How to Lose Weight and Gain Muscle

Losing weight wouldn’t necessarily do you any good if you do not combine it with gaining muscle. This is because when you lose weight, you are only able to get rid of fat. At some point, if you continue to just burn your fats, you will also burning your muscles and your metabolism will become much slower. As a result, it would be difficult for you to lose any more weight in the future.
On the contrary, losing weight and gaining muscle is a wonderful combination. This is because one’s the body gets rid of fat through various cardio exercises, the muscles are not affected negatively. In fact, they are toned and strengthened so in return they are able to develop and can foster quicker weight loss in the future.
But what exactly are the best and most effective means to combine both weight loss and muscle gain? Can both men and women achieve the same effects?

how to lose weight and gain muscle

The Difference between a Man and a Woman’s Body

The first and most important thing you need to understand is that, the body of men and its composition is very much different from that of a woman. This basically means that men are comprised of more muscles so it’s easier for them to gain and strengthen it. This is also the very reason why men are able to carry heavier weights even if it is their first time to try it. The result of course is that they bulk up easily compared to women.
Women on the other hand also have muscles all over their body but the composition is not as focused as those of men. Therefore, it requires a little bit more effort for a woman to do some weight training exercises and achieve their desire to gain muscle. But of course, it can still be done.

How To Lose Weight and Gain Muscle

One of the best and most effective ways to lose weight and gain muscle is of course to combine the right kinds of exercise along with the best weight training exercises and of course to eat the right kinds of foods.
Think of it this way: your body requires at least 70% change in your diet or food intake and at least 30% of rigorous training and exercise in order for you to achieve both weight loss and muscle gain.
So for instance, if you are a woman who weighs 160 pounds and is 160cm, you need to lose around 40 pounds in order to be considered healthy. Anything above it will make you overweight and of course anything below 120 pounds will make you underweight. This will also give you a BMI of at least 24 or below which is considered healthy for women.
In order for you to lose weight and gain muscle, you need to engage in at least 4 aerobic or cardio exercises on a daily basis. You can even max this up to 5 times per week. You need to do some weight training exercises every other day so within an entire week, you should be doing this for at least 3 to 4 times.
The weight training exercises you need to do should differ every other day. This means that if you focused on some parts of your body today, you need to focus on other parts the day after tomorrow. You need to do this consistently in order to get the best results.

How Can a Meal or Diet Plan Help

Of course the kinds of foods that you eat are also crucial in helping you achieve your weight loss goals and since this makes up around 70% of your new lifestyle, you should give more emphasis to this one.
Protein-rich foods are great if you wish to gain muscle. Some options include seafood, milk, egg whites, protein shakes, lean meat and so much more. You also need to consume more fiber like whole grains, oatmeal, cereals and the like as this can help improve your bowel movement.
Of course, you need to cut down on the ‘bad foods’ which are high in fat. For instance, temporarily bid junk foods, sweets, sodas and sweetened drinks goodbye. You can say hello to them once you’ve disciplined yourself to just consume them when there is a need to satisfy your cravings.
The help of nutritionist may also come handy for you. All you have to do is follow whatever foods are provided in your meal plan. Typically, you can consume a maximum of 1200 calories per day in order to achieve your weight loss desires and gain muscle without experiencing plateau.

Is it Necessary to Change Your Routine

At some point, your body will become used to doing the same exercise again and again and you will also get tired of eating the same foods on a daily basis. Don’t worry because you can always change your workout and meal plan as you please.
Usually, this is done after three to four weeks of doing the exercise regularly. This is to make sure that your body will never get tired of what it is doing. This can also help boost your metabolism so that you will lose more weight and gain muscle like never before.

Final Tips On How To Lose Weight And Gain Muscle

Losing weight and gaining muscle is not necessarily difficult especially if you are really determined to achieve your weight loss desires. In fact, to most people, losing weight is not the biggest problem. Rather, it is maintaining the weight you’ve lost and incorporating everything you’ve learned into your new lifestyle.
But looking forward way ahead is not advisable especially if you are just beginning your quest to losing weight and gaining muscle. What you need to do is to start small and take baby steps with the changes in your life that you will be taking on. Eventually, these small steps will result to bigger changes and the next thing you know, you’ve completely changed your life for the better.