How do I lose belly fat without losing muscle? This is the most specific query for those who don’t want to lose their strength and energy when losing weight.
Are you dealing with belly fat but are confused about how to lose belly fat naturally without losing muscle mass? So don’t worry; here are the perfect solutions for you.
Most people don’t know how to lose belly fat naturally and start to do intense fasting and dieting that can hurt muscle mass and energy. That is the reason people feel weak after intense weight loss, and there is a great chance their fat will come back again.
How To Lose Belly Fat Naturally
Maintaining a balanced weight naturally is a difficult task, but we can achieve it by making some changes in our lifestyle and diet. An unhealthy diet is a big reason for getting unhealthy fats.
If you are searching for “How to lose belly fat without losing muscle,” then this is the best place for you. In this article, we will discuss the best way to lose fat without losing muscle and keep it off for a long time.
You must have read or learned many tips to lose weight, such as exercising, eating light food, taking green tea, etc., but due to a lack of knowledge of how our body system works, you may not be able to find a stable way to maintain a balanced weight.
Metabolism is critical to our body’s weight management.
People with a high metabolism look slim and trim with no extra effort. Here, we have discussed how metabolism works and how calories affect our bodies.
Read more about signs of slow metabolism that restrict you from getting in shape.
How Does Our Body Store Fat?: How To Lose Belly Fat Naturally
We all need a certain amount of calories to survive, but when we eat too many calories and don’t burn them, the extra calories are stored in fat cells and make us fat.
Genetics also plays a major role in the storage of fat in our bodies, but we can mold our bodies by improving our lifestyle, eating the right foods, and exercising.
This video will surely help you learn how to lose weight without losing muscle.
This video was sourced from famous clinical nutritionist Autumn Bates’s fitness channel.
Our body stores extra calories or energy to survive in the future, but today we all have food easily available, so we need to take in calories according to our daily needs.
Dieticians and doctors recommend 2000 calories for women and 2500 calories for men, but it depends on our lifestyle and age.
How to Lose Belly Fat Without Losing Muscle
Losing body fat and losing weight are two different things. Weight loss includes loss of water, muscle loss, or fat loss.
Muscles are the most essential part of the body, which helps in movement and we cant afford to lose them.
We need to maintain our muscle mass and give them the strength to work more accurately. Here, we have discussed how we can safely reduce fat and maintain body muscle.
Take a look at a few important suggestions that can help you get a healthy body shape.
How To Lose Weight
Improve Your Diet: It’s Time to Watch Your Food to Reduce Belly Fat
The first and most important part of your health journey is to focus only on your diet. What and how you eat determines your body and health.
Most of us eat according to our taste and forget about the quantity we eat. More quantity means we are consuming more calories.
A balanced diet is a perfect diet for your overall health. Our body requires a specific amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and dietary fiber to remain healthy and energetic.
Most of our diet is made up of foods rich in carbohydrates and calories, which make us fat and heavy. Vitamins and minerals are the most important parts of a healthy body, but we ignore them due to a lack of knowledge.
Read also the best food for getting in shape and also building muscles.
Count Your Calories: Eat a Low-Calorie Diet
Rule number 1 is to count your calories. How many calories do you consume and how many calories does your body require based on your body and lifestyle?
You need to count your calories.
If you are eating more than your body needs, then start to control your eating habits and avoid overeating.
Make a Moderate Calorie Deficit
A moderate calorie deficit does not affect our muscles but triggers body fat to gain energy.
If you are consuming 2500 calories a day, then switch from 2000 to 2200 calories. Too much caloric deficit leads to loss of muscle mass, and you become weak. A moderate calorie deficit is best for targeting fat cells and maintaining muscle.
Eat More Protein-Rich Food
Our muscles are made of protein, which gives us strength. Protein aids in the repair of body tissues and provides muscle strength.
According to experts, we should consume 1 gram per kg of body weight to stay fit and healthy.
So if your weight is 80 kg, then take about 80 grams of protein daily from diet or supplements. Proteins are essential for maintaining muscle mass and providing strength to the body.
