Guidelines to lose weight without losing muscle mass

Everyone already knows that in order to lose weight, with health and in a really effective way, there is no other way than to combine healthy eating with physical activity.

However, it is crucial to point out that it is not just a balance that will determine whether your diet and the exercises you have been doing are actually effective. During the weight loss process, other points are also very important and deserve attention.

Who has strictly followed a diet to lose weight? with the accompaniment of a nutritionist and a teacher or personal to supervise your physical activities? You may have heard professionals often talk about? lean mass ?,? muscle mass? and "fat mass". But few people really know what these terms mean and why they are so important in a weight loss process.

Thinking about it, below professionals answer these and other questions on the subject and explain how it is possible? and why is it important? lose weight without losing muscle mass.

Lean Mass X Muscle Mass X Fat Mass

Leandro Galende, Bachelor of Sports and coordinator of the 2000 Initiation Academy, explains that, following the classic model pattern of body composition assessment, fat mass is composed of adipose tissue. Lean mass is the sum of fat-free mass composed of muscles, bones, non-bone mineral and water. Muscle mass refers to muscle.

“When we say someone has increased their muscle mass, it means their body has increased the process of protein synthesis within the muscle. And these proteins are what we call muscle mass? Says the professional.

The Importance Of Muscle Mass

Leandro Galende explains that since muscle mass and lean mass are composed of "living tissues", their metabolic activities are high. "So if you have an increase in lean mass or muscle mass, you have a higher metabolism work rate, increasing the basal calorie intake needed to maintain vital body functions," he says.

Roberto Ranzini, orthopedist and sports doctor, a full member of the Brazilian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology (SBOT), adds that muscle mass is increasingly in vogue because its functions are so important. ? Among these functions are the stabilization and dynamic damping of all joints; regulation of metabolism; body heat production; improvement of the mental cognitive part?

In addition, adds the sports doctor, the greater the muscle mass, the greater the? Burning? of calories and therefore easier is the loss of fat mass.

"And in postmenopausal women, when the phenomenon of bone loss occurs, muscle mass acts as a stimulus to increase or at least maintain bone mass," says Ranzini.

Muscle mass and balance

One thing that confuses people, especially women, is the fact that the gain in muscle mass does not allow a great weight loss in the balance. "As muscle mass is denser, ie, it weighs more than fat, there may not be much weight loss through replacement," explains Roberto Ranzini.

Therefore, in these cases, the person in question did lose fat and had important and very positive results from his diet and physical activity, however, a simple balance cannot indicate these results. This justifies once again the need to always rely on the guidance and monitoring of professionals during a weight loss process.

How to lose weight without losing muscle mass?

In contrast to the positive results that a person achieves by gaining muscle mass, many may lose it during the weight loss process. What is not interesting since, as the professionals pointed out, muscle mass offers several health benefits and still causes? Burning? of calories is higher.

But the good news is that it is possible to lose weight without losing muscle mass. "It depends a lot on the person's profile, how they train, how they rest and, above all, on their diet," says Sports Bachelor Leandro Galende.

To achieve this goal of losing weight without losing muscle mass, the professional advises low intensity aerobic training. Training is quality, not quantity. No use killing yourself by running on the treadmill for an hour. Is a light jog, or a light jog with a walk, for a period of 30 minutes or more, enough, as long as the heart rate is adequate for more fat than carbohydrates to generate energy for physical activity? , highlights.

food

Proper nutrition makes all the difference when it comes to losing weight without losing muscle mass. According to Vivian Ragasso, sports nutritionist at the Cohen Institute of Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, the main rules for preserving lean mass are: eat every three hours and choose natural fruit or fruit juices without added sugar.

The nutritionist adds that it is important to have a good daily protein intake, with, for example, three portions of milk or dairy products, white meat plus egg, rice and beans. "But you always have to think about the healthiest and fat-free variation, frying or skin," he says.

Still according to Vivian Ragasso, it is essential to avoid fried foods, fat covers and high-fat processed foods. "At lunch and dinner meals the tip is to include plenty of salad and cooked vegetables," he says.

The sports nutritionist explains that those who practice physical activities should always have available at home (or at work), before training, a portion of protein (milk, yogurt; cheese; meat? Always in the most fat-free version possible) and a serving of low glycemic carbohydrate (whole grain bread; unsweetened granola; fruits such as pear, apple, peach; whole grain bread; Agave etc.).

"After training is essential to use carbohydrate high glycemic index, which helps quickly replenish the energy reserve, maintain muscle and cell recovery, and another portion of lean protein," explains Vivian.

The nutritionist adds that hydration (only with water) should be done before, during and after training. "The use of sports supplements for any purpose should always be indicated only by nutritionists or sports doctors," he points out.

Now you know the importance of lean mass and have good tips for following a healthy diet and investing in physical activity in order to lose weight, but without losing muscle mass. Always remember to have the guidance and advice of professionals to achieve the best possible results in a truly effective way.

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