You lose weight if you take in less energy than you expend, that is common knowledge. But did you know that you can lose fat and maintain – and in some cases, even build -muscle at the same time? Here are the best tips on how to do it.
Many people judge their health journey based on how much weight they lose and put a lot of focus on the bathroom scale. Of course, that doesn’t have to be wrong – weight loss offers an incredible number of health benefits for people who are overweight.
But the fact is, you can kill two birds with one stone. By combining your weight loss with maintaining or increasing your muscle mass, you can have additional effects on your health and metabolism.
Here are the 3 most important tips.
Calorie deficit
Yes, to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you burn. Here you can advantageously use a logbook to count your calories. Important: DO NOT eat less than what your program recommends, it can hinder your ability to maintain muscle.
Eat lots of protein
By eating a protein-rich diet, the weight you lose will consist more of fat mass, and less of muscle mass.
Several studies have shown, according to the Strength Lab, that people who are on a calorie deficit and eat more than two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight get better results than those who eat an average amount of 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
If you are overweight and about to lose weight, you should rather calculate your protein needs on your target weight if it is to be correct and reasonable, says Josefine Jonasson, Leg. Dietitian at Wellobe.
Work out
All forms of strength training will help you maintain muscle mass during weight loss, but there are programs that are more optimal than others. When you are in a caloric deficit, protein synthesis in the muscles drops by 20-30 percent, but when you strength train, you increase that process again, an increase that lasts for at least a day.
How often do you need strength training then? Try to train each muscle group at least once a week, with at least three days of rest between sessions. When you train, you should use a weight where you can handle between 5 and 12 repetitions over 3 to 8 sets per muscle group.
More tips to help you along the way
Get enough sleep. Not all people have the same need for sleep, so it is difficult to give a general specific sleep time. However, there is research that shows that people who are in a calorie deficit lose more muscle mass if they sleep too little. In this study, one group of people was allowed to sleep five and a half hours a night, and the other group eight and a half hours. Both groups lost the same amount of weight, but the group that got more sleep lost more fat and less muscle mass than the group that slept less.
Then you eat your fill. Eating full and satisfied when you are on a calorie deficit can be a challenge. But there are a couple of tricks that can help you along the way.
- Eat a protein-rich diet. Not only because it helps you save muscle as we went through above, but also because it is often more filling.
- Eat very nutrient-dense but low-calorie foods. Vegetables, legumes and root vegetables are good examples.
- Don’t drink your calories. It fills less than if you eat the same amount, which means that you easily take in more than you planned.
Adjust the training. If you have strength trained before, or are already actively strength training, you can challenge yourself more than what was stated in the section above. Then three sets per muscle group per week is probably not enough – you should aim for eight.
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