No, I m not starving myself. I m on a healthy weight loss diet, and I m looking to shed about 20 pounds of fat. However, I don t want to lose muscle, nor would I mind gaining a couple of pounds of muscle.My understanding of how the body burns calories is that it burns mostly fat, and a small amount of muscle, until the point where the person s weight gets dangerously low and all it has left to burn is muscle and tissue. I m not planning on getting to a dangerously low weight, but I d like to avoid as much muscle loss as possible.If I take a protein supplement and add more strength training to my workouts, would it help with this at all?Please only respond if you actually know what you re talking about and aren t just some kid who read and article on weight loss and thinks they re an expert now.
I would suggest committing yourself to a diet consisting of high protein, fruits and vegetables, and complex carbohydrates in moderation. I would also recommend a multi-vitamin. For protein I would suggest tuna, sole, cod, tilapia, shrimp; these forms of sea food are a fantastic source of protein that are surprisingly low in calories. Also, a protein supplement as you had mentioned can be very important; personally I would recommend Optimum Nutrition s 100% Gold Standard Whey, or Allmax Nutrition s IsoFlex, both almost 90% protein powder, with around 100 calories per serving, and basically no fat or carbohydrates. Your body needs protein every 3 hours to be sufficiently nourished and deterred from going to the hard earned muscle tissue buffet if you will. Try to eat consistently throughout the day, quenching your body s need for protein, while balancing this with your fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs. Whey protein is quickly absorbed and is perfect for when you need some muscle fuel during the day, although if you re really keen on not sparing any muscle tissue, you can even try casien protein which is a slowly absorbed form of protein. Casein protein is best taken at night time, so that your muscles have food during the hours you are basically not eating. For this I would recommend Optimum Nutrition s 100% Gold Standard Casein Protein. You can also try taking a mineral called chromium picolinate which helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Studies show that ingesting this trace mineral can increase fat loss and promote lean muscle gains. Pair this nutrition with a workout schedule that includes cardio and strength training, so that your muscles will become more receptive to the protein and the nutrients you are ingesting. If you are looking to tone your muscles through strength training, go with a low weight for a high number of reps, and if you are looking to increase muscle size as well as strength go with a high weight for a low number of weights. One thing I would like to add; do not be dismayed with what you see on the bathroom scale. One can lose a pound of fat, and gain a pound of muscle, so if the numbers aren t looking to drastically different, don t freak out or give up. Go on how you feel and/or how you look in the mirror. Good luck!
Please only respond if you actually know what you re talking about and aren t just some kid who read and article on weight loss and thinks they re an expert now whats the point of saying that, just because of this, im not going to help u
Increasing weight training will definitely help. Not sure about the protein supplements, it s not really my area, but weights will help you maintain muscle mass when you are loosing weight.
/facepalm at irish...Make sure to get a lot of protein in your calorie deficit and keep lifting heavy.
For one thing, you are on a plan heading for success....as a trainer, I try to beat what you are understanding, into clients heads everyday! So, as you know already, your goal is to build and hold onto your muscle mass. Remember this though....you need to foget the scale, because for the reasons you want to build and keep muscle, which is to burn fat, so muscle weighs more.....even if the scale moves slow or never changes, you are completely transforming your body, and will look terrific as you replace fat for muscle, so you won t lose 20 pounds, but in reality you will gain soooooo much! Their are a few things you can add as supplements, to help you along the way, but remember, it doesn t mean you should take calories tremendously low, because don t forget, you still need to feed your metabolism. Also, you never want to do a plan that you can t stick with over the long haul, because that type of dieting would keep you being a yoyo dieter, making it become increasingly harder to lose fat each time you try....and your body will always be soft. Make sure you still get your 5-6 meals per day, balanced with carbs,proteins and healthy fats, such as olive oil. So, some things can t be compromised within a plan....such as meals, lifting weights, and low intensity cardio. To presserve muscle, you can supplement with amino acids, by taking 2-15mins before your weight session, 2-during, and 2-only if you are going to do low intensity cardio after lifting, like 25mins walking normal on a treadmill, otherwise skip them. Another thing, would be powdered l-glutamine, this is awesome for building muscle, or retaining muscle, especially when you begin to start decreasing calories(I use this when my clients are getting close to a bodybuilding contest, as preperation). You can mix that into a drink(no sugar of course) during your training and sip that throughout your session. Also, some tips to hold onto muscle, never do any hard cardio on the days you lift, because this will use your muscle, save anything like running or run intervals for your days off, treat them as if you lifted. You can also walk(easy 30-40mins, I do 40 when I can), early morning on an empty stomach, this also helps you burn fat, and you can still lift later in the day.I hope this helps! Good luck!
