Losing fat can be a fantastic way to improve your health and get your body into shape. In fact, losing even 5% of your weight can improve cardiovascular health and reduce bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels. But if you’re not careful, you may also lose muscle, which is a vital part of your body that helps keep you healthy and gives your body shape and function.
To do a reduction without losing muscle, you need to follow three basic principles: eat less, lift more and train harder. You’ll likely notice results gradually if you adhere to these guidelines, but in the long run, they’ll provide sustainable changes that will help you look and feel great.
Eat Less
You need to cut calories if you want to lose weight, so make sure that your diet is low in fat and high in protein. The protein in your daily diet will help fuel your workouts and preserve muscle mass as you burn fat.
Exercise More
You should be exercising several times a week, whether it’s cardio or resistance training. The more you exercise, the more muscle you’ll build and the faster your fat loss will be. You should also focus on strength-training exercises that can be done in the gym with free weights or by your own bodyweight, such as squats, deadlifts, pushups and pullups.
Try to include heavier loads (especially 5-10 reps) in your routine while you’re dieting so that you retain as much muscle as possible. However, be aware that heavy lifting can cause fatigue and increase the risk of injury.
Avoid Crash Dieting
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to drop fat is doing so too quickly. Often, they’ll go from a very large caloric surplus to a very small caloric deficit on the first day of their diet. This type of drastic change can be very effective at reducing your body weight, but it also increases your risk of losing muscle in the process.
The reason is that your body needs time to recover from a major change in eating habits and lifestyle. And while it’s easy to cut calories dramatically in the beginning, it’s more important to do it slowly, says Upton.
Rest and Recovery
You should always be taking adequate rest between workouts. But if you’re on a cutting program, this is even more important than usual, as it will help you prevent the calorie-burning process from shutting down your muscles and making them vulnerable to muscle breakdown.
Do a Caloric Deficit But Don’t Starve Yourself
In order to effectively lose fat, you need to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you consume. This requires discipline and a strong commitment to your fitness plan.
During a caloric deficit, your body starts to break down more of the fat you consume in order to use as energy. But it can also start to convert lean muscle tissue into energy, too.