Complete weight loss guide

How do I lose weight without losing muscles?

One of the reasons for answering the question “How to lose weight?” Is so dirty, because this is actually the wrong question!

What for? Since the number on the scale does not describe one thing, it describes two things: the fat mass and the mass without fat. One of them is an honest burning game, and the other is what you really want to keep! So the question we have to ask is: “How do I lose fat while maintaining or increasing the mass without fat?”

Your lean mass includes muscles, organs, bones, and connective tissue. It also includes the weight of water. In other words, this is what would remain if you removed every fat cell from your body.

Muscle mass is the main component of your lean mass, and it should weigh more than your fat mass. In addition, muscle mass has a huge positive effect on your metabolism or "metabolic rate", that is, how many calories your body burns for energy. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn, even if you do not exercise.

However, muscles are also the physical engine that drives you into action, both in the gym and in life. It also helps maintain and strengthen your joints, helping to improve balance and reduce the risk of injury. Holding on to it should be a high priority, especially when following a diet. And no, not just for bodybuilders!

But let's talk about fat. This is a bad rap, but your body also needs it! There is a significant amount that every organism needs to be healthy. This amount will vary depending on body type, age, gender, level of physical activity and the purpose of physical fitness.

For the general population, levels taken as “healthy” are 21–32 percent for women and 8–19 percent for men.[1] This is a great range!

To be clear, you can be higher than the “healthy” range and still be healthy, or be lower than that and be unhealthy. But the range is a pretty good place to aim. Spending most of your life at higher levels may put you at risk for weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. Lower percentages may be good for short periods of time, but they can be very difficult to maintain and are not ideal for long-term health.

So, the main question: how do you lose fat while holding muscles? Pauline Nordin in his article "6 ways to reduce body fat while building muscle" recommends two big approaches:

• Train as if you are trying to build muscle mass, even if the goal is to stick out. This means using strength training with weights or body weight.
• Use high intensity interval training (HIIT), rather than just spending hours on a treadmill.

How can I eat for weight loss?

It is estimated that 45 million Americans go on a diet every year.[2] Given the current rates of obesity in this country, we can clearly see that the success rate is low.

So, we want you to completely abandon the word "diet." Not only does this word have a negative connotation, it also usually means that you do this only for a short period of time, often focusing mainly on cutting calories as low as possible.

“It makes nutritionists like us screaming from rooftops that serious calorie restriction – in other words, diet – is not the answer,” explains well-known nutritionist Susan Huylings, Ph.D., in Bodybuilding.com Basics of Fitness Nutrition. “Yes, reducing calories leads to weight loss. Many diets seriously reduce calories, at least at first, and they get results. But not forever. ”

After you stop getting short-term results by continuing to engage in inadequate breathing, you may feel terrible, delaying (or skipping) the workout, and setting yourself up for disappointment.

You need a more strategic approach than just “eating less.” And it all starts with how you think. Instead of thinking about food as something limited, think about the food you put in your body as fuel for the healthy lifestyle you build!

Hulls says that for many people, the changes needed to achieve them are not as great as they think. You can get great results simply by:

• Replacing the usual high-calorie or sweet drink with calorie-free liquids or reducing the amount of drink you drink.
• Making a plan for one “problem food” every day when you are likely to overeat or eat fast food, rather than food filled with nutrients such as low-fat protein or whole grains.

“Maybe lunch is your weak point, because you leave the house in a hurry and you don’t collect it, or because your work colleagues love to eat. Maybe it's dinner, because you haven't eaten anything all day and come home exhausted. ” Maybe breakfast is a sugar bomb, and since you were a child, Hulls explains. “No matter what food is the biggest problem, correcting it – and only that – can be a huge victory. Even better, it requires much less effort on your part than trying to fix every meal right away. In many cases, it is as simple as prioritizing protein in food, which otherwise would be an empty calorie. "

Speaking of calories: yes, they definitely matter when your goal is to lose weight! But before you start cutting them, start by determining where you are now and just keep track of how you are eating now. Even if you just do this for a short period of time, this can make a long-term difference, says registered nutritionist Paul Salter in the article “Do you want to lose fat? Before you change one thing, do it. "

Salter says tracking your food can help in several ways, including:

• Helping you to consider portions as solutions, and not just what is presented to you
• Identifying "hidden calories" in your diet that you may not have seen otherwise

For some people, just having this information is enough to make significant changes. But for many others, it may be useful to compare it with a scientifically based recommendation on calories, as you find in Bodybuilding.com, a free calculator.

