Article Surfing Archive

If you are on the road to losing weight but are worried about depleting the muscle mass you have worked so hard to build, you are not alone. Many people share the same concern. There is actually no reason for you to have to risk losing desirable muscle mass just so you can shed a few pounds of fat.

Imagine the way you would look with less fat but with a stronger, sleeker overall physique. You would feel great about yourself and you would have no trouble attracting the kind of mate that you want. Achieving these kinds of results is not a matter of working hard: it is a matter of being smart about how your exercise and how you eat.

Here are 4 tips for building muscle and losing fat at the same time.

Tip #1: Realize that both goals can be reached: It is true that if you try to lose weight just by dieting alone, you will not be able to feed your growing muscles properly. However, there are proven ways to actually lose fat while achieving your goal of much greater muscle mass for a stronger, healthier looking physique.

Tip #2: Load up on protein after you leave the gym: Okay, so one of the secrets I am going to share with you is that food is definitely part of the solution to your dilemma. Try this: within 30 minutes of finishing your workout, eat or drink plenty of protein. This way, you actually rebuild your muscles while they are in that broken down state, allowing them to rebuild faster and stronger. And, protein itself is not a major contributor to your fat cells, so you will not be adding back pounds of fat, but instead just be feeding your growing muscles.

Tip #3: Eat according to your training schedule: This one seems obvious but it is easy to ignore out of force of habit. Here it is: eat more on the days you work out at the gym, but sharply reduce your total caloric intake on the days you do not. This advice can be hard to follow because it is easy to view your eating and workout routines as separate. You need to start seeing them as linked. Once you do, you will begin to eat according to what your muscles need rather than what habit dictates. This will be a natural process as you actually learn to notice your internal hunger signals respond to the amount of working out you are doing in the gym or on the field.

Tip #4: Consider creatine: Contrary to what some people believe, creatine is not a steroid. Rather, it is merely an amino acid, which is the building block of protein, and as you know, protein feeds muscle. Creatine is a naturally-occurring substance and can be even found in steak (L-Creatine, to be exact). Before trying creatine, consult with a nutritionist to be sure it is right for you.

By educating yourself and taking the right steps, you can actually increase your muscle mass while shedding fat for that bodybuilder physique. Looking sexier and healthier is more a matter of doing things right than working harder. Take the right actions in terms of exercise and diet and you will be on the road to a better-looking body in no time.