Tips on how to build muscles & lose weight

This article is written by Jack, Editor of How To Lose Weight the Healthy Way.

Many people know how difficult it is to actually lose weight and build muscles at the same time. This can be a fine line which is very hard to achieve. However, it can be done with the proper planning, exercise and nutrition. If you need to know how to lose weight while still being able to put on muscle, the following article will give you some tips which can help you accomplish this.

• Protein is important when it comes to building muscles. Providing your body with an adequate amount of protein will allow muscles to growth. Ingesting quality protein to your daily diet is the key in losing weight while still gaining muscle. A great source of protein which encourages muscle growth while keeping the fat off is fish. Many types of fish are low in fat and full of protein. Even canned tuna fish can be a great source of protein which can be substituted in many meals for other types of fatty protein (e.g. meat).


• Other high-quality sources of protein and good fats are nuts. Eating a handful of nuts before a meal can give you the protein you need to make you feel fuller and consume fewer calories during the meal. Finally, many cuts of beef, turkey and chicken breasts are quite lean and provide a tremendous amount of protein without adding many calories to your diet.
• Generally your diet should be high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fat. This does not mean that you should completely remove these from your daily meals but you need to be careful on how often and in what quantities you consume them. There are many foods that are both low in calories, sugars and fat and most of the time there is little difference in taste than full fat foods. Many restaurants now offer many different low-fat alternatives on their menus because of consumer demand and all you have to do is ask for them. Try to keep a balance on the foods you eat and moderate the quantities you consume. As a first step try to always leave food on the plate when you finish your meal.
• When losing weight and building muscle it is important to include both cardio and strength training exercises in your daily schedule. Cardio exercises can help you lose weight and when combined with strength training exercises (weight lifting) you can achieve the best of both worlds i.e. replace pounds with muscles. Hitting the treadmill for 20 minutes is a great way to burn calories and warm-up before a weight lifting session and is a good way to ‘wake up’ your muscles. Your goal with cardio is to lose weight so the intensity of the exercise is important. The harder and faster you exercise the better will be the results. On the other hand during your weight lifting sessions try to focus on heavier weights with fewer reps.

The whole process may take time and you should be prepared to work hard, not to give up, but insist until you get the results you want.