Losing weight while maintaining lean muscle is on every woman’s goal list, right? In our lifetime, most of us will try an average of 162 diets! We tap into fad eating trends (that never last!) and test out trendy workout plans (that don’t seem to work)—only to wind up back at square one.
How can we put an end to this ineffective cycle and finally shed those stubborn lbs for the best women’s total body transformation? While “weight loss” is the ultimate goal for many women transitioning through menopause, in reality, we are looking to lose fat without sacrificing precious toned muscle.
Ladies, it’s time to hit the pause button on crash or extreme diets and get to the bottom of how our bodies manage fat. With this knowledge, you can finally achieve a true body transformation without dieting.
4 Ways JOC Superwomen Get Their Bodies to Burn Fat and Maintain Lean Muscle
The body was designed to survive, and it loves to have a back-up plan in place for every system. Our bodies also love to plan ahead. That’s why it is so good at storing fat—just in case times get rough and you don’t have enough food to eat. Holding onto that extra fat is the last resort for nutrition.
How does it all work? When the body needs energy, it starts with glycogen stores. Once those run out, it has a choice to make: tap into dense muscle tissue, or burn away fat.
Because it’s a key part of the back-up plan, our bodies consider fat to be a very precious resource. That’s why it can seem very difficult to get rid of! But there is hope. With these four steps, you can take teach your body to burn stubborn fat.
1. Don’t Starve Yourself
We’ve all learned that in order to lose weight, we need to cut calories. You must have less energy in the tank than your body needs in order for it to burn your fat as an energy source.
BUT you should not cut calories so drastically that your body will be more inclined to burn your lean muscle tissue for energy—or go into shock in the process, causing it to hold onto more fat because it believes it’s in survival mode.
There’s no instantaneous method to lose fat: the process will take time. But we know you can do it, Superwoman! Studies shows that slowly cutting calories actually results in more fat loss with an increase in muscle mass during the same amount of time as the control group. With patience and perseverance, you can do it! There’s no instantaneous method to lose fat: the process will take time. But we know you can do it, Superwoman! Studies shows that slowly cutting calories actually results in more fat loss with an increase in muscle mass during the same amount of time as the control group. With patience and perseverance, you can do it!
2. Try HIIT with Strength Training
A sure way to target fat through exercise is to do hours of long, boring cardio, right? That’s not the only way! Luckily, there’s a shortcut for a busy Superwoman like you. This second trick will help you melt away fat, and bonus—it helps to preserve lean muscle mass.
High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a very effective way to burn fat without producing muscle waste. We know it can feel impossible to sneak a workout into your already over-scheduled day. That’s one of the great things about HIIT, ladies. It’s an ultra-effective body transformation workout you can complete in less than 30 minutes. In fact, it’s such an effective workout that you only need to work in three of these workouts per week!
3. Eat a 2:1 Ratio of Carbs to Protein
In the fitness and nutrition world, people have the bad habit of taking everything to the extreme. For example, research proves that protein is good for retaining muscle mass, so people load up on protein shakes and huge steaks trying to build muscle. Studies also show that limiting your carb intake will help your body to burn fat, so people swear off carbs altogether.
Taking dietary restrictions to the extreme is never a good idea. Your body needs both protein and carbs to function properly, and your mind doesn’t need to feel utterly deprived of the things you love. However, you can find the right balance and benefit from slightly different ratios of each food group.
Notice I said slightly, not extremely. You want to limit your carbs but not to the point of limiting your energy. Carbs are the quickest source of fuel for the body: that’s why we crave them so much when we are tired. Try to eat about twice as much carbohydrates as protein. You’ll burn more fat, waste less lean muscle, and still have plenty of energy to go dancing with your friends.
4. Sleep, My Dear, In Order to Preserve Lean Muscle
The harder our workouts, the more important our recovery time is. There’s no better recovery for the body than a good night’s sleep.
It’s almost too easy to push back our bedtime because we want to stay up binge-watching our favorite show—but to lose weight, you’ll need to drop these guilty pleasures. If you really want to see results in weight loss, you need to get your zzz’s.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your hormones work against fat loss. Human growth hormone, one that helps preserve muscle, is at its highest level when you are sleeping. On the other hand, Cortisol is a stress hormone that inhibits fat loss. Its levels skyrocket when you haven’t gotten enough sleep. One study showed that out of two groups of people following the same diet, the group that slept 8.5 hours lost more than twice as much
fat as the group that got only 5.5 hours per night. Beauty sleep is real!
There’s no magic bullet when it comes to weight loss. By incorporating these four lifestyle adjustments into your routine, you’ll create a long-term, effective strategy to slim down and feel fitter than ever! Need a push? We can help.
SOURCES:
- Garthe I, Raastad T, Refsnes PE, Koivisto A, Sundgot-borgen J. Effect of two different weight- loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2011;21(2):97-104.
- Hunter GR, Byrne NM, Sirikul B, et al. Resistance training conserves fat-free mass and resting energy expenditure following weight loss. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(5):1045-51.
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a) Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle- building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:10.
b) Layman DK, Boileau RA, Erickson DJ, et al. A reduced ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein improves body composition and blood lipid profiles during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr. 2003;133(2):411-7. - Nedeltcheva AV, Kilkus JM, Imperial J, Schoeller DA, Penev PD. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(7):435-41.
