Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to lose weight, yet so easy to gain it back?

The answer may reside in part by evaluating your bodycomposition changes to specifically identify where you lose the weight? Unfortunately, traditional dieting and exercise programs most frequently result in the loss of lean body mass or muscle and worse than that the weight gained back is mostly fat. According to studies, an average of 11lbs of fat is gained every time you diet. Ultimately, this leaves in a more vulnerable position, with a now much slower metabolic rate to gain all the way back and more! No wonder, many people get frustrated and feel achieving their preferred weight is unattainable.

However, changing your focus to losing fat and maintaining or increasing muscle will maintain or even improve your metabolism making sustaining results a lot more attainable. We have new appreciation for these two critical segments of the body: fat and muscle. We now understand that they are not inert but are actually endocrine organs producing hormones that communicate with every cell in the body. In addition, where fat can survive on very little calories, muscle burns at least 3 times as many calories to sustain itself. Fat, specifically visceral fat stored in the abdomen and around your organs produces inflammatory messengers that only encourage more fat storage. In contrast, muscle the most metabolically active tissue burns calories and fat 24/7, even while sleeping!

What the top action steps you can take today to lose fat, gain muscle and take back control over your weight?

1) Include adequate amounts of high-quality protein, defined as ones that contain the best profile of amino acids to meet our needs (ie: whey protein, eggs or hemp if you are vegan) at every meal.
2) Also include plenty of vegetables that contain essential vitamins and minerals that are cofactors in shuttling those essential amino acids into your cells.
3) Eat more fat! In order to lose fat, you need to eat fat. Your body will burn what you are consuming. Focus on good sources of monounsaturated fats, saturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, butter and sockeye salmon or ground flax for vegans.
4) Limit consumption of processed carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and cereals. Higher glycemic carbohydrates such as these, trigger insulin, the energy storage hormone to store any extra calories as fat. How do cows get their marbling or chicken get uncharacteristically large breasts: grains!
5) Exercise is an essential component of any weight management program both cardio as well as weight resistance to ensure muscle mass is maintained while fat is lost. Cardio when performed at high intensities for short bursts can burn fat long after the activity is completed. Weight resistance ensure that the muscle you have will need to stay even while you are losing weight.

Final take away: any diet or lifestyle changes that you make need to be practiced consistently and sustainable over the long term. Focus on progress, not perfection and eventually you will adopt the necessary habits to support your goals

If you want to know how a personalized plan could be the missing link in achieving your goals, please call now 941-685-8074 to schedule a free 15 minute discovery call.