It is important to avoid losing muscle when you
are working towards losing weight. Muscles are what burn calories; one pound of
muscle gained will burn an extra 50 calories a day. If you gain 10 lbs. of
muscle, an additional 500 calories a day would be burned without any effort.
That would result in a 1 lb. natural weight loss per week (as long as you do
not increase your calorie intake). Why would you want to gain 10 lbs. if you
are trying to lose weight? If it meant that you could naturally lose 1 lb. per
week gain muscle while losing fat, this would greatly influence your
weight loss.
In order to lose fat, choose foods that do not
produce a high insulin trigger. If your insulin is high, your body cannot use
fat for fuel. Foods that increase insulin production are white products such as
bread, flour, rice, pasta and starchy vegetables such as corn and potatoes.
Foods with high natural or added sugar contain glucose, which will also raise
your blood sugar. A double whammy is caused when the food is made with refined
grain and added sugar such as breakfast cereals, cookies and baked goods which
cause a large increase in insulin production.
On the other hand, low GI index foods and foods
high in protein require that your body use more calories to digest the foods.
Examples are 100% whole wheat products, fresh fruits, eggs, skim milk, lean
protein meats, beans, lentils and light yogurt.
To lose fat and gain muscle, you must feed your
muscle. It is important to learn what to eat and when according to your
exercise schedule and understand blood sugar. If your blood sugar is too high,
insulin feeds the muscle cells first and then deposits the excess into fat
cells. But if your insulin levels drop too low, then your muscles are not being
fed enough. The best way to feed your muscle to gain muscle is by having a slow
rise in your blood sugar which allows proper nutrition to the muscles.
Exercise will help you build muscle and in order
to gain and keep that muscle, you should plan your meals accordingly. The best
way to gain muscle is to feed your muscles properly after exercise. Within the
first hour after exercise how to gain muscle mass, your
muscles are starving for nutrients. This is the most important meal of the day
to build muscle and replenish nutrients. It is best to eat a mix of both
carbohydrates and proteins. Good suggestions are tuna, chicken, fish, salmon or
turkey paired with quinoa, brown rice or yams and a side vegetable.
There is so much to learn about how to gain
muscle and lose fat. I am looking forward to writing about cardio training and
what affect it has on the goal to gain and maintain muscle.
