If you are planning to lose those extra pounds, make sure that poundage does not come from losing your muscles. Sometimes, while people try to lose weight, they also end up losing their muscle mass. In some cases, it also results in an increase in the body fat percentage. It’s because to lose weight you consume less calories. Moreover, you workout to burn the calories you have consumed. This puts the health of your muscles at stake.
Why do you lose muscles while trying to lose weight?
Diet low in calories reduces the intracellular signaling required to signal the body to generate new muscle proteins. Moreover, weight loss diets make your muscles less sensitive to the protein you consume throughout the day. As a consequence, muscles fail to obtain essential amino acids the proteins floating in the blood contain. These amino acids are essential for strengthening muscles.
Losing weight while building muscles:
On the contrary, when you try to build your muscles while losing weight, the exact opposite happens to your body. It not only stokes your metabolism but also lets you maintain your muscle mass while you lose weight. Moreover, stronger your muscles are, the more strength you have to indulge in strenuous weight loss workouts. It also reduces your chance of incurring an injury and offers overall health benefits.
Today we are going to give you some tips on how you can lose weight while keeping your muscles in their best shape. So, continue reading.
Expert-approved strategies for building muscle while losing fat:
1. Consume protein rich meals:
According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, men who consumed low-calorie but protein rich diets ended up losing more weight as compared to the group of men who intake the same ratio of calories paired with less amount of protein. Moreover, it was also revealed that the former group gained around 2.64 pounds of lean muscle as compared to less than a quarter pound of muscle gained by the later. Consider weight loss coffee (which is also known as slimming coffee).
This indicates in order to keep your muscle mass intact as you lose weight, it’s important for you to consume a low-calorie diet which is protein-rich. There is no harm in consuming high amounts of protein if you are indulging in regular weight loss exercises.
2. Start slow and steady:
The majority of us desire to lose weight as quickly as possible. However, a drastic drop in weight doesn’t simply cause the fat to burn. You also end up losing your muscle mass. According to an obesity study, the people who consumed a low-calorie diet drastically lost their weight. However, it was observed that 18% of the poundage they had lost was from muscles. However, when they switched to a rather moderate approach this percentage went down to 7.7.
This reveals that moderate approach to weight loss doesn’t simply let you lose weight but makes sure that you build muscle while doing so.
3. Indulge in strength training three times a week:
The majority of the people who set on their weight loss journey believe that they need to add more cardiovascular workouts to their fitness regime. This type of strenuous physical activity helps you lose weight. However, it cannot replace the health benefits that weight training offers. According to a study in which 10,500 adults participated, it was revealed that performing strength training exercises makes you gain less abdominal fat. However, you don’t lose any muscle in the process. The results were not as effective in the people who relied on cardio only to lose weight.
4. Keep your cardio workout sessions short:
To lose fat and gain more muscle while doing cardio, you need to incorporate more high-intensity interval exercises to your workout regime. It could either be repeated treadmill sprints, bike riding or elliptical. This type of cardiovascular exercise not only helps you lose fat but also allows you to gain more muscle. On the other hand, low-to-moderate intensity workouts make you lose muscles along with the fat loss.
It is not healthy to lose muscles while trying to lose weight. You need to come up with a way that lets you retain your muscle as you lose weight. Consuming a protein rich low-calorie diet, indulging in HIIT workouts and a lot more can help you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals.
