TOTAL LIFETIME FITNESS

Weight Loss 101 - Part 2 - Build Lean Muscle Mass

October 5th, 2008 Posted by David Lemberg

We want to be encouraged, not discouraged, in our weight management plans. How many times do people spend two or three frustrating months of serious food deprivation in order to lose 15 or 20 pounds, only to discover two or three months later that they’ve put back all the weight they worked so hard to lose. It’s heartbreaking.

And then a year or two later they go through the same thing, with the same ultimate result. And then they go for a checkup and their doctor tells them, “you’ve got high cholesterol and high blood pressure and you have to lose 25 pounds”. The person begins to feel like Sisyphus, pushing a big boulder all the way up a mountain only to have it roll back down to the bottom again.

There is a better way.

The secret ingredient to any long-lasting weight loss plan is to build lean muscle mass. Regular, consistent exercise is needed to provide the necessary conditions to support such muscle development. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of time before all the weight you worked so hard to lose comes back.

Regular exercise, particularly strength training, causes your body to add a few pounds of lean muscle mass over time. This new muscle is a metabolic furnace - muscle cells are packed with mitochondria, so the muscle cells are proficient in both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism.

The bottom line - with additional lean muscle mass, your body burns more calories for energy. And, as you’re consuming fewer daily calories because you’re on a smart food plan, you begin to burn fat for energy.

As you burn fat for energy, you begin to slim down. Waistlines get narrower. Thighs and calves get longer and leaner. And, you get better looking as the puffiness around your eyes, mouth, and cheekbones starts to melt away.

It’s all good. The surprising bonus of all this new-found metabolic efficiency is you’re now burning calories even while you’re resting. Calories – - fat grams – are still being consumed while you’re listening to music, talking to friends, and sleeping. Watching TV becomes part of your weight management program!

Your weight loss stays lost. And, as you’re also doing core exercises as part of your training routine, you begin to see sharper, more clearly defined abdominal muscles because you’ve shed pounds of overlying fat.

It’s simple, really. Weight management programs won’t make permanent changes unless you’re also doing regular consistent exercise that includes both aerobic exercise and strength training. Such an exercise plan changes your body’s metabolism so you’re making maximum use of the energy you’re getting from food and also burning fat for energy.

So, we need a human physiology–based food plan that provides excellent nutrition and enough calories to meet our daily requirements. [Remember, extra calories will be stored as fat.] And, we need a regular, consistent exercise plan that will restore our metabolism to the fat-burning machine it’s designed to be.

The weight loss will take care of itself. As the months go by, you’ll lose weight slowly and steadily, until your weight plateaus at your natural body weight. Every person’s body type is unique, so you may or may not be as slim as your best friend. What really counts is you’ve reached your natural, healthy weight, in a healthy, natural process.

This are very empowering activities. You’re ongoingly empowered by the results you’re achieving, and all your friends and family are empowered, too.

Everybody wins!

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