Burning Fat While Keeping Your Muscle

Most people who diet have a goal to lose pounds, inches and fat. The problem is, most approaches only focus on the actual amount of weight loss and not the maintenance of existing muscle tissue. The problem with this? Well, the fundamental problem with this common approach is that muscle can be compared to a fat burning machine metaphorically speaking.

Without muscle mass, it would take all of us five times longer to burn off the stored up fat that gives us puffy bellies, love handles and thunder thighs.

Any personal trainer or nutritionist will tell you that retaining muscle mass while losing weight is critical not only to your long term success, but also to the shape and look of your body. Muscle tone and mass is what gives us those coveted curves, ripples (the good kind), and definition.

People with more muscle tone simply look much thinner, healthier and more defined. So, how can you assure you remain a fat burning machine while retaining muscle?

1. Up your cardio rather than your strength training if you're pressed for workout time. Cardio both burns fat and sculpts and tones muscle. Putting cardio before strength and weight training in the beginning stages of weight loss is critical to both fast fat reduction and muscle maintenance. After the initial few weeks, you can again increase your strength training.

2. Opt for a diet that favors lean protein over fatty proteins (like the Atkins diet, which doesn't favor lean over fatty). Also opt for whole grains and whole wheat, which will not promote water weight and puffiness like white refined and bleached flour products will. This should also be consumed in moderation though.

You're going to have to forego the sugar too. Sugar leads to excess water retention and fat storage. It essentially keeps fat from being properly metabolized and burned by the body, since the sugar is burned off first. You may also want to avoid excessive sodium. Bodybuilders actually use this trick to help their muscles look more defined, since the layer of water-retaining tissue that normally may be there over the muscle gets thinner and exposes more ripples and definition.

3. Protein shakes. Some, not all, protein shakes can help to retain your muscle mass. These are usually high protein, low fat shakes that are made with whey or other lean protein powders and skim or soy milk.

4. Keep your metabolism revved up. If you have a desk job, get up and go into a bathroom stall if you have to for a round of twenty squats. Do this as often as you can. It's a great calorie burner and fat blaster. It also boosts your energy and helps sculpt buns and thighs.

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