Losing weight is a common goal for a lotta people concerned about their health.
With statistics showing that two-thirds of American adults are overweight, that’s not surprising.
Sometimes, those statistics can be misleading. For example, someone might be considered overweight, based on their gender, age, and height, when in fact they are in excellent physical shape, but their body contains more muscle than the average bear.
However, all it takes is a trip to the grocery store and a set of open eyes to see that, indeed, there are a lot of overweight people waddling around today.
Being overweight ain’t healthy.
And when people talk about losing weight, what they really mean is losing bodyfat.
You see, muscle tissue is quite a bit more dense than fat tissue. A pound of muscle is roughly the size of a tangerine, while a pound of fat is the size of a small grapefruit.
So fat occupies more space on the body that muscle.
In very basic terms, if you are losing bodyfat and preserving or gaining muscle at the same time, you’re going to be more slim and trim, but your overall weight might not change a whole lot.
Make sense?
Losing bodyfat while preserving the muscle you have is important. It’s the way you want to go. Only makes sense, right?
Here’s what you do:
- Find the number of calories your body requires to function: take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply by 14. If you weigh 150 pounds, then your maintenance calorie number would be 2,100 calories.
- Choose a calorie deficit: eating anywhere from 300 to 500 fewer calories each day.
- Determine your protein needs (to preserve muscle tissue): multiply your bodyweight x 0.8 grams.
- Figure your (healthy) fat needs: bodyweight x .45 grams.
- Carbohydrate goal: divide the remaining number of your daily calories limit by 4.
There are many approaches to losing weight (bodyfat), and this is only one of those.
Do some research.
Maybe experiment a little with two or three different methods, and find one that suits you.
Have a great day, and let me know if you have any questions!
