Initially, let's expose one myth of a few body-builders: #to lose# fat, building muscle is all you need. By not altering eating habits or cardio activity, a person trying to lose fat will only see negligible losses by building muscle. It's true, however, that building lean muscle will yield other ways of helping #to lose# fat, by itself don't expect a great deal of help.
To examine this further, there are claims that every pound of resting lean muscle burns 50 calories a day. Sorry, but that number is much overstated. Resting muscle is like an idling vehicle; it burns some fuel, but not a great deal. Doing nothing, those muscle tissues burn about 13 calories a day. If an individual were #to gain# ten pounds just building lean muscle, he would burn 910 calories #in a# week. #To lose# fat at this rate, #it would# take him around 27 days to lose one pound of body fat. That of course doesn't take into account all #the other# variables, such as gaining any additional body fat while building lean muscle. When you are building muscle, you are likely to require extra calories to support this new growth. To think that none will go into body fat will be truly optimistic.
That believed, is building lean muscle while we are attempting #to lose# fat not possible when trying to accomplish our long-term goals? We take the position that building muscle is a crucial part of the battle #to lose# fat, but it is only one leg in #a three#-leg stool. #One of the# other vital legs #to lose# fat is aerobic activity, #and if# our muscles are growing and actively calling for additional nutrients, our body will feel alive and vigorous, making us more liable to perform the necessary cardio activity. Additionally, the third leg #of the# stool is diet. Just like all fats are not created equal, all calories are not all created equal. There are actually good calories and bad calories, and #the type of# foods you choose #will have# #a great# impact on #the type of# body mass you may attain.
When building muscle, you will be building mini metabolism machines which are constantly working. To sustain this activity, they crave more nutrients so as to keep going. #To lose# fat, #we have# always been told that we have to #cut back# on calories. Here is where proper diet kicks in. By eating high fat foods, like cheeseburgers or foods high in Tran's fats and processed foods, more #of those# calories will be converted to fat than muscle. The trick is to eat just enough calories to maintain building lean muscle, but only those foods that are clean, whole foods that the body will burn for fuel and growth. By cutting out junk foods, sugars #and all# processed foods, and substitute them with whole foods like lean protein, fibrous carbohydrates and clean fats, building muscle and losing fat will become a breeze and you should start #to notice# the difference in two or three weeks.
One concluding word on building lean muscle: During your first period #of training#, many individuals experience fat loss no matter what they consume, but #to their# astonishment it doesn't sustain. As testosterone levels are rising, the body is using everything, including stored fat #to build# muscle. But this only happens for #a certain# period of time before your body needs additional food to maintain strength levels. Yet again, the fuel you supply your system will determine if #you will# lose fat while building muscle.
Author Resource:
Gaining muscle is just one method of losing fat. Diet also plays a major role, and our post on How Fat Burning Foods Work will give you some foods that are fat-burners. We are definitely not into quick-fixes, but programs that involve proper diet, aerobic training , and muscle tone that if taken together on a long-term basis will almost guarantee you to slim down. Rich Carroll is a writer and health advocate now living in London.
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