The problem with dieting is that while you lose fat you can also lose muscle. Luckily there are some things you can do to keep muscle while dieting and getting lean. Follow these tips and keep your muscle while reducing fat.
1 Eat Your Protein
Keep your protein intake relatively high. 1-1.5g per lb of bodyweight. As the main nutrient responsible for regulating muscle mass, the right amount of protein will help you retain muscle cells – which in turn helps to maintain your metabolism while dieting. Protein also slows digestion and improves satiety so you will feel fuller, longer.
2 Be Smart About Your Cardio
Some cardio is beneficial for fat loss, but be careful not to go overboard. In fact doing too much cardio can actually prevent you from getting the results you’re after. Excessive cardio will put your body in a catabolic state and burn hard-earned muscle. The loss of muscle will not only reduce strength, but it will also slow down your metabolism and if your metabolism slows down too much, you’ll have a tough time burning fat.
3 Lift Weights
I maintain that the single most important part of your training during a diet is weight training. If you aren’t lifting, you’re losing. And resist the urge to just train with high reps and light weight. Compound movements done intensely and with heavy loads release GH, testosterone, and other growth factors to help maintain muscle mass.
4 Get Your Sleep
Fat loss depends on the scope of your whole lifestyle, not just diet and training. Strive to get as much quality sleep as you can. Research shows that those who limit their sleep not only have higher BMI, but also have increased cortisol levels – the prime hormone for chipping away at muscle and boosting belly fat. Cortisol also activates transmitters in the brain that trigger hunger – and can cause cravings for sugary and fatty high-calorie foods, which makes diet compliance hard.
5 Don’t Cut Too Many Calories
Most people are far too aggressive in cutting calories. Yes, to lose fat you need to be taking in less than you’re expending, but likely not as little as you think. Start with 200-500 calories a day. A modest deficit will allow you to lose fat, but at the same time preserve as much muscle as possible. Try this for a couple of weeks and see what happens. If you hit a plateau, re-evaluate and go from there.
6 Use a Quality Fat Burner
Another great way to reduce body fat is to use a good fat burner, right now we have PhenQ as out top rated fat burner for men and Leanbean as our top choice for women.
These fat burners will help you burn fat by boosting your metabolism so you burn more fat throughout the day, even when you are just watching TV. They also work to reduce your appetite so you eat less during the day as well. When you combine the increased metabolism along with the decreased calories from eating less it can really make a big difference.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and fitness fanatic who specializes in supplements for building muscle. He has written for online publications like TheAthleticBuild.com and FitnessTopFives. He is also an expert lawn mower and has been known to slay apple pie with little regard for his own safety. Hit him up on Linkedin below so he feels the love.