This calculator will help you estimate how many calories you burn during the day, both with the help of normal body functions and other exercises and exercises. Then he will give you the target calorie intake to which you want to strive.

Why bother with numbers at all? Because many of us overestimate, underestimate, or categorically lie about how much we weigh or exercise, even if we do not realize that we are doing this. And even if you are honest with a calculator, this does not mean that the number will be 100 percent accurate! In fact, we can guarantee that it is not. But this is a good place to start.

After you have determined your daily calorie intake, continue to monitor it to determine if you need to adjust your calorie intake a little – not too much! – because you do not lose body fat.

How to lose weight fast?

When we introduce a timeline to our fat loss quest, things can quickly become tricky. "How do I lose weight on health?" This is a completely different question than "How to lose belly fat in two weeks?" But television and the popularity of dramatic stories sometimes change our perception of what is realistic and sustainable.

In addition to this, our “more-better” mentality often tells us that if removing 300 calories from our daily diet leads to a slight change in physique, imagine what it can do to remove 600 or 1000 calories!

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Too low daily calorie intake (for example, less than 1,200 calories) brings high risk and few benefits. Yes, there are healthy ways to lose fat faster, but they are most effective when you learn the basic rules of healthy behavior.

Without this behavior, if you are hungry all the time, suffer from eagerness and you have no energy, the chances that you will stick to a diet are negligible. You may lose what you want, but as soon as you return to food in normal quantities, you are more likely to regain all that you have lost, and in some cases add a few more pounds.

Even more complicating studies have shown that repeated cycles of loss and gain ultimately make it harder to lose pounds and return them, as PhD Lane Norton explains in the article “How Your Fat Loss” Diet can make you fat. “This“ yo-yo ”diet can damage your metabolism, which will lead to a slower metabolism at rest, that is, to the number of calories you burn during each day.[3]

Most likely, you will succeed if it happens slowly, especially when it comes to stubborn belly. And your metabolism will work with you, not against you.

This does not mean that it will not work if you are engaged in a focused training program that lasts only a few weeks. On the contrary, according to fitness trainer Soha Lee, many researchers believe that only three weeks is enough to develop sustainable healthy habits.

Result for you? If you just think in terms of the next four weeks or, even better, six weeks, you can get an amazing amount and tune in to even more long-term success! This is enough time to complete some of the most popular short-term weight loss plans on Bodybuilding.com. These include:

Any one of the three may be the beginning of something great. And with a double focus on nutrition and training, they can help you create a foundation that will evolve over time.

Following a short-term plan like this may also give you limited time to focus on stopping your diet and determining which fat loss supplements are right for you. The best natural slimming supplements and slimming cocktails will help you get the most out of your workouts and see sufficient results during the program so that you can return to new activities.

To learn more about fat burners and slimming supplements, see the Full Fat Burner Guide.

How fast should i lose weight?

Simply put: as slowly as you can stand! In this regard, scales can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Although your goal may be to reduce this number, the scale often does not accurately reflect what is happening in your body.

Regardless of your fitness level, the number on the scale can vary by five or more pounds in one day, depending on things like the amount of water you drink and the food you eat. These changes do not mean that you suddenly gained five pounds of fat. For this reason, it is important to weigh yourself at the same time every day and take what is on the scale with a share of salt.

