Female’s Guide on How to Lose Weight and Gain Muscle
Introduction
Often, people may assume that working out 24 hours a day is the only way to gain muscle and lose weight. Of course, a proper workout is essential, but the key to Herculean success also lies in the diet and the individual.
One could exercise all day, but the positive progress may be slower than others if he maintains a lousy diet. As many experts point out – workout is only one part of the process.
If you’re worried that you won’t reach your body goals, worry not because this guide can help you with practical tips that you can follow. Thus, read on to understand how this whole idea “works out.”
What to eat for effective muscle gains
To make it clear from the beginning, healthy amounts of protein are almost always your best friend.
Proteins are the building blocks for muscle gain, and it is vital in keeping you strong and active through every routine. Too much may not be good, but with the right amount of proteins, one may expect remarkable growth in health.
Although there were various claims in the past, carbohydrates are also proven effective for fitness journeys. Once you maintain a good balance of carbs and proteins, it becomes easier for muscle gain regardless of your body type.
Some of the best foods that carry adequate amounts of protein or carbs would be eggs, lean meats like pork, beef, lamb, poultry like chicken, duck or turkey, fish and seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, some vegetables, etc.
Apart from protein and carbs, many of these foods also have other necessary nutrients, which are just as beneficial as the two.
Healthy ways to lose weight
Losing weight is often a struggle for many people, mainly because of the wide misconception that ‘starving’ oneself does the trick.
Any well-learned bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast would understand that losing weight in a healthy manner requires research, planning, and effort. This may be the only correct way to lose excess weight and avoid gaining it back.
If you’re focused on bodybuilding, a ‘cutting diet’ is a popular and maybe the best method to lose weight. This type of diet focuses on maintaining muscle mass but losing excessive weight or fats.
What makes it different from other diets is that it is catered for every person and often has rich amounts of protein and carbs. An important factor is that cutting diets are usually paired with heavy workouts like weightlifting.
Avoid following ‘media fad’ diets which may often be overestimated in their capability. Apart from that, always do a good amount of research to understand your body and make it work with a suitable fitness plan.
Are supplements a good idea?
Eating healthy, maintaining a diet, and working out are all essential needs of a well-built body. But for those who want to speed up that process with a healthy booster, supplements may be the choice.
There are various supplements available in the market, so much that one could easily get lost in the numbers. But a bit of general advice would be to go for ‘natural’ supplements.
Synthetic steroids may be super-fast at bringing in mighty results, but they usually carry one risk or the other. With natural supplements, however, it is often easier to trust the contents and avoid side effects.
Maca, whey protein powder, glutamine, Trenorol, etc., are popular supplements for many people.
What are some good options for weight loss and muscle gain?
If you want a taste of the power of effective supplements that don’t kill your health, you can check out the various products offered by Crazybulk.
They also offer great deals in stacks which would give the customers a combination of supplements at 20-30% lower than the individual prices.
Those interested in losing weight and maintaining muscle mass can easily go for popular choices like Clenbutrol, Anvarol, Winsol, Testo-Max, etc., or they can save extra by purchasing the Cutting stack.
All these mentioned supplements help to keep the body energized with excellent metabolism. They also help in cutting down excess fat while simultaneously gaining muscle mass.
For example, taking Clenbutrol before every workout aid in metabolism processes which in turn burns more fat. Winsol helps in sustaining the energy needed to maintain a balanced or heavy workout, and Testo-Max boosts the testosterone levels to help in building stronger muscles.
Apart from the Cutting Stack, you can also go for other combos like the Bulking Stack or Ultimate Stack. Each of the products in Crazybulk performs an important function needed for every type of workout.
If you can pair these supplements with protein and carb-rich foods and effective workouts, losing weight while gaining muscles may be much easier to achieve.
Eat To Build Muscle
Here are a few misconceptions that about food that slows down your progress during muscle building.
Fancy Diets: The fad or fancy diet industry is a billion-dollar market that only delivers for the short term, most of which are not healthy. Many start believing the hype around these expensive diets but do not get the desired results. Overtraining and not eating enough is a bad combination and has adverse effects on the body.
