![]() ![]() Can You Lose Fat or Gain Muscle Without Losing or Gaining Weight? People who want to improve the way their body looks or performs have all sorts of potential problems that can prevent them from reaching their goal. But sometimes, it’s the specific goal itself that is the problem. I want to look at 2 such examples of this right now and show you why these goals exist and what you’re supposed to do about them. Problem #1: I Want To Lose Fat Without Losing Weight. Something you’ll often here from “skinny- fat” people (people who are kinda skinny, but still not really lean or “toned“) is that they want to lose more fat so they can get leaner, but they don’t want to lose any more weight. This might be because: They’re already skinnier than they’d like to be, and they certainly don’t want to get any skinnier. ![]() Best Weight Lifting Exercises To Burn Fat How to Lose Weight Fast Fat Recommendations. To calculate the grams of fat you should eat each day to facilitate weight loss while staying healthy, take 20 and 35 percent of your total. The number they see on the scale is already lower than they’d like it to be and they don’t want to see it get lower. They’re happy with the weight they’re at, but unhappy with their body fat percentage. In my experience, this seems to be more of a guy problem, although it’s definitely an issue girls deal with too. But usually you’ll see a guy of average height (say 5’9- 6’0) who is maybe 1. They want to gain muscle and get bigger, but at the same time, even though they are fairly skinny right now and weigh less than they’d like to, they’re still not as lean as they’d like to be. Basically, in a shirt they appear skinny and small and like they probably don’t have much body fat on them. Protein is an important nutrient for weight loss. Getting enough can boost your metabolism, reduce your appetite and help you lose body fat without losing muscle. Eating fat can actually help people lose weight, scientists say. One reason is food producers end up replacing food with sugar, which can be unhealthy for people. Have you ever wanted to lose fat without losing any weight? Or maybe gain muscle without actually gaining weight? Here's the truth about how to do it. But take that shirt off and you’ll see a nice amount of belly fat covering the six pack they wish they had. And so they have a dilemma. They want to get leaner and see their abs, but they don’t want to lose any more weight and get smaller overall. How do they do it? I’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s first look at the other similar problem. Problem #2: I Want To Gain Muscle Without Gaining Weight. If the first problem is usually a bit more common among men, then this problem is usually a bit more common among women. Although again, guys deal with it too. And that is, when you would like to build more muscle, but you’re happy with your current body weight and don’t want it to increase any further. This might be because: The idea of watching your weight go up (usually after you worked so hard to make it go down) doesn’t sit so well with you mentally/emotionally. You have some kind of “goal weight” in your head that you are happy with, and that’s the weight you want to be at when you have your ideal body. You don’t want to exceed it. And then there’s the always fun issue many women have, where they want to build some more muscle in all the right places, but the reality of actually adding X pounds of muscle “weight” to their body scares them (ya know, because they’ll get “big, bulky and manly“). Basically, you’re happy with your weight, but unhappy with the amount of muscle you have. So once again there is a dilemma. You want to get more muscular and build some more lean mass, but you don’t want to gain any more weight. How do you do it? Let’s find out. The Solution To Both Problems Is. The way to lose fat without losing weight and gain muscle without gaining weight is. It’s going to be pretty hard to drop 5lbs of fat from your body without seeing a 5lb decrease in your body weight. The same goes for the people who want to gain 5 more pounds of muscle, but don’t want to see their weight go up any further. Now I know the average skinny- fat 1. But, like it or not, you will. You just can’t gain the muscle you want to gain without this happening. But Wait, Aren’t You Forgetting Something? This is the point where you’re supposed to think I’m just some idiot who is overlooking a very simple and obvious way of solving these problems. Supposed Solution #1. To lose fat without losing weight, a person would just need to gain an equal amount of muscle at an equal rate. So for example, if a person could lose 1lb of fat per week while simultaniously gaining 1lb of muscle per week, their weight wouldn’t change and they’d successfully solve this problem. Right? In theory, this is 1. And in a magical fantasy world, this is how it would always work. But in reality, it’s just not going to happen. The average rate of muscle growth is significantly slower than the average rate of fat loss. So unless you plan on losing fat about 5- 1. ALWAYS lose fat MUCH faster and MUCH more consistently than you will ever gain muscle. And having this conversation in the first place assumes that losing significant amounts of fat while building significant amounts of muscle AT THE EXACT SAME TIME is even possible. With a few rare exceptions (mainly fat beginners, people regaining lost muscle and steroid users). More here: Losing Fat