How to Lose Weight and Get Lean Muscle
I know another “lose weight and gain muscle” article... You’re probably not even reading this right now, so I can write anything green elephants wearings hats and you wouldn’t even know. This may not be news to you but sometimes tips can be refreshingly meaningful and motivating. Make no mistake, we love people of all sizes but for the sake of long term health staying fit is important!
It is not always easy to lose weight, especially for those men and women that do not have any direction and tend to fall victim to a number of quick fixes. Weight loss supplements and miracle diets work short term but you’re almost assured to rebound (sounds like the right word when taking about weight) and cause some unknown damage to your body. When trying to lose weight and get lean muscle, there are a number of steps to follow to ensure long lasting results. Of course, eating well (no, not 100 calorie snack packs) is crucial because what you put in your body, is what you get out, in more ways than one. Also, good work out habits are pretty much required, otherwise you’ll be thin and flabby.
Step One. The first thing people should do is create a good, nutritious menu with foods that are good for the body. A person’s diet needs to consist of sources of quality protein, fats, and carbohydrates. These foods will provide energy and assist with recovery after exercising. Stay away from foods that have high amounts of saturated fats, sugars, and sodium. Individuals should also stay away from “white carbohydrates.” Processed sugars, flours, breads, pasta, etc. = worth thing ever? Yes, it probably is and its addictive because its sugar. We want you to indulge once in a while but make it a special treat. Raw foods are crucial as they provide nutrient dense (lots of nutrients for the calories) and provide enzymes which help break down other foods. To get going, its important to eat fiber, 35 grams per day sounds about right.
Step Two. Peeps need to cut their calorie intake. To lose weight, people need to generate a caloric deficit. To lose only one pound a week, individuals must burn 3,500 calories. To lose a pound each week with diet alone, reduce caloric intake by 500 calories per day. That’s actually pretty simple to do, if eating healthy foods. Trying to eat well and gain weight, there should be an article just on that... ok, next time.
Step Three. Make a diet plan, most people don’t and won’t and I get that. I’ve never tried to lose weight but having to do both seems like a pain. I should make a diet plan for trying to GAIN weight but I rather just eat a lot. But there’s no question if I did and I followed one, I would see results much quicker.
Step Four. Try to avoid high caloric beverages, such as sweetened teas, wine, beer, and soda. Empty calories make feel nothing but bad. I understand the occasional drink drink but if you’re just looking to hydrate, why take in wasted calories? Replace liquids with water and drink as much water as possible throughout the day. This will keep you hydrated and belly full, so you’ll eat less.. Try to aim for seven or eight full eight ounce glasses of water per day. Drinking out of water bottles help for me.
Step Five. Eat frequent small meals. Eating a small meal once every few hours during the day will increase metabolism and keep the body satiated. It will also provide the muscles in the body with a continual supply of necessary nutrients. Individuals should start their day with a healthy breakfast and then eat another small meal every two or three hours. Individuals should get in about six meals per day. The meals should be a healthy balance of complex carbohydrates that have a high fiber content and protein. If an individual is relegated to only three meals, breakfast should be the largest and dinner should be the smallest.
Step Six. When doing weight training, go for high reps with moderate weights. If a person lifts heavy weights, they are likely to build bulky muscles. For long, lean muscles, individuals should increase their reps using lighter weights. It is good to aim for three to four sets of 15 reps. When doing weights, do not forget to do exercises that target the entire body, such as shoulder and chest presses, triceps extensions, back rows, biceps curls, and lunges.
Step Seven. Do not forget to do cardiovascular exercises as they will greatly assist in burning calories. Any type of cardio activity, including running, jumping rope, elliptical training, or biking will burn calories and help the body develop lean muscles. Cardio exercises should be done for 30 minutes at a time.
Step Eight. Recover! Drink a good nutrient and protein rich shake and rest your body. Let the high quality amino acids fill those torn muscles and begin to repair and rebuild. Feel the purity of clean, vegan and raw protein powders.