Nutrients & Minerals are Most Important for Losing Belly Fat
Include nutrients in your diet.
Nutrient deficiencies cause a variety of problems in the body, so make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals from your diet.
Eat vegetables and fruits to get the benefits of minerals and vitamins. Always include salads in your meal. Salad satisfies your appetite and also provides essential nutrients.
Drink Enough Water to Stay Hydrated
Water plays the most important role in your weight loss journey. Drinking water helps in boosting metabolism and also supports the transport of all the nutrients in the body.
Always get a water bottle with you wherever you go out.
Drinking water before any big meal helps to satisfy your hunger in less time and it helps in consuming fewer calories. Drink water as per the requirement of your body. Experts suggest that at least 7 to 8 glasses of water daily is good for the body.
Drinking enough water daily helps increase energy, promotes weight loss, flushes out toxins, and improves digestion.
Intermittent Fasting Triggers Fat Cells
how to lose belly fat without losing muscle
Intermittent fasting is the best way to control your caloric intake. Especially if you dont want to calculate your daily caloric intake.
The most popular intermittent fast is the 16/8-hour fast, which requires us to take our daily caloric intake within a time frame of 8 hours, and for the remaining 16 hours with no food or calories, you can drink water or any other calorie-less drink.
For example, if you have breakfast at 8 in the morning, eat lunch at least before 4, and skip dinner. You can adapt the day according to your routine.
Amazing Benefits of Fasting
Fasting for 16 hours helps the body burn the extra calories stored in the body as fat cells.
Fasting in the initial days increases hunger and weakness because of the conditioning of our minds. We all have a habit of eating throughout the day.
Our bodies become uncomfortable after fasting for 16 hours, prompting us to eat.
Eat nutritious and healthy foods within the framework of your 8-hour meal. Intermittent fasting helps to maintain our daily caloric intake and reduces excess fat in the body.
If you want to maintain your muscle mass, do regular exercise and training to maintain muscle mass with Intermittent fasting.
Don’t Skip Regular Exercise to Maintain Muscle
Do Regular Exercise & Physical Activity
Exercise is most important for maintaining muscle mass and for fat loss.
To maintain muscle mass, you need to do strength-building exercises, such as weight training, bodyweight exercises, and resistance training.
Strengthening exercises are important for muscle growth. If you don’t want to go to the gym or fitness club, you can do strength exercises at home with bodyweight exercises and with dumbbells or bars at home.
Do moderate cardio exercises like jumping jacks, squats, running, skipping, and walking. Cardio exercise burns calories faster and depletes your energy.
Doing cardio over a long period causes muscle loss. Limit your cardio exercises and focus on strength-building exercises like pull-ups or push-ups, weight lifting, etc. to maintain muscle mass in the body.
If we don’t train our muscles regularly, then after some time, the muscles lose their strength and you lose muscles.
Final Thoughts
So, to get a healthy physique, you need to change your lifestyle and pay attention to your diet. To maintain muscle mass, just train your body regularly and eat protein-rich foods daily. Regular exercise helps to reduce belly fat without losing muscle mass. All the above tips help you lose belly fat without losing muscle mass and increase your strength as well.
FAQs
How fast can you lose fat without losing muscle?
As per experts, 0.5- to 1-pound weight loss per week is safe. When you go beyond this, there is a risk of losing muscles as well. So don’t go fast on your weight-loss journey.
Why am I losing muscle mass and weight?
Due to your poor diet and malnutrition, as well as your inactive lifestyle, your muscle mass decreases. Start working out regularly and incorporating nutrient-rich foods into your diet.
How do bodybuilders lose fat without losing muscle?
Professional bodybuilders work out regularly to maintain their muscle strength and also eat high-nutrient foods and minimize carbs on low-intensity workout days.
Hi, I am a fitness freak girl, who loves to explore the best way to live a healthy life forever. I am a science graduate girl from the University of Denver and loves to write about fitness blogs to help people live healthy life.