And Building Muscle At The Same Time. So while the idea of losing fat while simultaneously replacing that lost weight with muscle at the exact same rate and in the exact same ratio is a beautiful one. If you’re unhappy with your weight at that point, focus on building more muscle. Supposed Solution #2. The same thing applies to the people thinking they can gain muscle without gaining weight as long as they just lose an equal amount of fat at the same time. Now this idea again suffers from the same issue as before, which is that most people just aren’t going to be able to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time (especially at anything close to an acceptable and tolerable rate). But in this case, there’s another issue preventing this theory from becoming reality. Many of the people looking to add muscle to their body without their weight increasing are often already quite lean and happy with their current body fat percentage. Meaning, there’s just no more fat left for them to lose to counterbalance a gain in muscle. So how exactly does a person who doesn’t want to lose any more fat go about gaining muscle without gaining weight? So if you want to add more muscle to your body, you’re just going to have to accept that your weight will need to increase for it to happen. Choose Your Goals Wisely. Like I said at the very beginning, there are all kinds of reasons for why people fail to reach their diet and exercise goals. The easiest way of all is by setting a goal that either isn’t possible or is just so completely unlikely that it might as well be impossible. And in all honesty, trying to lose fat or gain muscle while your weight stays exactly the same are perfect goals to set if you enjoy spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. How Protein Shakes Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat. Protein is an important nutrient for weight loss. Getting enough can boost your metabolism, reduce your appetite and help you lose body fat without losing muscle. Protein shakes are an easy way to add more protein to your diet, and have been shown to help with weight loss. This article explains everything you need to know about protein shakes and how they affect your weight. What Are Protein Shakes? Protein shakes are drinks made by mixing protein powder with water, although other ingredients are often added as well. They can be a convenient addition to the diet, especially when access to quality high- protein foods is limited. Although most people don’t need them to meet daily protein requirements, they can also be useful if you need to increase your intake for some reason. You can buy protein powder and mix it yourself, but you can also get many different brands of pre- made liquid shakes. Some of the most popular types of protein powder on the market are: Whey protein: Quickly absorbed, dairy- based. Contains all the essential amino acids (1). Casein protein: Slowly absorbed, dairy- based. Contains all essential amino acids (1). Soy protein: Plant- based and contains all essential amino acids. Also contains soy isoflavones, which may provide some health benefits (2). Hemp protein: Plant- based and high in omega- 3 and omega- 6 fats, but low in the essential amino acid lysine (3). Rice protein: Plant- based and low in the essential amino acid lysine (3). Pea protein: Plant- based and low in the non- essential amino acids cystine and methionine (4). Some brands contain a mix of different types of protein powder. For example, many plant- based brands combine types to complement each other’s amino acid profile. Bottom Line: Protein shakes can contain different types of protein, each with its own characteristics. Protein Shakes Decrease Hunger and Appetite. Protein can decrease hunger and appetite in two main ways. First, it increases levels of appetite- reducing hormones like GLP- 1, PYY and CCK, while reducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin (5, 6, 7, 8, 9): Second, protein helps you feel full for longer (1. In one study, a high- protein breakfast helped participants consume up to 1. In another, overweight men who had been on a weight loss diet increased their protein intake to 2. This increase cut cravings by 6. Increasing protein intake from 1. What’s more, by the end of the 1. These shakes can be a convenient way to add extra protein to your diet. However, keep in mind that too much can still lead to excess calories. Another study found that shakes containing 2. So if you’re trying to lose weight, 2. Bottom Line: Protein can decrease your appetite by affecting your hunger hormones. It can also help you feel full for longer, which can help you eat less and lose body fat. Protein Shakes May Increase Metabolism. High protein intake can boost your metabolism, helping you burn slightly more calories each day (1. That’s in part because a high- protein diet — especially when combined with strength training — may help you build muscle. This can speed up your metabolism because muscle burns more calories than fat. One study gave obese participants shakes with either 2. Those given the protein gained 2. In another study, researchers gave participants a combination of foods and shakes providing either 0. After 6 weeks, those on the higher- protein diet gained 2. It should be noted, however, that your ability to gain muscle during a weight loss diet may depend on the amount of muscle you already have (2. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). For instance, 1. 