Saying No To Carbs And Fats: Thanks to fad diets, Carbohydrates and fats have earned a bad reputation for not being weight loss friendly. Both of these macronutrients are essential for the growth and development of muscles. When you deprive your muscles of these macronutrients, it can slow down your progress,
Guilty About Food: You don’t need to feel disheartened because you had a cheat day that took you off track. You can always get back on track. However, feeling guilty for eating will lead to eating disorders and won’t allow you to have a good relationship with food.
Too Much Focus On Weight Loss: if you think only about losing fat without knowing muscle-building, it can act like a hiccup in your fitness journey. Just the simple act of eating more to build muscles may make you feel scared, but the muscles must grow.
In simple terms, your body needs fuel to help the muscles grow, which will be from macros such as carbs, fats, and proteins. And you will need to eat enough for your body to sustain itself through the process of building muscles.
Tips To Build Muscle
If you want to build muscles, here are a few things that will be a game-changer in your fitness journey.
Eat Right
Eating the right foods and doing it in moderation is the key to growing muscles, and it also aids in weight loss. So the main aim should be to add more calories using healthy options and following portion control. And if your weight is on the heavier side, you will have to be on a calorie deficit to lose weight while building muscles.
The three main macros that you need to focus on are:
- Proteins: helps to rebuild muscles.
- Carbohydrates: provides fuel and energy to the body
- Fats: is used as fuel in the absence of carbs and helps in other body functions.
Your plate should have a healthy portion of carbs, proteins, and fats. The priority should be protein and then carbs, and a tiny amount of healthy fats.
Protein is a crucial element that helps build muscle, and women don’t usually consume enough protein while training to gain muscles. In the absence of enough protein, your strength training will not show any effective results.
And get your shot of vitamins and minerals from fresh fruits and vegetables. Vegetables and fruits will keep you full for longer and provide fiber for healthy digestion.
Increase Calories But Carefully
It is evident that to gain lean muscle mass; you need to eat more. But the tricky part is not to eat so much that you gain fat.
Start by tracking the maintenance calories that you need for daily bodily functions. Then, increase your calorie intake by 200 calories per week or month to start building muscles. If you consume more calories(1) thinking that you will grow more muscles, then you may be wrong.
Do More Compound Exercises
Compound exercises should be your first choice when it comes to muscle building. These exercises are beneficial because you can do more in a short time. Weightlifting is the key to increase the muscle mass of your body as you challenge your body.
Try to include heavy compound exercises like deadlifts, rows, push-ups, and squats that can target multiple muscle groups simultaneously. As you start strength training 3 to 4 times a week, focus on progressive overload to keep challenging your muscles and yourself.
Progressive overload increases the time under tension for the muscles, leading to hypertrophy or muscle gain.
Prioritize Sleep
We know that training and diet are the two most essential elements that help build muscle as a woman. But our muscles need to recover sufficiently for them to become stronger and more prominent. And this recovery happens when we sleep.
Having 7 – 9 hours of sleep is vital for the repair of muscles to undo the damage done during the workout. Sleep deprivation can lead to lethargy and less energy throughout the day.
As you can see, intensive training to grow bigger muscles has become the new trend worldwide, for all the right reasons. As a woman builds more muscles, it leads to numerous changes in her body over time.
The gains are better muscle strength, overall endurance, strong bones, and a boost of energy. Apart from toning down the body, muscles help to burn fat and keep the weight under control.
So, if you are planning to build bigger muscles, make sure that you watch your diet, train correctly and get enough sleep. Without enough rest or sleep, you will not be able to recover well and perform better.
A few precautions
In every diet, workout, or fitness plan, there is always one precaution or the other that you have to keep in mind. Therefore, here are some of it:
- Never overlook the importance of consulting your health advisor before taking up any diet plan, workout idea, or food habits. This is essential because every individual body will not work the same.
- Always have good research, support, and proof of any product that you wish to consume.
- Do not purchase any unnecessary product that may not match the body goals that you want.
- If any type of negative reaction like allergies or illness comes up due to a food or supplement, it may be better to avoid consuming it further.
Conclusion
It may be confusing for many people to know what to eat, avoid or follow to achieve their fitness dreams. But once they put in a good amount of research and dedication, it becomes easier to find what suits them best.
Weight loss and muscle gain are some of the most basic yet important features of a good body and physique. With foods that are rich in proteins or carbs along with good supplements from trusted companies, one may expect to boost their training sessions and get ahead of competitors.
