Lose the Fat, Spare the Muscle

Weight loss... the ever-elusive, ever-changing goal for so many of us. At first we want to lose 20 pounds by the holidays, then maybe just 10 pounds by our next birthday, then exasperated, we would be satisfied with 5 pounds by next week! We may turn to desperate measures as special events draw near and not even consider whether or not we may be creating a worse problem than what we started with.

Avoid the pitfall of quick and easy weight loss as this can put you on a roller coaster of ups and downs, muscle loss and fat gain that may haunt you for life. It can also lead to subtle nutrient deficiencies. Our bodies require just so many Calories to perform the functions of the day. We burn Calories just breathing and digesting food. More Calories are needed for physical exertion, illness, stress and other variables.

When we cut back too much on total Calories, our metabolism will actually slow down and then we require even fewer Calories for our "basal metabolism." When we finally start to eat a normal level of Calories again, our bodies have slowed down so much that now a lot of the Calories we do eat will get stored as fat. If we cut back too much on carbohydrates, then our bodies must convert protein into carbohydrate so that the brain has enough energy to function. Parts of the brain run exclusively on carbohydrate (glucose) and we will go to great lengths to get what the brain needs, even if it means devouring our own muscle to get it! Of course if we cut back too much on protein the same thing can happen and again, we lose muscle in our quest to lose weight.

Don't lose muscle! Muscle, or "lean body mass", burns Calories for us at the rate of 18,000 Calories per year for just one pound of muscle. That is almost 50 extra Calories burned per day for every pound of muscle we gain or maintain.

Always monitor your body composition when losing weight. Normal healthy ranges for percent body fat would be 13-21% for a man and 23-31% for a woman. Of course the lower end of the range would be healthiest as that would reflect more lean body mass and less fat. Percent body fat is easily measured by a BIA machine (bioelectrical impedance analysis). Some home scales may even have this feature built in. Even if it is not as accurate as a clinic's may be, it can give a starting point and a monitoring guideline to be sure you are not losing lean body mass. Regular exercise is also a very important component for weight loss, weight maintenance and for a healthy heart and bones! Walking briskly 30 to 60 minutes per day is an easy way to squeeze in a weight bearing, stress relieving aerobic activity. Bring along a friend or your favorite music to make it more enjoyable.

The ULTIMATE safe and healthy way to lose weight is to consume a BALANCED diet of mostly PLANT BASED FOODS (Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts,seeds, spices and herbs); CLEAN LEAN PROTEIN (preferably organic fowl, eggs, seafood, dairy and meat as tolerated); HEALTHY FATS from nuts, seeds, chia, and cold deep water fish); and a BALANCED, APPROPRIATE nutrition supplement plan. Nutrition support is especially important during weight loss because your body releases stored toxins as it breaks down fat. This can overwhelm the liver and make weight loss very uncomfortable and even near impossible!

BEWARE of fad diets or diets that promise quick and easy weight loss. A safe and reasonable rate of weight loss would be 1-2 pounds per week. Although that sounds slow, it will give your body time to adjust to changes without shocking your metabolism. Slow and steady weight loss while following a healthy balance diet will also allow you to create habits that you can live with for the rest of your life!

So, do the math. If you still want to lose that 20 pounds by the holidays, be sure to start 10 weeks before the holidays begin! Good Luck and Good Cheer!