of total bodyweight. But if you fall short, rest assured that any resistance training you're doing will help attenuate losses in muscle mass.
Don't worry about too much else – nutrient timing, meal frequency, low carb/low fat, etc. Eat in a way that suits your personal preferences and lifestyle while adhering to the above points as much as possible. And if you can't, then simply do what you can and let that be good enough.
Don't Stress, Be Ready to Bounce Back
You may have noticed the running theme here: Do what you can for resistance training (even if it means relying on bodyweight exercises), take a break from dieting if you can't train at all, and stay consistent.
If you do happen to lose a little bit of muscle and maybe gain some body fat during your training hiatus, rest assured you can bounce back. I wish there was a fancier secret, but the reality is that the fundamentals of body composition remain the same no matter your gym situation.
One last thing: As much as you can, try not to stress over any of the above. You may be out of your routine right now, but it's entirely possible to maintain or even improve your physique with limited resources.
Related: Prevent Muscle Loss – The Definitive Guide
Related: Build Muscle Anywhere, Anytime
References
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Andersen LL, Andersen JL, Magnusson SP, Suetta C, Madsen JL, Christensen LR, Aagaard P (2005) Changes in the human muscle force-velocity relationship in response to resistance training and subsequent detraining. J Appl Physiol 99:87–94
Leger B, Cartoni R, Praz M, Lamon S, Deriaz O, Crettenand A, Gobelet C, Rohmer P, Konzelmann M, Luthi F, Russell AP (2006) Akt signalling through GSK-3beta, mTOR and Foxo1 is involved in human skeletal muscle hypertrophy and atrophy. J Physiol 576:923–933
Ogasawara, R., Yasuda, T., Ishii, N., & Abe, T. (2013). Comparison of muscle hypertrophy following 6-month of continuous and periodic strength training. European journal of applied physiology, 113(4), 975-985
Bickel, C. S., Cross, J. M., & Bamman, M. M. (2011). Exercise dosing to retain resistance training adaptations in young and older adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(7), 1177-1187
Aragon, A. A., Schoenfeld, B. J., Wildman, R., Kleiner, S., VanDusseldorp, T., Taylor, L., ... & Stout, J. R. (2017). International society of sports nutrition position stand: diets and body composition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 16
Ballor, D. L., Katch, V. L., Becque, M. D., & Marks, C. R. (1988). Resistance weight training during caloric restriction enhances lean body weight maintenance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 47(1), 19-25
Layman, D. K., Evans, E., Baum, J. I., Seyler, J., Erickson, D. J., & Boileau, R. A. (2005). Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. The Journal of nutrition, 135(8), 1903-1910
Miller, T., Mull, S., Aragon, A. A., Krieger, J., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2018). Resistance training combined with diet decreases body fat while preserving lean mass independent of resting metabolic rate: A randomized trial. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 28(1), 46-54
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