Monday, January 19, 2009

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

By Ricardo d Argence

Unsightly muscle is not the reason the majority of people diet or exercise. Sadly to say, this way is how most people take the first step towards 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.

To dramatically cut down their intake of calories is the mistake most people make when trying to lose weight. This makes because it is a fact that for every 3,000 calories you consume and fail to burn off will make you gain one pound of 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.

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

First, your body is going to convert your muscle mass into energy and that's going to slow your metabolism so you don't need as many calories in the first place which makes it harder for you to lose weight.

To gradually reduce your calorie intake and let your body adjust to the changes is a better plan. You might reduce your calories by 10% the first week, another 10% the second week, and so on, for example.

Another key in burning fat instead of muscle is doing the proper types of exercises. Most fitness instructors and health advocates are going to tell you to focus on cardiovascular workouts. That's good advice because it will help your heart and lungs get stronger so you can do more exercise without getting worn out.

Weight training several times a week is necessary and beneficial. That way you'll be replenishing lost muscle and adding new muscle mass. Your metabolism will rise and your body will burn off added calories and therefore lose extra weight if you build lean muscle mass in your body.

When adding a little weight training into the routine, improved muscle tone is an added benefit you will notice. When people lose weight and don't exercise properly, they end up flaby.

While plastic surgery can help with that problem a lot, those procedures are expensive and come with a lot of risk. Exercising while you lose weight is the best way to increase your muscle tone and to prevent loose skin. - 16752

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