Can You Lose Weight and Build Muscle at the Same Time?

A fact is that muscle weighs more than fat. So while you are dieting and exercising you are becoming leaner, but you may not see weight loss on the scale. It is a paradox for some people because they have a number in mind that they want to weigh.

Muscle burns fat more efficiently; so building muscle while you are losing fat is exactly what you need to do. You notice the word pound was not used. We get caught up in how much we weigh. It is more important to figure out how muscular and thin or big you want to be?

If you are stuck on the scale issue get rid of your scale. When you are building muscle you will actually become smaller and may weigh a little more. Lose fat; build muscle is an attainable goal. If you have a lot of weight to lose you will also lose weight. Another fact is that fat does not turn into muscle. They are two different physiological systems.

What kinds of food do you put in your mouth to lose fat build muscle? If you are dieting, of course you want to reduce your caloric intake. Your diet should consist of lean proteins like chicken fish and beef. You should be eating fresh fruits and vegetables. You do need to have some fat too. Limit your self to three small amounts a day of butter, margarine or mayo. You can get healthy fats from sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and pumpkin seeds. Do not forget the power of water, drink plenty of it.

When you want to lose fat build muscle, do you need to eat more protein for muscle development? It has been proven that you do need to eat more protein than you burn off to build muscle. There are different theories on where the protein should come from. There are supplements you can take. Drinking whey protein is one way to get more protein. Consuming all the protein that a body builder needs from just their diet might be difficult.

You only need more protein if you are a serious body builder or are into another form of extreme training. For a female who wants to lose a little weight and jests want to have a little muscle definition, you probably do not need to eat more protein. On the other hand, some experts say that that anybody who embanks on an exercise regime should consume more protein. Others say you only need more protein if you want to build body mass or if your diet is too low in carbohydrates.

Body builders do need more protein because as they are building muscle, and that muscle needs more calories from protein. Protein is broken down in our body to nitrogen and to build muscle you need to have a positive nitrogen balance. There are formulas to assist you in figuring out just how much protein you need. Do your research and listed to the other athletes advice.