Ways to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

Going on a diet isn't the best way to lose fat and keep it off because, as soon as you return to your old eating habits, you'll gain back any weight you lost. The best strategy is to change your diet permanently to one that consists mainly of plant-based foods and eliminates processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats. Additionally, resistance training that's designed to build muscle will help you replace fat with lean muscle. Here are a few specific suggestions for helping you achieve your body physique goals.

Understand the Calorie Trade Off

The first thing you should learn about nutrition and weight loss is that you have to burn more calories than you're taking in if you want to lose weight. Typically, an adult requires 1,800 calories a day to operate at peak efficiency, and taking in fewer calories than that can force your body to burn muscle instead of fat. A dietitian can help you determine exactly how many calories you need to consume each day. You should adhere to the minimum required calories every day, especially on days you don't work out. When you do exercise, you can increase that calorie count by 200 or 300 to help your body build more muscle.

Caloric Intake Should Consist Primarily of Protein

If you want to increase muscle mass, you'll have to eat foods that are high in protein to help provide the energy needed for that process. In general, you should be consuming a minimum of seven grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight. This means a 140-pound individual should be consuming up to 50 pounds of protein each day. In addition to lean cut red meat, fish, and poultry, other good sources of protein include beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, and sprouted rice.

Consistent Strength Training is the Key

It's common for people to focus on cardio to help them lose weight, but this shouldn't replace resistance training. You should be lifting weights or doing some other type of strength training at least three times per week and the amount you lift should gradually increase over time. "Eventually you’ll need to do more volume (sets, reps, exercises) to keep the needle moving, but the focus should always be on pushing, pulling, and squatting more weight over time," explains Legion Athletics.

Get the Guidance You Need

Even if you're not keen on working with a personal trainer, you should look for programs that offer the guidance you'll need to achieve your goals in a healthy manner. If you don't want to work with a live trainer, a workout stacks program provides you with the guidance, meal plans, and community support you need to get in better physical shape. Since it is important to lose weight slowly, dropping no more than two pounds per week, getting this type of insight is important. It will help you get in shape gradually, so you can avoid the health problems that rapid weight loss causes. While doctors recommend getting a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day, you'll need more than that to lose weight and build muscle. As long as you exercise regularly and watch what types of foods you eat, this type of healthy routine will help you build muscle and lose fat gradually over time.