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How to Lose Weight and Maintain a Tight Body
I am writing this article from my own personal experience. Losing weight for some is easy but not for all women.
When I wanted to lose a few pounds in the past I would just stop eating, I would skip breakfast, have a small snack to fulfill the hunger pangs. Yes, I did lose weight but I felt and looked terrible which is why I eventually joined a gym.
I don’t want to be critical but you see a quite a few women walking around who are thin yet flabby, its hard to hide, even women who try to conceal it with jeans will still show creases of flab or fat.
A big percentage of the population who wants to lose weight will often go to drastic measures to do so. However, losing weight while maintaining lean muscle is possible.
I have seen a few fitness models that train at my local gym come in weighing 15 – 20 pounds heavier after the holidays, within a short time they lose that weight yet still maintain a firm and toned body.
Losing weight without getting flabby is possible and in this article, I am going to tell you how to do it the smart way.
Most women think that in order to lose weight you have to do a lot of cardio and starve yourself, this is not true.
If you do, you may create a bigger problem, sure, you lose weight and fat but you will also begin to lose muscle.
This is why it happens.
Subcutaneous fat is that fat that lies in between the skin and muscle.
When you gain a lot of weight quickly and body fat increases your skin stretches.
The skin is a vital organ that can shrink or stretch easily within reason, stretch marks are often caused by gaining weight too fast, just as the skin can become loose and saggy from quick weight loss.
Muscle and Fat are Both important
50% of your body is made up of muscle tissue which is what gives your body its shape, the connective tissue ties muscle to the skin.
When you increase muscle the surrounding skin will tighten up.
Losing weight without proper exercises will end up leaving you with a skinny yet flabby body.
The first thing women who want to lose weight do is hit the cardio machines, they will spend hours on treadmills, spinning bikes and ellipticals, and yes its great for heart health but you are also losing muscle.
Muscle is primarily made up of amino acids which are responsible for building protein.
Restricting calories tells your body you are starving yourself. When this happens your body will begin to use muscle as an energy source.
This is bad because you are now losing muscle faster than you are losing body fat.
So how do you lose weight without getting flabby?
All you have to do is follow a few simple tips and you can lose body fat while you maintain muscle.
1.- Eat protein-rich foods
Protein is your best friend when it comes to maintaining muscle, stick with low-fat protein foods this will help prevent muscle loss by providing your muscles with protein when they need it.
Eating protein-rich foods can help you maintain a healthy weight and increase energy, other benefits include:
- Strengthen your body’s immune system
- Regulate blood sugar levels
- Reduce symptoms of poor concentration
- Reduce bone and joint pain
2.- Eat quality carbs
How many times do we hear, carbohydrates are bad for you, but only certain kinds.
Complex carbohydrates are those that contain sugars, trans fats, and flour.
Just avoiding complex carbohydrates alone will help you lose weight.
Fast foods, sugar-sweetened drinks, chips, donuts, and pizza are the kinds of food you want to avoid, the worst thing about complex carbs is that most of them offer very little nutritional value.
Good carbs will provide you with energy, dietary fiber, and vitamins, some examples of good carbs include:
Whole grain foods including pasta, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and oats.
Vegetables, fruits, and legumes not only are fruits and veggies filling they are also loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Don’t forget the beans!
Beans are a good source of plant-based protein, make sure you get some during the week, beans are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals that include calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium.
3.- Start lifting weights
If you want to lose weight the best thing you can do is lift weights, no you are not going to get big and bulky, what will happen is that you will increase muscle which will help speed up your bodies metabolism even while you rest.
You can use moderate weight dumbbells and do 3-4 sets of each exercise, keep the reps between 10-15 along with short rest periods between sets. This will not only help you gain muscle you will also get your cardio in at the same time.
Focus on core body parts and compound movements.
Some of the best core strength exercises include deadlifts, squats, rows, and bench press.
Targeting major muscle groups will give you more core strength and make weight loss easier.
Reduce your cardio session time.
If you follow a good strength training regimen you don’t need to spend hours doing cardio. I personally like to get on an elliptical machine for 15 minutes before I train with weights, followed by another 15 minutes after I have finished my strength training.
So what do I do if I have already lost a lot of weight and I’m flabby?
Not to worry, this has happened to many women but its never to late to get into shape.
All you have to do is begin watching what you eat and if you have never lifted weights before, its probably a good idea to check with your doctor first.
If he or she gives you the green light you could join a gym and ask for guidance from one of the staff to help you get started.
Everyone has to start somewhere and strength training is a good place to start.
Just be patient and take things slow and before you know it you can increase muscle and gradually eliminate the fat without becoming flabby (skinny fat).
Disclaimer:
The information on my blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any disease. If you have health concerns you should consult your physician for expert advice and guidance.
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Hi My name is Rosalie and the author of Womenandmuscle.com I started this blog to help women understand a little about the side effects of anabolic steroids and share some of my favorite alternatives that have helped me stay in shape and improve my performance in the gym.