If you've been working out with weights for any length of time, you know the importance of supplying your body with frequent feedings of quality protein so that your body will be able to have the necessary building blocks to build muscle in the shortest amount of time possible.
How much protein should you be consuming each day? Well, that debate has been raging for many years. Eventually, the mainstream will accept what those in the bodybuilding community have known for a long, long time.
In order to increase muscle mass, you should be consuming at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. This is a good starting point. However, this is the same thing you need for fat loss. You need to eat more protein to burn fat.
After awhile you may gradually increase your protein intake, monitoring your progress as you go, to determine if a higher protein intake allows you to make better progress.
Personally, I make better progress when my protein intake is somewhere between one and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, spread out over 6 meals per day.
The above paragraph may not be new to any of you. What you might not realize, however, is that protein is also extremely important when dieting to burn off excess body fat. You definitely want to eat more protein to burn fat. Eating more protein burns calories and helps you lean out.
Yes, it's important to keep your protein intake high when dieting to make sure that you don't burn off any muscle tissue in your quest to get ripped or lean.
But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about taking in protein to burn fat in order to boost your metabolism and burn more fat, in addition to helping preserve and build your lean muscle tissue.
Eating more protein to burn fat was confirmed in a study published in the American Journal of Physiology. One group was fed a high protein diet (just over one gram per pound of bodyweight per day) while the second group consumed a protein diet near equal to that of the RDA.
The group eating the high protein diet burned more fat than the group consuming protein near equal to the RDA. One reason for the ability of protein to burn fat could be an increased "thermic" effect. The thermic effect of the RDA group was elevated 16% after eating.
However, in the high protein group the thermic effect increased 42% after eating, almost 3 times that of the RDA group.
This thermic effect of digesting your food peaks approximately one hour after eating. Spreading your daily caloric intake over 6 meals a day, eating every 2 to 3 hours, helps to take advantage of the increased metabolic rate that accompanies eating.
In other words, the more oftern you eat, the higher your metabolic rate, i.e. the number of calories your body burns each day.
In addition, by adding more protein to each meal, you also increase your metabolism. Your body requires more energy (i.e. calories) to process protein than it does carbohydrates. Let's review some simple changes you can make right now in your nutrition program to rapidly increase your body's ability to not only build muscle but burn fat also.
1) Eat 5 to 6 smaller meals per day, as opposed to 2 or 3 larger ones. This will ensure that you supple your body with the nutrients necessary to build muscle, as well as increase your resting metabolic rate.
It will also prevent your body from kicking into "starvation" mode, which can happen when you go too long between meals. If this happens, your body will start burning muscle for energy and increase your body fat stores, as well as slowing down your metabolism. All of these are things you want to avoid.
2) Eat a high protein diet consisting of at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. This helps ensure that your body has the protein available to increase maintain a positive nitrogen balance, which can lead to an increase in your muscles mass.
It will also increase your metabolic rate, allowing you to burn more body fat than a low protein diet, without as large a decrease in your daily caloric intake, which will also help avoid the "starvation" mode discussed in the previous paragraph.
Try these simple changes in your nutrition program to help you rapidly increase your muscle mass, burn off unwanted body fat and achieve the ripped muscular body that you've always wanted.
Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com and has contributed articles to Ironman magazine as well as being a regular contributor to Body Talk magazine. He publishes a free newsletter availabe at http://www.buildleanmuscle.com. He is the author of two books, also available at his site.
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..If you are committed to the low carb way of... Read More
We all know that losing weight and improving your overall... Read More
Losing weight and going on a diet can be quite... Read More
Did you know that how and when you eat is... Read More
Many people today are interested in weight loss and weight... Read More
Use these tips to turbo charge your weight loss program.Take... Read More
Rules of day to day no longer apply as you... Read More
Liposuction is also referred to as lipoplasty, suction-assisted lipectomy and... Read More
How many meals do you eat in one day?Close study... Read More
How to Break the Weighing HabitFace it, if you weigh... Read More
The government, nutritionists, doctors, and dietitians implore us to eat... Read More
Here are 4 diet tips we all need reminded of... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be... Read More
It's common to respond to stress by distracting yourself with... Read More
This Article was originally Published in The July 2004 Issue... Read More
Fat Loss in GeneralThis morning I conducted a search engine... Read More
What are the best fad diets? It's a question I'm... Read More
America's Obesity EpidemicAs the numbers of overweight Americans continue to... Read More
Curb Hunger and Avoid The Costly BingeEveryone's been there -... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
More likely than not a diet with end up a... Read More
Many gastric bypass patients report melon to be one of... Read More
"I'd love to lose weight, but I don't have the... Read More
Are you ashamed of your weight? Do you have a... Read More
Have you ever stopped to calculate how much time you... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Many women want to be slim. Maybe you're one of... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
Franchised Business Models and American Diets could be at odds.... Read More
Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat... Read More
Research from Harvard, recently published in the highly respected peer-reviewed... Read More
Generally, weight loss surgery such as the gastric bypass will... Read More
Activity means both mental and physical activity.Mental activity is similar... Read More
Barriers to healthy diets are placed into four broad categories:... Read More
When women talk about their biggest obstacles to successful weight... Read More
Dieting and weight loss is almost certainly the most lucrative... Read More
I did it without starving myself or taking pills. How... Read More
What is the link between Hispanics and obesity? Are people... Read More
Losing Weight is All About Counting Calories/Carbs and Exercising. Or... Read More
You may be considering a low carb diet program, but... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
I can't do that Until I Lose This Weight! If... Read More
When losing weight, most of us don't have the time... Read More
What does it take to lose weight?When it comes to... Read More
Ever thought of, known someone, or gone on a diet?... Read More
Search Yahoo for "papaya" and "kirstie" and you'll find at... Read More
The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify,... Read More
As I become acquainted with many of our LivingAfterWLS.com community... Read More
If you are like everyone else who has hit rock... Read More
It is very important for low carb dieters to stick... Read More
Weight Loss |