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.
eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..Lose Weight - Get A Break ---------------------------------------- The American Obesity... Read More
There's nothing more fun then being creative with food and... Read More
It's been called the world's oldest medicine, the miracle fat... Read More
The Government of the Australian state of Victoria has started... Read More
What is the best form of physical activity?The best form... Read More
Chances are if you've stepped foot in a gym or... Read More
Digestion is a chemical process. Our body combines different types... Read More
To begin this article I must start with it's conclusion.The... Read More
Why have I allowed myself to get into this shape?... Read More
Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue... Read More
Have you ever worried about something so much it paralyzed... Read More
Have you ever decided to take a trip somewhere relatively... Read More
If you are like everyone else who has hit rock... Read More
At around ?350 pounds a treatment, Lipo-Dissolve the so called... Read More
Are you considering a low carb diet? If so you... Read More
As hoards of low-carb proponents invade the nutritional landscape, the... Read More
It seems there are two schools of behavior patients follow... Read More
I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More
Both men and women around the world are becoming fatter... Read More
More and more people are starting to recognize that they... Read More
Are you a hopeless carbohydrate addict? Let's conquer these cravings... Read More
What is low carb?We've all heard about the Atkins diet... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
Frankie saddled up to the bar at the We-Stuff-Em-All Diner,... Read More
We hear it all the time?lose weight for your health.... Read More
express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..As much as many of us who are over-weight do... Read More
Are you one of those who hate dieting? Well, you... Read More
I have tried many "diets" here in the USA and... Read More
First of all we need to find out a reason... Read More
An increasing trend over the last few years has been... Read More
Recently, I was reading about a diet plan where you... Read More
Weight training combines building muscle tone and working the cardiovascular... Read More
Each month I receive hundreds of e-mails from consumers who... Read More
The holidays are now officially over and it's time to... Read More
If you have been dieting, there is a good chance... Read More
From the book Spider's Big CatchLike many people, I've decided... Read More
I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
For the past several years one subject has been coming... Read More
Today's society is about speed. We no longer have to... Read More
Do you tend to find your weight increases when you... Read More
Cellulite ? a word most women are very familiar with.... Read More
Have you ever decided to take a trip somewhere relatively... Read More
You and I know that getting plenty of support from... Read More
A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More
Are you concerned about the lack of exercise your child... Read More
Most people are unsure about how to begin a fat... Read More
Dumping syndrome is an effective result of the gastric bypass... Read More
When I decided to lose weight I of course decided... Read More
Are you trying to lose weight?If you are, STOP!Funny thing... Read More
It all begins with water .... Water makes up 75%... Read More
Weight Loss |