Many people around the world suffer from all kinds of insecurities and anxiety because of their weight. Many of them are totally healthy, and have no need to worry, but there’s no doubt that healthy, constructive weight loss can do wonders for our mental, as well as physical, wellbeing.
There are a number of ways of going about losing weight, from dieting to using an XLS medical fat binderbut to lose weight in the long-term, and to improve your health, the only way to go is a combined approach.
For the purposes of this article we will use the term ‘weight loss’ as interchangeable with ‘fat loss.’ Many people simply focus on what the scales tell them when it comes to their weight, but that is over-simplifying things.
Even if you don’t see your weight come down all that much, if you can improve the proportion of your body mass that is muscle compared to fat you are on to a winner. Here’s why.
Don’t be afraid of muscles
While some people would like nothing more than to have a weightlifter’s physique, it is understandable that many, especially women, can think of nothing worse.
Athletes like Jessica Ennis are doing wonders in showing that beauty and power are far from mutually exclusive, but what everyone should bear in mind is the level of work and extent of training that goes into achieving a muscle-bound look.
If you approach building muscle as part of your daily routine and lifestyle, rather than the central focus of it, you will become toned, not ripped, lose fat, and put in place the strongest barrier to further fat gain.
The science
Exercise is the best way of losing weight and getting healthy, but simply going for a jog or a half-hour swim means you lose weight indiscriminately. That is to say, you lose muscle as well as fat. What is more, when you up the intensity of your exercise, the proportion of muscle loss compared to fat loss increases.
Should you worry? In truth, yes. Exercising your muscles is the best way to burn calories –running for thirty minutes burns less calories than spending the same amount of time in weight or resistance-training – meaning losing muscles equates to reducing your capacity for calorie burning.
On the other hand, building your muscle expands your capacity, meaning you will be able to both enjoy the taste and fight the effects of larger portions and fattier foods.
Combine exercise and muscle building
That is not to say exercise is a waste of time. It can be a valuable contributor to overall weight loss if you combine it with work on your muscles.
Furthermore, aerobic health like jogging, swimming or playing team sports, boosts possibly the most important muscle of them all – the heart.
Dietary considerations
Going on a diet is normally bad news, but you should naturally watch what you eat.
If you are serious about developing your muscle mass then protein is important, as this is what is converted into muscle. Look into whey protein and fat binders from XLS medical and commit to eating healthy.
That’s not to say you should eat blandly. Because they are working so much harder, people who build their muscles can get away with eating more than someone who is tackling their weight and fat in other ways.
Drop your carb intake if you are addicted to bread and pasta, eat white meat and fish, and don’t be too restrictive. Moderate your calorie intake, don’t completely remove them from your diet – you will have a much better chance of sticking with it if you allow yourself the occasional treat.
