Are you looking to lose weight this year?
When we are trying to lose weight, we should really be thinking about how to lose body fat. There is a big difference. If we just focus on total weight loss, the science tells us that 10-50% of our lost body weight will come from lean tissue.
This is why just cutting calories doesn’t work for our health in the long run. As we get older, we are already losing lean tissue. Losing more will only compromise our long-term metabolic health.
So how can we eat in a way that targets fat loss and not muscle loss? Here are three important things to consider.
1. Do strength training, which will make your body prioritize preserving your lean tissue. (Which you are already doing, hopefully!)
2. Eat at least 1 gram of quality protein per pound of body weight per day to prevent muscle loss.
3. Get "fat-adapted." Before starting to cut your calories, re-teach your body how to metabolize fat for energy and not blood glucose. Otherwise, your body will be looking for energy from glucose and will get the missing energy by breaking down your lean muscle tissue. When you are fat-adapted, your body will get most of the energy it needs from breaking down its own stored body fat.
How to get yourself fat-adapted? Start with Plan A in the NET Healthy Eating Tactics. You can follow any diet that you prefer; just use the three principles in this email to lose more fat rather than muscle.
Have any questions? Let us know how we can help you with your fitness and health journey.
This is part 2 in a three-part series about lifestyle interventions for health. Read parts 1 and 3.