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Tips to lose weight without losing muscle mass

Everyone already knows that to lose weight, with health and in a really effective way, there is no other way than to combine a healthy diet with the practice of physical activities.

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

Anyone who has ever followed a diet to lose weight – with the support of a nutritionist and a teacher or personal to supervise their physical activities – must have heard professionals often talk about “lean mass”, “muscle mass” and “muscle mass”. fat”. However, few people really know what these terms mean and why they are so important in a weight loss process.

With that in mind, below professionals answer these and other questions on the subject and explain how it is possible – and why it is important – to lose weight without losing muscle mass.

Lean Mass X Muscle Mass X Fat Mass

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

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

The importance of muscle mass

Leandro Galende explains that, as 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 your basal calorie consumption, which is needed to maintain vital body functions,” he says.

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

In addition, adds the sports doctor, the greater the muscle mass, the greater the “burn” of calories and, therefore, the easier the loss of fat mass.

“And in post-menopausal women, when the phenomenon of bone mass loss occurs, muscle mass acts as a stimulus to increase or at least maintain bone mass”, highlights Ranzini.

Muscle mass and the scale

A detail that confuses people a lot, especially women, is the fact that gaining muscle mass does not allow a great loss of weight on the scale. “As muscle mass is denser, that is, it weighs more than fat, there may not be much weight loss by replacement”, explains Roberto Ranzini.

Therefore, in these cases, the person in question did lose fat and had important and very positive results from their diet and physical activity, however, a simple scale is not able to point out 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 when gaining muscle mass, many can lose it during the slimming process. Which is not interesting since, as professionals pointed out, muscle mass offers several health benefits and even makes the “burn” of calories greater.

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But the good news is that it is possible, yes, to lose weight without losing muscle mass. “This depends a lot on the person’s profile, on the way they train, on how they rest and, above all, on their diet”, says Leandro Galende, a graduate in Sports.

To achieve this goal of losing weight without losing muscle mass, the professional advises low-intensity aerobic training. “Training is quality, not quantity. It’s no use killing yourself running on the treadmill for an hour. A light run, or mixing light running with walking, for a period equal to or greater than 30 minutes, is enough, as long as the heart rate is adequate so that there is a greater participation of fat than carbohydrates to generate energy for physical activity” , highlights.

Food

A correct diet 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 fruits or natural fruit juices with no added sugar.

The nutritionist adds that it is important to have a good daily protein intake, with, for example, three servings of milk or dairy products, white meats plus eggs, rice and beans. “But you always have to think about the healthier variation that is free of fat, frying or skin”, she says.

Also according to Vivian Ragasso, it is essential to avoid fried foods, layers of fat and processed foods rich in fat. “In lunch and dinner meals, the tip is to include plenty of salad and cooked vegetables,” she says.

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

“After training, it is essential to use carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, which helps quickly in the replacement of the energy reserve, in the maintenance of muscles and in cell recovery, in addition to 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”, she emphasizes.

Now you already know the importance of lean mass and you have good tips to follow a healthy diet and invest in physical activities with the aim of losing weight, but without losing muscle mass. Always remember to count on the guidance and monitoring of professionals, to achieve, in a really effective way, the best possible results.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.

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