When you're trying to lose weight and burn excess fat, it's natural for some muscle mass to go away with it. However, losing large amounts of muscle mass is neither healthy nor ideal. To prevent this, there are several diet programs, menus, or types of exercise that can help you lose weight, burn fat, and maintain muscle mass. Carefully planning the foods you will eat and how much you should eat can help you burn fat safely and healthily.
Step
Step 1. Aim to lose 0.5 or 1 kg per week
A healthy weight loss is 0.5 or 1 kg per week. Losing weight faster increases the risk of losing muscle mass.
- Usually we are advised not to consume less than 1,200 calories per day. Consuming calories that are too low for your age, gender, or activity level can put you at risk of losing muscle mass by not consuming enough nutrients to function normally.
- A reduction of 0.5 or 1 kg per week can be obtained from a reduction in consumption of 500 calories per day. Do not reduce calorie consumption beyond that.
Step 2. Eat enough protein
When you reduce your calorie intake, you limit how much protein you consume throughout the day. Not being able to eat enough protein can lose muscle mass.
- A minimum of women need 46 grams of protein per day and men need 56 grams of protein per day. That's easily fulfilled by consuming protein sources with every meal or snack. Do not consume less than this amount.
- Eat high-quality protein from sources such as lean red meat, poultry, seafood, beans, legumes, tofu, natural peanut butter, eggs, or low-fat dairy products.
- A serving of protein is about 85 to 110 grams, or a palm-sized piece of meat or a pack of cards.
Step 3. Eat enough fruits and vegetables
Both food groups are low in calories, but rich in nutrients and can fill you up more. It can make a low-calorie menu more filling and satisfying.
- You should eat two or three servings of fruit each day and four to six servings of vegetables each day. To meet these recommendations, you will most likely have to eat fruit or vegetables at every meal.
- One small fruit or cup is equivalent to one serving of fruit, and one or two cups of leafy vegetables is equivalent to one serving of vegetables.
Step 4. Consume two or three servings of carbohydrates per day
Following a low-carb diet can help you lose weight faster and burn more fat than following a low-fat or low-calorie diet.
- A low-carb diet focuses on limiting the carbohydrates you consume per day. Depending on the type of diet, the amount of carbohydrates consumed per day ranges from 60 to 200. The fewer carbohydrates you consume, the more limited your food choices will be.
- Carbohydrates are found in many food groups including cereals, fruits, starchy vegetables, dairy products, and legumes. You should only consume one to three servings of carbohydrates per day to support weight loss. Read the packaging or use a food journal to find out how many carbohydrates are in the food you are consuming.
- A low-carbohydrate diet rich in protein has been shown to have the best potential for burning fat and maintaining muscle mass.
- Consult a doctor before starting a low-carb diet. While basically safe for healthy adults, sticking to a low-carb diet may not be suitable for some people.
Step 5. Consider taking a protein supplement
Protein supplements are drinks that are low in calories and rich in protein. Consuming an additional 15 to 30 grams of protein per day from this supplement can help you meet minimal protein requirements, promote weight loss, and prevent muscle mass loss.
- Whey protein is high-quality protein for your body. It contains all the essential amino acids that the body needs and cannot be made on its own. If you want to buy a protein supplement, try to buy whey protein if possible.
- If you are allergic to whey, or don't want to use whey, consider using another protein source. Eggs and soy protein can be a suitable alternative.
- Protein supplements have been shown to be effective, especially for maintaining and even developing lean muscle mass when taken after exercise.
- If you decide not to use protein supplements to help you lose weight, be sure to choose a supplement that is not too high in calories. Also don't mix a lot of high-calorie ingredients or ingredients that can increase the total calories of your supplement. It can increase weight if it causes your diet to be high in calories.
- You can buy protein supplements in many stores. You can find it at a well-stocked grocery store, pharmacy, health food store, sports/nutrition store, or on the internet.
Part 1 of 1: Maintaining Muscle Mass by Exercising
Step 1. Do cardio three to five times per week
One of the keys to burning fat is exercise. Cardiovascular (cardio) or aerobic exercise helps your body burn calories and can support weight loss.
- Maintaining lean muscle mass and burning calories can be achieved by doing regular cardio exercises.
- Aim to do 150 minutes of cardio per week. Ideally, exercise is done at a moderate intensity. Moderate-intensity cardio includes all activities that get your heart rate and breathing rate up until you're comfortable saying short sentences without stopping to catch your breath.
- Various types of aerobic activities include walking/running, cycling, using the elliptical machine, swimming, or dancing.
- Interval training is a combination of strength training and cardio in the form of high- and moderate-intensity exercise that is performed at a short time and with full force. You can do this exercise in a shorter period of time. Research shows that this type of exercise supports fat loss.
Step 2. Do weight training two to three times per week
A crucial part of losing fat and maintaining muscle mass is strength training. Consistent weight training helps prevent loss of muscle mass and can increase the percentage of lean muscle mass.
- Strength training should be done for about 20 to 30 minutes per session. Try to work all the major muscle groups each session. Make sure you work your core (core muscles, namely your back, abs, and hips), chest, arms, and legs.
- Strength training includes weight lifting, isometric exercises, and classes such as yoga or pilates.
- If you're just starting out with weight or strength training, start with light weights and fewer repetitions. Don't start right away with heavy weights or long workouts. It can cause injury.
- Limit the frequency of exercise for each muscle group to a maximum of once every two days. Each particular muscle group should only be directly stimulated once or twice per week to allow it to recover.
Step 3. Enter rest days
Resting one or two days a week will help your body recover and continue to maintain and develop lean muscle mass. You should rest between cardio and strength training during the week.
- Allow 24 to 48 hours of rest between strength training sessions.
- During your rest day, you need to stay active. Rest days don't mean you sit around or lie down a lot. You should do activities that restore energy and are very low intensity. You can go for a walk, take a leisurely bike ride, or do some yoga to recharge.
Step 4. Focus on recovery and proper eating
When you're dieting, exercising, and want to maintain or develop muscle mass, you should focus on consuming the right nutrients before and after your workout.
- Before exercising, you should ideally consume plenty of fluids that restore your body fluids as well as a small portion of carbohydrate-rich food. It should be eaten at least 30 minutes before exercising so that your stomach does not hurt during exercise.
- A pre-workout snack includes a bowl of oatmeal, a piece of fruit, a piece of yogurt, or a serving of whole-wheat crackers.
- Immediately after exercising, you should also continue to drink fluids that restore body fluids. In addition, you should eat small meals or snacks that are rich in protein and carbohydrates. The combination specifically helps restore muscle. Try to eat it within 60 minutes after you finish exercising.
- After-workout snacks include whole-grain hummus or pita chips, small apples and peanut butter, chocolate milk, mixed nuts and dried fruit, or fruit smoothies with added protein powder.
Tips
- Before changing your diet, consult your doctor first. Your doctor can tell you which one is safe and suitable for you.
- Also consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
- Slow, steady weight loss is the best approach to maintaining lean muscle mass while dieting.
