Losing weight can be tricky. One of the major hurdles to weight loss is to lose the fat, not the muscle. Crash diets can cause you to "waste" which means lose muscle mass, which is one the main reasons we do not generally recommend these type of diets. OK, so how do I go about ensuring that I am not losing excess muscle mass during my weight loss regimen? Well, here are some useful tips which could help you out along the way:
Get your proteins: Proteins are the building blocks of your
muscles and are therefore very important to maintaining your body's muscle mass. A good sources of protein may include fish, dairy, egg whites, cottage cheese, beans, meat and poultry. If you can't get enough proteins in your diet, then you may have to seek out supplemental sources. Your daily recommended protein intake will vary based on age and sex. Infants only need 10 grams/day, adult women need 46 grams/day and adult men need 56 grams/day. Oh, and if you are pregnant or lactating then you need over 70 grams/day!
Avoid Crash Diets: These type of diets, which require severe calorie restrictions or cut an essential dietary element from your diet can stress your body out and are difficult to maintain. It's best to stay away from them altogether. Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD) deprive your body of many essential food groups, particularly carbohydrates, which could adversely effect your metabolism. Research has shown that VLCD may directly or indirectly lead to gallstone formation. You can achieve similar results with other diets in just a little more time. Rebound rates are quite high with VLCD programs and many dieters regain their lost weight. To avoid regaining the weight, usually a regimen of dietary counseling and exercise regimen is recommended.
Get Your Exercise On: Inactivity leads to muscle loss, plain and simple. It is best to incorporate both cardiovascular and strength training exercises in order to best maintain your muscle mass. The strength training makes sure you increase your lean muscle mass. The cardiovascular aspect helps improve your heart function and promotes weight loss.
Eat and Live Healthy: Don't skip breakfast. Do not skip your regular meals. And drink plenty of water.
Get Some Rest - By this we mean not over-exercising, but more importantly getting enough sleep. In fact, if you can get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, your body will have more time to rebuild and repair your muscles.
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