When we hear the word “weight loss” many of us perceive the word “weight” used here is a synonym of “fat”, and weight loss is fat loss. This is the biggest misconception that today circulates in many social media platforms, diet blogs, and on Search engine results.
A large percentage of online information sadly perpetuated this myth that slicing calories, skipping meals, going on crazy fad diets, and shifting to juices are going to reduce weight.
What such information hides that if the weight loss would be the outcome of just fat loss or a combination or just the result of muscle loss or reduction of body fluids – that commonly do more harm to the body than good.
Leading weight loss dietician Avni Kaul shares some important tips on how to achieve healthy weight loss without compromising on body muscle and strength.
Ensure you are taking enough Protein
Aside from choosing a diet that supports fat loss, you need to consider your macronutrient ratio. Losing fat without losing muscle requires eating enough protein.
Why so? Because protein boosts your basal metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories throughout the day. It also helps repair muscles and supports muscle growth.
Note: there are certain health conditions where protein intake in the body has to be strictly monitored like in cases of kidney diseases. Thus consult your nutritionist or general physician first before increasing your protein intake.
Don’t cut too many calories
Most crash diets found on the internet advise to put your body into starvation mode by reducing your food intake as these diets want to metabolize body muscle since muscle is easier to break down than fat – making such diet popular among people who judge weight loss success only through weight machine’s reading.
Beware of such diet steps because restricting your calories too much means you won’t be getting the necessary vitamins and nutrients which will delay your recovery from workouts and exercises. This will also badly damage your body’s natural immunity level and, impacts your overall health.
Instead of slashing your calories by thousands, start with moderate deficits of 200-500 calories. This is enough to keep your metabolism humming without putting your body into shock. And most importantly, try to start a diet under the supervision of an expert.
Take it easy
When you are reducing calorie intake to burn fat, your low availability of calories will possibly reduce your available mental and physical energy. This means that if you are a person who is professionally always on move, frequently love to rule dance floors in nightclubs or a daily gym-goer, there will be low energy availability in your body now. Hence you may lose strength.
That is why for a certain period of time (depending on your age, body composition, and weight) during your dieting, try to refrain from pushing your body. If your body feels easily tired, take rest and consult your nutritionist immediately.
Avni Kaul is Founder of Nutriactivania with Masters Degree in Food and Nutrition from University of Delhi and is also a Certified Diabetes Educator from Project Hope and International Diabetes Federation. She is a Leicester Mammas Ambassador trained in Lactation Counselling with NHS United Kingdom. Mammas support pregnant and new mothers and their families. Specializations of Avni Kaul Include Infant and Young Child Feeding Practises, Pre and Post natal diets, Fat loss, Muscle Gain and Holistic Health and Nutrition