When you weigh yourself, remember that steady progress is usually quite slow. Depending on how many calories you exclude from your diet and how much exercise you get, 1-2 pounds a week is a reasonable goal.

But sometimes, especially if you are on a serious long-term journey of body transformation, such as Brocco "Possible Pat", the scales may not budge for weeks or even months, even if the mirror tells you that you are losing belly fat and adding muscle. . This is normal. In fact, this is normal! Just know that over time, your consistent approach will eventually pay off. Slow loss is always the best choice. Think of it this way: the pounds did not last for only a few weeks, and you will not lose them at this time.

However, if you remember this number on the scale, it is important to limit the frequency of its pressing. It can also be useful to take photos with weekly progress. Thus, you will notice these small changes and feel motivated to continue. It may also be helpful to check the body fat percentage, but this is not necessary.

If you are really interested in strength training, you may find that the number on the scale increases, not decreases, because your muscle mass increases. Remember that the scales do not always tell the whole story, so pay attention to the mirror, how you feel and how you perform your workouts.

If you know that you are emphasizing the number on the scale, stop using it! Many people have success without it.

What are the best macros for losing weight?

Technically, you can achieve some success only by counting the number of fast food hamburgers you eat each day and reducing it by one. However, if you want to experience long-term changes in your body, stay healthy and improve your physical fitness, it may be helpful to learn more deeply how much of each macro you consume.

There are three main macronutrients (macros): carbohydrates, fat and protein. Each of them is necessary for your health and performance, but there are endless ways to combine them. As for carbohydrates alone, you can choose between a ketogenic diet that is very low in carbohydrates, when you eat almost no carbohydrates and a lot of fat, and cycling, where you change your carbohydrate intake every day according to your exercise schedule.

Nowadays, it is quite easy to perform a quick search on the Internet and find hundreds of different diet plans of varying complexity and limbs. But for starters, the best thing is for most people to stick with the good balance of all three macros in your nutritional plan and just focus on quality and consistency.

Most American diets have too much fat and carbohydrates, and not enough protein. To begin with, to get control of these imbalances, a proven ratio is used:

• 20 percent of your calories from fat
• 40 percent carbohydrate
• 40 percent protein

Use Bodybuilding.com's free macronutrient calculator to help you find what best suits you and your lifestyle. Over time, you can make changes to this ratio depending on what products you like, how your body reacts and the level of your daily activity.

For example, fitness model and trainer Obi Obadike says that he ultimately landed on a 20/30/50 split for long-term leanness, while still being able to perform in a gym. Other coaches and athletes have achieved success with 30/30/40, 25/35/40 or other indicators completely.

Честно говоря, есть много возможностей для настройки, когда речь идет о жирах и углеводах, при условии, что вы сохраняете два фактора, более или менее согласованных: общее количество калорий и ежедневное потребление белка. Эти два фактора являются показателями, которые, как показали исследования, в наибольшей степени связаны с успехом в диете, объясняет доктор наук Сьюзен Хьюлингс, доктор наук, в видеофильме «Как правильно питаться для похудения» в курсе Bodybuilding.com «Основы фитнес-питания».

«Вот в чем дело: до тех пор, пока калории, т. Е. Все порции, находятся под контролем, и вы получаете достаточно белка, [dietary systems] все работают с примерно одинаковым уровнем предсказуемости », – говорит Хьюлингс.

Наличие сбалансированного плана питания не только поможет вам сбросить вес, но и поможет сохранить его в течение длительного времени. Возможно, это не звучит сексуально, но поддержание, т. Е. Не йо-йо, является важной частью потери жира и его предотвращения.

Что такое лучший вид упражнений, чтобы похудеть?

Некоторые люди заставят вас поверить, что единственный способ изменить свое тело – это оставлять себя в потной куче в тренажерном зале каждый день или привязывать себя к беговой дорожке или эллиптическому тренажеру на несколько часов за раз. Это не должно быть так!

