Many people who want to lose weight, don’t want to lose muscle mass, or at least they shouldn’t want to lose it. That’s because the more muscle tissue you have, the easier it is to lose weight. Don’t worry, you can build muscle and lose fat while doing it. You can also shed those unwanted pounds at the same time and create a body environment that will keep off weight permanently.
Eat healthy.
It sounds like the same old advice and it actually is, but it doesn’t make it any less true. That’s because eating healthy helps you lose weight and build muscle mass. Protein is important when you’re trying to build muscles, so make certain you eat an adequate amount of lean protein from plant or animal sources. Animal sources include lean chicken, beef, fish and turkey. Plant sources include beans, tofu, nuts or seeds. To maximize the benefits of the plant protein, soak, ferment or sprout them first.
Focus on the right type of exercise.
If the only type of exercise you’re doing is aerobic, you’ll burn fat, but you’ll also burn muscle tissue at the same time. While aerobic exercise is important to endurance for the best results for weight loss, use strength building exercise. It builds muscle tissue, burns a high amount of calories and burns fat. Strength training also helps you prevent pounds from returning since it builds muscles. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does.
Don’t spend more than an hour in a workout.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work hard. In fact, when you’re in the gym you’ll boost your muscle building activity if you work at a more difficult pace, with shorter breaks between exercises. If you want to increase your activity, do it by increasing the amount of weight you lift or the number of reps. Those all help build muscle tissue, while also burning calories in the process. Spending more time working out doesn’t get more results after the first hour.
- Get adequate sleep. The body converts fat into the energy it uses during sleep. When you get the right amount of sleep, you’ll have the energy to work harder in the gym and won’t be tempted by sugary treats to raise your energy level.
- Stay hydrated. Not only does it help you stay active and have the energy you need to workout, you may avoid the problem of eating when in reality you’re just thirsty.
- Combine some fat burning foods into your meal plans. Not only is high protein food fat burning, it also helps build muscle mass.
- Don’t get discouraged by the scales if weight loss is part of the goal. Sometimes weight loss doesn’t show on the scales when you’re building muscle tissue. Make shedding inches a goal too.