Sunday, January 18, 2009

Burn the Fat and Keep the Muscle, It's Not Impossible!

By Ricardo d Argence

When most people diet or exercise, they don't do it because they are worried about the amount of unsightly muscle they have in their body. Unfortunately, this is the way most people approach their weight loss.

They do end up losing weight because of this, but the weight loss is from muscles instead of fat. But, there are good ways to maintain your current muscle mass while losing weight, which is good news.

The mistake most people make when trying to lose weight is to dramatically cut down their intake of calories. On one hand this makes perfect sense, because every 3,000 calories you take in but don't burn off is going to add an additional pound to your weight. Unfortunately, this is the worst tactic you could try if you don't want to lose muscle.

In primary case there is storage of fat in your body, which is for the need as an energy supply depot in case you suffer from starvation due to short supply of food. That is what it is called when you are not eating enough to sustain your life.

When you stop taking in calories your body would automatically start using up these stockpiles but that's the case,you might think that. Those are the emergency, last resort rations.

Your body will begin to turn your muscle into energy and then your metabolism will slow, meaning you'll need less calories, so it will be more difficult to lose weight.

A better plan is to gradually reduce your calorie intake and let your body adjust to the changes. For example, you might reduce your calories by 10% the first week, another 10% the second week, and so on. This prevents your body from going into starvation mode.

You must perform the proper excercises in order to burn fat and not muscle. To focus on cardiovascular workouts, is what most fitness instructors and health advocates are going to tell you. It will help your heart and lungs get stronger so you can do more exercise without getting worn out, so it's a good way to start.

However, you need to add some weight training to that recipe at least 2 to 3 times a week. That way you'll be replenishing lost muscle and adding new muscle mass. This is good because muscle requires more calories than fat. If you have a lot of lean muscle mass in your body, your metabolism is going to increase which means you'll burn off more calories and lose weight.

You'll also see another benefit of adding some weight training into the mix, muscle tone. Many people who lose weight too quickly or without properly exercising end up flabby.

There is a high cost and it is very risky for certain plastic surgery procedures but they can help with that particular problem. To minimize loose skin while dieting, you should exercise to build muscle tone. - 16887

About the Author:

No comments: