You are unique and so is your body! Before starting any new health routine, always be sure to talk with your doctor to make sure it is right for your needs.
When losing weight, it’s important to focus on more than just the number on the scale. Depending on how you go about losing weight, your body could be burning fat or unintentionally burning muscle.
It goes without saying that burning fat is much preferred over burning muscle, and here’s why. Skeletal muscle helps you with many important daily functions like walking around and eating. Additionally muscle is important to bone health, cardiovascular fitness and more. And if you are trying to lose fat, muscle is your best friend because it uses fat as fuel even when you are at rest. So the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn!
Here are some tips on how to build up your muscle while also lowering your body fat.
Tip 1: Lift weights
Resistance training is so important when it comes to building muscle. By making your muscles work against a force, weight training increases the strength of your muscles. You can do this by lifting free weights, using weight machines, using resistance bands or even your own bodyweight. In order to get the maximum benefit, beginners should aim to strength train two to three times a week.
Tip 2: Eat at a calorie deficit
To lose weight, you need to eat and drink at a lower calorie level than what you burn. This is how you create the “deficit.” If you consume more calories in a day than you burn, your body will store the extra fuel as fat and you will gain weight. The important thing to keep in mind when creating a calorie deficit is to be healthy. Just like you can eat too many calories, you can also eat too few calories. When we do this, our bodies get the message that we are in starvation mode, causing our metabolisms to slow down. The result: you will burn fewer calories and potentially struggle to lose weight. Talk with your doctor and do your research to determine what a healthy calorie goal is for you.
Tip 3: Prioritize foods rich in protein
Protein is the perfect food for growing muscles. As you add strength training into your routine, be sure to include more sources of healthy, lean protein to fuel muscle growth. Before and/or after a workout is a great time to get some protein in (like in a yummy protein shake) because it gives your muscles the fuel they need to work hard and provides them with recovery support after they’ve been broken down by a great lifting session. When your muscles have access to high quality protein after a workout, not only are they fueled by it but they will recover and heal even stronger! And stronger muscles lead to more fat burn.
Let Us Help You Embrace the Journey
At Baer-Fit, our certified trainers work closely with you to understand your unique fitness goals and design customized workout and meal plans to get you there. Not only do we provide you with the roadmap to get you where you want to go, but we are with you each step of the way, holding you accountable and celebrating all the milestones.
To learn more, visit our Contact page and send us a message! We can’t wait to learn more about you.