Today I will answer for you the million-dollar question: how to lose fat without losing lean mass?
Yes, because it is inevitable: when we lose weight, we lose fat, but the muscles go away together!
And this is a challenge that also torments people who want to lose weight and have a nice body, as well as professional bodybuilding athletes like me!
After all, in competitions, our body needs to be as dry as possible, but at the same time, we have to have strong, defined dense muscles.
So how do you manage to combine these things?
First of all, it is important to know that this is the great difficulty that 10 out of 10 people who train face.
But with time, bodybuilders have learned, at the cost of much effort and study, some techniques that make this dream a little more possible!
And now I will reveal some of these little secrets to you! Are you ready?
How bodybuilders burn fat?
Being a bodybuilding or fitness athlete is not an easy thing to execute. It’s a well-thought-out plan, with scheduled meals, adjusted macronutrients, and a lot of hard work.
But even if you don’t want to become an athlete like us, you can do some of the things we do to burn fat. And the tips I’m going to list now, you can easily put into practice to achieve the results you want!
Make a plan
The most important part of any great effort is to have a complete plan of action. If you’re new to this, however, the trick is to not jump in head first, but gradually build consistency.
To build muscle and lose fat, takes time, so you should apply the same thinking to your diet goals, thinking about the long-term. Slowly clean up your diet and gradually become consistent with your meals.
Consume a lot of protein
Surely you have heard this phrase before, but honestly, do you practice it? Start by adding a little more protein to each meal. This might include adding a serving or two of meat or an egg or egg white to your meals.
The first step is to make sure that you are getting at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight.
Later, you may need to increase this slightly to 1.25, 1.5, or even 2 grams per pound. The key is to have a consistent supply of protein to help reduce the risk of losing muscle mass while dieting.
Control your carbohydrate intake
To speed up the weight loss process and contribute to drying fat, one should radically limit carbohydrate intake for four to five days a week. On the other two or three remaining days, consumption must be increased.
This procedure works because by adopting this scheme, the body enters a fat-burning state. However, to achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to limit calorie consumption and increase protein intake, as mentioned above.
Know the right time to eat carbohydrates
As important as controlling the consumption of carbohydrates is to know the right time to eat this type of food throughout the day.
The most recommended plan is to ingest a small amount of fast-digesting carbohydrates in the morning and as soon as you finish your workout, preventing muscle breakdown and controlling the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
The secret of whey protein
Whey protein is the number 1 friend of bodybuilders. That’s because, in order to dry fat effectively, you need to build muscle. And to build muscle, whey protein is essential and should be consumed about 30 minutes before exercise.
With this practice, you will go through your workouts with the intensity needed to increase your muscles.
Prefer slowly digested carbohydrates
A tactic often used by bodybuilders to speed up fat burning is the consumption of foods such as grains, bread, and whole-grain pasta.
When eaten, these foods reduce the effect of insulin, which is the hormone responsible for arousing the feeling of hunger and storing fat in the body.
Value Sleep
Sleep is another underrated part of a proper fat loss program. If you are not getting enough sleep, your insulin sensitivity will decrease, which means that the hormone will be less effective in transporting glucose from your blood.
So what does your body do? It pumps out more insulin, still hoping to finish the job.
The problem is that insulin is also a fat-storage hormone. Since your cells will be starved for glucose, you will get carbohydrate cravings.
Remember that few healthy food choices are made after midnight. Therefore, going to bed earlier is also a perfect way to combat night eating, which can be disastrous for your progress.
Watch out for snacks between workouts
Playing sports consumes a lot of energy. To satisfy the hunger that arises between one workout and the next, look for light options, such as white cheese or plain yogurt.
Keep your body satisfied
To dry fat without damaging your body, eat several meals in small portions throughout the day, eating every two hours. This way you will prevent your metabolism from slowing down.
Be careful with carbohydrate consumption before bedtime
To take advantage of the natural production of growth hormones during this period, reduce your carbohydrate intake before going to bed. This will increase the amount of fat burned.
Drink tea frequently
One way to maintain a high-efficiency performance and an accelerated metabolism is to take care of your hydration. Besides drinking plenty of water (about two liters per day), try teas, such as green tea, which has few calories and offers many benefits.
Stay away from processed foods
The last tip to remember, and one that will help you dramatically improve the quality of your diet, is to eat only single-ingredient foods.
If you use this rule of thumb, you will immediately cut out all the processed and unhealthy foods that can quickly kill your weight loss.
Only single ingredient foods are in their most natural state and will contain the most nutrition to help keep your body healthy throughout the weight loss process; they also get you energized!
Well, those are my top tips for burning fat! And I guarantee that if you are willing to put in the effort, you will see results. Don’t rely on approaches that promise miracles in a short time.
Trust in solid, proven strategies that will give you lasting results and keep the weight off forever.
