My goal is to lose my flabby stomach and gain a little muscle mass and strength. Ive read many articles which say that this is not possible at the same time. Should I concetrate on some HIIT for a few months first to shift some fat ? or should I add some weight training in as well on other days ? In what circumstances does the body burn muscle instead of fat ? I was thinking of reducing my calorie intake by about 500 per day. Low fat diet. And the following excercise plan. Would this maximise weight loss ? Moday - 7am HIIT for 30 minutes Tuesday - 7am HIIT for 30 minutes - 7pm kung fu training for 2 hours Wenesday - 7am weight training (general 3sets of 12 reps) Thurday - 7pm kung fu training for 2 hours Friday - 7am HIIT for 30 minutes Saturday - 7am weight training (general 3sets of 12 reps_ Sunday - Rest Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi, I think your doing what is correct to start to lose some weight and gain muscle. It really depends on how much fat you have to lose or want to tone up. You are mentioning loose and flabby. That is a sign you are doing what you want to do, for it is not hard fat that is being removed. We all need fat for it is a good thing. But to much is not. I think you are on the right path, don't worry about muscle loss as long as you have fat it will be what goes. By reducing fat, it is good but it is eliminating it, that will show faster results. That is tough to do. I think this location might help you. http://www.fatfree.com/FAQ/fatfree-faq Gary
I was in a slight hurry when I wrote that hehe. Yeh basically if you control your fat intake it is pretty much the only unessential source of calories. Protein, carbs and vits you need to recover however fat you can nigh on cut out with no issues. Edit: Having a quick look, I would be inclined to cut out a session or two of HIIT to make sure you don't overtrain. Start slow, work up. If you are starting to get overly tired etc you can just eliminate a few sessions until you recover.
I have to disagree here. Fats are essential for all sorts of important functions including recovery like you mentioned, and hormonal profiles which are very important in fat loss. Limiting calories is a much more effective method of weight loss, rather than limiting fat. While it is calorie dense, controlling it is no more difficult than controlling other nutrients. It also helps to steady blood sugar and lower the GI of meals, which will in turn also affect fat loss.
dude i lost 13.5 kg's in 3 weeks on this diet 3 times a week 1 hour cardio. 3 times a week thai boxing. ate 5 meals a day,small portions,mostly tuna,vegetables and egg whites,eat nothing after 6.30 pm drink alot of water. and stay away from chocolat,and junk food. u can drink diet pepsi if u want
I agree with Adam, total calories are most important. Fat is important for hormones. And I think that part of the lining of nerves is created from fat intake? The eating fat will make you fat was a strange fad in the 1980's which didn't really take into account what the body actually did.
Balancing your macronutrients is key, not eliminating them. Watch your calories and try to eat food with the minimum of processing. It will work better if you concentrate on fat loss while using weights, and then change your diet to suit when you are ready to gain muscle. While it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, it only really works effectively if you have previously had a quantity of muscle mass and lost it. For the rest of us it's much more efficient to concentrate on one thing at a time and work towards that. In your case I would suggest concentrating on fat loss first, you will see results quicker and be more likely to continue. Once you are comfortable with your body fat you can concentrate on adding some meat without worrying too much about fat gain.
to add to that, while weight training you will build lean muscle which will help you loss more of the flab, muscle burns more calories than fat does.
in the beginning stages (6months) i do believe its possible to lose fat and gain muscle due the fact its a total shock to the body and it has to adapt its flabby ass fast. after you have been training a while and the body has got used to the fact of being trained at regualr intervals, it will react more to increases in stressing (i.e. heavier weight and more intense cardio). very over simplified but in a nut shell the more muscle you gain = more energy required to move the muscles = more calories burned. once you get your diet down you will see a vast improvement, diet is key here with a good exercise routine in at number 2. good luck
Hard Fat?? Please explain the difference. Couldn't find anything about "hard fat" doing a google search.
McG is, as ever, 110% on target. Elimintating fat is a bad idea for a variety of reasons. One that I haven't seen mentioned is that fat also makes you feel full. This may sound silly, but feeling full is important. Dieting is hard because you're at a calorie defecit, and your body is trying to tell you to get more calories. Fat helps combat that feeling. Try this- the next time you get hungry, swallow a spoonful of olive oil before eating anything. You will be shocked by how your appetite is curbed almost immediately. Re: HIIT Imho, you're going to have a really hard time doing HIIT on consecutive days. I used to try, but my legs and core were constantly sore. Because HIIT is such a taxing workout, it takes more than 24 hours to recover generally. Consider some type of non-energy system workout for the day after HIIT. It is, in my experience, a more manageable goal.
Not only that, but HIIT and any high intensity work is very taxing on the nervous system, and this will have a gradual but sometimes very limiting effect over time and can often lead to overtraining. This is an overused term but that is often how it starts out. Your point about satiety is spot on. There are actually hormones (ghrelin being one of them) that are released when you feel full. Proteins but more so fats are much better at stimulating the release of these hormones than carbohydrates. Little experiment - You can actually feel these hormones working. Eat the same large meal over a couple of days, at a time when you are feeling hungry. You will find that if you hammer it down you should have a much easier time eating it, but if you really take your time then your body can tell itself that it is full and you might feel a bit less comfortable finishing it all. Apparently the window is around 15 minutes or so. Obviously this is vastly different for everyone and has different effects on different people, but many people can notice this.
