Loose Weight Build Muscle - Nutrition and Supplements
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008So you wanna loose weight and build muscle? Often the idea of using supplements comes to mind. There are so many nutritional supplements on the market these days but it’s healthy to exercise a bit of skepticism.
Many of the pills around these days are simply packed with stimulants and caffeine. Try not to take these because they can damage your metabolism more than it’s worth in the long run. They do speed up your metabolism, but they’ll also give you the jitters and often make you a bit edgy. There are much better ways to speed up your metabolism and it’s not even all that hard.
Now, the most important thing to remember in your goal to loose weight and build muscle is to do what many bodybuilders and professional fitness trainers refer to as “eating clean”.
Fill your stomach with the nutrients and minerals your body needs to repair the muscles and clean out the toxins exercising produces. You know just as well as anyone that eating KFC and McDonald’s is not going to get you the vitamins you need to build muscle and loose weight quickly. Eat clean, and you’ll achieve your goals quickly and effectively. So what do we have to eat to keep a clean diet?
So what’s the most important part of a clean diet? Water!
Yeah, I know, water’s not a food. But it is essential for your body to remain clean and free of toxins. Your body will create many by products while you’re exercising and loosing weight and building muscle. Your body is also made up of about 80% water too… so you’d better make sure you’re getting enough.
The next most important things to eat are fresh vegetables and fruits. They’ll get your body’s metabolism moving faster and provide your body with the vital phyto-nutrients. Fruits and vegetables contain life, and by eating them you will become more lively. It just makes sense. Your mother was right, so eat your vegetables!
You need protein so re-build muscle cells. Protein has a few other great benefits that will also help you loose weight while you gain muscle. Protein can help you loose weight because it acts as an appetite suppressant. The best place to get your protein is from lean meats like chicken and fish, but it’s also a good idea to get your hands on a quality protein supplement. It’s probably one of the only supplements I’d recommend for anyone who wants to loose weight and build muscle. Whey (or soy) protein is quickly digestible and can give your body what it needs most directly after a workout.
You should eat roughly 5-7 times a day, small meals with a bit of protein in each meal so you don’t have cravings. Protein has the ability to stave off sugar cravings so if you get a bit of a sweet tooth, grab another shake (with water), or a protein nutrition bar. Also, a handful of raw nuts is a great substitute.