Если вы новичок в мире упражнений, все в порядке, просто начните с того, что наполните свою жизнь занятиями, которые вам нравятся. Это может быть бег, игра в ракетбол, походы или воскресный футбол с друзьями. Все, что поддерживает вашу активность в течение 60 минут 3-4 раза в неделю, поможет вам чувствовать себя хорошо и достичь определенного успеха.

Но наряду с этим видом деятельности, это идеальное время для более структурированного обучения. В частности, важно сосредоточиться на силовых тренировках и кардио, особенно в форме высокоинтенсивных интервальных тренировок.

Силовые тренировки: Какие? Разве поднятие тяжестей не лучше для бодибилдинга или для того, чтобы стать большим, чем потеря жира? Хотите верьте, хотите нет, но это неотъемлемая часть длительного контроля веса.

«Понятно, если вы не решаетесь в это поверить, но вот почему это работает: мышечная ткань сжигает больше калорий, чем жира, даже когда вы просто сидите перед телевизором», – объясняет доктор диетологии Сьюзан Хьюлингс, доктор наук. в видео-курсе «Основы фитнес-питания» Bodybuilding.com. «Чем больше у вас есть, тем больше вы сможете сжигать. Это также дает вам контроль над своим здоровьем и внешним видом так, как это невозможно сделать простым контролем калорий, и помогает развить силу и энергию, необходимые для более полного соответствия активность в вашей жизни. "

Преимущества не заканчиваются там. Тренировки с отягощениями также оказывают глубокое благотворное влияние на кости и суставы и помогают предотвратить остеопороз (потерю минеральной плотности кости), саркопению (потерю мышечной массы) и боль в пояснице, при условии, что вы используете правильную форму упражнений.[4]

Конечно, есть много разных способов приблизиться к силовым тренировкам: быстрый или медленный, высокие повторения или низкие, разделение по частям тела в стиле бодибилдинга или полное тело, и это лишь некоторые из них. Там действительно нет неправильного ответа, и атлет будет проходить через все из них в течение многих лет. Но исследователь Джим Стоппани, доктор философии, предлагает серьезно подумать о тренировке всего тела, особенно если ваша цель – потеря жира.

Кардио и HIIT: Слово «кардио» может напоминать беговую дорожку с телевизором наверху, но это только один из способов сделать это.

Интервальная тренировка высокой интенсивности, или HIIT, также может быть очень эффективным инструментом для похудения. Это довольно легко включить в любой фитнес-план, потому что он может быть применен к различным настройкам, и могут использоваться различные типы оборудования.

Еще один положительный момент: лучшая тренировка HIIT часто самая простая. Например, популярная вводная тренировка состоит в том, чтобы кататься на велосипеде в течение 30 секунд, а затем отдыхать в течение 30 секунд. Продолжайте в том же духе сначала 10 минут, увеличивая время до 20 минут, с легким разогревом и охлаждением около 5 минут легкого торможения с обоих концов. Две или три короткие сессии, подобные этой, в неделю, вместе с небольшим подъемом, и вы можете достичь удивительных результатов!

Если вы ищете что-то более систематическое, самые популярные программы для похудения на Bodybuilding.com All Access имеют общую тему: они дают вашим легким и сердцу сложную задачу по сжиганию калорий, но также приводят вас к здоровой общей структуре тела и рост мышц.

5 самых популярных Bodybuilding.com Все программы по снижению веса

Ваше отношение

Не каждый день будет великим, и, конечно же, вы столкнетесь со случайными сбоями или неудачами, когда дело доходит до вашего плана питания и тренировок. Знай это сейчас и прими это. Но если вы посвятите себя контролю порций и будете немного более активными, вы медленно, но верно увидите, что эти фунты сбрасываются.

Безусловно, самая важная часть внедрения здоровых привычек в ваш образ жизни – это улучшение вашей самооценки и счастья. То, как ты выглядишь, не так важно, как то, что ты чувствуешь. Сохраняйте позитивность, и вы увидите изменения, которые хотите увидеть!