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Want to lose fat and keep it off without
losing muscle? Most diets and weight loss programs
underfeed the body too aggressively, and the result is a
loss of lean muscle tissue. Many diets also disrupt
metabolism balance.
The right way to lose fat without losing
muscle tissue is to keep metabolism in balance. To do this
you’ve got to balance both anabolic and catabolic
metabolisms. Anabolic means building up tissue, while
catabolic means breaking down tissue. Most diets fail
because the body becomes trapped in the catabolic phase.
The secret to losing fat without losing
muscle begins with being careful to avoid overdoing the
reduction of carbohydrates. You need to manage
carbohydrates, not eliminate carbohydrates.
I’ve found that I can lose fat without
losing muscle by reducing carbohydrates by 20 percent of
daily need for 48 hours and then replenishing the glycogen
(sugar and water) in the muscle by eating 100 percent of
your daily carbohydrate requirements. In this way you will
have two fat-burning days and then a recovery day. You
will experience fat loss averaging 1 to 2 pounds a week
while keeping your muscles well-fed.
Don’t forget exercise. Good nutrition and
exercise keeps us from becoming insulin resistant. I won’t
go into exercise regimes in this article but suffice it to
say, we must exercise three to five times a week for at
least 30 minutes to stay fit. It’s important to know when
to exercise as it relates to eating. You should exercise
more aggressively on those days when your muscles are
getting more carbohydrates and take days off from exercise
when they are receiving fewer carbohydrates. The best
results from exercise come when we are not exercising.
They come after we
exercise and in direct response to how the muscles receive
nutrition following exercise. The best time to exercise is
1.5 to 2 hours after eating when blood sugar levels and
insulin levels are slowly declining. Timing your exercise
to this blood sugar decline allows the muscles to receive
nutrients from the fat cells more efficiently. Don’t
exercise unless you have at least one meal left in your
day so that the muscles can recuperate from exercise.
Each meal should have a balanced
macronutrition (30 percent protein, 50 percent high fiber,
low glycemic carbohydrates, and 20 percent fat.). It
should also provide essential micronutrients (vitamins,
minerals, enzymes and phytochemicals (found in whole
grains, fruits and vegetables.
If you desire external weight tomorrow, you
must commit to an internal change of heart today. It takes
more than knowing what to do. You must believe in what
you’re doing, and keep on doing what you know you have to
do. You must mature to a place where spirit, mind and body
are in concert. This takes positive training, and requires
that you rid yourself of tired old beliefs in favor of
more effective new ones. The results will be nothing short
of life-changing.
B-Fit. Train hard. Here’s to your health!’
Ailina
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