5- 3. Bottom Line: Protein helps boost metabolism because a lot of energy is spent digesting and metabolizing it. It also helps you build muscle, which burns more calories than fat. Protein Shakes May Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat. Researchers generally agree that high- protein diets can help you lose more fat, especially fat from the belly area (2. In one study, participants on a diet providing 2. The participants consuming more protein lost 3. In one final study, participants on diets providing 3. This can help boost fat loss, especially from around your mid- section. Protein Shakes May Also Prevent Muscle Loss and Metabolic Slowdown. Weight loss diets often cause you to lose muscle, which can slow down your metabolism. This makes it easier to gain all the weight back (and more) once you go off the diet. A high protein intake combined with strength training can help prevent part of this muscle loss and metabolic slowdown (2. In fact, researchers reported that participants’ metabolism decreased less on a weight loss diet providing 3. Evidence shows that consuming a daily protein shake as part of a weight loss diet may make muscle maintenance up to three and a half times more efficient (3. A study of athletes compared weight loss diets providing either 3. Both diets helped participants lose about the same amount of fat, but those consuming more protein lost 3. A recent review further notes that weight loss diets that exceed 0. Bottom Line: Protein shakes consumed during a weight loss diet can help prevent muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. This is particularly effective in combination with strength training. Protein Shakes May Help Prevent Weight Re- Gain After Weight Loss. Protein’s effect on metabolism, appetite and muscle mass may also keep you from regaining the fat you worked so hard to lose. One study reports that participants given more protein lost more weight and maintained their results better than those given less. In fact, the high- protein group regained only 9% of the lost weight, whereas the low- protein group regained 2. Another study gave participants who just completed a weight loss intervention a supplement that provided 4. Participants who took the supplement felt more full after meals and had regained 5. Bottom Line: Additional protein, whether from shakes or whole foods, can help minimize the amount of weight you regain after weight loss. Which Type of Protein is Best? Different types of protein have different effects on the body. For instance, whey is more quickly absorbed than casein, helping you feel less hungry in the short- term (3. Another describes whey as 3 times more effective at maintaining muscle- building ability during a weight loss diet than soy protein (3. That being said, not all studies agree that whey is superior. For example, one report notes that the faster hunger- reducing effect results in no differences in the amount of calories consumed at meals (3. Furthermore, several reviews report equal amounts of fat loss with use of whey, soy, rice or egg- protein supplements (3. Whey, casein and soy contain all the essential amino acids your body needs. On the other hand, rice and hemp protein are low in the essential amino acid lysine, and pea protein is also low in the non- essential amino acids cystine and methionine. That being said, these deficiencies likely don’t cause a problem unless if shakes are the only source of protein in your diet. Also, many plant- based protein powders mix different sources so that the mixture contains all the essential amino acids. Bottom Line: The exact type of protein powder you have in your shakes should not make a major difference for fat loss. Some studies show an advantage for whey, but the evidence is mixed. Dosage and Side Effects. Taking 1 shake per day should be a good way to start. It is best to take it either before or instead of a meal, with 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder in the shake. Mixing it with water, ice and perhaps a piece of fruit in a blender is a simple way to create a delicious and satisfying shake. Side effects such as bloating, cramps, gas and diarrhea may occur if you’re lactose intolerant and drinking shakes made with whey or casein. These symptoms can be simply avoided by switching to protein powders not derived from dairy, such as egg, pea, soy, hemp or rice protein powders. Of note, high- protein diets were once thought to have negative impacts on kidney and bone health, but newer research shows this is not true. In fact, high protein intakes were never shown to cause any kidney damage in healthy people. However, lower- protein diets may be beneficial for those with existing kidney issues (3. Most studies report that total protein intakes of between 0. This amount of protein normally represents around 2. You can read more about that here: How Much Protein Should You Eat Per Day? Bottom Line: Taking one shake per day is a good way to start, with 1 or 2 scoops of protein. Some people may experience digestive side effects. Take Home Message. Most people can easily get enough protein without using shakes. That being said, these supplements are an easy, safe and delicious way to add extra protein in your diet. If you’re trying to lose weight, extra protein from shakes can help you feel less hungry, help you lose weight faster and lower the likelihood of regaining the lost fat.
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